Lesson 13. Startup Sequence

Time

This lesson takes approximately 1 hour to complete.

Goals

Identify the processes that run at system startup

Identify the location of important files and scripts used by the startup sequence

Identify the different stages of the startup sequence and their corresponding visual or auditory cues

Troubleshoot startup issues, including startup items and login items

Most Macintosh users turn on their computers and wait for the Finder or login window to appear. That's all normal users need to know to begin working on a Macintosh computer. But power users and administrators benefit from understanding what goes on behind the scenes to run Mac OS X.

When the power is turned on, Mac OS X performs a series of tasks to prepare the system for operation. Visual and auditory cues help you follow the startup sequence. If something goes awry during startup, those cues can provide clues as to where the problem is and how to fix it. The following pages explain the Mac OS X startup sequence.

[View full size image]