bootability
Bootability refers to the ability of a computer or device to start from a powered-off state by loading and executing software from a bootable medium. In most systems, the process begins with firmware—BIOS in older hardware or UEFI in modern machines—that initializes hardware and selects a boot device according to a boot order. The firmware loads a boot loader, which then loads the operating system kernel into memory and hands control to it. The kernel starts the init system, mounts the root filesystem, and begins user-space operation.
Bootable media include internal hard drives, USB flash drives, optical discs, and network boot environments (PXE).
Creating bootable media often involves writing an image to a target device using tools such as Rufus,
Common issues include incorrect boot device selection, damaged media, missing or corrupted bootloaders, and Secure Boot