The boot process is the sequence of events that occurs when a computer is powered on. It begins with the computer's hardware performing a self-test called the POST (Power-On Self-Test) to check for any issues. Once the hardware is verified, the system firmware, often called the BIOS (Basic Input/Output System) or UEFI (Unified Extensible Firmware Interface), takes over to locate and load the operating system from the storage device. After the operating system is loaded into memory, it initializes system components and starts essential services. This process allows the user to interact with the computer through a graphical interface or command line. Once everything is set up, the computer is ready for use.