Which Windows component is responsible for reading the boot.ini file and displaying the boot loader menu on Windows XP during the boot process?

The component responsible for reading the boot.ini file and displaying the boot loader menu during the boot process on Windows XP is the boot loader known as NTLDR (NT Loader). NTLDR is a critical component of the Windows NT family of operating systems and serves several essential functions when the system is booted.

Primarily, NTLDR reads the boot.ini file, which contains information about the operating systems installed on the computer. This file defines the boot options available to the user, allowing them to select between different operating systems or configurations during startup. Once NTLDR reads this file, it presents the user with the boot menu, where they can choose the desired operating system or boot configuration.

After the user makes a selection, NTLDR will proceed to load the appropriate operating system by loading the necessary core files, including NTOSKRNL (the Windows NT operating system kernel) for further initialization of the operating system environment.

While other components play important roles in the Windows architecture, they do not carry out the specific task of reading the boot.ini file and presenting the boot menu during the initial startup phase like NTLDR does. Understanding this distinction highlights the specialized function of each component in the boot process of Windows XP.