Which component of NTFS acts as a boot loader and accesses the boot.ini file?

The correct answer is related to the role of the component known as NTLDR (NT Loader). In the context of the NTFS (New Technology File System) and Windows operating system boot process, NTLDR serves as the boot loader. It is responsible for initializing and loading the operating system by reading the boot.ini file, which contains configuration information about the system setup, including the operating system options and the location of the kernel.

Once the system starts up, NTLDR reads the boot.ini file to determine which operating system to load and how to load it. This makes it a crucial component for the boot process of Windows versions that utilize the NTFS file system.

The other components mentioned have different roles in the Windows operating environment. Kernel32.dll is a core component of the Windows operating system that provides an API for memory management, input/output operations, and more, but it does not function as a boot loader. Hal.dll (Hardware Abstraction Layer) serves as an interface between hardware and the operating system, ensuring that higher-level functions do not need to directly communicate with the hardware. Winlogon.exe is responsible for handling user logon and logoff processes, and managing secure attention sequences (Ctrl+Alt+Del), but it is