What is the process of powering up a computer for the first time called?

The process of powering up a computer for the first time is referred to as a cold boot. This action involves turning on the computer from a completely powered-off state, allowing the hardware to initialize and load the operating system from scratch. During a cold boot, all components such as the CPU, memory, and storage devices are activated, and the BIOS or firmware performs a series of tests to ensure that the system is functioning correctly before handing control over to the operating system.

In contrast, a warm boot occurs when a computer is restarted without being turned off completely, often performed through the operating system's restart function. Reboot is a general term that can refer to either a warm or cold boot, but it does not specifically indicate the initial powering on of the machine. Startup is also a more generic term that may refer to the entire process of booting the system, whether it is a cold or warm boot. Therefore, cold boot distinctly defines the first-time powering on of the computer.