Apple Certified Support Professional (ACSP) Practice Exam 2025 - Free ACSP Practice Questions and Study Guide

The boot loader is stored in flash memory chips during the firmware step because it is a critical piece of software that is responsible for loading the operating system when a device is powered on. The boot loader initializes the hardware and prepares the system to start the operating system by locating and loading the necessary files.

Flash memory is typically used for storing firmware because it is non-volatile, meaning that it retains the stored information even when the device is powered off. This ensures that the boot loader is available whenever the device is started, enabling the system to function correctly.

In contrast, kernel extensions, system preferences, and configuration settings are not typically stored in the firmware step but are loaded later in the boot process from other storage locations, such as the hard drive or SSD, once the operating system has been initiated.