A BIOS (Basic Input/Output System) is an electronic set of
instructions that a computer uses to successfully start operating. The
BIOS is located on a chip inside of the computer and is designed in a
way that protects it from disk failure.
A main function of the
BIOS is to give instructions for the power-on self test (POST). This
self test ensures that the computer has all of the necessary parts and
functionality needed to successfully start itself, such as use of
memory, a keyboard and other parts. If errors are detected during the
test, the BIOS instructs the computer to give a code that reveals the
problem. Error codes are typically a series of beeps heard shortly after
startup.
The BIOS also works to give the computer basic
information about how to interact with some critical components, such as
drives and memory, that it will need to load the Operating system (OS). Once the basic instructions have been loaded and the
self-test has been passed, the computer can proceed with loading the
operating system from one of the attached drives.
Computer users
can often make certain adjustments to the BIOS through a configuration
screen on the computer. The setup screen is typically accessed with a
special key sequence during the first moments of startup. This setup
screen often allows users to change the order in which drives are
accessed during startup and control the functionality of a number of
critical devices. Features vary among individual BIOS versions.
Many PC manufacturers today use flash-memory cards to hold
BIOS information. This allows users to update the BIOS version on
computers after a vendor releases an update. This system was designed to
solve problems with the original BIOS or to add new functionality.
Users can periodically check for updated BIOS versions, as some vendors
release a dozen or more updates over the course of a product's lifetime.
To check for an updated BIOS, users can check the website of the
specific hardware vendor.
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