BIOS

BIOS stands for Basic Input and Output System. It is sometimes called the ROM BIOS because it was originally stored in a Read-Only Memory (ROM) chip on the motherboard. The BIOS is the first program to run when you turn on your computer. It performs the following functions: Initializing and testing the hardware in your computer (a process called POST, for Power On Self Test) Loading and running your operating system Managing Setup for making changes in your computer Helping operating systems and application programs manage your PC hardware by means of a set of routines called BIOS Run-Time Services.

BIOS manufacturers American Megatrends Phoenix

Award
Etc

What is CMOS? CMOS is a special kind of memory maintained by a small battery after you turn the computer off. The BIOS uses CMOS to store the settings you select in Setup and to

maintain the internal real time clock (RTC). Every time you turn on your computer, the
BIOS uses the CMOS settings to configure your computer. If the battery charge runs too low, the CMOS contents will be lost and POST will issue a "CMOS invalid" or "CMOS checksum invalid" message. If this happens, you may have to replace the battery. Contact your manufacturer for assistance. After the battery is replaced, the proper settings will

need to be restored in Setup.

Types of CMOS batteries

The following is a listing of the types of batteries found in computer to powe the CMOS memory. The most common type of battery is the Coin cell battery (Lithium Battery) the coin cell battery is the size of a dime, as shown below.

Life time of a CMOS battery

The standard life time of a CMOS battery is around 10 Years, however this amount of time can change depending on the use and environment that the computer resides.

Accessing the CMOS/BIOS Setup

Almost all new 'clone' systems today allow you to enter the CMOS/BIOS by either pressing the 'Delete' or 'F1' key. You will be prompted when first turning on or booting up the computer for the proper key to enter

How to enter a typical CMOS setup AMI BIOS - <DEL> key during the POST Award - <CTRL> <ALT><ESC> Phoenix - <CTRL><ALT><ESC> or <CTRL><ALT><S> Compaq - <F10> Gateway 2000 - <F1> Sony - <F3> while the PC is starting, then hit <F1>

Compaq:

Generally Compaq Setup can be entered by hitting the 'F10' key when booting up. As soon as you see the cursor go to the upper right hand side of the screen, hit 'F10'. Compaq setup program resides on a small partition on the hard drive and if you have fdisked and reformatted or installed a new hard drive you will need to use the Compaq setup program from here: Dell:
Older Dells (486 models) require you to enter the sequence: CTRL-ALT-ENTER Hewlett Packard: Pentium Systems: Hold down the F1 key upon startup/bootup

Other common key sequences to enter the BIOS CTRL-ALT-S CTRL-ALT-Enter CTRL-ALT-Insert CTRL-ALT-Esc F1

Core Group: System ROM it never changes Parallel Ports Serial Ports Speaker Support Chips (Usually DIPP Packages) (Do not confuse ROM and BIOS) BIOS is software and ROM is the hardware chips were BIOS is stored

CMOS group: Changeable ones RAM

Hard Drives
Floppy Drives

Video

POST (Power On Self Test) POST or Power On Self-Test 1. Power Supply turned on sends electrical signals to CPU 2. CPU wakes up and runs and invokes the BIOS boot up program 3. CPU sends signals to system bus 4. CPU checks system timer or real time clock 5. POST test memory 6. Memory amount is run and checked 7. CPU verifies keyboard 8. POST send signals to floppy and hard disk 9. POST compares results with CMOS setup 10. POST checks BYOB and now is ready to boot up OS

PC hierarchy Hardware BIOS Operating System Drivers Applications

Troubleshooting
Beep codes vary depending on the manufacturer of the BIOS.
Below are some of the common beep codes for an Award BIOS.

Beep Code 1 long

1 long then 2 short 1 long then 3 short Continuous

Meaning System memory failure

Video controller failure Video controller failure Video or memory failure

Below are the IBM error code families and the component that the error code relates to
Error Code Family 1xx 2xx 3xx 4xx 5xx 6xx 7xx 9xx 10xx System board errors Memory (RAM) errors Keyboard errors Monochrome monitor errors Color monitor errors Game control adapter errors 8087 or 80287 math coprocessor errors Parallel printer adapter errors Reserved for parallel printer adapter Error Type

11xx
12xx 13xx

Asynchronous communications adapter errors

Alternate asynchronous communications adapter errors Parallel printer adapter errors

How can I restore default BIOS Setup values?

AwardBIOS -- The following function key options are available in AwardBIOS: F5 -- restore old values (the values previously in use when the Setup program was invoked) F6 -- Load BIOS defaults (the selections provided by Award to the motherboard manufacturer) F7 -- Load Setup defaults (the selections provided by the motherboard supplier or integrator)

Does my BIOS support Universal Serial Bus (USB)?

BIOS support for USB is a concern if your operating system does not offer USB device support, if you need keyboard access to modify Setup, or in order to boot USB-based devices. Older systems with USB add-on: Because the BIOS is designed to support features and capabilities that are part of a motherboard, the BIOS generally will not support capabilities added later as options. If your system has an add-in card to support USB capabilities, then the BIOS will probably not provide support. On-board USB: For systems which include USB capabilities on the motherboard, two BIOS features may be provided: Keyboard/mouse emulation support - Most USB-equipped systems will allow you to use a keyboard or mouse attached through USB in place of devices attached with standard PS/2 style connectors. Boot device support - The range of boot devices supported in the first generation of USBbased systems is limited, because these devices are still being developed and standards established. Some systems will include boot support for floppy or Zip drive. You should consult your system supplier or the motherboard manufacturer for a list of specific devices supported in your system.

What do I do if I forgot my password?

There are two types of password protection in many computers:
1.The following suggestion will work only for passwords used before the operating system boots. If you set up a password only for booting the PC, in most instances you can enter the BIOS Setup to disable the password.

If you also placed a password on Setup itself, there is no "back door" password unless the computer manufacturer modified the BIOS to have one. The password is stored in CMOS and cannot be accessed by any other means. Contact your manufacturer for assistance. If you cannot contact your manufacturer, take the PC to a computer repair shop.
If you wish to attempt disabling the password yourself, you will need to erase CMOS. You should not do this unless you already have written down or printed out of all the BIOS Setup parameters, or if you are certain that restoring the Setup default values is sufficient for operating your system. Take these steps: 1.clear the CMOS (remove the CMOS battery until POST displays a "CMOS checksum bad" or a similar message); 2.re-install the CMOS battery; 3.run the BIOS Setup; 4.restore the correct BIOS Setup settings. NOTE: it can take up to several days for the CMOS to go bad without a battery. This is caused by capacitance in the circuit. This charge can be safely discharged by using a 10k-ohm resistor, touched to the battery connectors for a few moments (while the battery is removed).

The End