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What is 'BIOS?

Updated: 11/15/2022
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10y ago

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BIOS stands for Basic Input/Output System. This is software usually housed on a read-only memory chip somewhere on your computer's motherboard(some computers today have chips which are not read-only, where the BIOS can be modified). BIOS is where information on your floppy and hard drives are kept, including which drive to boot-up first, when you turn on the computer. You can usually access it by hitting the delete, F1, F2, or F3 key, before your OS loads (this varies depending on your computer's manufacturer and model). However, if you're not computer savy, then stay out of your computer's BIOS! You could wreak major havoc. Answer: 1. BIOS Defined: Basic, input/output, System. Provides basic functionality to boot up the computer 2. BIOS Main purpose: Is to load Drivers for basic operation of your computer (Mouse driver, Keyboard driver, Video driver) so on. 3. BIOS is Stored: Read only memory (ROM) 4. Changes to BIOS are saved: CMOS 5. CMOS: Complementary metal oxide semiconductor. This CMOS retains its memory when power is off(watch battery) = BIOS manages = * · POST: power on self test (Test for video, CPU, memory, and checks Power supply) * · BOOT:Looks for 1. ( MBR) Master Boot Record (on a disk) 2. First physical sector on bootable volume (VBR) 3. Startup file (NT) NT loader ---(NTLDR) * · ERRORS * · Locates additional ROM BIOS (Video card BIOS)(SCSI Device BIOS) The BIOS is boot firmware, designed to be the first code run by a PC when powered on. The initial function of the BIOS is to identify, test, and initialize system devices such as the video display card, hard disk, and floppy disk and other hardware. This is to prepare the machine into a known state, so that software stored on compatible media can be loaded, executed, and given control of the PC. This process is known as booting, or booting up, which is short for bootstrapping.

BIOS programs are stored on a chip and are built to work with various devices that make up the complementary chipset of the system. They provide a small library of basic input/output functions that can be called to operate and control the peripherals such as the keyboard, text display functions and so forth. In the IBM PC and AT, certain peripheral cards such as hard-drive controllers and video display adapters carried their own BIOS extension ROM, which provided additional functionality. Operating systems and executive software, designed to supersede this basic firmware functionality, will provide replacement software interfaces to applications.

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Eleazar Sanford

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1y ago
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8y ago

Not basically. Bio IS the study of living things.

Bio is me I am the study of living things

Basically bio is the study of living things.

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Related questions

5 different brand of ROM BIOS?

phoenix bios,ami bios, luwrance bios, award bios,asus bios


How many BIOS Manufactures are there?

AMI Bios, Award Bios, Pheonix Bios


What is H2 Bios?

H2 bios is a type of bios specifically made for notebooks.


When you upgrade the BIOS you are what?

You are flashing the bios.


What are The three purposes the motherboard ROM BIOS serves?

The BIOS is used to manage simple devices (system BIOS), the BIOS is used to start the computer (startup BIOS), and the BIOS is used to change settings on the motherboard (CMOS setup).


What do you need to replace the BIOS?

BIOS of what component? your graphics card will have a BIOS, the CPU will have a BIOS. If there is nothing wrong with yours don't bother replacing it.


Is there anyway to reset the BIOS password on a Toshiba 460CDT laptop if you have forgotten it?

The best method to reset a BIOS password depends on what BIOS the computer has. Common BIOS's include AMI, Award, IBM and Phoenix. Numerous other BIOS's do exist, but these are the most common. Some BIOS's allow you to require a password be entered before the system will boot. Some BIOS's allow you to require a password to be entered before the BIOS setup may be accessed. The general categories of solutions to reset a BIOS password are: Using a Backdoor BIOS Password Resetting the BIOS Password using Software Resetting the BIOS Password using Hardware Vendor Specific Solutions for resetting the BIOS Password


Is it possible to remove the bios battery on dell vostro 3300 to remove the bios admin password?

No, removing the bios battery on a laptop will not reset bios settings.


What is the purpose of a BIOS jumper?

Two examples are resetting the BIOS to the default settings and swapping between two different BIOS chips for boards with multiple BIOS.


How do you fix bios image?

you much flash the bios.


Why BIOS is necessary in cp?

why it is necessary to have Bios in a PC


What is the difference between startup bios and system bios?

System BIOS touches little boys while startup BIOS drinks lava lamps and snorts cocaine