The BIOS

The BIOS (Basic Input Output System) is a utility contained in the CMOS (Complementary Metal-Oxide Semiconductor), a memory chip in which pairs of metal-oxide semiconductor fields effect transistors, one N-type and one P-type. These types of semiconductors work on very high speeds and consume extremely little power. The CMOS is commonly used as a battery-backed storage space for the ROM, which stores the parameter values needed to boot personal computer systems, such as the type of disks and the amount of memory you have, etc., as well as the clock settings, all of which are set in the BIOS utility. 

Years ago, before the time of the personal computer, huge mainframe computers were the only means of providing computing power. Each mainframe computer had to have a specially designated set of programmers assigned to it, and nobody but those designated programmers was able to work with them, much less get any information out of them. The reason is that in those days of computing there were no BIOSes! It's the BIOS that makes personal computing possible in the first place.

What you have to understand is that when you are working on your PC, you aren't actually talking to your computer. The communication process between application and hardware is somewhat more complicated than that.

Say you are writing a letter using your word processor. The word processor (the application) talks to the GUI (Graphical User Interface), the GUI talks to the Operating system (i.e. Windows 9x, etc.), the operating system talks to the BIOS and the BIOS, eventually, talks to the hardware. You see, your mouse clicks are a long way from home.

This communication process is known as the mushroom principle. Without the BIOS, "off the shelf" operating systems and applications would not be possible. You may think all computers are the same, but that is as far from the truth as saying that all humans are the same. All humans, for example share the same kind of DNA, just as all computers share the same kind of structure. But even identical twins have fundamental differences and in computing that is just the same. Each computer rolling off the production line has its own characteristics and it is only thanks to the BIOS that we can address one computer like the other.

The features and settings of the BIOS have already been documented in such perfection, that I cannot add to it any more. Therefore, I just provide the link below. You will really find everything there is to know about BIOSes. This is a big one, so it might take a few seconds longer to load. Please be patient, it's worth it.

How to get into the BIOS

Usually this is done by pressing the DEL (delete) key at boot up. There will be a message on your screen, giving you the opportunity to press it for a time period of about two or three seconds. If you miss that period, you miss your chance, so be careful.

Although nearly all computers use the DEL key to enter the BIOS setup, there are still some systems around that go their own way. So here is a list of possible alternatives I have come across of, especially on older machines and on laptops:

• ESC - Toshiba

• F1 - Toshiba, Phoenix, PS/1

• F2 - NEC

• F10 (when square in top right of screen)- Compaq

• INS - PS/2

• ALT + ? - PS/2

• CTRL + INS - PS/2

• RESET (twice) - Dell

• ALT + ENTER - Dell

• CTRL + ESC - many laptops

• CTRL + ALT + + - many laptops

• CTRL + ALT + ESC - AST, Award, Tandon, Advantage, Acer

• CTRL + ALT + S - Phoenix

• CTRL + ALT + INS - Zenith, Phoenix

• CTRL + S - Phoenix

• CTRL + SHIFT + ESC - Tandon

• CTRL + SHIFT + ALT + (num pad) DEL - Olivetti

A Word Of Warning

Before you start to tinker with your BIOS, be sure you know what you are doing. If you are thinking about seriously messing up your system - this is the place to do it!

Nonetheless, the very first thing you'll have to do once you have put your PC together is setting up the BIOS. So be careful with the settings you know and leave alone those you don't.

Get yourself a motherboard with 'DualBIOS' Technology if you can (developed by Gigabyte). DualBIOS means you actually have two separate BIOSes, one backing the other. If one BIOS fails, is attacked by a virus or flashed with the wrong upgrade, the other BIOS will take over at the next reboot and set things back to normal. Good work Gigabyte I'll say, better safe than sorry.