BIOS & POST
CONFIGURATION
CSS-11
PRE-TEST. TRUE OR FALSE
• ______1. BIOS is a software usually built onto the motherboard that shows
the major hardware components of your computer with the operating
system.
• ______2. The advance menu consists of time and date, drives’ parameters
and system information.
• ______3. POST helps to verify the computer system
requirements to boot up properly.
• ______4. The exit menu contains the commands like save and discard
changes.
• ______5. The power menu consists of option for devices and some other
booting settings.
PRE-TEST
• TRUE 1. BIOS is a software usually built onto the motherboard that shows
the major hardware components of your computer with the operating
system.
• FALSE2. The advance menu consists of time and date, drives’ parameters
and system information.
• TRUE 3. POST helps to verify the computer system requirements
to boot up properly.
• TRUE 4. The exit menu contains the commands like save and discard
changes.
• FLASE 5. The power menu consists of option for devices and some other
booting settings.
BIOS (Basic Input Output System)
• BIOS (Basic Input Output System) is a software usually built
onto the motherboard that shows the major hardware components
of your computer with the operating system.
• BIOS, pronounced "BYE-oss," stands for Basic Input Output System
and is software stored on a small memory chip in your system's
motherboard. When you boot up your system and look at the screen
at the right time, you may see a startup message that uses the term
"BIOS."
The Functions of a BIOS
• BIOS has four main functions:
• POST: The POST function tests the hardware before loading the operating
system; we already discussed this function earlier.
• Bootstrap loader: This function locates a capable operating system. If the
loader finds that system, the BIOS passes control over to it.
• BIOS drivers: These are low-level drivers that give your system basic control
over its hardware.
• BIOS setup: This function is a configuration program that lets you configure
your system’s hardware settings. This configuration includes system settings
like time, date, and passwords.
The Functions of a BIOS
• The BIOS includes instructions on how to load basic computer
hardware. It also includes a test referred to as a POST (Power-On
Self-Test) that helps verify the computer meets requirements to boot
up properly.
Steps of BIOS setup using flash drive:
1. Press the Power button of computer.
2. During the initial startup screen, press Delete or F2 key. (Depending on the
company that created your version of BIOS, a menu may appear.)
3. When you choose to enter BIOS Set-up, the set-up utility page will appear.
4. Using the arrow keys on your keyboard, select the BOOT tab. All of the
available system devices will be displayed in order of their boot priority. You can
reorder the devices here.
5. Move USB to be first in the boot sequence.
6. Save the change and then exit the BIOS Set-up.
7. The computer will restart using the new settings, booting from your USB drive.
Main menu
The main BIOS settings: time and date, drives’ parameters and system
information.
Boot menu
Here can find parameters for appropriate procedure of devices and
some other booting settings.
Exit menu
This section usually contains the following commands:
•Exit & Save Changes – exit with saving all changes
•Exit & Discard Changes – exit without saving any changes
•Discard Changes – cancel all changes
THE FOLLOWING THINGS YOU CAN DO
IN MOST BIOS SYSTEMS
Change the Boot Order
Load Bios Setup Defaults
Remove a BIOS Password
Create a BIOS Password
What is Power-On Self-Test (POST)?
A Power-On Self-Test (POST) is an operation initiated by a computer
after it has been turned on but before it boots up the OS. The
computer’s firmware – BIOS, Unified Extensible Firmware Interface
(UEFI) or another system – carries out this operation by running a
diagnostic testing sequence to determine if the computer’s essential
hardware is working properly.
Why are Power-On Self-Tests important?
Power-On Self-Tests are an essential part of system troubleshooting
because the boot-up can only proceed if the software is working
correctly; if the software isn’t working, the BIOS produces an error
message. This is important because numerous essential programs are
loaded when systems boot up.
When a POST is completed successfully, bootstrapping – which starts
the initialization of the boot-up – is enabled. In computing, bootstrap
means to boot or load a program, usually an OS, onto a computer using
a much smaller initial program.
Why are Power-On Self-Tests important?
Computers aren’t the only devices that use POSTs. Some appliances,
medical equipment and other hardware run similar self-tests after
being turned on.
How Power-On Self-Tests work
The way in which a computer carries out the POST process depends on the system’s
hardware architecture and installed firmware. Generally, the process verifies the viability of
all the hardware necessary to ensure the OS and applications can run properly. This typically
includes the following devices:
processors,
memory,
storage,
controllers,
keyboard,
pointer device and
system timer.
How Power-On Self-Tests work
The exact list of hardware devices will depend on the system. A POST
operation might also perform other tasks, such as verifying the firmware,
validating hardware configurations or initializing the hardware.
During the POST process, a user might see some indication that it’s
underway. For example, hardware lights might flash, or the screen might
display a company logo. However, today’s computers are so fast that they
usually zip right through their POST operations with little indication, unless
there’s a problem. If the necessary hardware is detected and operating
properly, the computer continues with the rest of the boot process.
How Power-On Self-Tests work
If the specified hardware isn’t detected or operating properly, the firmware usually
stops the boot process and issues an error message. The message might be
displayed on the computer’s screen, sent as a series of coded beeps or both,
depending on the nature of the problem. Because the POST operation runs before
the computer’s graphics card is initialized, it might not be possible to display error
information on the screen, in which case, the computer uses only beeps.
The pattern of beeps depends on the system architecture, the type of firmware
installed and vendor choices. In general, the pattern is meant to reflect the type of
error or at least provide a general sense of where to look for the error. For example,
the system might emit three long beeps if there’s a problem with the keyboard card
or one long and two short beeps if the problem is related to the display adapter.
How Power-On Self-Tests work
An error found during the POST operation is usually fatal and will halt
the boot process. This is because the hardware being checked is
essential for the computer’s functions. For the same reason, other
types of electronic devices might also run POST operations when they
start up.
How do you run a Power On Self-Test?
1. Press F2 during the power on process. If F2 doesn't work, see
Can't Access BIOS Setup with F2 Key for Intel® NUC.
2. Enter the BIOS setup.
3. Go to Advanced > Boot > Boot Configuration.
4. In the Boot Display Config pane: Enable POST Function Hotkeys
Displayed. Enable Display F2 to Enter Setup.
5. Press F10 to save and exit BIOS.
APPLICATION
Arrange the following sequence of steps of BIOS setup using
flash drive. Write numbers 1-5 on the blank line.
_____ Save the change and then exit the BIOS Set-up.
_____ Press the Power button of computer.
_____ Move USB to be first in the boot sequence.
_____ Using the arrow keys on your keyboard, select the BOOT tab.
_____ During the initial start-up screen, press Delete or F2 key.
EVALUATING LEARNING
Post Test: Identify the following questions. Write the answer on the blank space.
_________1. What do you call a menu that consists of time and date, drives’
parameters and system information?
_________2. What do you call the operations that helps to verify the computer
system requirements to boot up properly?
_________3. What type of menu contains the commands like save and discard
changes?
_________4. What software usually built onto the motherboard that shows the major
hardware components of your computer with the operating system.
_________5. What type of menu consists of option for devices and some
other booting settings
