BIOS SETUP & POST

BIOS (pronounced “bye-oss”) stands for ‘basic input/output system’. The BIOS mediates between the computer’s hardware – the processor, memory, and so on – and its software – the operating system and your programs. The BIOS program is kept in permanent, read-only memory or ROM (although if necessary it can be upgraded by an authorised maintainer).

BIOS Setup is a helpful utility that forms part of the BIOS program. It allows you to view and alter the computer’s hardware configuration. It is also used to configure various security and power-saving options. Configuring the computer is necessary to ensure that the software you use can recognise and exploit the hardware’s capabilities.

The current configuration is kept in a special area of memory, called CMOS memory, and maintained by a battery so that the configuration is preserved even while the computer is switched off.

Whenever the computer is turned on, the BIOS power-on self-test (POST) routine tests various hardware components, including memory, and compares the actual configuration of the computer with that recorded in permanent (CMOS) memory.

A configuration discrepancy could arise if you have just installed or removed a hardware option (for example, if you have added or replaced memory). In this case you may be diverted directly into the BIOS Setup utility.

PCL5100 USER GUIDE 1