Chapter 7: AMIBIOS

7-1

Chapter 7AMIBIOS

7-1 Introduction

This chapter describes the AMIBIOS for theP4DLR+. The AMI ROM BIOS is
stored in a Flash EEPROM and can be easily upgraded using a floppy disk-
based program.
Note: Due to periodic changes to BIOS, some settings may have been
added or deleted and might not yet be recorded in this manual. Refer to the
Manual Download area of our web site for any changes to BIOS that are
not reflected in this manual.

System BIOS

The BIOS is the Basic Input Output System used in all IBM® PC, XT™, AT®,
and PS/2® compatible computers. The BIOS ROM stores the system param-
eters, such as amount of memory, type of disk drives and video displays,
etc. BIOS ROM requires very little power. When the computer is turned off,
a back-up battery provides power to the BIOS ROM, enabling it to retain the
system parameters. Each time the computer is powered-on, the computer is
then configured with the values stored in the BIOS ROM by the system
BIOS, which gains control when the computer is powered on.

How To Change the Configuration Data

The configuration data that determines the system parameters may be
changed by entering the BIOS Setup utility. This Setup utility can be ac-
cessed by pressing <Del> at the appropriate time during system boot.

Starting the Setup Utility

Normally, the only visible POST (Power On Self Test) routine is the memory
test. As the memory is being tested, press the <Delete> key to enter the
main menu of the BIOS Setup utility. From the main menu, you can access
the other setup screens, such as the Chipset and Power menus. Section 7-
3 gives detailed descriptions of each parameter setting in the Setup utility.
An AMIBIOS identification string is displayed at the left bottom corner of the
screen, below the copyright message.