BIOS (basic input/output system) - what it is, types and functions. What is BIOS. BIOS functions. How BIOS works

To gain access to control all the computer system hardware, you need to know how to enter the system menu, or BIOS. Most often, this is necessary to install a new OS from external media.

BIOS is a whole set system programs, which create the basic system for input and output of data on a computer. All these programs are located in motherboard your PC.

The main task of the BIOS menu is to manage the boot process of the operating system and indicate the startup queue of devices.

Using functions system menu you can increase the efficiency of the processor, change the bus frequency, etc., view the factory characteristics of the PC, adjust the time, change the language, etc.

Standard way to enter BIOS

This method is the most common and fits most personal computers and laptops running Windows.

The essence of the method is that you need to get into the menu when the computer is already turned on, but before the operating system starts loading.

For this turn off your computer and start it again. In the first 3-5 seconds after pressing the power key, click on the F2 button. After a few seconds, the BIOS system menu will appear on the monitor screen.

F2 is the most common key to open the system menu. However, depending on the computer manufacturer and the brand of motherboard, the call key may differ. Below we bring to your attention tables of correspondence between BIOS hotkeys, device manufacturer and BIOS manufacturer, widely distributed on the Internet.

The button to enable the settings window is indicated in the start launch window personal computer. If you do not see any information, try entering the menu using the Del, F10, F1 or Esc keys alternately. As a result of correct execution of all actions, the I/O system window should appear:

The appearance of the system menu and the arrangement of tabs may differ depending on the different computers. It all depends on the BIOS firmware version and its manufacturer.

If for some reason you were unable to enter the BIOS using standard method download, use one of the methods described below.

Using special boot options

This method relevant for operating rooms Windows systems eighth and tenth versions. This method is also suitable for starting the installation of a new OS from a flash drive or disk.

Follow the instructions:

open a search for files and directories on your computer;
Enter the word “Recovery” in the text field and open the specified object in the search results;
then, on the right side of the window that opens, find the item special options downloads;
Click on the “Reboot” button. The computer will restart and then the following window will appear:

select the “Diagnostics” tile;

Important! If you want to go into the BIOS to boot from a flash drive or disk, select “Use device” and then select the location from which the boot will be made.

in the new window click on “ Additional options»;
now select the “UEFI Firmware” tile;

In the window that appears, click on the reboot button. A few seconds after execution of this action will appear on the screen BIOS menu.

You can enable the I/O menu using the usual command line on your computer. This method is very simple and does not require many steps. You only need to launch the command line and enter one single command.

To open the Command Line, press the Win + R keys simultaneously and type “cmd” (without quotes, as in Fig. 7) in the text field of the window that appears.

After a second you will see the Command Line window:

Now type the command shutdown.exe /r /o(Fig.9) and press Enter:

Command Shift+Restart

The next way to open the BIOS window is to use operating system hotkeys. Open the Start menu and select the Shutdown PC icon. Then move the cursor to the “Reboot” item and, while holding down Shift key, click on it. This method allows you to open a menu of special options for starting the operating system.

Using third party software

You can also enter the BIOS through third party applications. Let's look at a few of the most popular:

TweakBIOS– the utility allows you to enter the BIOS and change the system bus parameters. The peculiarity of the program is that it allows you to work with the BIOS without turning off the operating system. However, for all changes to be saved and take effect, you need to restart the computer. TweakBIOS can also optimize the performance of components such as the PC motherboard or CPU. The utility is compatible with all versions of the Windows operating system;

13. 05.2017

Blog of Dmitry Vassiyarov.

What is a BIOS on a computer - let's figure it out

Hello, guests of my blog.

Anyone to modern man It’s worth knowing what a BIOS is on a computer. After all, without it, a computer is a simple set of pieces of hardware. It is important to be able to understand this issue in order to independently configure the system and determine which components are faulty. Knowing your BIOS will help you understand your computer better. This article will be somewhat superficial.

Just about the incomprehensible

The subject of our conversation is an English abbreviation that stands for “basic input/output system”.

This translates to basic system I/O By the way, in Russian it is correct to pronounce “bios”, but the word “bios” has already become established in the slang of IT people.

This concept means a set of microprograms that implement software for working with computer components and those connected to it peripheral devices(printer, modem, etc.). That is, in other words, this very BIOS determines and starts the operation of all devices on your computer - this is the main function.

If it is not there, then the hardware of your computer will simply not be detected and will not start.

This is roughly what it looks like software part BIOS:

An analogue of BIOS is faster and modern technology, which operates in 64-bit mode, while the BIOS operates mainly in 16 and 32-bit mode.

This is what the software part looks like:

Physical parameters

Where is the bios located? In the motherboard, which is quite logical, because it is the motherboard that is responsible for the operation of all elements of the computer.

There are 2 types of BIOS chips:

EPROM Old model. Its contents can be removed by exposure to a special device with ultraviolet radiation.

EEPROM Modern option. Its contents can be erased with a special electrical signal. Moreover, even if the chip is not removed from the system unit.

What else should you know about BIOS? That it has its own small battery. It looks like a lithium coin and can have different capacities (80-230 mAh).

This element feeds the CMOS memory, where user parameters and BIOS settings are stored. The battery has a lifespan of several years: over time, it depletes and must be replaced.

If she sits down, there will be no fatal consequences. Minimum: settings will be reset, which will have to be restored manually after replacing this part. Maximum: programs will start to glitch and the computer will not start.

What does the BIOS do?

When you press the computer's power button, it reads the BIOS code from read-only memory (ROM) and writes it to random access memory (RAM). Then control is transferred to the BIOS itself, which:

Checks equipment for functionality;
Analyzes settings from ROM and applies them;
Looks for the bootloader code in the master entry on the hard drive or on boot disk on CD-ROM/floppy disk/flash drive/on the network;
Transfers the code to the RAM;
Shifts further control to the bootloader.

Without these steps, your computer will not start. If any part is broken or there is a failure in the system, the BIOS will tell you about it on initial stage downloads.

Features available to you

WITH using BIOS you can:

Set the time;
Set download priority;
Set power options for hardware;
Turn on/off this or that equipment.

How to work in BIOS?

Entering the BIOS is very simple - when rebooting or starting the computer, hold down the Delete or F2 key (depending on the type of motherboard). To control you, you will need only a few buttons: arrows to move between sections, Enter to enter them and apply settings, ESC to exit.

In addition, you can return to factory settings using the F9 key, and confirm new parameters using F10.

Let's go through some of the tabs:

The “Advanced” and “Security” tabs can be left untouched. The first is responsible for the operation of the equipment. The second is for computer security, but for home use These settings will not be useful to you.

That's it. I think about the question about what a BIOS is in a computer, I answered clearly.

See you on the pages of our blog.

Basic input-output system or BIOS (Basic Input-Output System) intended for an initial check of the functionality of the equipment when starting the computer. If this test runs without errors, the BIOS transfers further control of the hardware to the operating system loader.

The entire BIOS market in the world is divided between three major players:

American Megatrends Inc, which produces

Intel, which developed and produces for motherboards own production:

Phoenix Technologies, which produces Phoenix Award BIOS (other trademark– Award BIOS):

Modern successor to BIOS – UEFI, the name of which is translated from English as “advanced firmware interface”. Was originally created by Intel. But, five years later, the project was transferred under the wing of the Unified EFI Forum, the organization that has since been responsible for its development.

BIOS allows set a fairly wide range initial settings operation of the hardware of your computer or laptop. To the most frequently used can be attributed:

Setting independent date and time parameters;
Selecting a device to boot ( hard drive, CD-DVD-ROM, flash drive);
Enable or disable the motherboard's built-in hardware.
Speed up OS loading by disabling some POST tests.

For advanced users, many provide the opportunity to more fine-tuning settings computer hardware. These include:

Change clock frequency processor;
Changing RAM timings;

The main differences between UEFI and the “legacy” version of BIOS

Technical differences between BIOS and UEFI are quite large; for ease of perception, the main ones are collected in a table:

In modern motherboards it is present by default, but in some cases users try disable it to avoid some problems when installing 32-bit or non-32-bit Windows operating systems systems

How consequence such a disabling will cause a notification about using the “legacy mode” BIOS to appear in the system properties. In fact, this means that if the motherboard has a more advanced UEFI mode, BIOS is used to boot the OS and therefore MBR partitioning hard drive.

What does the BIOS look like and where is it located?

BIOS chip located on the motherboard and usually its installation location can be found in the supplied documentation. You can also find this microcircuit by its characteristic signs.

In most cases, next to it, on the motherboard case, is installed CMOS battery, characteristic round shape. Some hardware manufacturers additionally supply a BIOS chip holographic sticker with its name.

Of course, the battery is needed not only to make it easier for the user to find a chip with a hardwired BIOS. Main her task consists of providing non-volatile power supply, allowing save the settings for a long time.

It is for this reason that if you remove the battery from the motherboard for 15-20 seconds, it allows “ reset to zero» BIOS, or in other words, return it to factory settings.

For the same purpose, a special jumper jumper. Changing its position gives the same result - returning to factory settings.

Finding a jumper on the board is quite simple; usually manufacturers mark it with the appropriate inscription (“CLR_CMOS”, “CCMOS”, “CLRTS”).

A person who at least entry level used or simply came across a computer, came across such a word as “BIOS”, for those who hear it for the first time, let’s explain. We’ll also look at what types of BIOS exist and how users and computer builders use it.

What is Bios in a Computer

So, the abbreviation itself comes from English B asic I nput- O utput S ystem, which literally translates as basic input-output system. It is called basic because it is a system for interacting with computer hardware or, in other words, hardware software. For example, primary interaction with the screen, interaction with RAM, interaction with the processor, interaction with controllers on the motherboard, control of the cooling system, control of power and inclusion.

Most often, BIOS is used to configure boot priority, especially when required reinstalling Windows and you need to boot not from the hard drive, but from another device, for example, Flash drive or disk drive due to the fact that the default in most cases is to prioritize booting from the hard drive first.

Other little-known and rarely used, especially by beginners, functions are setting up computer components (bus frequency, processor frequency, cooling fan speed, etc.). Also, the BIOS checks the equipment for operability before starting the boot and, in case of problems, reports this on the screen, as well as in the form of a sequence of signals. Using these signals, the cause of the malfunction and the component of the malfunction can be identified.

Where is the BIOS located on a computer and laptop?

As for where the BIOS is located on the computer, you should look for a similar chip (picture below) on the computer’s motherboard. Everyone has probably encountered a battery on the motherboard; it is the one that is used to ensure that the clock in the BIOS does not go astray and the settings are stored.

If you suddenly configured something incorrectly in the BIOS and after that you cannot enter it. Try resetting the settings by removing the coin cell battery from the motherboard for a while.

This is what the BIOS looks like on a computer:

And here it is on a laptop:

Types of BIOS

To be precise, then, BIOS varieties much more, but for clarity, let’s average them to 4 types of systems. Since they are very similar regardless of the motherboard manufacturer.

Since different motherboards use different BIOS, it is impossible to name a specific key for entering, it is only possible to name the most frequently used keys: Del, F2, Esc, and also during startup, look for the prompts, something similar to “Press” will be written there to Setup" or something similar with the key to press. If you did not have time to do this, you will have to reload and try again.

Regardless of the BIOS version, navigation in all views is possible using arrows; in new versions, a mouse is also available. Confirmation is carried out using the Enter key, and exit by pressing ESC keys, after which a window usually appears asking you to save the changed settings. Also don't forget about the tips.

BIOS Features

Before listing all the features that the BIOS provides. The most popular ones should be indicated. First of all, as mentioned above, the BIOS is used to change the boot priority of devices, in which, after that, the BIOS will be transferred to execution. In order for you to understand what priority we are talking about, you need to understand that by default, in most cases, priority loading in progress from the hard drive - this means that after BIOS management transferred to the hard drive. If, however, the priority is the disk drive or USB stick, then after the BIOS follows the device that was specified in the BIOS settings or in order from higher priority to lower priority.

In addition to this popular feature, you can also:

Disable or connect the necessary ports;
Set time;
Configure, in more detail, device characteristics (power, frequency, etc.);
Change the operating mode of devices;
Change the cooling rotation speed;
Track basic parameters such as temperature, rotation speed, etc.

Difference between computer BIOS and laptop BIOS

The main difference Computer BIOS from the same system in the laptop there will be additional parameters for energy saving and power consumption, since for a portable battery device this is very important. Therefore, laptops will have more options to save energy automatic shutdown etc.

Read, how to access BIOS or UEFI settings and how to change their settings. The computer's BIOS is the first thing that loads when the computer starts. It initializes the hardware before loading the operating system from a hard drive or other device. Many low-level computer system settings are only available in the BIOS. Modern computers mostly already come with UEFI, which is the successor to the traditional BIOS. But these firmwares have a lot in common. Sometimes even UEFI interface difficult to distinguish from BIOS.

Content:

BIOS and UEFI: what is the difference

BIOS stands for “Basic Input/Output System” ("Basic I/O System") and is a firmware that is stored on a chip on a computer's motherboard. When you turn on your computer, before it starts to boot operating system from the hard drive, the BIOS is loaded, which tests the computer hardware.

UEFI stands for “Unified Extensible Firmware Interface” ("Extensible Firmware Interface"), which replaced the traditional BIOS. This interface firmware supported boot partitions larger than 2 TB, more than four partitions on one hard drive, boots faster and has more modern features and opportunities. For example, only UEFI systems support the “ Secure Boot”, which prevents hacking and unauthorized use of the OS, protects the boot process from rootkits.

During normal computer use, the user has no BIOS values on your computer or UEFI. Both interfaces control low-level hardware functions and are launched during computer startup, designed to correctly initialize the hardware when the system is turned on. Both have interfaces with which you can change large number system settings. For example, set the boot order, configure overclocking options, protect your computer with boot password, enable virtualization support at the hardware level, as well as other low-level features.

How to access BIOS or UEFI settings

Installed on different computers different ways access to BIOS or UEFI. But, in any case, you will need to restart the computer. To get to the BIOS menu, you must press a certain key while the computer boots. As a rule, which key needs to be pressed is indicated on loading screen computer: “Press F2 to access BIOS”, “Press to enter setup”, etc. The most common keys that must be pressed in order to get into the BIOS are: Del, F1, F2, F10 or Esc.

Often, to get into UEFI you need to press the same keys as for the BIOS. But to find out for sure, it is better to read the manual of your computer or motherboard.

On Windows 8 or 10 computers, you may need to go to the boot menu to access UEFI. To do this, select your computer's Start menu while holding the Shift key.

The computer will reboot in a special boot menu, in which select Diagnostics / Additional options / UEFI Firmware Settings.

How to change BIOS or UEFI settings

As we mentioned above, the appearance of the BIOS or UEFI menu on different computers may differ. The BIOS has a text-based interface that can only be navigated using the arrow keys, and selections can be made by pressing the Enter key. The keys that can be used in the menu you are in are listed at the bottom of the screen or on the right (depending on the firmware configuration).

UEFI usually has GUI which can be navigated using the mouse and/or keyboard. But many computers still use a text interface, even with UEFI.

Be careful in the BIOS or UEFI menus and only make changes to settings if you are sure of what you are doing. Making changes to certain settings(especially overclocking) can make your computer unstable or even damage your hardware.

Some settings are less dangerous than others. For example, changing the boot order (Boot Order or Boot Device Priority) are less risky, but difficulties may arise as a result. If you change the boot order and remove the hard drive from the list boot devices, then Windows will not boot on the computer until their order is restored.

Even if you know exactly what you are looking for, on different computers, on different BIOS and UEFI, the same menu may be in different places and have a different look. Therefore it is better to use supporting information to each menu, which deciphers what this or that menu means.

For example, menu "Enable Intel's VT-x virtualization technology" usually found somewhere on the menu "Chipset". But on some computers you need to look for it in the menu "System Configuration". This menu usually has the name "Virtualization Technology", but can also be called “Intel Virtualization Technology", "Intel VT-x", “Virtualization Extensions”, or "Vanderpool" etc.

If you cannot find the necessary menu in your BIOS, then look at the manual for your computer, motherboard, or on the manufacturer’s website.

After the necessary settings have been made, you must select "Save Changes" to save your changes and restart your computer. You can also select "Discard Changes" to restart your computer without saving changes.

If, after changing the settings, problems begin to occur in the computer, then try to find an item in the BIOS or UEFI menu called “Reset to Default Settings” or “Load Setup Defaults”. Thus BIOS settings or UEFI will be reset to those set by the manufacturer by default, canceling all changes made by the user.