Many times on the show we guide people to the computer BIOS for troubleshooting some problems. BIOS stands for Basic Input Output System. The BIOS, speaking very simply, controls and monitors the hardware on our computers. Keyboards, mice, hard drives, CDROM drives, the date and time (from the CMOS chip), and more all get inventoried and controlled via the BIOS. Think of the BIOS as the parts manager of your computer. The software written to monitor our hardware is stored on a flash memory chip inside the computer. Occasionally, hardware malfunctions or conflicts can be resolved by changing settings in the BIOS. Some hardware upgrades (new memory chips, video cards) may require an upgrade to the BIOS through a process known as flashing the BIOS.
Two of the most common functions why you might access your system's BIOS are changing the boot order to allow a CD or other device to boot before a hard drive or supplying a security password to lock your computer.
Unfortunately, the BIOS and the way we access the BIOS is far from standardized. Any of the following keyboard keys can invoke the BIOS (sometimes referred to as system setup): F1, F2, F10, F12, Del, Esc, or Ins. Once in the BIOS, you must use the keyboard to navigate the menus and change the settings. Again, this isn't standardized either and there are at least a dozen implementations of the BIOS interface. I have included two of the most common BIOS screens in this tip.
Because there are so many different configurations and ways of accessing BIOS, I've included some of the better tutorials regarding the subject on the web. Also, make sure you read your computer's documentation or visit the manufacturers web site for even more specific information.
