Date/System Date Date/System Date

Level 2 Cache L2 Cache

System Memory System Memory

Video Controller Video Controller

Panel Type LCD Model

Audio Controller Audio Controller

Modem Controller

Panel Type LCD Model Number

Audio Controller Audio Controller

Modem Controller

Primary Hard Drive Primary Hard Drive

Modular Bay

Service Tag Service Tag

Asset Tag Asset Tag

BIOS Version BIOS Version

Boot Order/Boot Sequence Boot Order (the order in which the system searches for operating system files)

Diskette Drive Floppy Drive

Internal HDD Internal Hard Disk Drive

Floppy device Floppy device

Hard-Disk Drive Hard Disk Drive

[hide]USB Storage Device USB Storage Device

CD/DVD/ CD-RW Drive Optical Drive

CD-ROM device Optical Drive

Modular Bay HDD Modular Hard Disk Drive

Cardbus NIC Cardbus NIC

Onboard NIC Onboard NIC

Boot POST for power on Level of hardware check during POST: Set to "MINIMAL" (default) to check only if the BIOS is upgraded, the memory module is changed, or the previous POST was not completed. Setting it to "THOROUGH" performs a full hardware check when booting.

Config Warnings: This option is used to set whether or not the system will warn you if it is using a lower-voltage power adapter or other unsupported configuration; set it to DISABLED to disable warnings, or ENABLED to enable warnings. "

Internal Modem Internal Modem: Use this option to enable or disable the internal modem; when disabled, the modem is not visible to the operating system.

LAN Controller Network Controller: Use this option to enable or disable the PCI Ethernet controller. The device is not visible in the operating system when disabled.

PXE BIS Policy/PXE BIS Default Policy

PXE BIS Policy: This option controls how the system handles Boot Integrity Services (BIS) authorization requests when there is no authentication. The system can accept or reject BIS requests. When set to "Reset", BIS will be reinitialized and set to "Deny" the next time the computer is booted.

Onboard Bluetooth

Onboard Bluetooth Device

MiniPCI Device

Mini PCI Device

MiniPCI Status

Mini PCI Device Status: You can use this option to enable or disable the onboard PC device when installing a Mini PCI device. option to enable or disable the onboard PCI device when installing a Mini PCI device

Wireless Control

Wireless Control: Use this option to set the control method for MiniPCI and Bluetooth wireless devices. When set to "Application", wireless devices can be enabled or disabled via applications such as Quickset, and hotkeys are not available. When "/Application" is set, wireless devices can be enabled or disabled by applications such as "Quickset" or hotkeys. When set to "Always Off" the wireless device is disabled and cannot be enabled in the operating system.

Wireless

Wireless devices: Use this option to enable or disable wireless devices. This setting can be changed in the operating system using the "Quickset" or " " hotkey. Whether this setting is available depends on the Wireless Control setting.

Serial Port

Serial Port: This option allows you to avoid device resource conflicts by reassigning port addresses or disabling ports.

Infrared Data Port

Infrared Data Port. Use this setting to avoid device resource conflicts by reassigning the port address or disabling the port.

Parallel Mode

Parallel Port Mode. Controls whether the computer's parallel port operates in "NORMAL" (AT-compatible) (normal standard parallel port), "BI-DIRECTIONAL" (PS/2-compatible) (bi-directional mode, which allows the host computer to communicate with the peripheral in both directions), or "ECP" (ECP) (ECP) (ECP) (ECP) (ECP) (ECP) (ECP) (ECP) (ECP) (ECP). "ECP" (Extended Capabilities Ports) (the default).

Num Lock

Digital Lock. Sets whether or not the digital lamp (NumLock LED) illuminates at system startup. Setting it to "DISABLE" keeps the NumLock LED off, while setting it to "ENABLE" illuminates the NumLock LED at system startup.

Keyboard NumLock

Keyboard NumLock: This option is used to set whether or not to prompt for keyboard-related errors during system startup.

Enable Keypad

Enable Keypad: Setting this option to "BY NUMLOCK" enables the numeric keypad when the NumLock light is on and no external keyboard is connected. Set to "Only By Key" to keep the embedded keypad disabled when the NumLock light is on.

External Hot Key

External Hot Key: This setting allows you to use the keys on an external PS/2 keyboard in the same way that you would use the keys on a laptop. If you are using an ACPI operating system such as Win2000 or WinXP, the USB keyboard cannot use keys. The USB keyboard can use keys only in pure DOS mode. Setting it to "SCROLL LOCK" (the default option) enables this feature, setting it to "NOT INSTALLED" disables it.

USB Emulation

USB Emulation: Use this option to enable the use of USB keyboards, USB mice, and USB floppy drives in operating systems that do not directly support USB. This setting is automatically enabled during the BIOS boot process. When this feature is enabled, emulation continues to work when control is transferred to the operating system. Disabling this feature turns off the emulation when control is transferred to the operating system.

Pointing Device

Pointing Device: When set to "SERIAL MOUSE", the external serial mouse is enabled and the integrated touchpad is disabled. When set to "PS/2 MOUSE", the integrated touchpad is disabled if an external PS/2 mouse is connected. When set to "TOUCH PAD-PS/2 MOUSE" (the default setting), you can switch between the mouse and the touchpad if an external PS/2 mouse is connected. The changes take effect after the computer is rebooted.

Video Expansion

Video Expansion: Use this option to enable or disable Video Expansion to adjust a lower resolution to a higher, normal LCD resolution.

Battery

Battery Status

Battery Status

Battery Status

Power Management

Power Management

Suspend Mode

Suspend Mode

Hanging Mode

AC Power Recovery

AC Power Recovery: This option allows the computer to respond accordingly when the AC power adapter is plugged back into the system.

Low Power Mode

Low Power Mode: This option is used to set the amount of power used when the system is hibernating or shutting down.

Brightness

Brightness: This option sets the brightness of the display when the computer starts up. The default setting is half when the computer is powered on. The default setting is Maximum when the computer is powered by the AC adapter.

Wakeup On LAN

Wakeup On LAN: This option sets the setting to allow the computer to wake up from hibernation when a network signal is accessed. This setting does not work for Standby state. The Standby state can only be woken up in the operating system. This setting is only available when the AC power adapter is connected.

Auto On Mod: Note that this setting will not take effect if the AC power adapter is not connected. This option sets the computer's auto-on time and allows you to set the computer to automatically power on every day or only on weekdays. The setting takes effect after the computer is rebooted.

Auto On Time: This option sets the time for the system to automatically power on in 24-hour format. Type a value or use the left and right arrow keys to set a value. The setting takes effect after the computer is restarted.

Dock Configuration

Docking Status

Universal Connect: This setting is not available if the operating system used is WinNT 4.0 or earlier. If you regularly use more than one Dell docking station device and want to minimize the initial time to access the docking station, set it to "ENABLED" (the default setting). Set to "DISABLED" if you want the operating system to generate a new system setup file for each new docking station device connected to the computer.

System Security System Security

Primary Password Primary Password

Admin Password

Administrative Password

Hard-disk drive password(s)

Password Status Password Status: This option is used to lock the system password when Setup password is enabled. Set this option to "Locked" and enable Setup password to place the system password to be changed. This option can also be used to place the password disabled by the user at system startup.

System Password System Password

Setup Password Setup Password

Post Hotkeys: This option is used to specify the hotkeys to be displayed on the screen (F2 or F12) during the power-on self-test (POST).

Chassis Intrusion

Chassis Intrusion: This option is used to enable or disable the chassis intrusion detection feature. When set to "Enable-Silent", no warning message is sent if a chassis intrusion is detected at boot time. When this option is enabled and the chassis cover is open, the field will display "DETECTED".

Drive Configuration

Drive Settings

Diskette Drive A: Diskette Drive A: If the system has a floppy drive, use this option to enable or disable the floppy drive

Primary Master Drive

Primary Master Drive

Primary Slave Drive

Secondary Master Drive Second Master Drive

Secondary Slave Drive Second Slave Drive

IDE Drive UDMA UDMA-enabled IDE drives: Use this option to enable or disable the use of IDE drives via the internal IDE hard disk. or disable DMA transfers through the internal IDE hard disk interface.

Hard-Disk drive Sequence

System BIOS boot devices

USB device USB device

Memory Information

Installed System Memory. Installed System Memory: This option displays the size and model of the memory installed in the system

System Memory Speed

Memory Speed: This option displays the speed of the installed memory

System Memory Channel Mode: This option displays the memory slot settings. option displays the memory channel settings.

AGP Aperture AGP Region Memory Capacity: This option specifies the value of memory allocated to the video adapter. Some video adapters may require more memory than the default value.

CPU information CPU information

CPU Speed CPU Speed: This option displays the rate at which the central processor is running after startup

Bus Speed Bus Speed: Displays the processor bus speed

Processor 0 ID Processor ID: Displays the type and model number of the processor. Processor ID: Shows the type and model number of the processor

Clock Speed Clock Frequency

Cache Size: Shows the L2 cache value of the processor

Integrated Devices (LegacySelect Options) Integrated Devices

Sound Sound Settings: Use this to enable or disable the audio controllers

Sound Settings. Sound Sound settings: Use this option to enable or disable the audio controller

Network Interface Controller

Network Interface Controller: Enable or disable the integrated NIC

Mouse Port Mouse Port: Use this option to enable or disable the built-in PS/2 compatible mouse controller

USB Controller USB Controller: Use this option to enable or disable the onboard USB controller.

PCI Slots PCI Slots: Use this option to enable or disable the onboard PCI slots. When disabled, all PCI slots are unavailable and cannot be detected by the operating system.

Serial Port 1 Serial Port 1: Use this option to control the operation of the built-in serial port. When set to "AUTO", the built-in serial port automatically reassigns the available port addresses if two devices are used on the same port address via a serial expansion card. The serial port uses COM1 first, then COM2, and if both addresses are already assigned to a port, that port will be disabled.

Parallel Port: This field allows you to configure the built-in parallel port

Mode: When set to "AT", the built-in parallel port can only output data to the connected device. When set to PS/2, EPP or ECP mode, the parallel port can input and output data. The protocols and maximum data transfer rates for these three modes are different. Maximum transfer rate PS/2

What BIOS controls

What BIOS controls

Friends familiar with computers are aware of the concept of BIOS, and we often hear those words repeated by veterans when troubleshooting their systems: "Clear CMOS first! "The BIOS is a powerful tool that can be used for a variety of purposes, such as to help you get the most out of your computer and to improve its performance. In the eyes of ordinary people, the BIOS seems to be the small four-square chip on the motherboard and the blue menu that is displayed when the computer is turned on. What special significance does it have for the user? Is it the exclusive property of the expert or maintenance engineer? How does a computer start working? I hope that by reading this article, you can get an answer.

BIOS internal structure

Sample Text For our daily use of personal computers, the use of BIOS is not exactly the same, respectively, by the Award, Phoenix and AMI this three manufacturers to provide (Note: Award has been acquired by Phoenix, in fact, is a company). In terms of the current state of the motherboard, most of them are using Award BIOS or based on Award BIOS kernel improvement products (using AMI BIOS products are relatively few, Phoenix BIOS is mainly notebook computers and a number of foreign brands using the machine). This article introduces some of the BIOS knowledge and structure, but also only around the market share of the highest Phoenix-Award to start.

Take the common Award's 2Mbit CMOS address structure, from FFFF to FFFC area is used to store 16Kbit capacity Boot Block (boot module), followed by 8Kbit plug-and-play extended system configuration data ESCD area, 4Kbit processor micro code and 4Kbit DMI data area. FFFF8 to FFFF6 is the decompression engine area, where the commands can release the high-capacity code and information in the area after FFFF6, such as the manufacturer's logo, OEM data, etc. The last part is where the main BIOS is placed. The last section is where the main BIOS program resides, which is usually the BIOS update file that we download from the Internet with the bin extension.

The main function of the BIOS

The motherboard's BIOS controls the system's startup, compatibility between components, and program management. As soon as you press the power switch to start the host computer, the BIOS starts to take over all the self-testing work of the motherboard, and the system starts with the POST (Power On Self Test) program to check the internal devices (a process that is described in a separate section below). Usually a complete POST self-test will include testing the CPU, base memory, 1MB or more of extended memory, ROM, motherboard, CMOS memory, serial/parallel ports, graphics card, floppy and hard disk subsystems, and the keyboard, and once a problem is detected during the self-test, the system will give a prompt message or a warning siren. The BIOS then searches for floppy drives, IDE devices and their boot sequences in accordance with the boot sequence saved in the system's CMOS settings, reads the operating system boot record, and finally hands over control of the system to the boot record and eventually transitions to the operating system's full working state.

In addition to the basic boot function, BIOS also has the role of hardware interrupt handling, system design management, and program requests. The operating system's management of peripherals such as hard disks, CD-ROM drives, keyboards, and monitors is directly based on the BIOS system interrupt service program, which is a programmable interface between the software and hardware in a PC system. When the computer is turned on, the BIOS assigns the CPU and other hardware devices an interrupt number. When an operation command using a certain hardware is executed, it will use the corresponding hardware to complete the command according to the interrupt number, and finally jump it back to its original state according to its interrupt number. Similarly, BIOS can send and receive commands through specific data ports to enable software applications to operate on hardware.

The system management function of BIOS is the most familiar one, which is usually referred to as BIOS setup. The BIOS program calls up the records stored in the RAM section of CMOS, and the user can see the basic system status through the monitor, including information such as CPU frequency, IDE drives, ACPI power management, and password settings. As I said at the beginning, this part of the information is stored in RAM on a separate battery power supply, and as soon as the power is disconnected for a certain period of time or the CMOS is artificially energized with a high level signal (jumper shorted), any modified settings will no longer exist.

How does BIOS work?

With these basics as a prelude, readers should have a good understanding of BIOS. The next question is, how does mastering the BIOS on a PC hub work? Given the complexity of this process, let's list a few key points in BIOS operation and analyze them a little. Here we need to declare in advance, the following introduction of the relevant BIOS operation code unified into hexadecimal, interested friends can buy back in the market Debug card (commonly known also called Port 80 card) to query, observe.

Simply put, BIOS startup goes through several cyclic processes of detecting, commanding, and executing, and of course, the CPU needs a warm-up process before entering BIOS control. The P4 system, for example, if you follow the PC startup process to explain the words, the order of this successive order is this: first of all, the host power supply began to supply power, the CPU receives the VR (Voltage Regulator System) issued by a voltage signal, and then after a series of logical units to confirm the CPU operating voltage, the motherboard chip receives the issue of "startup" to start the work of the command. After a series of logic units to confirm the CPU operating voltage, the motherboard chip receives a "start-up" instruction to reset the CPU, the CPU "wakes up" after the first work is to read the initialization instructions in the BIOS. After a series of checks on the status of the CPU (2 checks) and memory (640KB base module), the BIOS completes the initial preparation of the circuit boards, disables the video, parity and DMA circuit boards, and starts the CMOS timer. Subsequently, the BIOS program will step by step check if the CPU is the same as the default settings, if there are any DMA faults, display channel tests, etc. In case of a fault, a buzzer will sound an alarm. However, all these steps are done quietly behind the scenes and we are not able to see any information on the screen.

In the flowchart above, it is clear that the boot module works in several steps. When the CPU is officially started after the POST (Power-On Self Test) to enter the memory detection stage, once the basic memory detection errors, the system is dead and will be the longest time to report the error; if all goes well, the BIOS continues to go down the POST, check the CMOS within the other BIOS main program, the extension program, until the completion of these tasks, the system enters the conventional process, the display will show the time and date, BIOS version model, CPU frequency, memory capacity and other basic information. After the BIOS has guided the IDE devices and I/O devices, the rest of the process is left to the operating system to continue.

This is how BIOS works during the boot process, but it's actually a lot more complicated than we've made it out to be. Any small step in the middle can cause the system to fail to boot and crash, and improperly configured BIOS settings can also cause hidden problems for the system. Experienced veterans can determine the fault by the sound of the BIOS startup, while the average user can check the error detection signal of the Debug card to know at which stage the POST is stalled. Or take Award BIOS, boot Debug card shows FF and C0 that the CPU self-test did not pass, you should power down to check the processor status; if it is C1, C3 and other digital displays, it is likely that the BIOS in the detection of memory problems; the system self-test over 2D, and accompanied by a crisp "Tick! The system self-test passed 2D, and accompanied by a crisp "beep" sound, indicating that the system has been detected by the graphics card, this time the display also began to appear on the screen. The first thing you need to know is that you can't just use your PC for the first time, but you can also use it for the second time.

BIOS also needs to be protected

In addition to the compatibility issues of hardware devices, BIOS can also be exposed to hazards such as viruses, incorrect erasure, and other external causes.

Many motherboard manufacturers have specialized in increasing the reliability of the BIOS by designing it to be more reliable. Some are made to be Dual BIOS dual-module approach, so that once one of them fails, the system can boot from the other one via jumper settings, and then repair the damaged module. Since the Boot Block area of the BIOS is an important data block, vendors have designed the Boot Block block into a block-type BIOS structure, reserving an area in the BIOS chip that holds the most important boot information in the BIOS system. The default value for the latest refresh programs is to not update the Boot Block block of the BIOS when refreshing, so that the motherboard can be easily recovered even if the refresh fails.

When a BIOS refresh fails, you can also replace the damaged chip with a hot swap, provided you can find a chip with the same capacity as the original BIOS. The BIOS chips can also be used in the BIOS pinout, as the majority of CMOS chips are 32-pin DIP packages, and their pinouts and functions are basically the same. Chip write operation is generally controlled by writing the level of the allowable pin, only 12V or 5V high level is adjusted to a low level, the data can be written to the chip. According to this principle, as long as the pin is detached from the circuit, always at a high level, that is, in the "read" state, then no matter whether it is a virus or misuse, will not be able to rewrite the data in the chip. However, this method is dangerous, it does not apply to all BIOS chips, and it is easy to lose the warranty of the motherboard, we must be careful.

Mention of BIOS, most of the rookies know little about it, and do not dare to try it easily, as if they were born with a feeling of fear of the "blue screen", and more often than not, even many veterans can not distinguish between the difference between BIOS setup and CMOS setup, so before writing out the difficult questions and answers, Dragon feels the need to explain these two concepts clearly. Before writing the Q&A, Long felt the need to elaborate these two concepts clearly to achieve twice the result with half the effort.

BIOS is an acronym for Basic Input/Output System, which means "Basic Input/Output System". What we usually refer to as BIOS, in fact, is a software program solidified in ROM, which is responsible for the lowest level and most direct hardware control, as well as the original operation of the computer; it is used to manage the startup of the machine and the control and drive of the important hardware in the system, and to provide the base level of the high-level software to be invoked.

CMOS is an acronym for Complementary Metal Oxide Semi-Conductor, but we often refer to CMOS as a read/write memory chip on the motherboard, also known as "CMOS RAM. CMOS RAM is a randomized memory that has the characteristic of eliminating memory after a power failure, so people thought of using an external battery to keep its memory content.

In general, the process of adjusting BIOS parameters through the software embedded in the ROM BIOS is called BIOS setup, and the process of debugging CMOS parameters through the "standard CMOS settings" in BIOS setup is called CMOS setup. We usually say CMOS setup and BIOS setup is just a simplified version of it, so the two concepts are confusing to some extent.

How to enter the BIOS setup program

Analysis: Although there are not many manufacturers in the world who design and produce BIOS, some brand-name and compatible machines are not the same design, so the method of entering the BIOS setup is also different.

Answer: Most of the keys to enter the BIOS setup have been set to "DEL" or "ESC", but there are some BIOSes that are F10 or F2, and some of the more unusual BIOSes require you to follow their prompts. The following are some of the more unusual BIOSes that require you to follow the prompts.

Problems where the machine cannot run the operating system properly

1. Bios Rom checksum error-System halted

Analysis: An error was found during the BIOS message check and the machine could not be powered on.

Answer: This is a tricky situation to encounter, because this is usually caused by an error in flashing the BIOS, or the BIOS chip may be damaged, in any case, the BIOS needs to be repaired.

2. CMOS battery failed

Analysis: There is no CMOS battery.

Answer: Generally speaking, CMOS is out of power, replace the lithium battery on the motherboard.

3. CMOS checksum error-Defaults loaded

Analysis: The error was found during the CMOS information check, so it was restored to the outgoing default state.

Answer: There are more possibilities for this to happen, but most of the reasons are due to the power supply, for example, CMOS discharging after a failed overclocking can also appear this way, and you should immediately save the CMOS settings to see what happens next; if this problem occurs again, it is recommended to replace the Li-ion battery. In case the battery replacement is still useless, please send the motherboard for repair, because the CMOS chip can be damaged.

4. Press F1 to Continue, Del to setup

Analysis: Press F1 to continue, or DEL to enter the BIOS setup program. There are usually a lot of possibilities for this to happen, but most of them are telling the user that a problem was found with the BIOS setup.

Answer: Because the source of the problem is uncertain, there may be a BIOS setup error, or it may be detected that there is no CPU fan installed, the user can follow the prompts above this paragraph to do the actual operation.

5. HARD DISK INSTALL FAILURE

Analysis: Hard disk installation failure.

Answer: Detect any hardware settings related to the hard disk, including power cables, data cables, and so on, and also include the jumper settings of the hard disk. If it's a newly purchased high-capacity hard drive, it's also important to figure out whether the motherboard supports it. If none of the above is true, it's likely that there is a hardware problem with the IDE ports or the hard drive being damaged, but the chances of that happening are extremely low.

6. Primary master hard disk fail

Analysis: Primary master ide hard disk has errors. The same situation also occurs in other master and slave disks with IDE ports, so I won't go into that.

Answer: Detect any hardware settings related to the hard disk, including power cables, data cables, and so on, but also the jumper settings of the hard disk.

7. Floppy disk