Information and Communications Technology Quarter 1 – Week 3

Gabriel Jurado Foundation School, Inc.

Flores, Catmon, Cebu
School Year: 2020 – 2021

Information and
Communications Technology –
Computer System Servicing
(SHS Specialized Subject)

June Marvin T. Molina

Subject Teacher

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 Information and Communications Technology Quarter 1 – Week 3
BIOS

The basic input-output system BIOS is the first thing you see when you turn on your
computer.

One of the most common uses of Flash memory is for the basic input/output
system of your computer, commonly known as the BIOS (pronounced "bye-ose"). On
virtually every computer available, the BIOS makes sure all the other chips, hard drives,
ports and CPU function together.
Every desktop and laptop computer in common use today contains a microprocessor
as its central processing unit. The microprocessor is the hardware component. To get its
work done, the microprocessor executes a set of instructions known as software. You are
probably very familiar with two different types of software:

 The operating system – The operating system provides a set of services for the
applications running on your computer, and it also provides the fundamental user interface
for your computer. Windows 98 and Linux are examples of operating systems.
 The applications - Applications are pieces of software that are programmed to perform
specific tasks. On your computer right now you probably have a browser application, a word
processing application, an e-mail application and so on. You can also buy new applications
and install them.
It turns out that the BIOS is the third type of software your computer needs to operate
successfully. In this article, you'll learn all about BIOS -- what it does, how to configure it and
what to do if your BIOS needs updating.

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What BIOS does?
The BIOS software has a number of different roles,
but its most important role is to load the operating
system. When you turn on your computer and the
microprocessor try to execute its first instruction, it
has to get that instruction from somewhere. It
cannot get it from the operating system because the
operating system is located on a hard disk, and the
microprocessor cannot get to it without some
instructions that tell it how. The BIOS provides
those instructions. Some of the other common
tasks that the BIOS performs include:
 A power-on self-test (POST) for all of the different
hardware components in the system to make sure everything is working properly
 Activating other BIOS chips on different cards installed in the computer - For
example, SCSI and graphics cards often have their own BIOS chips.
 Providing a set of low-level routines that the operating system uses to interface to different
hardware devices - It is these routines that give the BIOS its name. They manage things like
the keyboard, the screen, and the serial and parallel ports, especially when the computer is
booting.
 Managing a collection of settings for the hard disks, clock, etc.
The BIOS is special software that interfaces the major hardware components of your
computer with the operating system. It is usually stored on a Flash memory chip on
the motherboard, but sometimes the chip is another type of ROM.

When you turn on your computer, the BIOS does several things. This is its usual sequence:
1. Check the CMOS Setup for custom settings
2. Load the interrupt handlers and device drivers
3. Initialize registers and power management
4. Perform the power-on self-test (POST)
5. Display system settings
6. Determine which devices are bootable
7. Initiate the bootstrap sequence

The first thing the BIOS does is check

the information stored in a tiny (64 bytes)
amount of RAM located on a complementary
metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) chip.
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The CMOS Setup provides detailed information particular to your system and can be altered
as your system changes. The BIOS uses this information to modify or supplement its default
programming as needed. We will talk more about these settings later.

Interrupt handlers are small pieces of software that act as translators between the
hardware components and the operating system. For example, when you press a key on
your keyboard, the signal is sent to the keyboard interrupt handler, which tells the CPU what
it is and passes it on to the operating system. The device drivers are other pieces of
software that identify the base hardware components such as keyboard, mouse, hard drive
and floppy drive. Since the BIOS is constantly intercepting signals to and from the
hardware, it is usually copied, or shadowed, into RAM to run faster.

Booting the Computer

Whenever you turn on your computer, the first thing you see is the
BIOS software doing its thing. On many machines, the BIOS displays text
describing things like the amount of memory installed in your computer, the
type of hard disk and so on. It turns out that, during this boot sequence, the
BIOS is doing a remarkable amount of work to get your computer ready to
run. This section briefly describes some of those activities for a typical PC.
After checking the CMOS Setup and loading the interrupt handlers, the BIOS
determines whether the video card is operational. Most video cards have a miniature BIOS
of their own that initializes the memory and graphics processor on the card. If they do not,
there is usually video driver information on another ROM on the motherboard that the BIOS
can load.

Next, the BIOS checks to see if this is a cold boot or a reboot. It does this by
checking the value at memory address 0000:0472. A value of 1234h indicates a reboot, and
the BIOS skips the rest of POST. Anything else is considered a cold boot.

If it is a cold boot, the BIOS verifies RAM by performing a read/write test of each
memory address. It checks the PS/2 ports or USB ports for a keyboard and a mouse. It
looks for a peripheral component interconnect (PCI) bus and, if it finds one, checks all
the PCI cards. If the BIOS finds any errors during the POST, it will notify you by a series of
beeps or a text message displayed on the screen. An error at this point is almost always a
hardware problem.

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The BIOS then displays some details about your system. This typically includes information
about:
 The processor
 The floppy drive and hard drive
 Memory
 BIOS revision and date
 Display

How BIOS works?

Any special drivers, such as the ones for small computer system interface (SCSI)
adapters, are loaded from the adapter, and the BIOS displays the information. The BIOS
then looks at the sequence of storage devices identified as boot devices in the CMOS
Setup. "Boot" is short for "bootstrap," as in the old phrase, "Lift yourself up by your
bootstraps." Boot refers to the process of launching the operating system. The BIOS will try
to initiate the boot sequence from the first device. If the BIOS does not find a device, it will
try the next device in the list. If it does not find the proper files on a device, the startup
process will halt. If you have ever left a disk when you restarted your computer, you have
probably seen this message.

The BIOS has tried to boot the computer off of the disk left in the drive. Since it did
not find the correct system files, it could not continue. Of course, this is an easy fix. Simply
pop out the disk and press a key to continue.

CONFIGURING BIOS
CMOS Setup

In the previous list, you saw that the BIOS checks the CMOS Setup for custom
settings. Here's what you do to change those settings.
To enter the CMOS Setup, you must press a certain key or combination of keys during
the initial startup sequence. Most systems use "Esc," "Del," "F1," "F2," "Ctrl-Esc" or "Ctrl-Alt-
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Esc" to enter setup. There is usually a line of text at the bottom of the display that tells you
"Press ___ to Enter Setup."
Once you have entered setup, you will see a set of text screens with a number of
options. Some of these are standard, while others vary according to the BIOS manufacturer.
Common options include:
 System Time/Date - Set the system time and date
 Boot Sequence - The order that BIOS will try to load the operating system
 Plug and Play - A standard for auto-detecting connected devices; should be set to "Yes" if
your computer and operating system both support it
 Mouse/Keyboard - "Enable Num Lock," "Enable the Keyboard," "Auto-Detect Mouse"...
 Drive Configuration - Configure hard drives, CD-ROM and floppy drives
 Memory - Direct the BIOS to shadow to a specific memory address
 Security - Set a password for accessing the computer
 Power Management - Select whether to use power management, as well as set the
amount of time for standby and suspend
 Exit - Save your changes, discard your changes or restore default settings
Be very careful when making changes to setup. Incorrect settings may keep your computer
from booting. When you are finished with your changes, you should choose "Save
Changes" and exit. The BIOS will then restart your computer so that the new settings take
effect.
The BIOS uses CMOS technology to save any changes made to the computer's
settings. With this technology, a small lithium or Ni-Cad battery can supply enough power to
keep the data for years. In fact, some of the newer chips have a 10-year, tiny lithium battery
built right into the CMOS chip!

Updating Your BIOS

Occasionally, a computer will need to have its BIOS updated. This is especially true of
older machines. As new devices and standards arise, the BIOS needs to change in order to
understand the new hardware. Since the BIOS is stored in some form of ROM, changing it
is a bit harder than upgrading most other types of software.
To change the BIOS itself, you'll probably need a special program from the computer
or BIOS manufacturer. Look at the BIOS revision and date information displayed on system
startup or check with your computer manufacturer to find out what type of BIOS you have.
Then go to the BIOS manufacturer's Web site to see if an upgrade is available. Download
the upgrade and the utility program needed to install it. Sometimes the utility and update are
combined in a single file to download. Copy the program, along with the BIOS update, onto
a floppy disk. Restart your computer with the floppy disk in the drive, and the program
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erases the old BIOS and writes the new one. You can find a BIOS Wizard that will check
your BIOS at BIOS Upgrades.

Major BIOS manufacturers include:

 American Megatrends Inc. (AMI)

 Phoenix Technologies
 ALi
 Winbond

As with changes to the CMOS Setup, be careful when upgrading your BIOS. Make
sure you are upgrading to a version that is compatible with your computer system.
Otherwise, you could corrupt the BIOS, which means you won't be able to boot your
computer. If in doubt, check with your computer manufacturer to be sure you need to
upgrade.

UEFI - Unified Extensible Firmware Interface

Nowadays, many users use UEFI boot to start up Windows as it has many significant
advantages, like faster booting process and support for hard drives larger than 2 TB, more
security features and so on. Although UEFI is more advanced and powerful than BIOS,
many ordinary users may not know what it is and how it is different from BIOS. So, what is
UEFI?

What Is UEFI?

UEFI is the abbreviation of Unified Extensible Firmware Interface, which is a firmware

interface for computers and it works as a "middleman" to connect a computer's firmware to
its operating system. It is used to initialize the hardware components and start the operating
system stored on the hard disk drive when the computer starts up.

UEFI possesses many new features and advantages that cannot be achieved through
the traditional BIOS and it is aimed to completely replace the BIOS in the future.
UEFI stores all the information about initialization and startup in a .efi file, a file stored on a
special partition called EFI System Partition (ESP). The ESP partition will also contain the
boot loader programs for the operating system installed on the computer.

It is because of this partition, UEFI can directly boot the operating system and save
the BIOS self-test process, which is an important reason for UEFI faster booting.
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Note: Some computer users use UEFI boot but still refer to it as the “BIOS”, which may
confuse some people. Even if your PC uses the term “BIOS”, most modern PCs you buy
today use UEFI firmware instead of a BIOS. To distinguish UEFI and BIOS, some also call
UEFI firmware as UEFI BIOS, and BIOS is called Legacy BIOS or traditional BIOS.

How to Access to UEFI Windows 10

When you need to perform a clean install or repair Windows 10 boot issue, people
always tell you that you need to go to the BIOS to change the bootup settings, giving the
USB drive or CD/DVD boot sequence priority. If your computer is using UEFI firmware, how
do you get into the UEFI Windows 10?
If you want to access UEFI Windows 10, you don't need to press a key while your computer
starts as computers equipped with UEFI now boot very fast and you only have very limited
time to do it. So you can try the following steps to access UEFI Windows 10.

Step 1. Right-click the Windows

Start menu and choose Settings.
Then, choose Update and
Security.

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Step 2. At this interface, select Recovery. At the Advanced startup section, click Restart
now. Then the system will restart.

click Restart now

Step 3. Click Troubleshoot.

choose Troubleshoot

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Step 4. Choose Advanced options to get into the next page.

choose Advance Options

Step 5. After that, select UEFI

Firmware Settings.
choose UEFI Firmware Settings

Step 5. Click Restart to restart

the system and enter UEFI interface.

Different PCs with UEFI will have different interfaces and features. It’s determined by your
PC manufacturer, but the basics will be the same on each PC.

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UEFI (Unified Extensible Firmware Interface)

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BIOS (Basic Input and Output System)
UEFI vs BIOS
Compared with BIOS, UEFI has the following advantages:

1. UEFI enables users to handle drives that are larger than 2 TB, while the old legacy BIOS
couldn't handle large storage drives.
2. UEFI supports more than 4 primary partitions with a GUID Partition Table.
3. Computers who use UEFI firmware have faster booting process than the BIOS. Various
optimizations and enhancement in the UEFI can help your system boot more quickly than
it could before.
4. UEFI supports secure startup, which means that the validity of the operating system can
be checked to ensure that no malware tampers with the startup process.
5. UEFI supports networking function in the UEFI firmware itself, which helps remote
troubleshooting and UEFI configuration.
6. UEFI has a simpler graphical user interface and also has much richer setup menus than
legacy BIOS.

After reading the above, you may find that UEFI has many advantages over BIOS. And it

is due to these advantages, UEFI is regarded as a successor to BIOS. However, UEFI is

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not supported by all computers or devices. To use UEFI firmware, the hardware on your
disk must support UEFI. Besides, your system disk needs to be a GPT disk. If not, you can
convert MBR disk to GPT disk with a professional partition magic. In this way, you can boot
up your computer with UEFI mode successfully.
Tip: If your computer doesn't support UEFI firmware, you need to buy new hardware that
supports and includes UEFI.

Basic Input/Output System Quiz

Use a separate sheet of paper for your answers.

Modified True/False
Indicate whether the sentence or statement is true or false. Write T if the statement is correct.
Otherwise, change the underline word/s to make the sentence/statement correct.
_______________ 1. One of the most common uses of Flash Memory is for the BIOS of
your computer.
_______________ 2. For virtually every computer available the CPU makes sure all the
other chips, hard drives, ports and CPU function together.
_______________ 3. The BIOS is the third type of software your computer needs to operate
successfully.
_______________ 4. The BIOS software’s most important role is to load the operating
system.
_______________ 5. POST stands for power on source test.

Multiple Choice

Identify the letter of the choice that best completes the statement or answers the question.

____ 6. When you turn on the computer the BIOS does the following EXCEPT
a. Check the CMOS settings c. Determines which devices are bootable
b. Performs the POST d. Cleans the read/write heads on the hard
drive

____ 7. CMOS stands for _____________________________.

a. Complementary metal oxide conductor c. Chip material operating system
b. Computer maintenance ozone controller d. Complementary metal operating
system

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____8. The BIOS typically displays information about
a. Processor c. Memory
b. Hard drive d. all of the above

____9. When the floppy disk is in the drive during boot up, an error will appear. What should
you do?
a. Leave the disk in there, nothing will happen. c. Hold your breath.
b. Remove the disk and hit any key. d. None of the above

____ 10. Ni-cad batteries can supply enough power to last how many years.
a. 7 c. 5
b. 10 d. 1

Getting into the BIOS Information

Take a video while performing the given information below. Upload your finished
video on our facebook group or on youtube and send the link of your video in our group.
Deadline for this activity is on September 24, 2020.
To enter the CMOS Setup, you must press a certain key, or combination of keys,
during the initial startup sequence. Most systems use "Esc," "Del," "F1," "F2," "Ctrl-Esc,"
or "Ctrl-Alt-Esc" to enter the setup. There is usually a line of text at the bottom of the
display that tells you to "Press ___ to Enter Setup."
Once you have entered the setup, you will see a set of text screens with a number
of options. Some of these are standard, while others vary according to the BIOS
manufacturer. Common options include:
 System Time/Date – Set the system time and date.
 Boot Sequence – The order in which the BIOS will try to load the operating system
 Plug and Play – A standard for auto-detecting connected devices; it should be set to
"Yes" if your computer and operating system both support it.
 Mouse/Keyboard – "Enable Num Lock," "Enable the Keyboard," "Auto-Detect Mouse"...
 Drive Configuration – Configure hard drives, CD-ROM, and floppy drives.
 Memory – Direct the BIOS to shadow to a specific memory address.
 Security – Set a password for accessing the computer.
 Power Management – Select whether to use power management, as well as the amount
of time for standby and suspend.
 Exit – Save your changes, discard your changes, or restore the default settings.

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Be very careful when making changes to the setup. Incorrect settings may keep
your computer from booting. When you are finished with your changes, you should
choose "Save Changes" and exit. The BIOS will then restart your computer so that the
new settings can take effect.
Answer the following questions. Use a separate sheet of paper for your answers.
(to be pass on September 24, 2020)

1. What key(s) is/are used to run the setup on your computer?

2. Who is the manufacturer of the BIOS?
3. What BIOS version is installed on your computer?
4. Fill out the table:
Identify 5 things you can change in the BIOS
Name of setting Setting Value
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
5. Change the Date to your birth date.
6. Enable Num Lock.
7. Save your changes.
8. Reboot your computer and observe your changes.
9. Enter the BIOS again, reset the date, and disable the Num Lock.

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