BIOS (Basic Input Output System)

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BASIC INPUT OUTPUT SYSTEM (BIOS)


The data that is installed on a small memory chip on the motherboard is BIOS which means Basic Input Output System.


The first program to be launched when a computer starts is BIOS.


What is the BIOS (Basic Input Output System)?


  • The BIOS provides instructions for loading basic computer hardware.


  • This also requires a test called a POST (Power-On Self-Test) to verify whether the device meets the needs of booting correctly.


  • If the POST is not passed by the computer, a combination of beeps is received which shows something is wrong with the machine.


  • The BIOS firmware is non-volatile, which means it saves and restores its settings even after power from the system is disconnected.


  • The OS is mid-range software because it communicates with both high-level software and hardware components directly via the drivers and BIOS.


  • In other words, the BIOS provides a variety of services that allow users to configure and get direct information from hardware components inside computers.


  • The BIOS serves as a mediator between the Input / Output devices (I/O devices) and the CPU until the booting cycle is complete.


  • It is not necessary to have all the hardware details attached for the Operating System or the process running on your computer. All computer hardware specifics are known to the BIOS and are handled by it.


  • The information must be communicated to the BIOS, whenever the I/O interface's information changes.


Types of BIOS (Basic Input Output System)

There are two different types of BIOS -


  1. UEFI - UEFI (Unified Extensible Firmware Interface) can accommodate 2.2 TB or larger drives by using the Master. Boot Record (MBR) approach in place of the more modern GUID Partition Table (GPT) technology. Although Intel PCs migrate away from Legacy BIOS and towards UEFI firmware, BIOS has never been used by Apple's Mac PCs.


  1. Legacy BIOS - Older motherboards have legacy firmware on the BIOS to turn the PC on. Although it governs how the CPU and the components communicate, like BIOSes have other UEFI, Legacy limitations. These can't identify drives bigger than 2.1 TB, and their setup programs have text-only menus.


Which were the first BIOS?

  • Gary Kildall developed the first BIOS, and in 1974 it was used in the CP / M operating system.

  • Kildall invented the term "BIOS" to define a part of a system that loads and communicates with other machine hardware at boot-up.


Functions of BIOS (Basic Input Output


The BIOS is responsible for loading the Ch and it contains various instructions that required to load the hardware.


Some of the major functions of BIOS are


  • Power-On-Self-Test (POST) and foremost task of BIOS is to ensure proper functioning of the computer hardware, and there is no hardware problem. Power-On Self-Test (POST) does this task efficiently. If the POST test fails, the computer produces different forms of beeps to show the error type. If the POST test is passed then it continues to boot.


  • Booting:-  Upon successfully running POST, the BIOS locates and recognizes the operating system. The BIOS then transfers access to Operating System when it detects one. This is called Booting.


  • BIOS drivers:- BIOS drivers are a set of programs that are stored in the erasable memory chips which are non-volatile. The BIOS Drivers supplies basic computer hardware information.

  • BIOS Setup:-  Configuration software that allows you to configure hardware settings including the device settings, computer passwords, time and date. BIOS setup is also called a CMOS setup.


Advantages of updating the BIOS


Some of the reasons to update the BIOS are

  • Hardware updates - New BIOS updates would allow the motherboard to correctly recognize new hardware including processors, RAM, etc. If you have updated your processor, and the BIOS does not recognize it, the answer could be a BIOS flash.
  • Security updates - The new BIOS updates come with security upgrades that help your BIOS withstand tampering and increase awareness of viruses in the boot sector (if your motherboard supports boot sector scanning).
  • Increased stability - As bugs and other problems motherboards with are discovered, the manufacturer will release BIOS updates to address and rectify those bugs. This can directly affect the data transfer and processing speed.

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