Configuring the BIOS

 Setup program interfaces

• Hit a particular key or key combination at a right time to enter the BIOS setup utility
• Incorrect settings of BIOS may lead to system halt
• Quit the setup without saving changes if we are not sure about the changed settings
• Boot sequence
• control the order in which BIOS looks for an OS on start-up
• usual sequence: floppy disk  hard disk  CD-ROM
• Performance tuning through BIOS settings
• BIOS settings are responsible for how the chipset is controlled.
• Chipset is the key to the overall system performance
• BIOS parameters:
• Choose the optimal bus speed settings
• Enable the CPU’s internal cache
• External cache memory
• Enable system BIOS shadowing
• Quick power-on self test
• Update the BIOS