| Don't miss the Study Lab materials found on the CD accompanying this book. Each Study Lab is tailored to the individual chapters in this book, meaning that you'll quickly be able to determine which topics you understand well enough to pass the exam and which topics need more study. The Study Labs are presented in printable PDF format so that you can take them with you to study at work, on the road, or even in your car just before test time! The Absolute Minimum Here are the highlights of this chapter. Reread these just before the exam to help you find any topics you need to review in more detail. -
The BIOS contains a POST (power-on self-test) routine that tests memory, video, hard drives, floppy disk drives , and other important system components . -
The BIOS also contains a bootstrap program that locates the operating system after the POST and transfers control to it. -
The BIOS uses three methods to report errors: beep codes, onscreen error messages, and BIOS POST codes. -
The BIOS contains tables of supported devices and options; the CMOS is used to store the options chosen with the BIOS setup program. -
The CMOS is battery- backed . -
You must verify correct floppy disk drive and hard drive configurations before a system can be started. These settings are found in the standard CMOS setup screen. -
By making adjustments to other BIOS screens, you can adjust the performance of the system, configure the system for compatibility with Windows PnP “compatible boards , adjust or disable built-in ports, and control power management. -
A BIOS needs to be upgraded when you want to use new hardware, new software, or new features not included in the current BIOS. -
BIOS upgrades can be performed with software (Flash BIOS) or by replacing the chip. -
Recovering from a failed BIOS upgrade might mean replacing the BIOS chip, enabling the recovery function, or disabling write-protection. | |