Introduction to the BIOS setup program

Visit Page 2 of this article if you are only looking for information on reflashing the BIOS to
update it.

The BIOS setup program - an acronym for Basic Input/Output System - is a currently vital
part of a PC's system, without which nothing can work. However, it will soon be replaced by a
mouse-driven Extensible Firmware Interface (EFI). The BIOS configures the PC's hardware so
that the operating system (Windows, Linux, OS X, etc.) can recognise all of it and install the
appropriate software device drivers. The program itself is stored in a CMOS flash memory chip
on the motherboard and it can be upgraded by reflashing the memory chip with the update
according to predetermined procedures.

Customised settings are maintained by having the chip powered by a CMOS/BIOS battery. If
the battery runs down, the system reverts to using the default BIOS settings every time the PC
boots.

For how much longer the BIOS setup program will be used for this purpose remains to be seen,
because in Apple Macs the operating system, OS X, performs that function, and some of the
leading players in the PC market, namely Microsoft and Intel are working together on a
replacement for the BIOS called the Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI), which is
a mini operating system that supports a high-resolution full-colour graphical interface that allows
various tasks to be run before the main operating system boots, such as basic multimedia
operations, scanning for viruses, and the use of diagnostic tools. In any case, even with the
existing PC BIOS, the operating system (Windows 7, Linux, etc.) has assumed many of the
functions that used to be be performed by the BIOS.

Change to 'Bios' will make for PCs that boot in seconds -

A replacement for the system BIOS setup program, known as the Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI),
will used in new desktop and laptop PCs by 2011, making for much faster startup times and less hardware
compatibility issues with new hardware components. - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-11430069

Say Goodbye To Your BIOS: Hello, UEFI! : On the Verge Of UEFI -

http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/intel-uefi-firmware,review-31766.html

December 4, 2010. - The motherboard manufacturer, Asus, has revealed its next-generation P8P67 motherboards for
Intel's next range of processors, code-named Sandy Bridge, that use the Extensible Firmware Interface (EFI)
instead of a BIOS. The EFI is much easier to use and update, with mouse control, slide-bars and drag-and-drop. For
example, the user can drag-and-drop icons of the devices to set them as the first-boot device and overclocking can
be achieved by using a series of sliders. It supports new technology that is beyond the BIOS, such as the ultra-large-
capacity Western Digital Caviar Green 3TB hard disk drives. A BIOS, due to its technical limitations, can't
support a hard-drive capacity larger than 2.2TB, but the EFI can support drives up to 9.4ZB (ZB = zettabyte, which
is a 1 followed by 21 zeros - a truly immense figure). The new range of Asus motherboards are expected to be
released early in 2011.

For more information on this topic read this Q&A on this website: Can an ultra-large-capacity 3.0TB hard disk drive
be used with Windows XP?
The BIOS setup program performs four distinct tasks:

1. - Tests the computer's main components by running its POST (Power-On-Self-Test) program
to make sure that they are all functioning properly.

2. - Configures the main components that are part of the motherboard or that are attached to it so
that the operating system knows what to do with them. The configuration role was essential to
the operation of a computer, but it is decreasing all the time as the operating system continues to
take over more and more of this role.

3. - Boots the operating system from the primary hard disk drive or from a bootable floppy disk
or a CD/DVD disc at start-up.

Note that the floppy disk drive or CD/DVD drive has to be set as the first boot device in the
BIOS in order to make the system boot from a floppy disk or CD/DVD. The settings for this
vary from one make of BIOS to another, but you should be able to locate the appropriate setting
by going through the BIOS menu. (Information on how to enter the BIOS is provided further
down this page.) For example, in a Phoenix Award BIOS, in the Advanced BIOS Features
section, you might see settings for First Boot Device, Second Boot Device, Third Boot Device,
etc. You will be able to set a floppy disk drive, CD/DVD, or hard disk drive, etc., as the first boot
device. Some BIOSes allow you to set a USB flash drive or external hard disk drive as the first
boot device. If the first boot device contains no boot files, the BIOS uses the next boot device
until it finds one that it can boot from.

For example if the CD/DVD drive is set as the first boot device and there is no boot CD/DVD
disc in the drive, the BIOS will try to boot from the second boot device. The image below shows
how the settings appear in a particular BIOS.

4. - Provides access to some of the computer's components

and features, such as the keyboard even when the operating system is up and running. The BIOS
is programmed to run a small routine that handles the keyboard at the behest of the operating
system. In this way, the BIOS code provides a uniform interface to the system in order that
variable hardware can function without having to make the necessary changes to the operating
system when the type of hardware changes. Windows 2000, Windows XP
, Windows Vista and Windows 7 only make a small number of such calls to the BIOS, but the
Linux operating system makes no such calls while it is running, because it deals directly with the
standard hardware it is likely to encounter, and it uses device-driver software to deal with any
non-standard or special hardware it encounters. Moreover, work is under way to create a version
of Linux that boots without a BIOS.
5. - The BIOS can be updated to remove bugs or support additional hardware by reflashing it.
The major motherboard manufacturers update the BIOS for their motherboards regularly. An
good example in which installing an update is necessary is when a Socket 939 motherboard that
runs AMD's Athlon 64 processors has a BIOS that supports only the single-core version of those
processors. If the user wants to use a dual-core Socket 939 model, which the motherboard
supports, a BIOS update is required. [Note that AMD-processor-based Socket 939 motherboards
are no longer being sold new. Socket AM3 is AMD's current processor socket.]

The PC's motherboard manufacturer should be the only source that you should use to find BIOS
updates and instructionson how to install them. The standard startup screen (shown in images
lower down in this article) and the startup screen showing the logo of the computer's
manufacturer should provide the instruction on how to enter the BIOS or Setup. Most
manufacturers use the Del key, which is pressed before Windows starts to load to bring up the
BIOS setup program. Dell uses the F1 key.The version of the BIOS is shown on the standard
startup screen or within the BIOS setup program itself. If you cannot locate a higher version
number that the existing version, an update is not available.Visit Page 2 of this article for more
information on reflashing the BIOS to update it. If you need the latest BIOS update for your
desktop or laptop computer but can't find one on the computer's manufacturer's or its
motherboard manufacturer's website, BIOS Updates, "The official BIOS and update support
center for Phoenix-Award and AMI BIOS" is a good place to start. It also looks for and can
download updates for the other software and hardware on the computer. The downside is that
despite the free scan and report, it costs $29.95 to join, so make sure that you really need it
before parting wit yur money. In my experience, you should be able to download all of the
available updates, BIOS files included, free of charge from their manufacturers' websites or via
Microsoft Update. - Features can be added by programming them into the BIOS code. For
instance, many laptop/notebook computers have special function keys that are not found on
standard desktop computer keyboards, which have nothing to do with the operating system and
control the screen's brightness, contrast, the volume of the sound, etc.
The PnP/PCI Configurations page of an Phoenix Award BIOS is shown above. (PnP stands
for Plug and Play.)

Every motherboard in a Windows desktop and laptop PC has a BIOS. The following article (July
2010) reviews three Socket 1366 motherboards that run the Intel processors that use that socket
type. Images of the pages of the BIOS showing the settings on each page are provided for each
of the motherboards. Click on those images to view the large versions.

X58 To The Max: Three New Flagship LGA 1366 [Intel-based] Motherboards -
http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/...

The PnP/PCI Configurations, shown above, and other pages in the BIOS, are reached from the
main menu page, examples of which are shown further down this page. The settings are either
enabled, often with parameters, or disabled. The browse menu appears on the bottom of the page.
The keyboard has to be used because the mouse driver hasn't been loaded when the user enters
the BIOS setup program, because neither DOS, (which starts up first in Windows 95/98/Me, but
is absent in Windows XP) or Windows has loaded.

The Item Help section of each page provides information on the setting that is selected.

You shouldn't attempt to change the BIOS settings unless you know what you're doing, because
the wrong settings can prevent the system from booting. But if that happens after you've changed
settings, you can always enter the BIOS at start-up and change the settings back to what they
were, or set one of the default options that have names such as, Load Fail-Safe Defaults and
Load Optimised Defaults, both of which should remove any settings the user has enabled or
disabled, and enable the system to boot.

Any customised settings in the BIOS are retained when the PC is switched off because a CMOS
battery keeps the CMOS chip that contains the data powered up. The image below shows a Sony
CR2032 CMOS battery installed in a socket on an ATX motherboard.

BIOS tip: Saving or backing up the BIOS settings

If you have spent a lot of time to customise the BIOS settings for your PC or you want to experiment to find out what
the best settings are, you can use a digital camera to take photos of every page in the BIOS so that you can refer to
them if you want to revert to a particular range of settings. You have to do that to record what is on the pages because
the print screen (operated via the Prt Sc key) option doesn't function until the operating system is loaded, so you can't
transfer a captured image to a Windows program.

When printers were primitive and had to have their own processing unit in order to work, it was possible to use the
Prt Sc key to make the printer print what was on the PC's screen. If you are using a non-USB printer - one that uses
the old (legacy) Centronics or LPT1 parallel port interface) - that option could work. However, with USB printers,
which most users now have, you cannot do that.

If your PC has a floppy disk drive, which most new PCs no longer have, the following article provides information on
how to back up the BIOS settings to a floppy disk.
BIOS Backup - http://www.hardwaresecrets.com/article/41

You can find other such articles by entering the search tern bios backup in the Google search box at the top of this
page (with its Web radio button enabled) to find many articles on how to do it.

You can save a file containing your BIOS backup on a recordable CD/DVD. You need to the disc bootable and and
know how to make your computer boot from a CD/DVD in order to be able to make use of the backup. Enter create a
bootable cd in the Google search box at the top of this page (with its Web radio button enabled) to find many articles
on how to do it. Here is one I found: http://www.bootdisk.com/nero.htm.

The BIOS has to be set so that the first boot device is the CD/DVD drive in order for the system to be able to boot
from a CD/DVD disc. Just open the BIOS and look for the boot order settings.

The Reset Configuration Data BIOS setting

Resetting the BIOS itself (dealt with further along in this article) so that the entire BIOS is reset must not be confused
with its Reset Configuration Data setting (shown in the second image from the top of the page) that resets its
hardware configurations. That setting is enabled and the BIOS resets what the BIOS knows about all of the hardware
components and peripheral devices (printers, etc.) and then disables the option so that its isn't repeated with every
system startup. All of the existing hardware configuration data is erased and then replaced, giving a fresh start that can
resolve many hardware misconfiguration problems.

The following problem is the type of problem that can be resolved by using the Reset Configuration Data setting in
the BIOS: "I was changing the screen resolution on an older Intel Pentium III computer running Windows XP Pro
when the screen went blank and said, 'not supported, 87Hz.' Only the first boot screen appears, which allows me to
enter the BIOS, otherwise the screen remains blank."

A CR2032 CMOS battery is not designed to be rechargeable; that is, to be able to go from being
fully charged to being fully discharged and then recharged repeatedly. However, it does receive a
trickle charge when the computer is switched on. This extends the life of the battery considerably
if the computer is used regularly. Such a battery can last up to five years or more. However, it
discharges completely in a few weeks if the computer isn't used, because it keeps the CMOS
BIOS chip powered up. The motheboards are shipped from China with the CMOS jumper it its
disconnected position to prevent the battery from discharging.

Most motherboard vendors and PC manufacturer's set the jumper in its enabled position when
the motherboard or PC containing the motherboard is sold. However, motherboards can be sold
with the jumper in its disabled position, which renders the PC that uses a motherboard in that
state unable to retain customised settings. A dead or disabled CMOS battery usually produces an
invalid-settings or settings-lost message at startup, not a blank screen. The user would then have
to enter the BIOS and enable and save its default or failsafe or optimal setting every time the PC
starts up.

With ATX motherboards, the power supply provides power to the CMOS chip if the PC iitself is
switched off but is attached to the mains supply, which is switched on. A user who unplugs the
PC from the mains or switches the power off at the mains supply, will shorten the life of the
CMOS battery.
This Q&A on this site deals with the problem that its title describes: Why is my computer
running slow after I replaced a flat BIOS battery on the motherboard?

The startup screen for a system running an American Megatrends (AMI) BIOS and an AMD
Athlon 64 3200+ processor is shown below.

Note that if you see the logo of the motherboard's manufacturer or the developer of the BIOS
instead of such a startup screen, you should be able to disable the logo in the BIOS itself. The
standard startup screen of the kind shown below will then display. Click here! to go to more
information on Page 2 of this article on disabling a logo startup screen. Some BIOS setup
programs allow the logo to be temporarily disabled so that you can see the startup information
by, for example, pressing the Tab or Esc key during startup.

The figure in Checking NVRAM... 1048576KB OK is 1GB of RAM that was found to be
present and checked during the POST (Power-On-Self-Test) set of hardware tests that all
computers initiate on starting up.

DRAM Clock = 400MHz: The system's DRAM clock is shown as 400MHz, so DDR400
(PC3200) RAM) is installed.

DEL: Setup: Pressing the DEL key enters the BIOS setup program.

The different brand-name computer manufacturers and BIOS setup program developers use
different key combinations to enter the BIOS. Visit this page if you need to know what the entry
methods used by all of the main brands of PC and the major BIOS developers are:

http://michaelstevenstech.com/bios_manufacturer.htm

Pressing the F11 key brings up the Boot Menu, and pressing the F10 key runs the BIOS recovery
utility, which you would use if the computer won't boot past the start-up screen, and you can't
enter the BIOS because it has become corrupt.

Note that if you see the term CMOS in relation to the BIOS, or even mistakenly used as a term
for the BIOS, this stands for complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor. This is the material that
the BIOS chip is made of, it is not the chip itself - or any of its contents.
For instance, error messages that the BIOS throws up typically use the term CMOS instead of
BIOS. Here is an example - "CMOS checksum error - defaults loaded." This means that the
BIOS settings have become corrupt, and the default BIOS settings have been loaded instead of
the user's customised BIOS settings.

The bright sparks that program BIOSes probably instinctively want to confuse things as much as
possible in order to make what they do as mysterious and as inaccessible as possible.

The BIOS setup program is the first component to start up when you switch a computer on.
When the BIOS program runs, it uses a mathematical technique called the "checksum" to make
sure the code it contains is sound. If the code fails to pass the checksum test, the BIOS reverts to
using its built-in default settings. The default settings can often get the system going again, but
the system date and time may be incorrect. Nothing serious because those settings can be set
manually from within the BIOS setup program itself. But if the default settings are loaded, any
customisation of the settings will be lost and will have to be reset.

Note that whatever fault caused the BIOS to become corrupt will probably still be present, so if
you have saved the BIOS settings with a utility that can do so and you restore them, the fault will
probably cause the checksum error to recur and wipe them out again.

A bad system crash or electrical spike can corrupt the BIOS file, but this is rare. The most
common cause of this kind of error is a dead or dying BIOS battery.

A CMOS-based BIOS chip is a low-power device, but it still has to be supplied with power in
order to retain its settings when the computer is switched off. Incidentally, the battery also
powers the system clock, which is usually part of the BIOS chip circuitry. When the BIOS
battery - usually installed on the motherboard - loses enough of its charge - usually when it is
somewhere between three and five years old - the BIOS will not be able to retain its settings, or
the code will become corrupt and unusable, and a checksum error will be reported.

Therefore, the first diagnostic step to take to deal with a checksum error is to replace the battery.
Most computers use a standard, coin-shaped BIOS battery mounted on the motherboard. You can
find a replacement at any good computer shop. Just remove the old one carefully by inserting the
flat head of small screwdriver in where the battery makes contact with its socket's metal
connector. Take the old battery with you, and show it to the salesman so that you are assured of
being given the correct replacement.

If a new battery doesn't solve the problem, the BIOS chip may need to be reflashed,
reprogrammed, or replaced. The process of reflashing a BIOS chip is provided in this article. But
the BIOS chip can be completely reprogramed with special EPROM-programming software that
can be purchased an used, or used on your behalf by a professional. A service available from
sites such as FlashBIOS.org and BadFlash.com, which also provide replacement chips.

A replacement chip will probably cost almost as much or more than a new motherboard, so I
personally would replace the motherboard if the BIOS chip cannot be restored to working order.
Also try entering the search phrase "BIOS checksum error" (including the quotation marks) - or
any other BIOS term - in the Google search box at the top of this page. You'll probably be
presented with a large number of accessible links.

BIOS NEWS

Experts say that Rootkits will soon be installed in the flash memory of the BIOS

January 29, 2006. - Security experts are warning that Rootkits - hidden software that Windows cannot detect that can
be used to implement digital rights management technology or be used to hide viruses and Trojan backdoor server
software - will soon be hidden in the flash memory of the BIOS chip. The BIOS chip on a computer's motherboard
stores the system configuration information that is required to boot the system, therefore reinstalling the operating
system cannot remove a Rootkit installed in its flash memory.

For Windows 9x versions of Windows, a BIOS file update is usually flashed into the chip by making use of a floppy
disk that contains the flash utility, the new BIOS file, and the three MS DOS system files that make the disk bootable.
However, MS DOS is not available in the Windows XP versions of Windows, so most of the motherboard
manufacturers have created software that is downloaded from their websites. To update the BIOS now involves
running the downloaded software that obtains the update and sets the system to install it the next time the system is
started. The idea is to make the process as user-friendly as possible, which in turn means that most BIOS programs no
longer prevent writing to the BIOS flash memory by default, which in turn means that such systems are vulnerable to
being infected by a Rootkit that installs itself in the flash memory of the BIOS.

Greg Hoglund, a Rootkit expert and CEO of the reverse engineering company HBGary, had this to say on the subject:
"It is going to be about one month before malware comes out to take advantage of this. This is so easy to do. You have
widely available tools, free compilers for the ACPI language [used to program BIOS files], and high-level languages
to write the code in."

Even if a computer's BIOS or a jumper on the motherboard itself is set to disable writing to the flash memory, an
insider could flash a computer's BIOS chip with such a Rootkit before leaving a company in order to be able to gain
access to the corporate network at a later date.

How to fix a fast Windows clock problem

If the clock in Windows is fast, try resetting the BIOS to its default settings, because Windows takes its time from the
BIOS clock. Doing that often fixes the problem. A fast clock can be a nuisance if you use a PC with a TV tuner card
and schedule it to record TV programmes. The BIOS has programming in it that manages the clock's operation.

The BIOS component in a computer stores the hardware configurations that are needed to
configure the system at start-up so that its hardware (and thus its software) can run. Many
modern BIOSes are also capable of monitoring motherboard activities such as the processor's
temperature, the processor's fan speed, and the voltages. The configuration information, in read-
only form on a ROM chip, is kept alive by a battery when the system is switched off.

If the battery is removed, the user's customised settings will be deleted as soon as the CMOS
chip loses its source of power, which could take several minutes, and the computer will start up
with the default or failsafe settings. The user will have to re-enable any settings you prefer to the
default ones.
The BIOS also supports software, such as a particular operating system. For instance, a BIOS
update may be required before a computer with a BIOS created to run on Windows 98 can be
run on Windows XP.

The long-life battery, which lasts at least five years, is usually a round one inserted into a holder
on the motherboard, or an external battery unit that is plugged into the motherboard.

The BIOS setup program is accessed by pressing the key or keys shown (usually at the bottom of
the screen) just after the memory count at start-up.

The Delete key ("Press DEL to enter SETUP"), used by Award and AMI BIOSes, is the most
commonly used one.

See the image below of a start-up screen indicating at the top of the window that the system is
configured by an Award BIOS. The BIOS has not recognised the system's AMD Athlon XP
2600+ (Main Processor), because it was released after the BIOS was created. The BIOS will
have to be updated by reflashing it with a BIOS file programmed to recognise the new processor.

There is much more information about reflashing a BIOS further down the page.

The Memory Testing feature shows a running count to the amount of RAM used and detected
by the BIOS as functional. In this case, it is 512MB (524,288KB). The four headings starting
with Primary Master show which of the motherboard's IDE drive channels (used for hard disks
or CD/DVD disk drives) have been enabled. The string of numbers and letters shown under

Press

The Press DEL to enter SETUP in the bottom left-hand corner means that you have to press the
Delete key to open the BIOS program, and the ALT-F2 to enter AWDFLASH means that you
can run the program that reflashes a BIOS update file into the BIOS chip by pressing the ALT
and the F2 keys. The BIOS update will have been obtained from the motherboard's website. This
means that you can use this utility instead of a special (DOS) boot floppy disk to flash the BIOS.

Below is the much clearer start-up screen showing that the Pentium 4 2800MHz (2.8GHz)
processor installed in the system has been recognised by the Award Medallion BIOS. As you
can see, the BIOS belongs to an Asus P4T533 - C motherboard (Revision 1007), and has a
Maxtor 6L040JZ hard disk drive, and an Asus 52x CD-ROM drive (CD-S520/A ), recognised
by the BIOS as being installed as the Primary Master and Primary Slave devices on the
Primary IDE channel. There are no drives installed on the Secondary IDE Channel, the
Secondary Master setting of which has been disabled, and so displays the word "Skip". The
Memory test shows a count of 262,144KB (256MB) of RAM is installed, and has been
recognised by the BIOS.

With this BIOS, you still use the Delete key to open it, and the ALT-F2 keys are pressed to run
the built-in EZ flash utility, which is used to reflash the BIOS chip with a new BIOS file. This
means that you can use this utility instead of a special boot floppy disk to flash the BIOS. The
instructions on how to use it will be provided with the BIOS update file, on the motherboard's
website, or in the motherboard's user manual.

Below is what appears on the screen at start-up for a computer running an AMI BIOS issued in
1998.

DEL to enter SETUP can be used to identify the BIOS chip.

And below is the BIOS settings' menu that comes to the screen if the Del key is pressed before
Windows, or an alternative operating system such as Linux, starts up. Once the operating system
has started loading, you cannot access the BIOS, because it can only make changes to itself when
nothing else is loaded. You have to reboot to enter the BIOS when the operating system is
running.
Using this particular AMI BIOS, if you suspected that the BIOS settings were responsible for
any problems, you would enable the Auto Configuration with Fail Safe Settings option, or
even the Auto Configuration with Optimal Settings option.

As long as the start-up screen appears, you can always re-enter the BIOS to change the settings if
they don't work or cause problems.

Award BIOSes have similar settings, but pre-year-2000 versions may use terms such as Load
Setup Defaults, or Load BIOS Defaults instead of Load Fail-Safe Defaults and Load
Optimised Defaults respectively.

Below is the settings' menu of an Award BIOS from the year 2005, which uses similar headings
to the AMI BIOS shown above, and which is also entered by pressing the Del key.

As I said at the top of this page, you have to navigate using the keyboard, because the driver for
the mouse has not been loaded by the operating system. The basic navigation instructions appear
at the bottom of the main menu page, and more detailed instructions appear on all of the main
pages listed on the main menu page.

For this particular BIOS the important navigation options are:

The screens, the names for the settings, and the navigation options may differ from one type of
BIOS to another, but the content will be more or less the same. It is just a matter of getting used
to the differences between, say, an Award BIOS and an AMI BIOS.

BIOS updates: Reflashing the BIOS

BIOS software in the form of a file is flashed into permanent flash memory on the BIOS CMOS
chip of a similar kind that is used in flash memory cards. As such, it can be upgraded with a
replacement file that provides support for new hardware, or adds new features, or which removes
bugs from the installed version. When a BIOS file is updated, it is said to have been reflashed
into the flash memory. Visit Page 2 of this article for information on reflashing the BIOS.

Note that most motherboards now allow the user to restore a corrupt BIOS file from a USB flash
drive that contains a backup or downloaded BIOS file.

The safest way to upgrade RAM memory: Use the UK and

US Crucial Memory Advisors
Paul Mullen, who was the highly-respected computer guru of the Helpfile at ComputerShopper.co.uk - "I have
recently been buying my memory only from Crucial Technology. I would rather pay the extra cost than waste time
trying to track down the obscure program faults that bad memory can cause."

The best way to choose RAM memory for a brand-name desktop or laptop computer, or memory for a paricular
make/model of PC motherboard is to make use of the Crucial Memory Advisors (provided under the brief
guideline on the minimum memory requirements for Windws XP, Windows Vista and Windows 7). If the Crucial
memory you receive does not work, you are guaranteed a refund and standard shipping is free.

The memory requirements of the versions of Windows Vista and Windows 7

Most of the versions of Windows Vista require more RAM memory to run optimally on a computer that doesn't use
memory-hungry applications than Windows XP. A video-editing application is an example of memory-intensive
software. Only Windows Vista Home Basic has a recommended minimum amount of memory of 512MB, which is
the same amount recommended for Windows XP. Windows Vista Home Premium, the most popular version, and
Windows Vista Ultimate require a recommended minimum of 1GB (1024MB) of memory, which is twice the
amount of minimum memory recommended to run Windows XP. Note that if you are using a 64-bit version of
Windows, up to 4.0GB, it requires twice the amount of memory as a 32-bit version, which can only use a maximum
of about 3.5GB. For more information on computer memory, read the RAM pages of this site, which includes
information on the lower memory requirements of Windows 7.

How to Use the Crucial Memory Advisor

For example, if your computer has an Asus motherboard, open the menu, scroll down to ASUS, and click GO. If,
say, you have a Dell computer, scroll down to DELL, and do likewise. You will be taken to the relevant information
on Crucial's website.

If you don't know the make and model of the motherboard installed in your computer, here is a good free utility -
Belarc Advisor - that creates an analysis of the hardware and software on a personal computer. Look under FREE
DOWNLOAD - http://www.belarc.com/. Another utility that also provides detailed information on the memory
itself is CPU-Z.

The video/graphics card's BIOS setup program

All video/graphics cards - using ISA, PCI, AGP, and PCI Express motherboard slots - have a
BIOS setup program that accesses a BIOS chip on the card in the same way as the system's
BIOS setup program accesses the BIOS chip built into a computer's motherboard.

At start-up, the main system BIOS detects the video BIOS and adds it to its start-up routine. If
you observe the start-up screen, you might be able to see the video card being acknowledged by
the system BIOS in the same way as it acknowledges the disk drive(s).

Updates for the BIOS file can be made available for both the motherboard's system BIOS and
the video card's BIOS from the motherboard manufacturer's and the video card manufacturer's
sites respectively. Instructions on how to update the BIOS are usually also supplied. Often new
features can be added by updating a video card's BIOS, because the manufacturer often uses the
same video chip on high-end and low-end cards, and it's the BIOS that limits the low-end card. If
that is the case, doing nothing more than updating the BIOS can make a low-end card function
like its high-end relative. Updating a video card's BIOS can also sometimes solve problems that
are otherwise insolvable. But note that you cannot access the settings of the BIOS of a video
card as you can access the settings of the motherboard's system BIOS by pressing the entry
key(s) at start-up to run the BIOS setup program.

Advanced Guide: Flashing a Video Card BIOS -

http://www.pcstats.com/articleview.cfm?articleID=1633

The BIOS and overclocking

Click here! to visit the information on this site that deals with overclocking the processor,
graphics card, etc.

Note well that you should know what you are doing before you experiment with overclocking a
computer.

The overclockability of a desktop or laptop PC's processor depends on the overclocking settings
provided by the BIOS and on whether or not the processor is unlocked- does not have its clock
multiplier locked so that it can't be changed via the BIOS.

Some motherboard's have BIOSes that are designed for overclocking. For Example, the Asus
P5E64 WS Professional Socket LGA774 motherboard (for Intel dual- and quad-core processors)
has intelligent overclocking settings in its BIOS that allow the user to adjust the voltages of the
North Bridge chip, the FSB, the processor, and the RAM memory to achieve the most precise
settings to match changes in the settings for the FSB and the clock multiplier.

You can download the user manuals for Asus motherboards from http://www.asus.com.tw/ if
you want to see the BIOS settings that they provide. The the Asus P5E64 WS Professional
motherboard is a good example of one that has been designed with overclocking in mind. MSI
also provide good manuals for their motherboards. However, MSI motherboards usually have
BIOSes that are restricted to the kind of basic settings the changing of which won't get the user
into the kind of trouble that results in high support costs.

A video-card problem problem caused by a buggy BIOS

Problem

I found out how easy it is to overlook the BIOS when attempting to diagnose the cause of a computer's problems.

It began when I downloaded and installed the latest driver file for my GeForce 2 video card, obtained from nVidia's
site. I did so in order to play Deus Ex 2, which requires pixel shading. It's an officially endorsed Windows
Hardware Quality Labs (WHQL) driver file, and I had the latest DirectX 9.0c installed, but I soon discovered that
the vivid colours of my screeensaver were no longer showing.

I decided to buy and install a video card made by MSI with an nVidia 5900ZT chip, but not only did it not fix the
screensaver problem, Deus Ex kept on crashing during the boot sequence, and the computer continually rebooted.

Eidos, the maker of the game, told me to do the usual uninstalling of the game, defragmenting the hard drive with
the Windows Disk Defragmenter, and reinstalling the game and video-card's driver file, but the blue screen of death
and Microsoft's crash analysis both suggested a problem with the driver. MSI, the maker of the video card, provided
the same suggestions, but also advised me to reflash the BIOS with the latest file.

The computer has an Asus A8V Deluxe motherboard, so I downloaded the latest BIOS file for the make and model
of motherboard from the Asus site, and followed the instructions that were included in the Zip file.

It was a painless operation, and it fixed all of the problems, but I have no idea why it did. Can you enlighten me on
the working of the BIOS in this case?

Answer

There is a very thin dividing (error) line between providing high performance and system stability with regard to
high-end video cards. Indeed, most problems with video cards come about because the driver writers don't get the
trade-off right.

Much also depends on the manner in which the video card interacts with the motherboard's chipset. The timings set
in the BIOS for the motherboard's chipset are of crucial importance for trouble-free use. The timings have names in
the BIOS setup program such as AGP master wait state write, and AGP bus read wait states, which are both
applicable to an AGP video card of the kind you were using to begin with and use now.

Windows 95/98/Me/XP all bypass both the video card's own BIOS and the motherboard's BIOS. Windows
accesses the computer's hardware directly, but it picks up the timings that are set in the BIOS when the computer
first starts up. These timings can often be tweaked in the BIOS itself. One or more of these timings can be the cause
of a particular problem such as yours. If tweaking the timing settings is possible, and doing so doesn't solve the
problem, reflashing the BIOS with an updated file that has been reprogrammed can often do the trick. In your case it
did just that.

Information on how to reflash a BIOS is provided on Page 2 of this article.

A faulty BIOS problem: Windows XP, Windows 2000, and

Windows 98 won't install on my PC
The following problem was caused by a faulty BIOS:

I have a problem with a PC I am building that has an Asus K8 NE Deluxe motherboard, one module of 512MB of
PC3200 DDR RAM, a Sempron 3100+ 64-bit processor, an Antec 350 SmartPower power supply, a 20GB Maxtor
PATA IDE hard drive, a floppy drive, and a DVD writer. With the BIOS settings set to default, tye PC boots with
the Windows XP OEM CD, but the installation only gets to the format drive stage then hangs. It does not start the
format. I have tried 3 hard drives, 2 CD drives, 2 floppy drives, loading Windows 2000 Pro, loading Windows 98
SE, same result, and another copy of XP Home Edition, same result. I have another PC that I built with the same
equipment, motherboard, and RAM, but with an Athlon 64 3000+ processor and an SATA hard drive. This PC has
worked really well from day one. I connected the SATA drive from this PC in the problem PC, with Windows 2000
Pro installed on it, but it only got as far as the Windows 2000 Pro screen with the progress scale complete, then,
alas, it stopped. There was an error message that appeared onscreen, I think during a Windows 98 installation, that
read as follows: Standard mode bad fault in dos extender, fault,000D stack dump,036c 0000 0070, Raw fault
frame,EC,3004 IP 2443 CS=0053 FL3097 SP=00F2 SS004B.

The man who had this problem discovered the cause of it himself:

I decided to clear the CMOS, removed the BIOS battery, reset the jumpers, put it all back as was. This produced
some progress, the Windows installation did the format, and I got the Windows screen followed by a stalled blue or
black screen. I download a beta BIOS for the motherboard from the Asus website - the latest update. I followed the
EZ Flash utility instructions from the manual, flashed the BIOS, and bingo! When I restarted the system it went
straight into a clean installation.

Boot sector virus protection: Disable it before installing

Windows 95 and Windows 98
When the Virus Warning setting (usually in the BIOS Features Setup menu) is enabled, the
BIOS will flash a warning message whenever there's an attempt by a virus (or legitimate
software) to access the system's boot sector or its partition table. If present, it is recommended to
have this setting enabled. Note that this only protects the system's boot sector and its partition
table, not the entire hard disk drive.

However, note well that this feature will cause problems with the installation of certain software.
For example, when enabled, this feature will cause the installation routine of Windows 95 and
Windows 98 to fail. (It doesn't affect the installation routine of Windows XP.) Therefore,
disable it before installing such software. Moreover, many hard disk drive diagnostic utilities that
access the boot sector can also trigger the error message. The Virus Warning setting should be
disabled before using such utilities.

This BIOS setting is useless for hard disk drives that run from controllers on PCI adapter cards
and other external controllers (such as SCSI controllers and UDMA 66 controllers) that have
their own BIOS. Boot sector viruses will bypass the system BIOS and write directly to such hard
disk drives.

See the Disk Drives page of this site for more information on UDMA (IDE ATA) and SCSI hard
disk drives.

The APIC mode BIOS setting

APIC mode (Advanced Programmable Interrupt Controller) is a BIOS setting made
available to Windows 2000 and Windows XP systems that increases the number of IRQ
(Interrupt Request) lines available to the processor.

When APIC is disabled in a Windows 2000/XP system, only 16 IRQs (0 to 15) are available to
the processor, as is the case with Windows 9.x systems, instead of the 23 that are available with
this setting enabled. This reduces the amount of hardware that can be run on the system to the
level of Windows 9.x system, and can therefore be the cause of unnecessary hardware conflicts.

You can examine the allocation of the IRQs in the Device Manager. In a Windows 9.x system
you do that by double-clicking the Computer heading at the top of the window.

To access the Device Manager in Windows XP, right-click My Computer => Properties (as in
Windows 98), and then click the Hardware tab followed by the Device Manager button.

There are a number of ways to access IRQ information in Windows XP.

Computer Management is part of the much larger MS Management Console (MMC), To

access the Device Manager via it go Start => Control Panel => Performance & Maintenance
=> Administrative Tools => Computer Management.

Always update the BIOS before making a major change of

operating systems
If you are planning to change your operating system from say Windows 98 SE to Windows XP
( a major change), save yourself a lot of hassles by checking the motherboard/PC manufacturer's
website for a BIOS update. A large percentage of operating-system upgrade problems would be
avoided just by reflashing the BIOS with the latest update file.
But you probably wouldn't have to take that action if you changed from Windows 98 to
Windows 98 SE, because that is not a major change. Both versions of Windows 98 use the same
architecture, but Windows XP uses a totally different architecture. It is not considered a major
change to upgrade from Windows XP to Windows Vista, because the architecture of both
versions is similar.

If you cannot obtain a BIOS update for the existing motherboard, try making the changeover, or
dual-boot Windows 98 and Windows XP to experiment safely, but if it doesn't work out, you
will probably have to install a new motherboard with a BIOS that supports Windows XP if you
want to use it as the operating system. And given how fast technology is changing, you will
almost certainly have to purchase new RAM, and a new processor for that motherboard, because
the RAM and processor on the old motherboard won't be compatible with the new motherboard.
And if you choose an Intel Pentium 4 (Socket 478) motherboard over an AMD (Socket A)
motherboard, you will also have to purchase a new case, because Pentium 4 motherboards
require a special power-supply unit and special case mountings. But if you choose an AMD
solution, you will be at least be able to reuse an ATX case if the existing power-supply unit
meets the processor's power requirements. (Check AMD's website for recommended cases and
PSUs.) If not, they you will just have to install a new power-supply unit into the case.

See the Build a PC set of pages on this site for information on how to install a PSU - and all of
the other components.

A multi-language BIOS
Some new motherboards, such as those made by Asus, provide a BIOS that supports several
different languages. The extract below is from the user manual of the Asus A8N-E Socket 939
motherboard for AMD Athlon 64 processors.

A talking BIOS
Some motherboards are now offering a talking BIOS, which speaks its error messages.
Obviously this will only be of any benefit if the sound system it uses is working. Since the sound
card is not available until DOS (with DOS sound card drivers loaded) or Windows have started
up, it would have to make use of the small speaker built into the computer's case that issues the
start-up beep, and other BIOS beep codes.
To name one, the Supermicro 845G P4SGA motherboard is fitted with a talking BIOS. - Place
the name within double quotation marks in the Google search box provided at the top of this
page to find links to sites that provide information on this motherboard.

The beep codes

The BIOS can provide error-alert messages to the user of the computer by using sounds (usually
one or more long or short beeps provided by the speaker built into the computer's case), text
messages, or now even by issuing voice messages.

Obviously if the video card doesn't work for some reason, a text error message is of no use, so
most BIOSes issue a beep code to alert the user to an error in configuring the video card.

There are many sites that provide the beep codes used by the two major BIOS manufacturers -
Award (now part of Phoenix) and AMI. Here are some sources.

BIOS BEEP CODES

Bioscentral.com - "BIOS Central is not for everyone. It is intended to be a technical reference home site for
technicians and advanced computer users who troubleshoot computers using Power-On Self-Test cards or
diagnostics, developers or technicians who want to find or add POST code information, users who want to flash
their BIOSes, people who want to solve computer hardware or firmware problems, and anyone who wants to submit
or read a competent review on PC maintenance products like diagnostic software, test cards, and recovery tools and
other utilities. You are still welcome if you are a computer neophyte. On both sides of this text you can see many
links to click on to access our reference lists and other material. You may learn some useful and interesting things
here." - http://www.bioscentral.com/

BIOS Beep Codes: http://www.pcguide.com/ts/x/sys/beep/

List of BIOS beep codes [A forum "sticky", plus comments]:

http://www.sysopt.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=146656

Should you need it, entering the search phrase "bios beep codes" in the Google search box at the
top of this page should produce many links to sites with beep-code information.
I need to replace the motherboard's BIOS battery, but I don't want to reset my customised/customized settings

Question

I need to replace my motherboard's BIOS battery, but I don't want to have to reset my customised settings, so can
anyone recommend a program that will save the settings so I can restore them after I replace the battery?

Answer

The flash utility that you use to reflash a BIOS can usually save the old BIOS file so that it can be restored if
reflashing the BIOS causes a problem. You can obtain it with the latest BIOS update for a make and model of
motherboard from the motherboard manufacturer's site.

You could also take digital photos of each of the BIOS pages to save the optimal settings.

Alternatively, try using cmosram2.zip. I've used it and it works fine. It's a freebie and easy to use. The zip file contains
the program and instruction document.

cmosram2.zip - http://www.drivermuseum.com/files/utils/system_u.html

BIOS CMOS checksum error on startup

Problem

Three days ago, the following error message started presenting itself whenever I switch on my desktop PC: "CMOS
checksum error - Defaults loaded. Press F1 to continue, Del to enter Setup". When I press F1, the PC starts up as
usual, but the clock shows 0.00, and in the Control Panel's Date & Time, the date is always January 1 2003.

Answer

It looks as if you have to replace the BIOS battery that powers the CMOS chip that contains the clock's settings. The
chip stores the BIOS settings in the same way that a mobile phone stores its settings. If you remove the battery in a
mobile phone or it runs out of charge, the settings are lost. The chip also stores the customised BIOS settings, so the
computer has to load the default settings, which are hard-coded into it so that they are always accessible to the startup
process - even when the BIOS battery is flat.

The image above this table shows a Sony BIOS battery installed in its socket on the motherboard. The BIOS battery is
rechargeable, recharging while the computer runs. After four or five years, it stops taking a charge and has to be
replaced. If the PC hasn't been used for a few weeks or months, the battery may still be working but may just have run
down. Leaving the PC on for a day should recharge it.

Most of the motherboards of desktop PCs have a jumper that clears the CMOS settings when it shorts two specific
pins, the blue object in the centre of the image below that also shows the BIOS/CMOS battery in its container on the
left of the jumper.
The motherboard's manual shows the jumper's location on the motherboard. You can identify the motherboard's
make/model with a utility such as CPU-Z and then locate its manufacturer's site with a search engine, such as Google.
(There is a Google search box at the top of this page that searches the web when its Web radio button is enabled.) The
motherboard manufacturer's site should provide a manual for that model. The jumper is near the BIOS battery and is
often labelled as such.

If that jumper is left in the 'clear' position or is missing, the computer will produce that checksum error message.

Brand new motherboards can have the jumper set to clear the BIOS in order not to run the battery down. Many people
don't bother reading the manual and so are not made aware of that fact.

Click here! to visit an illustrated article on how to replace a BIOS (CMOS) battery.

This Q&A on this site deals with the problem that its title describes: Why is my computer
running slow after I replaced a flat BIOS battery on the motherboard?

Motherboard manufacturer's warning

Note well: I came across the following warning in the motherboard manual for an MSI K8N
Neo4 Platinum/SLI Socket 939 motherboard. Until then, I wasn't aware of the danger:

"Caution. Danger of explosion if [BIOS] battery is incorrectly replaced. Replace only with the
same or equivalent type recommended by the manufacturer."

Rechargeable CMOS/BIOS batteries

Some new CMOS batteries are rechargeable and therefore shouldn't need to be replaced. The
motherboard's manual would specify that the battery is rechargeable if it is. The battery is
charged while the computer is running. So, if the computer hasn't been used for a while, and the
system loads with the BIOS defaults settings, it would be because the CMOS battery has run
down. Keeping the system running for a while should recharge it and allow you to customise the
settings so that they remain every time the computer boots.
 How to reset the BIOS itself, and how to reset the BIOS
password
How to reset the BIOS

In a desktop PC, there is almost always a Reset CMOS jumper on a motherboard that can be set
to activate or clear the BIOS settings. It is shown in the first image above.

The option to reset the entire BIOS itself to its default settings must not be confused with its
Reset Configuration Data setting that resets the hardware configurations. When that setting is
enabled, the BIOS resets not itself but what it knows about all of the hardware components and
peripheral devices (printers, etc.) and then it disables the option. All of the existing hardware
configuration data is erased and then replaced, giving a fresh start that can resolve many
hardware misconfiguration problems.

However, is different in laptop PCs because of their highly-integrated designs which make
accessing the motherboard so difficult that only trained technicians should attempt doing so. If
you want to reset the BIOS of a laptop PC, read the item at the end of this section on resetting the
BIOS.

However, the situation of resetting the BIOS itself (not its configurations of components and
devices) is different in laptop PCs because of their highly-integrated designs which make
accessing the motherboard so difficult that only trained technicians should attempt doing so. If
you want to reset the BIOS of a laptop PC, read the item at the end of this section on resetting the
BIOS.

It might be necessary to make use of the reset-BIOS feature if you have set incompatible BIOS
settings that can render the computer unbootable - or something else has gone wrong with the
settings. Only the current BIOS settings that the computer has been using are cleared by using
the reset-CMOS jumper setting, not the main BIOS settings, which are permanently placed into
flash memory when the BIOS's CMOS chip is flashed. (The CMOS chip can be reflashed with
an updated file.) Unlike the RAM memory that holds customised settings, flash memory retains
data without being powered. The reset jumper setting cuts the power from the CMOS battery to
the CMOS chip that holds the BIOS settings, thereby removing them. When the PC starts up and
tries to access the BIOS settings, it finds none (if the BIOS has been cleared) and it makes the
BIOS copy the default settings from the flash memory into the RAM memory area that is usually
kept alive by the BIOS battery. To keep customised BIOS settings, the jumper has to be placed
over the two pins that allow power to go to the CMOS chip.

The BIOS settings are also cleared if the battery is disconnected for about five minutes.

Note that some motherboard manufacturers have the Reset CMOS jumper set to disabled in
order to disconnect the BIOS battery so that it doesn't run down during storage.
If this is the case, having installed the motherboard, you would have to set the jumper setting to
activate the BIOS, or you would have to reset any customised BIOS settings (you have enabled
or disabled in preference to the default settings) every time the computer boots. The computer
would boot if the CMOS jumper is set to clear the BIOS, but the default BIOS settings will be
loaded and used every time the computer boots.

Click here! to see an illustrated extract (on this website) on this subject from an MSI
motherboard's manual.

The following page provides illustrated information on how to reset the BIOS:

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/...

Pressing a button on the motherboard or on its ports panel to clear the

CMOS chip's BIOS settings

The motherboard manufacturer MSI is familiar with the problems that are caused by
overclocking, so now it includes a CMOS erase button on many of its motherboards, such as the
K9N Platinum series. It has a button on the motherboard next to the BIOS CMOS chip that you
press to reset (clear) the BIOS so that it uses its default settings the next time the system is
started up. Here is what it says in the manual of a K9N Platinum motherboard.

Clear CMOS Button: SW2

There is a CMOS RAM [BIOS chip] on board that has a power supply from external battery to keep the system
configuration data. With the CMOS RAM, the system can automati- cally boot OS every time it is turned on. If you
want to clear the system configuration, use the SW2 (Clear CMOS Button) to clear data. Press the button in the
middle of the connector top side to clear the data.

Motherboards are available that support the new Socket LGA1366 Intel Core i7 quad-core
processors that first became available in November 2008. The MSI MS-7522 motherboard of the
company's X58 Platinum Series, has a Clear CMOS Button on the motherboard's ports panel
that shows at the back of the PC's case. If you have enabled settings that prevent the system from
booting, to clear the CMOS chip that holds them, you just have to press the button and the BIOS
will revert to using its default settings.

The motherboard's manual will have diagrams that show where all of the different components,
connectors, jumpers, and those buttons are located.

Some motherboards provide a secondary plug-in BIOS chip

If you have a very recent motherboard, it may come with a secondary BIOS chip that plugs into
the board and overrides the BIOS chip that is fitted to it. If that is the case, you just have to plug
the secondary chip into its socket in order to recover the BIOS. An example of such a
motherboard is the ECS KA3 MVP, a Socket AM2 board that runs AMD Athlon 64, 64 FX, and
64 FX X2 dual-core processors.
 How to reset the BIOS password

If you've made use of the Set Supervisor Password and/or the Set User Password options and
you forget the password(s), or just want to disable having to enter one or both of them, the
computer's motherboard has a jumper setting that can be set to clear the password(s). You have
to consult the motherboard's manual to find out how to set the jumper. If you don't have a
manual, identify the motherboard's manufacturer and download a copy from its website for that
make and model of board.

How to reset the BIOS password in a Dell desktop PC

Apparently it is difficult to reset the administrator/supervisor password in the BIOS of a Dell PC.
If the information isn't provided in the PC's user manual, ask Dell's technical support for
information on how to do it, and read this thread for more information:

Dell BIOS admin password removal - http://www.techspot.com/vb/topic18780.htm

How can I reset the password-protected BIOS in a Samsung R40Plus laptop

PC?

Question

I have a Samsung R40Plus laptop PC running Vista Home Premium, and want to replace it with Windows XP
Professional, but the BIOS setup program is password-protected and the password is not mentioned anywhere in the
documentation. Is there any way onboard of re-setting the BIOS?

Answer

In a desktop PC, you would consult its user manual of its motherboard to locate the jumpers the pins of which are
used to activate or reset the BIOS, but that can't be done easily with laptop PCs because of their highly integrated
designs. In fact, it is advisable not to attempt to reset the BIOS of a laptop. Instead, make use of software that cracks
the password.

CmosPwd decrypts the password stored in CMOS BIOS chip used to access the BIOS Setup Program. -
http://www.cgsecurity.org/wiki/CmosPwd

BIOS settings and information provided by the

motherboard's manual
Note that the motherboard manual - that comes with a new PC or can usually be downloaded
from the motherboard manufacturer's website - usually has a section in it devoted to the BIOS
settings. The information provided is usually brief and inadequate. The settings of each menu
page are named, a brief description of the purpose of each setting is provided along with if it is
the a default setting or one that can be enabled if the user chooses.
Inadequate BIOS information has resulted in numerous BIOS websites aimed at meeting the
need for more detailed information. Click here! to go directly to the BIOS-related sites listed on
the first of the four Links pages on this site. Or you could make use of the Google search box
provided at the top of this page to find them and many others.

Note that should you experience difficulties with the IRQ assignments of the devices that
appear in the Device Manager, you can enable the Reset Configuration Data setting. This will
reassign the IRQs just once and then disable itself. If you are having IRQ assignment problems
with a device and you want the BIOS to configure the devices instead of Windows as a way
around the problem, disable the PnP OS setting and enable the Reset Configuration Data
setting.

If you want to view the 16 IRQ assignments in a Windows 9.x system, double-click the top
Computer heading in your computer's Device Manager.

The computer assigns a device or collection of devices (IRQ sharing) an IRQ line so that each
device can request attention from the processor. Since there are only 16 IRQ lines available, and
most of them are reserved, when adding a device you may run into an IRQ problem, and then
have to find a way to free an IRQ line for the device. This is usually done by removing unused
devices (such as one or both of the COM ports) and disabling them in the BIOS.

Using the BIOS ID number or free utilities to identify a

motherboard
"Many users don't know the name of their clone motherboard. This is because the company name is not mentioned
anywhere (in the manual, on the motherboard). If you want to upgrade your BIOS, you really have to know the
motherboard manufacturer, because if you take the wrong BIOS upgrade your system could stop booting.

"Luckily each Award or AMI BIOS has a unique BIOS ID (= BIOS Number) which identifies the manufacturer
and chipset of the board." - Wim's BIOS Page.

For Award and AMI BIOSes, this ID number appears under the heading Chipset above. This
string of numbers and letters also appears briefly at the bottom left side of the screen at start-up.
To make a note of it, use the Pause key to freeze the screen. Wim's BIOS Page has the
information on how to decode BIOS ID numbers.

Luckily there are several excellent free utilities that you can download and run that identify a
computer's hardware and software.

Click here! to go directly to more hardware and software ID utilities on the second of the four
Links pages on this site.

Windows XP - USB 2.0 memory stick - unrecognised device

 Problem

You have purchased a USB 2.0 memory stick so that you can transfer files between several computers that run
Windows XP without having to network them. However, when the stick is plugged into a computer running
Windows XP Pro, it reports an unrecognised device. But when the settings in the BIOS setup program are changed
from USB 1.1 + USB 2.0 to just USB 1.1, the stick works but very slowly. You have checked in the Device
Manager to make sure that a USB 2.0 Enhanced Host Controller is present to show that USB 2.0 is installed.

Answer

A USB 2.0 memory stick, also known as a Flash Drive or Micro Vault, will function very slowly no matter which
type of USB connection is used. These finger drives are naturally very slow devices. You should disable any Legacy
USB setting in the BIOS and, if possible, flash it with the latest update.