IHW H4

• BIOS


  Basic input/output system, an important motherboard component
• UEFI


  Unified Extensible Firmware Interface, an interface between the operating system and firmware that can replace the traditional BIOS
• POST


  Identifies, tests, and initializes basic hardware components
• Bootstrap program


  A basic routine that locates an operating system and launches it
• Setup


  A program that allows viewing and management of settings related to the display, date/time, processor, memory, and drives
• Cold boot


  Turning on the computer with the power switch, causing POST to execute
• Warm boot


  Restarting the computer, without executing POST
• Setup program


  • Held in BIOS, allows configuring RAM, drives, boot files, date/time, and more
  • Displays error messages if information fails to match hardware or a device doesn't work properly
• Motherboards include connectors that can be disabled through the Setup program if they fail
• Accessing Setup


  Using specific keystrokes displayed during boot process
• Flash BIOS


  Allows upgrading or downgrading the BIOS without installing a new chip
• UEFI


  • Graphical environment with mouse support
  • Enables virus scanning, running applications, and Internet access outside the OS
  • Offers better system support for cooling, voltage, performance, and security
  • Supports increased hard drive capacities and GUID partition table
• Common BIOS manufacturers


  • AMI (American Megatrends, Inc.)
  • Phoenix Technologies
  • Byosoft (Nanjing Byosoft Co., Ltd.)
  • Insyde Software
• Determining current BIOS version

  1. Watch boot screen

  2. Enter BIOS Setup

  3. Access BIOS/UEFI Setup in Windows 8 or 10
• Upgrading flash BIOS


  1. Back up current CMOS settings

  2. Back up current BIOS
• Common BIOS/UEFI setup options

  • System Information
  • General Optimization
  • Boot Options, Boot Sequence, Boot Drive Order, or Boot Menu
  • CPU Configuration or Advanced CPU Settings
  • Fan Control
  • Video Options
  • Onboard Device Configuration
  • Passwords, Power on Password, Password Options, Supervisor Password, or User Password
  • Virus Protection
  • Numlock On/Off
  • USB Configuration
  • Hyper-Threading
  • Integrated Peripherals (enabling/disabling devices and ports)
  • Advanced BIOS Options
  • Interface Configurations
  • IDE Configuration
  • SATA Configuration
  • PCI/PnP Configuration
  • PCIe Configuration
  • Devices
  • Virtualization Support, Virtualization Technology, or Secure Virtual Machine Mode
  • ACPI (Advanced Configuration and Power Interface)
  • Hardware Monitor
  • Disable Execute Bit, Execute Disable, or No Execute
  • Drive Encryption
  • Trusted Platform Module (TPM)
  • LoJack
  • Intrusion Detection/Notification or Chassis Intrusion
  • Secure Boot
  • iGPU
  • Built-in Diagnostics
• Security options in BIOS/UEFI are starred in the list
• Exiting BIOS/UEFI


  1. Save & Exit Setup

  2. Exit Without Saving

  3. Load Fail-Safe Defaults

  4. Load Optimized Defaults
• BIOS/UEFI


  Firmware that is a combination of software and hardware, stored in a chip on the motherboard
• Flashing the BIOS/UEFI


  1. Download BIOS/UEFI update

  2. Execute update by double-clicking filename

  3. Follow manufacturer's directions

  4. Reboot computer
• Reasons to update BIOS/UEFI

  • Provide support for new/upgraded hardware
  • Provide support for higher-capacity hard drive
  • Increase virus protection
  • Provide optional password protection
  • Solve problems with current version
  • Provide security patch
  • Reduce boot time
• Viruses can infect the BIOS/UEFI, so it should be kept write-protected until needing an update
• BIOS/UEFI recovery methods


  • Recovery utility
  • Recovery jumper, switch, or push button
  • Backup BIOS/UEFI
  • Read-only portion of the BIOS/UEFI
  • Update to USB flash drive first
• Clearing CMOS


  Resetting all BIOS/UEFI settings to factory defaults
• Clearing CMOS is not the same as flashing the BIOS/UEFI
• System resources


  IRQs, I/O addresses, memory addresses
• IRQ


  Number assigned to an adapter, port, or device to enable orderly communication with the processor
• I/O address


  Unique address that allows an adapter, port, or device to exchange data with a processor
• Memory address


  Unique address assigned to a memory chip installed in the system, used by the CPU to access information
• PCI/PCIe devices use interrupts called INTA, INTB, INTC, INTD, and so on, which are commonly referred to as PCI interrupts
• PCI interrupts are normally assigned dynamically to USB, PCI, PCIe, and SATA devices as the interrupts are needed
• MSI and MSI-X are interrupt methods that allow an interrupt to be delivered to the CPU using software and memory space
• I/O address


  Enables a device and a processor to exchange data, like a mailbox number that must be unique
• I/O addresses are shown in hexadecimal format (base 16), from 0000 to FFFF
• I/O address


  Addresses the processor can use to distinguish among the devices with which it communicates
• Hexadecimal numbers


  • 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, A, B, C, D, E, F
• Table 4.6 shows decimal numbers 0 through 15 and their hexadecimal and binary equivalents
• Memory address


  A unique address assigned to a memory chip installed anywhere in the system
• Memory addresses are shown as a range of hexadecimal addresses in Device Manager
• BIOS/UEFI


  • Checks hardware for errors as part of POST
  • Detects installed adapters and devices
  • Determines what resources to assign to a device or an adapter