What is the BIOS and what is it for on your PC

What is BIOS

Our PC is made up of a huge number of different components. This means that there are a multitude of terms that we have to become familiar with, some of them new to many people. Something that many users look for is to know what is the BIOS in the computer. A term that you may have heard on occasion and that you want to know more about.

Next we tell you what the BIOS is and what it is for on your PC. This will help you learn more about this concept and how important it is to a computer today. Since it is a concept that surely many of you have come across on your PC on some occasion and about which you want to know more. This guide will help you.

What is the PC BIOS

PC BIOS

BIOS is an acronym that refers to the words Basic Input-Output System, which we can translate as Basic Input-Output System in Spanish. The BIOS is the first thing that runs when we turn on a computer, a tablet, a mobile phone or other electronic devices, so it is something that is used a lot, as you can see. In the case of a computer, the name BIOS is not always used, although the concept is the same in all cases.

In reality we are faced with a sequence of execution codes (software) that is stored on a chip on the motherboard (the PC hardware). This is something that allows it to recognize what is connected to it, be it RAM, processor, storage units and others. The BIOS allows what we really have is a PC, since without it we would simply have a motherboard.

Currently the BIOS provides a large amount of information, information that in many cases will not be found within the operating system itself. Within the BIOS is where you can customize numerous characteristics of almost any hardware connected to the motherboard, so it has a great importance in a computer, as it is the door to these options. Its interface has changed over time and there are currently versions in which we can even use a mouse, one of the most notable changes in recent years.

What is the BIOS on the PC for?

BIOS

As we mentioned earlier, the computer initialization sequence goes through running the BIOS. This is where the different devices that are installed on the PC motherboard will be recognized. The BIOS is useful for all of them to be connected to that motherboard through software, so that a link and established guidelines are generated, which are the ones that will be used until the PC is going to start again .

The BIOS in a computer gives a lot of information, among it we find details about the possible failures that can arise when we start the PC, especially in the case of hardware failures. A sound sequence is written in this BIOS that will be broadcast on the speaker in case there is a failure in a component. This sequence can normally be consulted in the motherboard manual of that computer. That is, if any component fails (RAM or a graphics card), the sound it will emit will be different, so that it can be identified more easily.

If we have a motherboard located in the upper-middle range of the market, then we have a double BIOS in it. It is a feature that helps significantly, since if a BIOS has been corrupted, the consequence of this is that the motherboard is unusable, something that can be a significant expense and a loss of money for users. By having a double, you can create or generate a copy of the chip and the configuration in the second. Although BIOS updates are released, to avoid these types of problems, it is a good way to ensure that nothing will happen.

The settings that have been saved in the BIOS it will remain stored even when that device is disconnected from the electrical network for a long time. It is stored in a battery that is located on that motherboard, in a way that its storage is something that is assured for years. It can happen that that battery is going to be depleted, but even in those cases it is not a problem. Even if your battery is dead, you will only have to replace it properly and reload any changes, this way that configuration will be shown again, without you having lost anything. So it is one less concern for any user.

How to access BIOS

Access BIOS PC

It is not only important to know what the BIOS is. Also the way we can access it on the PC it is something interesting for users. Since many users do not know how to access it. The moment in which we are going to access it is at the start of our computer. This is something that does not change on any PC. That is to say, it does not matter what the brand of your PC is, that the moment in which we are going to access said BIOS is always the same.

While the timing is the same, there may be minor differences in the way it is accessed. The difference is simply a key that we are going to have to press. To access the BIOS it is usual that we have to press the DELETE key in the first five seconds after starting the computer. We have to be fast if we want to access, especially if you have a computer that runs too fast.

The key on which we have to press is somewhat variable. In most computers it is something that we can do by pressing that DELETE key. Although it is possible that yours is different. If the DELETE key does not give you access to the BIOS on your computer, it may be one of these other keys: ESC, F10, F2, F12, or F1. The make and model of your computer is what will determine the key you have to press, but even between computers of the same brand you have to press a different key. In all cases, it must be done within the first five seconds after the PC starts up.

BIOS access table

Fortunately, we have a list with the computer manufacturers and the key in which you have to press if you want to access this BIOS on the computer. These are the most common keys if you want to access it on your computer at some point, depending on the brand:

Manufacturer Usual BIOS access key Additional Keys
ACER F2 DEL, F1
ASROCK F2 DELETE
ASUS F2 DEL, Insert, F12, F10
Dell F2 DEL, F12, F1
GiGABYTE F2 DELETE
HP ESC Esc, F2, F10, F12
Lenovo F2 F1
MSI DELETE F2
TOSHIBA F2 F12, F1, ESC
ZOTAC OF F2, DEL

Access the BIOS in Windows

Access BIOS PC Windows

In addition to access at startup, there is an additional universal method for Windows. Thanks to it, we will have access to the BIOS of our computer when necessary. This is a method that we can use if we have Windows 8, Windows 8.1 or Windows 10 installed on our computer. If you have any of these versions, you will be able to use this method. It is also a very simple way to do it.

In the start menu we write BIOS and we will get a series of options on the screen. The one that interests us in this case is Change advanced Start options. If that option does not appear, we can always write it directly in the search engine. When we have opened this option on the screen, we will be able to see that we get a section called Advanced Startup. If we click on the Restart button now within this function, the computer will restart in a special mode from which we will have access to different options.

In that menu that will appear next, on a blue screen, click on the Troubleshoot option. On the next screen we will have to click on the Advanced Options option. The next option we have to click on is the option called UEFI firmware configuration. By doing this, the computer will then restart and go directly into that BIOS. This is something that will take a couple of seconds and then we will be in that BIOS interface on our computer, which has changed significantly over time. As you can see, it is something that is not complex and it does not take too long to enter it, so we can also have access to the BIOS in Windows, something that many users were looking for.


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