|
Hardware components of the PC The Basic Input Output System (BIOS), is a ROM that contains the simplest amount of instructions required for the computer to be able to load and run an operating system. Without the BIOS, a computer would not even be able to start. When powering the computer on or booting, the BIOS instructs the computer to check the floppy disk for a valid operating system and if not found instructs it to check the hard drive and the CD-ROM. It also contains all of the codes required to operate and control the various hardware components of a computer system. Click below to start animation
The BIOS is a set of software instruction parameters that are programmed or burned into a special storage chip on every motherboard. These instruction parameters within BIOS versions have changed as hardware technology has advanced. On power-up, the BIOS program checks to see what hardware is attached to the system during a Power on Self Test (POST). During this test, a very basic check is also made to verify that the hardware is functioning correctly. The hardware found is compared against the computer system configuration settings stored in the CMOS. CMOS stands for Complimentary Metal Oxide Semiconductor, which is a specific type of IC storage device. The CMOS circuitry consumes very little power and is used to keep track of the system setup information, date, time, type of diskette and hard drives that are installed. The CMOS information is powered by an on-board Lithium battery. Therefore, if the on-board battery fails, the information in the CMOS is lost. If a difference between the CMOS setup and what the computer actually detects during POST is found, the computer will report this to the user. |