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                              -= The Basics of the BIOS =-

                                -= By Manic Velocity =-
                            -= manicvelocity@crapmail.com =-
                           
                              -= http://www.2600slc.org =-
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Intro-

Alright, you come home from work, grab a snack and sit down at your computer.  You fire the
thing up, the extensions load, the OS boots up and your set to go to do whatever.  But wait. 
What loaded your extensions?  What started up your OS?  What exactly happened the second you 
pushed the power button?  I hope to explain all that a bit in this article.


To Answer Those Questions-

What loaded everything?  What caused your operating system to operate?  The Basic 
Input/Output System.  Also known as BIOS.  The BIOS is one of three types of software 
that helps your computer run.  The first being, of course, the operating system, and 
second, the applications.  When you boot up your computer, in order to load the operating 
system, the microprocessor needs to execute itÕs first instruction.  That instruction 
comes from the BIOS.

The BIOS doesn't just load the OS, itÕs other functions include the Power On Self Test 
or POST.  The POST performs certain tasks that makes sure all hardware is in working order.  
The BIOS also activates other BIOS chips on various cards installed on the computer.  (SCSI 
cards and graphics cards have their own BIOS chips.)  And the BIOS runs routines that 
interface the OS with hardware such as keyboards, monitors, serial and parallel ports, etc.

The BIOS is stored on a flash memory chip on the motherboard.


Updating Your BIOS-

If you have an older computer, (Most computers today are absolete by the time you open the 
box.  So this section, no doubt, applies to you.) it may help to get your BIOS updated.  
The more you introduce newer components to your computer, the more your BIOS will need to 
change its understanding of the entire system, in order to put everything in order.  Since 
the BIOS is stored in some form of ROM, changing it, may take a bit more effort, than it 
takes to update most types of software.

In order to upgrade your BIOS, you may need some sort of program provided by the BIOS 
manufacturer.  Find out what type of BIOS you have, and go to the manufacturer's website 
to see if there is an available upgrade.  Download the upgrade and the utility program 
needed to install it.  Copy the upgrade along with the utility program onto a disk.  
Restart your computer with the disk in its drive, and the program will erase the old BIOS, 
and install the new one.  

Major BIOS manufacturer's include: American Megatrends Inc., Microid Research, Phoenix 
Technologies, Acerlabs and Winbond.

When upgrading your BIOS, be sure that you are installing one that's compatible with your 
system.  If you goof up, you could destroy your original BIOS without installing the new 
one.  Which means no more computer for a while.  I suggest checking with the computer 
manufacturer before you do anything youÕre not sure of.


Conclusion-

This information isn't really anything new.  But I wanted to take the time to educate 
myself more about how computers work, rather than just what they can do.

The websites of the above mentioned BIOS manufacturer's are as follows:

American Megatrends Inc.
www.megatrends.com

Microid Research
www.mrbios.com

Phoenix Technologies
www.phoenix.com/index.html

Acerlabs
www.acerlabs.com

Winbond
www.winbond.com.tw


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