BIOS stands for Basic Input/Output System, but you will rarely find anyone using the full term. The system BIOS is the lowest-level software in the computer; it acts as an interface between the hardware (especially the chipset and processor) and the operating system. The BIOS provides access to the system hardware and enables the creation of the higher-level operating systems (DOS, Windows, Linux, etc.) that you use to run your applications. The BIOS is also responsible for allowing you to control your computer's hardware settings, for booting up the machine when you turn on the power or hit the reset button, and various other system functions.,In most new computer systems you will probably never need to access your BIOS setup screen because all the necessary functions are automatically setup for you. But sometimes you do need to get into the BIOS to set something up or enable a feature.
You normally access the BIOS by rebooting your system and then pressing a special key. Your system may display a message that will tell you what key to press as the system begins to boot. You may have to keep a sharp eye out for the message that is displayed as it may be on the screen for only moment on after you boot. It will say something like "To enter setup press" and then the name of the appropriate key. If your computer does not display a message you can try these common ones:
- Del (Delete)
- Esc (Escape)
- F2
- F10
Remember that in some instances you may have only a very brief period to press the correct key to get into the BIOS setup but you can retry as many times as necessary by pressing the reset key.
In some machines (mostly older ones) you needed a special setup disk that accessed the BIOS and without that disk there are few other ways you can enter the BIOS.
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