The BIOS is the basic input output system. The BIOS is an old dinosaur of PC’s and it’ll be interesting to see how much longer they will exist, as the OS has steadily taken over many of the functions that the BIOS once did. It is the first program to run when you power on your computer. This small program is encoded on a chip on the motherboard of your computer.

Generally you would only need to upgrade the BIOS if you have some specific hardware problems where the manufacturer recommends that you upgrade the BIOS. The sort of changes that the BIOS allows typically are boot device order, CPU type or speed, Advanced power management- Hardware related configurations.

Modern BIOS information is stored on a CMOS chip on the motherboard. Usually you will notice the small round Ni-Cad or Lithium-ion battery that is used to power the BIOS settings. After 3-5 years these batteries get old and can no longer provide enough power to maintain the BIOS settings - you usually will notice that changes you make to the BIOS settings will not save so after a few years plan to replace this battery. In rare instances power surges can knock out the BIOS setting or the BIOS program itself and render the BIOS unusable. If your BIOS is corrupt you won’t be able to start your PC.

In the event you ever do need to upgrade your BIOS you need to be very careful! because as I said before IF YOU SCREW UP THE BIOS, THE PC WON’T START.

• First you need to obtain an updated BIOS from the manufacturer of your motherboard.
• Secondly, you need to print out exact instructions on how to do it - typically this will involve flashing the BIOS which electronically reprograms the CMOS chip. also a utility program is generally used to backup the BIOS and automate the process. If a power failure occurs during the BIOS flash process your BIOS may become unusable requiring a new chip or some alternate means to restore the BIOS program so using an UPS (uninterruptible power supply) is recommended.