4. BIOS Configuration
After the hardware configuration of the mainboard is finished, and
the system hardware has been assembled, the system may be pow-
ered up. At this point, CMOS setup should be run to ensure that
system information is correct.
The mainboard employs the latest Award BIOS CMOS chip with
support for Windows Plug and Play. This CMOS chip contains the
ROM Setup instructions for configuring the mainboard’s BIOS. The
BIOS (Basic Input and Output System) Setup program is a menu
driven utility that enables you to make changes to the system con-
figuration and tailor your system to suit your individual work needs.
It is a ROM-based configuration utility that displays the system’s
configuration status and provides you with a tool to set system pa-
rameters. These parameters are stored in non-volatile battery-backed-
up CMOS RAM that saves this information even when the power is
turned off. When the system is turned back on, the system is config-
ured with the values found in CMOS.
Using easy-to-use pull down menus, you can configure such items as:
•
Hard drives, diskette drives, and peripherals
•
Video display type and display options
•
Password protection from unauthorized use
•
Power management features
The settings made in the Setup program intimately affect how the
computer performs. It is important, therefore, first to try to under-
stand all the Setup’s options, and second, to make settings
appropriate for the way you use the computer. This chapter provides
clear explanations for all Setup options.
