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4. BIOS Configuration
After the hardware configuration of the mainboard is finished, and the
system hardware has been assembled, the system may be powered 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 configuration 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 parameters. 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 configured 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 understand
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.
