OWNER’S HANDBOOK
B I O S S e t u p & P O S T 7 / 1
7
BIOS SETUP & POST
BIOS (pronounced “bye-oss”) stands for ‘basic
input/output system’. The BIOS mediates between
the computer’s hardware – the processor, memory,
and so on – and its software – the operating system
and your programs. The BIOS program is kept in
permanent, read-only memory or ROM (although if
necessary it can be upgraded by an authorised
maintainer).
BIOS Setup is a helpful utility that forms part of the
BIOS program. It allows you to view and alter the
computer’s hardware configuration. It is also used to
configure various security and power-saving options.
Configuring the computer is necessary to ensure that
the software you use can recognise and exploit the
hardware’s capabilities.
The current configuration is kept in a special area of
memory, called CMOS memory, and maintained by a
battery so that the configuration is preserved even
while the computer is switched off.
Your computer arrives already configured, but may
need to be configured again after you add or remove
add-on options such as memory modules or
expansion cards.
Whenever the computer is turned on, the BIOS
power-on self-test (POST) routine tests various
hardware components, including memory, and
compares the actual configuration of the computer
with that recorded in permanent (CMOS) memory.
A configuration discrepancy could arise if you have
just installed or removed a hardware option (for
example, if you have added or replaced memory). In
this case you may be diverted directly into the BIOS
Setup utility.
Summary of Contents for Apricot MS Series
Page 1: ...i n c l u d i n g Q uick S tart G uide Apricot MS SERIES Owner s Handbook ...
Page 14: ...APRICOT MS SERIES OWNER S HANDBOOK COMPACT DESKTOP MW EDITION ...
Page 27: ...OWNER S HANDBOOK 1 4 W e l c o m e 1 1 4 2 3 13 12 10 8 9 7 6 14 18 10101 17 16 15 11 5 ...
Page 29: ...OWNER S HANDBOOK 1 6 W e l c o m e 1 5 6 4 7 9 10 8 3 2 ...
