Supermicro 8042-6, User Manual

Page: 75 / 114

Chapter 7: BIOS
7-1
Chapter 7
BIOS
7-1 Introduction
This chapter describes the AMIBIOS for the P4QH8/P4QH6. The AMI ROM BIOS
is stored in a Flash EEPROM and can be easily upgraded using a floppy disk-
based program.
Note: Due to periodic changes to BIOS, some settings may have been added or
deleted and might not yet be recorded in this manual. Refer to the Manual
Download area of our web site for any changes to BIOS that are not reflected in
this manual.
System BIOS
The BIOS is the Basic Input Output System used in all IBM ® PC, XT™, AT ® , and
PS/2 ® compatible computers. The BIOS ROM stores the system parameters,
such as amount of memory, type of disk drives and video displays, etc. BIOS
ROM requires very little power. When the computer is turned off, a back-up
battery provides power to the BIOS ROM, enabling it to retain the system param-
eters. Each time the computer is powered-on, the computer is then configured
with the values stored in the BIOS ROM by the system BIOS, which gains control
when the computer is powered on.
How To Change the Configuration Data
The configuration data that determines the system parameters may be changed
by entering the BIOS Setup utility. This Setup utility can be accessed by press-
ing <Del> at the appropriate time during system boot.
Starting the Setup Utility
Normally, the only visible POST (Power On Self Test) routine is the memory test.
As the memory is being tested, press the <Delete> key to enter the main menu
of the BIOS Setup utility. From the main menu, you can access the other setup
screens, such as the Chipset and Power menus. Section 4-3 gives detailed
descriptions of each parameter setting in the Setup utility.
An AMIBIOS identification string is displayed at the left bottom corner of the
screen, below the copyright message.