21
BIOS SETUP
About the Setup Utility
The motherboard uses the latest Award BIOS with support for Windows Plug
and Play. The CMOS chip on the motherboard contains the ROM setup instruc-
tions for configuring the motherboard BIOS.
The BIOS (Basic Input and Output System) Setup Utility displays the system’s
configuration status and provides you with options to set system parameters.
The parameters are stored in battery-backed-up CMOS RAM that saves this
information when the power is turned off. When the system is turned back on,
the system is configured with the values you stored in CMOS.
The BIOS Setup Utility enables you to configure:
Hard drives, diskette drives and peripherals
Video display type and display options
Password protection to prevent unauthorized use
Power Management features
The settings made in the Setup Utility affect how the computer performs.
Before using the Setup Utility, ensure that you understand the Setup Utility
options.
This chapter provides explanations for Setup Utility options.
The Standard Configuration
A standard configuration has already been set in the Setup Utility. However, we
recommend that you read this chapter in case you need to make any changes
in the future.
This Setup Utility should be used:
-
when changing the system configuration
-
when a configuration error is detected and you are prompted to make
changes to the Setup Utility
-
when trying to resolve IRQ conflicts
-
when making changes to the Power Management configuration
-
when changing the password or making other changes to the Security
Setup
Entering the Setup Utility
When you power on the system, BIOS enters the Power-On Self Test (POST)
routines. POST is a series of built-in diagnostics performed by the BIOS. After
the POST routines are completed, the following message appears:
