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Chapter 2 WINBIOS Setup 43
2 WINBIOS® Setup
In ISA and EISA computers, the system parameters (such as amount of
memory, type of disk drives and video displays, and many other elements) are
stored in NVRAM (Non-Volatile Random Access Memory), also called CMOS
RAM. Unlike the DRAM (dynamic random access memory) that is used for
standard system memory, NVRAM requires very little power. When the
computer is turned off, a back-up battery provides power to NVRAM, which
retains the system parameters. Every time the computer is powered-on, the
computer is configured with the values stored in NVRAM by the system BIOS,
which gains control when the computer is powered on.
The system parameters are configured by a system BIOS Setup utility.
Historically, BIOS Setup utilities have been character-based, required keyboard
input, and have had user interfaces that were not very intuitive.
Graphical Setup American Megatrends has a new type of system BIOS Setup utility. WINBIOS
Setup has a graphical user interface the end user can access using a mouse.
The WINBIOS Setup code is so compact that it can reside on the same ROM as
the system BIOS. The system configuration parameters are set by WINBIOS
Setup.
Since WINBIOS Setup resides in the ROM BIOS, it is available each time the
computer is turned on.
Starting WINBIOS Setup As POST executes, the following appears:
Hit <DEL> if you want to run SETUP
Press <Del> to run WINBIOS Setup.