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PCL5100 USER GUIDE 1
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.
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.