Although most inexperienced users do not even know that it exists, the reality is that the BIOS becomes an indispensable element for the operation of any computer. It consists of the abbreviation of Basic Input / Output System , and it is a ROM chip that we find located on motherboards, and that allows us to access and configure our operating system at the most basic level .
Among other interesting aspects, the BIOS includes instructions on how to load basic hardware of the computer , as well as a test known as POST, which helps to verify that the computer in question meets the specific requirements to be able to start correctly. Thus, if the computer fails this test, a combination of beeps will be heard indicating that the PC is failing.
In addition to testing the computer hardware and making sure there are no errors before loading the operating system, the BIOS also performs other basic functions. For example, it is also responsible for locating the operating system, and if it finds it, it will pass control to it so that it continues to load.
But, on certain occasions, it is necessary to change the configuration of the computer’s BIOS , which allows us to momentarily modify some of these basic instructions. For example, it is a useful option when we need the system to boot directly from a disk drive (such as an installation DVD), when installing an operating system again.
Although we must know how to do it, the truth is that it is not necessary to be a computer expert to be able to access the BIOS and modify the configuration. Of course, keep in mind that, even if it is not difficult to access this system, this does not mean that we should make changes lightly if we do not really know what we are doing, since we can make the mistake of modifying an important element, and then the computer ends up crashing.
Changing the computer’s BIOS settings
The first step to follow, obviously, is to access the BIOS . To do this, we proceed to restart the computer and, just at the moment when the first start screen of the computer appears (usually a screen with a dark background), we press and hold the Del or F2 keys to access the configuration.
Now we must wait for the BIOS to load . This could take a few seconds. Once loaded, the system will take us to the main BIOS setup menu.
At this point, it is very important to familiarize ourselves with the BIOS controls , since the different menus of this system do not allow the use of the mouse or trackpad, so it is essential to use only the keyboard to navigate through the different options, and perform the changes we want.
Remember that it is essential to change settings carefully , as misconfiguration could lead to system or hardware failure. Therefore, the recommendation is basic: if you do not know what you want to change, you probably should not change anything.
