Hello friends!

There are programs without which the computer cannot work. Bios is one such program. How to configure the BIOS I will tell in this publication.

The bios of a computer is a special program recorded in a special microcircuit on the motherboard. It is used to configure the critical system settings of the computer and save them during the shutdown of the computer. To do this, the motherboard is equipped with autonomous source power supply - a mini-battery, the size of a coin.

Bios has its own settings menu. Its image may vary, depending on the type system board, but in most cases it usually looks like this.

In most cases, there is no need to change the BIOS settings, since the default settings allow the standard user to work normally with the computer. However, sometimes it becomes necessary to change some settings. Such a need may arise:

After replacing the BIOS battery, when the system time and date get lost;

When reinstalling operating system(see ) if the system does not boot from media that has this OS;

If necessary, reduce the noise of the computer;

In cases where any additional devices cannot be installed correctly on the computer;

Connect or disconnect any devices to the system board as needed.

Advanced users with the help of BIOS can, if necessary, increase the performance of the computer and operate with finer settings of the computer, adjusting it to their needs. But here we will consider the most necessary basic settings bios that ordinary users can do.

To enter the BIOS menu, you need to hold down and hold the F2 or Delete key while loading or rebooting the computer (this also depends on the type of computer and is indicated in the user manual for the motherboard or computer). If you do not find such an indication, then you should try both options when downloading.

The BIOS menu is usually in English, but it is possible to select some other languages ​​\u200b\u200bin the “Language” item (Chinese, Korean, Japanese and others). There are no bios menus in Russian yet, so we will consider the English version.

To exit the BIOS menu and proceed to the normal boot of the computer, select the "Exit" menu section and select the first line "Exit & Save Changes" in the list that opens, which means "Exit and save changes", or "Exit & Discard Changes" - "Exit and don't save changes." Also in this section there is an item "Load Setup Defaults", the selection of which returns the BIOS to the factory settings.

Do not be afraid to experiment with BIOS settings - if you did something wrong and the computer does not want to work normally, return the factory settings and everything will return to normal.

The BIOS menu sections can be arranged both horizontally (as shown in the figure above) and vertically, in the form of line names.

We will consider the basic BIOS settings in the American Megatrends option, as the most common. But general principle settings remains the same in all BIOS menu configuration options.

Menu navigation is shown on the right side of the menu window. As you can see from the navigation, moving through sections and menu items is carried out using the Tab keys (arrow keys). Selecting a menu item and action is done with the Enter key. The "+" and "-" keys - respectively add and subtract the parameter values. Exit the menu with the Esc key.

The most commonly used actions in the menu items: "Auto" - select automatically, "Enabled" - enable, "Disabled" - disable.

There are usually seven menu sections: Main - General settings; AI Tweaker (not available on all motherboards) – fine tuning system board and other devices; Advanced - settings CPU and devices integrated into the system board; Power - computer power settings; Boot - settings for the boot order of the operating system from devices and setting a password to boot the system; Tools - tools for updating the BIOS program; Exit - exit from the BIOS program.

How to set up bios.

Consider the BIOS settings by sections of the program menu.

  1. main.

This section configures the computer's system time, its system date, interface language, a summary of hard drives and CD/DVD drives, and system information.

In this section, you can change the time, date, language, connect and disconnect hard drives and drives. It is advisable not to touch the rest of the menu items.

2. AI Tweaker.

In this section, you can fine-tune the motherboard and its devices. For non-specialists in this section, it is better not to change anything. Otherwise, unknowingly, you can damage the equipment. The only thing that can be done is to adjust the DRAM Frequency item after replacing or adding computer RAM. If, after replacing or adding memory, the system fails, then you must select this item, press Enter and select the type and clock frequency in the list that opens, corresponding to the parameters specified in the instructions for the replacement unit. But if after installing additional memory problems do not appear, then you should leave the value "Auto".

3.Advanced.

Item CPU Configuration . This is where the CPU settings are made.

If you stop at this point and press Enter, information about the processor and technologies supported by given processor. By default, almost all technologies are enabled and their settings do not require intervention. But if you need to additionally enable a disabled technology, use the arrow keys to select it, press Enter and change Disabled to Enabled.

Item Onboard Devices Configuration.

Here are collected the settings of the devices available on your system

board. In this case, in order: audio codec, network

controller, controller 1394 - a device for connecting video and

photo camera, J-Micron controller (for 2 additional ports).

Existing equipment can be connected or disconnected by selecting

parameters respectively Enabled or Disabled.

Item USB Configuration.

USB Functions - USB interface settings. USB port you are here

can be turned on or off.

Legacy USB Support - compatibility settings for various

standards

USB (USB 1.0, USB 2.0, USB 3.0). Here you need to set the parameter

Auto, at which the system itself will determine the type of USB.

PCIP n P - detection of Plug And Play devices by the operating system. Here it is desirable that the parameter "Yes" be set. This is necessary to prevent the OS from freezing when plug and play devices are connected to the computer.

4. power.

Item Saspend Mode - is responsible for using the standby and hibernation modes. It is better to leave its parameter "Auto".

APM Configuration item - start the computer (wake up from sleep or standby mode) using some device. choose desired device(Mouse, modem or keyboard) and change Disabled to Enabled or to the desired key.

Item Hardware Monitor - a summary of the temperature regime and settings of coolers (fans). This item should not be touched.

5 Boot.

Paragraph boot device priority– selection of device priority for loading the operating system.

During normal computer operation, you can put the system system in the first place. HDD with the operating system (in this case, HDD: P1-MAXTOR STM3), and the rest of the items can be disabled.

If you need to reinstall the operating system from optical disc The CD ROM comes first and the hard drive comes second. This scheme can be left for normal work.

If you need to boot the operating system from a USB drive, then leave the CD ROM in the first place, the USB port (Removable Device or USB Devise) in the second place, and the hard drive in the third place.

Item Hard Disk Drives - switching priorities between the hard drives of your computer. If you have several of them, then in the first place you need to put the one on which the operating system is installed so that it boots first.

Boot Settings Configuration item– settings for the first stage of booting the computer.

Here is the first subparagraph Quick Bootaccelerated loading computer. It is desirable to include it, i.e. select the Enabled option. You can ignore the rest of the settings in this item.

Security item - here you can assign a password, without which it will be impossible to change the BIOS settings.

6.Tools- means for updating the BIOS program. We do not pay attention to it.

7. Exit- exit from the bios program. I talked about it at the beginning of the article. But it is worth adding that if you changed the BIOS settings, and did not remember what exactly you changed, then it is better to exit the BIOS through the “Exit & Discard Changes” item - “Exit and do not save changes”. And only if you are sure that the changes you made in the settings are correct, exit through the “Exit & Save Changes” item, which means “Exit and save changes”.

This is how the basic settings of the BIOS program are made. As you can see, there is nothing complicated about this, even a novice user can conduct them. Try, experiment, and you will succeed. If something went wrong, you can always restore the factory settings through the “Load Setup Defaults” item, which I mentioned above (unless, of course, you set a password to change the settings in the BIOS and then lost it).

See you!

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You have bootable CD-DVD disc and you want to install an operating system on your computer, in order to do this you will need to tune accordingly BIOS and boot from disk. We can also use the device selection in the boot menu, but this function is not always present, for example. on older motherboards. There is also no universal button for entering BIOS or boot menu. Many motherboard manufacturers have assigned different keys.

The surest way to identify such keys is to read the documentation for this laptop or computer, but whatever key is, you must always press it at the very beginning of the download. As soon as you turn on your computer, it automatically starts the program located in the BIOS BOOT-ROUTINE, which in turn calls the subroutine POST(English) Power On Self Test), it checks the processor, RAM(RAM), hard disk drive (HDD), motherboard elements and other main peripherals. one short signal indicates that such a self-test completed successfully. This is what the passage might look like. POST:

The most common key to enter the BIOS is DEL, other options are listed below. On the screen you will see the following prompt: Press DEL to run Setup", i.e. press the key DEL to log in to BIOS. Also during the passage POST a graphical splash screen may appear showing the name of the manufacturer of the computer or motherboard.

List of the most common keys to enter the boot menu:

Acer- Esc or F12 or F9; Asrock- F11; Asus- Esc or F8; Compaq- Esc or F9; Dell- F12; ECS-F11; Fujitsu-Siemens- F12; gigabyte- F12; HP- Esc or F9; Intel- F10; Lenovo- F12; MSI(Micro-Star) - F11; Packard Bell - F8; Samsung- Esc; Sony Vaio- F11; Toshiba- F12

The menu for selecting boot devices looks something like this:


You just need to select the desired device from the list and click Enter.

List of the most common keys to enter BIOS Setup : ABIT- Del; Acer(Aspire, Altos, Extensa, Ferrari, Power, Veriton, TravelMate) - F2 or Del; Acer(old models) - F1 or Ctrl+Alt+Esc; ASRock- F2 or Del; ASUS- Del; BIOSTAR- Del; chaintech- Del; Compaq(Deskpro, Portable, Presario, Prolinea, Systempro) - F10; Compaq(old models) - F1, F2, F10 or Del; Dell(Dimension, Inspiron, Latitude, OptiPlex, Precision, Vostro, XPS) - F2; Dell(old models) - Ctrl+Alt+, or Fn+Esc, or Fn+F1, or Del, or Reset twice; ECS (Elitegroup)- Del or F1; eMachines(eMonster, eTower, eOne, S-Series, T-Series) - Tab or Del; eMachines(some old models) - F2; foxconn- Del; Fujitsu(Amilo, DeskPower, Esprimo, LifeBook, Tablet) - F2; GIGABYTE- Del; Hewlett-Parkard(HP Alternative, Tablet PC) - F2 or Esc, or F10, or F12; Hewlett-Parkard(OmniBook, Pavilion, Tablet, TouchSmart, Vectra) - F1; Intel- F2; Lenovo(3000 Series, IdeaPad, ThinkCentre, ThinkPad, ThinkStation) - F1 or F2; Lenovo(old models) - Ctrl+Alt+F3, Ctrl+Alt+Ins or Fn+F1; MSI(Micro-Star) - Del; Pegatron- F2, F10 or Del; Samsung- F2; Sony(VAIO, PCG-Series, VGN-Series) - F1, F2 or F3; Toshiba(Portege, Satellite, Tecra) - F1 or Esc.

AMI BIOS - change device boot priority.

When changing settings and navigating the BIOS menu, use the Enter, +/-, and arrow keys on your keyboard. Move with the arrows to the tab Boot and choose Boot Device Priority:


Here we will see boot sequence: floppy drive first ( floppy drive), then the hard disk ( hard drive), and the third device is turned off ( Disabled). If you want to boot from a disc, then you need the CD-DVD drive to be the first device on this list. Use the arrows to switch to the first device ( 1st boot device), press the key Enter and from the menu that appears select cdrom. Booting from a flash drive is done in the same way.


To exit the BIOS and save the settings made ( Save and Exit), press the key F10 and confirm ( Ok) key Enter.


Phoenix-Award BIOS - change device boot priority

Choose from the menu Advanced BIOS Features and enter ( Enter).


Here, if we want to boot from the drive, we need to make this device was first on the list. Switch with the arrows to the first boot device (First boot device) and change to CDROM. Then exit with saving the settings made ( Save and Exit) by pressing F10.


Error beeps when passing Post

During the initial self-test of the system (pass post) errors may occur. If they are not critical, then after a certain message is displayed, the computer will continue to boot. If serious errors are found, computer system will try to report them to the user, but it is often impossible to display such information on the screen.

In this case, you will need to follow sound signals(they are served by the system speaker, speaker, upon completion of the procedure post). With the help of them, the system reports the results of self-testing. Below is list of such signals for different versions BIOS ( BIOS). Therefore, if your computer "beeps", then you can easily determine the malfunction of the PC.

AWARD BIOS signals:

No signals

Continuous sound signal - Faulty power supply.

1 short- no errors found.

2 short- Minor bugs found.

3 long

1 long and 1 short- Problems with RAM.

1 long and 2 short- a problem with the video card.

1 long and 3 short- Keyboard initialization error occurred.

1 long and 9 short- an error occurred while reading data from the permanent memory chip.

1 long repeat- Memory modules are installed incorrectly.

1 short recurring- problems with the power supply.

AMI BIOS Signals:

No signals- the power supply is defective or not connected to the motherboard.

1 short- no errors found.

2 short- RAM parity error.

3 short- an error occurred during the operation of the first 64 KB of main memory.

4 short- the system timer is faulty.

5 short- Faulty CPU.

6 short- Faulty keyboard controller.

7 short

8 short- Faulty video memory.

9 short

10 short- Unable to write to CMOS memory.

11 short- external cache-memory (installed in slots on the motherboard) is faulty.

1 long and 2 short- Faulty video card.

1 long and 3 short- Faulty video card.

1 long and 8 short- problems with the video card or the monitor is not connected.

PHOENIX BIOS Signals:

1-1-3 - CMOS data write/read error.

1-1-4 - BIOS chip checksum error.

1-2-1 - Faulty motherboard.

1-2-2 - DMA controller initialization error.

1-2-3 - error when trying to read/write to one of the DMA channels.

1-3-1 - RAM regeneration error.

1-3-3

1-3-4 - error when testing the first 64 KB of RAM.

1-4-1 - Faulty motherboard.

1-4-2 - RAM test error.

1-4-3 - system timer error.

1-4-4 - error accessing the I / O port.

3-1-1 - Error initializing the second DMA channel.

3-1-2 - initialization error of the first DMA channel.

3-1-4 - Faulty motherboard.

3-2-4 - keyboard controller error.

3-3-4 - video memory test error.

4-2-1 - system timer error.

4-2-3 - A20 line error. The keyboard controller is faulty.

4-2-4 - error when working in protected mode. The CPU may be defective.

4-3-1 - error while testing RAM.

4-3-4 - real time clock error.

4-4-1 - serial port test error. The error may be caused by a device using this port.

4-4-2 - error while testing the parallel port. The error may be caused by a device using this port.

If you were looking BIOS settings in the pictures, then you have come to the right address.

The changes made will be protected lithium battery, built into the motherboard and maintaining the required parameters in case of voltage loss.

Thanks to the program, it is possible to establish a stable interaction of the operating system (OS) with PC devices.

Attention! The present Boot network configuration section allows you to adjust parameters regarding system boot speed, keyboard and mouse settings.

After completing the work or familiarizing yourself with the Bios Setup Utility menu, you must press the burning Exit key, which automatically saves the changes made.

Section Main - Main menu

Let's start with the MAIN section, which is used to modify the settings and adjust the timing.

Here you can independently set the time and date of the computer, as well as configure the connected hard drives and other drives.

To reformat the working mode of the hard disk, you need to select the hard disk (for example: "SATA 1", as shown in the figure).

  • type- this item indicates the type of connected hard drive;
  • LBA Large Mode- Responsible for supporting drives larger than 504 MB. So the recommended value here is AUTO.
  • Block (Multi-Sector Transfer) - For more fast work here we recommend choosing the AUTO mode;
  • PIO Mode- Enables the hard drive to operate in legacy data exchange mode. It would also be best to select AUTO here;
  • DMA Mode- gives direct access to memory. To get more high speed read or write, select AUTO;
  • smart monitoring- this technology, based on the analysis of the operation of the drive, is able to warn about possible failure disk in the near future;
  • 32 bit data transfer This option determines whether the 32-bit communication mode will be used by the standard IDE/SATA chipset controller.

Everywhere, using the "ENTER" key and the arrows, the Auto mode is set. The exception is subsection 32 Bit Transfer, which needs to fix the Enabled setting.

Important! It is required to refrain from changing the "Storage Configuration" option, which is located in the "System information" section and not to allow correction "SATADetectTimeout".

Section Advanced - Additional settings

Now let's start setting up the basic PC nodes in the ADVANCED section, which consists of several sub-items.

Initially, you will need to set the necessary processor and memory parameters in the Jumper Free Configuration system configuration menu.

By selecting Jumper Free Configuration, you will go to the Configure System Frequency / Voltage subsection, here you can perform the following operations:

  • automatic or manual overclocking of the hard drive - AI Overclocking;
  • change of clock frequency of memory modules - ;
  • Memory Voltage;
  • manual mode chipset voltage settings - NB Voltage
  • changing port addresses (COM, LPT) - Serial and Parallel Port;
  • setting controller settings - onboard devices configuration.

Power section - PC power

The POWER item is responsible for powering the PC and contains several subsections that need to be following settings:

  • Suspend Mode- exhibit auto mode;
  • ACPI APIC- set Enabled;
  • ACPI 2.0- fix the Disabled mode.

BOOT section - boot management

Here it is allowed to define a priority drive, choosing between a flash card, a disk drive or a hard drive.

If a hard drives several, then the priority hard drive is selected in the Hard Disk sub-item.

The boot configuration of the PC is set in the Boot Setting subsection, which contains a menu consisting of several items:

Hard drive selection

The boot configuration of the PC is set in the Boot Setting subsection,

  • Quick Boot– acceleration of loading of OS;
  • Logo Full Screen– disabling the screensaver and activating an information window containing information about the download process;
  • Add On ROM- setting the order on the information screen of the modules connected to motherboard(MT) through slots;
  • Wait For 'F1' If Error- activation of the function of forced pressing "F1" at the moment the system identifies an error.

The main task of the Boot partition is to determine the boot devices and set the required priorities.

Attention! If you want to restrict access to the PC, then set a password inBIOS in subsectionSupervisorpassword.

Surely almost every user has come across the abbreviation BIOS (a well-established designation in Russian computer world- BIOS). But what it is, how to properly configure the BIOS, and what functions this system performs, is far from known to everyone. Let's try to understand the basic concepts and questions of settings.

What is BIOS?

In general, the term BIOS itself, if you translate the abbreviation from of English language in Russian, means a basic input / output system, but not in the understanding of such actions with information as such. BIOS serves as a layer for the interaction of system and computer hardware.

If you look at it, Windows can also be attributed to a complex program (a set of programs) that communicates between a computer and a user. But for these programs to work, you need not only device drivers, but also a BIOS system that allows you to initialize absolutely all iron components before starting the OS and check their parameters with the requirements for the correct operation of the “OS”.

Introduction to Functions

Speaking about how to properly configure BIOS on a computer or laptop, one cannot help but touch on the issue of basic functions. In addition to the above, you should pay attention to low-level testing of equipment before starting the system. If no problems are found, control of the iron components is transferred to the "OS".

Otherwise, a corresponding notification will be displayed on the screen. And many of you have probably come across such situations. For example, on the computer, for some reason, the keyboard turned off. Immediately a message appears about its absence. Or, say, there was a failure in work hard disk, to which the BIOS reacts instantly.

No less important is the function of saving device parameters, that is, the characteristics of the hardware of a computer or laptop, despite the fact that the BIOS's own memory is only about 1 MB. But such data is not stored on the hard drive, but in a special chip located on the motherboard. By the way, a person familiar with the settings in BIOS mode Setup can easily optimize the operation of any component, although, as practice shows, ordinary users practically do not resort to such procedures.

The most necessary parameters for computers and laptops

How to properly configure BIOS on a laptop or computer in terms of basic parameters?

When entering the settings, a long press of the Del, F2, F10 or F12 keys is most often used (here everything will depend on the manufacturer of the BIOS and its current version). In any case, the main settings window looks identical on almost all devices. The difference can only be in the names of categories and menus (for example, Boot Sequence and Boot Priority, which mean the priority and sequence of booting from a specific device, which is installed first, second in the queue, etc.).

The first thing you should pay attention to when entering the main window is setting the system date and time. Remember, such an installation is made here, and not in the standard Windows settings. Many users who do not know about this can often have installation problems software, because the installer is initially focused on the parameters set in the BIOS, and not in Windows. It turns out that even with one date that was set in the system, the main one (in BIOS) is different, which is why a conflict arises.

How to properly configure BIOS to install Windows from a disk?

Now let's touch on an equally important issue related to the initial installation of the "OS" from the disk. How to configure the BIOS in this case? The main point is to set the boot priority described above.

In other words, here the user needs the startup process to take place not from the hard disk, but from removable CD / DVD media. In most cases, this is done from the boot section, where you need to specify as the first device (1-st Boot Device). You can change the boot device using the standard PgUp and PgDn keys, which are available on any keyboard. Next, you need to save the changes (usually the F10 key or the Save & Exit command), after which the automatic reboot, and the start will be made already from

BIOS setup for installing Windows from a flash drive

Now a few words about how to properly configure the BIOS if the system is installed from a removable USB drive. Such situations most often occur when a disk drive is simply not provided in netbooks.

In principle, here the question also boils down to installing a priority device, but only it will no longer be a disk, but a flash drive. Please note that the flash drive must be inserted into the appropriate USB port before turning on the computer or laptop, otherwise it simply will not be detected.

How to properly configure BIOS ("Windows 7") after installing the system

Upon completion of the initial stage of installation of the same Windows 7, however, like any other system of this family, the terminal is always restarted. If you do not change the settings of the priority device, the user will only face the fact that the installation will be restarted.

The conclusion is the simplest: when you reboot, you should enter the settings and set the hard drive as the main (first) device. In principle, if the first is the drive, and the second is the hard drive, just pull the installation disk out of the drive. But it's better to change the settings right away. Suddenly you will play a game that requires the presence of the original disc, forget to remove it and turn off the computer! When turned on, a message will be displayed that this disc is not system, and the settings will have to be changed again.

Next, let's pay attention to the question of how to properly configure BIOS on some laptop models from different manufacturers. Basically, the setup is almost the same, but there are some points that are worth dwelling on separately.

BIOS setup in ASUS laptops

So, how to properly configure BIOS on ASUS laptop in terms of boot priority? First, we enter the program by pressing the F2 or Del keys, after which we go to the Security section (Security), we find the Secure section there boot menu and disable the Secure Boot Control option in it (set it to Disabled).

We return to the Boot section and use the Launch CSM line that appears. We save the changes, restart the laptop and go into the BIOS again. Now in the Boot section, you can set the drive or flash drive as a priority device. The question of how to properly configure BIOS (ASUS) should not cause any particular difficulties. By the way, such settings are enabled by default on almost all devices from this manufacturer.

BIOS setup in Acer laptops

Now let's look at how to properly configure BIOS on Acer laptop. In principle, everything looks standard here, but some additional options. This is F12 Boot Menu. When this option is enabled, the user will be prompted to choose which device to boot from before loading the system, which saves the user from manually specifying priorities.

The second interesting option is D2D Recovery, which allows you to activate system recovery. But it is advisable to use it only if there is special utility Acer Recovery Management.

Finally, the third setting, Power On Display, allows you to control whether the main screen turns on and off when an external monitor is connected to the laptop.

BIOS setup in Hewlett Packard laptops

It is also worth saying a few words about how to properly configure BIOS on an HP laptop. Here, too, there are some interesting points.

Immediately after turning on the device, you should press the Esc key, after which the Startup Menu will appear on the screen. Why is it interesting? The fact that it has two items: F9 Boot Device Options and F10 BIOS Setup.

The first option is selected for a one-time start with a device selection, the second one enters directly into the BIOS settings. Here, in the system configuration section, you need to go to the Boot Options, where you should use the prioritization (Boot Order). Only scrolling devices up and down is done with the F5 / F6 keys. However, for booting from optical media, it is better to set the priority option directly in the BIOS. The manager must be left to choose to start from a flash drive.

Some features in setting up BIOS for emergency situations

Naturally, the functions and BIOS settings are not limited to this. For example, in a situation where there are problems with hard drives, a full check may be required, which includes surface diagnostics.

Regardless of which utility will be used (own Windows tool or a third-party program), it is advisable to perform a full check when changing the SATA controller parameter from AHCI to IDE mode.

Among other things, if anyone does not know, BIOS also allows you to control some other parameters, for example, processor temperature, hard drive spindle speed, device memory sizes. With this program, you can set different parameters for IRQ interrupts, enable or disable devices, boot the system over the network, etc. BIOS without special knowledge, as they say, is better not to climb at all.

Conclusion

That's all for the question of how to properly configure the BIOS. As is already clear, specific settings that may be needed in emergency situations were not considered in this material. But here are some interesting parameters that were nevertheless affected. However, if someone has a desire to study the BIOS settings, so to speak, in a larger volume, this will not be difficult. At the very least, you can read the technical documentation or use the tips that are usually displayed on the right side of the screen when entering a particular menu. But the settings themselves are almost always automated and set to use the best possible defaults.

Well, the problem of setting priority devices for downloading the date and time, I think, will not cause any particular difficulties, since the actions are identical even in devices from different manufacturers. The most important thing here is to find the appropriate section, and a minimum knowledge of English is required to understand the names.