Anonymous edits have been disabled on the wiki. If you want to contribute please login or create an account.

Warning for game developers: PCGamingWiki staff members will only ever reach out to you using the official press@pcgamingwiki.com mail address.
Be aware of scammers claiming to be representatives or affiliates of PCGamingWiki who promise a PCGW page for a game key.

Glossary:BIOS

From PCGamingWiki, the wiki about fixing PC games
Revision as of 21:59, 12 March 2012 by Thunderbolt (talk | contribs)

The Basic Input/Output System (BIOS) is a section of code that lies on the firmware of a motherboard. It is designed to initialize the main components of the computer, then load the operating system. The BIOS is a critical part of a computer, a given computer will be unable to boot if the BIOS is corrupted.

Flashing the BIOS

Incorrectly flashing your BIOS can result in an inoperable system. Thus, only do it if you know what you are doing.

Like any bit of code, the BIOS can updated. Because it is stored in ROM on the motherboard, the BIOS must be flashed to be updated. These days, most BIOS updates are supplied in the form of a bios image included with a flashing utility (consult your motherboard manufacturer's website for detailed instructions).

In the past, flashing the BIOS would require booting into a utility, running the tool, and hoping for the best. These days, most flashing tools will run inside windows and just require a quick restart. Most gaming motherboards will also allow you to flash the firmware inside the BIOS menu. Some even offer the ability to store a backup of the BIOS in case the firmware becomes corrupted. Check your motherboard manual to see if it offers any of these features.

The primary reason that BIOS updates are released are to enable the use of newer CPU's or RAM on a motherboard. Some are released to correct other problems or incompatibilities with existing hardware.

Often times the system will work perfectly fine with the BIOS version included out of the box, so it is only recommended that you flash the BIOS if you are experiencing trouble and there is a new version to update to.