BIOS stands for "basic input operating system" of a computer.
At some point if you own a computer long enough, you may have to set or change your BIOS. An acronym for "basic input operating system," the BIOS is similar to a set of directions your computer reads on startup. The BIOS lets you access the computer's most basic functions and set them, if you know access them. Once you've accessed them, you can make the necessary changes to set the system.
Instructions
1. Turn your computer on from a complete shutdown. Watch the screen as it goes through the startup. An instruction appears for pressing a function key such as F1 or F2 to access the startup menu. Different systems have different keys for access. Don't worry if you miss it the first time. Just note the key and shut the system down and restart it.
2. Press the proper function key to access the startup menu, repeatedly if necessary, as the computer starts up. Once you have successfully accessed the startup menu, use the arrow keys to navigate through the menu that appears.
3. Select the option that is shown as "Boot" or "Boot Order" or a similar heading. Highlight this option and press "Enter." A list of hardware selections appears that includes the hard drive, a disk drive and possibly other options. The order the computer accesses these is called the boot order. Most commonly it accesses the hard drive first and then the disk drives. You can reset this to the default of the hard drive if it was changed, or to the disk if necessary. Scroll down the list that appears with the arrow keys and highlight the drive you want the computer to read first. Press "Enter." Repeat for each hardware device until the order is set.
4. Save the changes by highlighting "Save Changes," press "Enter" and then exit the BIOS. Regular startup continues without prompting. If you have any difficulties with the setting changes you have made, you can restore the system to an earlier time to erase the changes.
Tags: hard drive, startup menu, access startup, access startup menu, arrow keys, basic input, basic input operating