User`s guide

About BIOS Setup Chapter Three - Running BIOS Setup
43
Chapter Three -
Running BIOS Setup
Your TREK 2 computer is configured with a customized Basic
Input/Output System (BIOS), which is a set of permanently recorded program
routines that give the computer its fundamental operational characteristics. The
BIOS also tests the computer and determines how the computer reacts to specific
instructions that are part of programs.
The BIOS is made up of code and programs that control the major input/output
devices on the computer. The BIOS also contains a set of boot routines called the
Power-On Self Test (POST) that check the computer when you turn it on.
When the TREK 2 is turned back on, the system is configured with the values
stored in CMOS. With easy-to-use menus, you can configure such items as:
•
Hard drives and peripherals
•
Boot up drive sequence
•
Password protection
•
Power management features
The settings made in the BIOS Setup program intimately affect how the TREK 2
performs. It is important, therefore, to first try to understand all the Setup options,
and second, to make settings appropriate for the way you use the TREK 2.
About BIOS Setup
When you turn on your computer, the system is configured using default values. If
necessary, you can change these system defaults by running the BIOS System
Setup program when you boot your computer.
The BIOS System is a ROM (Read Only Memory) based software utility that
displays the system’s configuration and provides you with a tool to set system
parameters. These parameters are stored in non-volatile battery-backed CMOS
RAM which holds this information even when the power is turned off. Whenever
the TREK 2 is turned on, the system is configured with the values found in CMOS
memory.
Navigating Through BIOS Setup
The Setup program has been designed to make it as easy to use as possible. It is
a menu driven program, which means you can scroll through the various sub-
menus and make your selections among the various predetermined choices. If
you accidentally make a setting and don’t know which one to switch back to, use
the hot key in the Setup program to return to the previous value. The hot keys are
discussed in more detail later in this chapter.