Template:Laptop Build Guide BIOS

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☐ Boot into BIOS.
☐ Verify that BIOS recognizes about the same amount of RAM as is marked on the Keeper label.

  • BIOS may report slightly less RAM than the total amount installed. It should not be more than a couple hundred megabytes. The 'missing' RAM is being reserved by the system.

☐ Find the section for setting boot options. Set the following boot order: 

First:    Optical Drive
Second:   Hard Drive
Third:    Network Device (also called LAN, Onboard NIC, or PXE)
  • Disable or ignore other devices.

☐ Make sure that no BIOS or administrative passwords are set.

  • If you encounter a start-up or BIOS password, check with your instructor or visit the Free Geek wiki for further guidance.

Background information

  • BIOS stands for Basic Input/Output System. It is made up of software stored on a chip installed on the motherboard, rather than the hard drive.
  • Different companies manufacture BIOS firmware chips. This is why different computers can have very different-looking BIOS screens.
  • BIOS is being replaced by something called "Extensible Firmware Interface", or EFI. You may encounter this on newer systems. Functionally, it will appear very similar to BIOS.
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