Chapter 2. Configure and Use BIOS/UEFI Tools

The Basic Input/Output System (BIOS) is an essential component of the motherboard. This boot firmware, also known as System BIOS or, on most recent systems, unified extensible firmware interface (UEFI), is the first code run by a computer when it is booted. It prepares the machine by testing it during bootup and paves the way for the operating system to start. It tests and initializes components such as the processor, RAM, video card, hard drives, optical, and USB drives. If any errors occur, the BIOS/UEFI reports them as part of the testing stage, known as the power-on self-test (POST). The BIOS/UEFI resides on a ROM chip and stores a setup program that you can access when the computer first boots ...

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