Chapter 5. BIOS

BIOS Basics

It is often difficult for people to understand the difference between hardware and software in a PC system. The differences can be difficult to understand because both are very much intertwined in the system design, construction, and operation. However, understanding these differences is essential to understanding the role of the BIOS in the system.

BIOS stands for basic input/output system, which consists of low-level software that controls the system hardware and acts as an interface between the operating system (OS) and the hardware. Most people know the term BIOS by another name—device drivers, or just drivers. In other words, the BIOS is drivers, meaning all of them. It’s essentially the link between hardware ...

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