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Bios and Post

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Computer Structure and Logic Understanding The BIOS and POST
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Introduction
Inside every PC is a BIOS, which stands for Basic Input Output System. In a nutshell, BIOS is software that interacts between a computer’s hardware and the operating system and software applications. There are several types of BIOS', ranging from the motherboard ROM BIOS to adapter BIOS' such as video BIOS, drive controller BIOS, network adapter BIOS, SCSI adapter BIOS, etc... These BIOS' are the lowest level of software in a computer providing a set of small programs or software routines that allow the hardware of a computer to interact with the operating system by a set standard.

The Boot Process
To get to the operating system, a computer must first boot from the BIOS. The BIOS performs a number of tasks when a computer is started. From initializing the microprocessor to initializing and testing hardware to starting the operating system. Starting a computer is not a simple task. It's a methodical process that is performed every time power is applied to a computer. This process will vary with different computers and different BIOS', but the overall goal is the same. When you first turn on a computer the very first operation performed by the CPU is to read the address space at FFFF:0000h. This address space is only 16 bytes, which is not nearly enough space to house the BIOS found on a motherboard. Instead, this location contains a special instruction called a jump command (JMP) that tells the processor where to go to find and read the actual BIOS into memory. This process of reading the jump instruction and redirection to the actual BIOS is called the bootstrap or boot. So, when you apply power it's not the operating system that's working. It's the BIOS. The CMOS and the BIOS are two different things. The BIOS refers to the firmware instructions that are located on the BIOS ROM. CMOS refers to the low-power RAM that holds the system's setup parameters. The BIOS reads the CMOS RAM into memory at boot up and provides the setup routine that allows you to change the contents of CMOS, but the CMOS RAM/RTC device is a totally different microchip. The CMOS holds the information provided by the BIOS. This is why you "lose" the settings of a system when the battery dies or you clear the CMOS through a jumper on the motherboard.
With today's high performance 64 bit operating systems, the BIOS becomes less used, but it is still there, always interacting with the operating system. Disk access, for example, is done through the operating system with 64-bit routines, whereas the BIOS is using 16-bit routines. Although the BIOS provides video support, Windows and other 32 or 64-bit operating systems
Computer Structure and Logic Understanding The BIOS and POST
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use software device drivers to work with the hardware. Early OS's, like DOS, worked with the BIOS. DOS relied on the BIOS to perform most functions, like displaying characters on the screen or sending output to the printer, reading input from the keyboard and other essential tasks. These drivers, which operate in protected mode allow for several enhancements. They can access more memory, can be written in 32 or 64-bit code for optimized execution and are not limited to the amount of space available to their code. However, regardless of the operating system, Windows, Linux or DOS, the BIOS and the operating system still interact with each other.

1. Power is applied to the computer When power is applied to the system the power supply will generate a power good signal which is received by the motherboard. When the motherboard receives this signal, it stops forcing a reset signal to the central processing unit and the CPU begins processing instructions. 2. POST POST stands for Power On Self-Test. It's a series of individual functions that perform various initialization and tests of the computer’s hardware. BIOS starts with a series of tests of the motherboard hardware. The CPU, math coprocessor, timer IC's (circuit delays), DMA controllers (which move data to and from the PC’s memory), and IRQ controllers (which control the data that moves through the processer). The order in which these tests are performed varies from motherboard to motherboard. The BIOS will look for the presence of video ROM between memory locations. If a video BIOS is found, its contents will be tested with a checksum test. If this test is successful, the BIOS will initialize the video adapter. It will pass controller to the video BIOS, which will in turn initialize itself and then assumes control once it's complete. The BIOS will scan memory from C800:000h to DF800:000h in 2KB increments. It's searching for any other ROM's that might be installed in the computer, such as network adapter cards or SCSI adapter cards. If an adapter ROM is found, its contents are tested with a checksum test. If the tests pass, the card is initialized. Control will be passed to each ROM for initialization then the system BIOS will resume control after each BIOS is done initializing. If these tests fail, you should see an error message displayed telling you "XXXX ROM Error". The XXXX indicates the segment address where the faulty ROM was detected. BIOS will then begin checking memory at 0000:0472h. This address contains a flag which will tell the BIOS if the system is booting from a cold boot or warm boot. A value of 1234h at this address tells the BIOS that the system was started from a warm boot. This signature value appears in Intel the least significant

Computer Structure and Logic Understanding The BIOS and POST
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byte comes first, they appear in memory as the sequence 3412. In the event of a warm boot, the BIOS will skip the POST routines remaining. If a cold start is indicated, the remaining POST routines will be run. During the POST test, a single hexadecimal code will be written to a port. Typically, when the BIOS fails at some point, this code will tell you what is failing.

Recovering From a Failed BIOS Update 1. Read through your motherboard instruction manual to determine whether your motherboard has a backup system for recovering from a BIOS crash. Many newer motherboards come equipped with two BIOS chips, allowing for a "reboot" of the BIOS in the event of disaster. If so, you can simply follow the reboot instructions present in your specific motherboard's manual to recover the BIOS.

2. Re-download the BIOS using another working computer, placing it on a USB flash drive, depending on the requirements of your particular computer. Make sure to retrieve the latest version from your motherboard manufacturer's website to avoid additional technical issues. In many cases, you will be able to reinstall the new BIOS over the failed flash and start again from scratch.

3. Contact your computer or motherboard manufacturer for a replacement BIOS chip if nothing else seems to work. They should be able to send you a copy of the original BIOS chip with the latest version. Replace the old chip with the new by detaching it from the motherboard. Simply restart your computer after physically replacing the BIOS chip and things should be good as new.

References
Hurt, B. (2015). http://www.bioscentral.com/misc/biosbasics.htm. Retrieved from Bios Central: http://www.bioscentral.com
Notenboom, L. (2004, November 30th). Ask Leo. Retrieved from Ask Leo.com: http://www.ask-leo.com

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