A bridge between computer hardware and software programs 8

Part 8: bios and CMOS FAQs

When it comes to bios, most cainiao don't know much about it and dare not try it easily, as if they are naturally afraid of the blue screen, even many old birds cannot distinguish BIOS settings from CMOS settings. Therefore, before writing a Q & A question, I think it is necessary to clarify these two concepts to get twice the result with half the effort.
BIOS is short for Basic Input/Output System. It is originally intended to be "Basic Input/Output System ". What we usually call BIOS is actually a software solidified in ROM, responsible for the lowest level, the most direct hardware control, and the original operations of the computer; it is used to manage machine startup and control and driver of important hardware in the system, and provides grass-roots calls for high-level software.
CMOS is the abbreviation of "complementary metal oxides half Guide". However, we often say that CMOS refers to a read-write storage chip on the motherboard, also known as "cmos ram ". Cmos ram is a random memory with the ability to eliminate memory after power-off, and people have come up with an external battery to keep its storage content.
In general, the process of adjusting BIOS parameters through the software that is solidified in the rom bios is called BIOS settings, while the process of debugging CMOS parameters through the "Standard CMOS Settings" in BIOS settings is called CMOS settings. The CMOS settings and bios settings we usually call are simplified, so they are confused to some extent.

How to enter BIOS settingsProgram

Analysis: Although there are not many manufacturers designing and producing BIOS in the world, the design of some brand machines and compatible machines is different, so the methods for entering BIOS settings are also different.

Q & A: Most keys used to enter the BIOS have been set to "Del" or "ESC", but some BIOs are F10 or F2, some of the more special BIOS operations also need to be performed according to the prompts.

The operating system cannot run properly.

1. BIOS Rom checksum error-system halted

Analysis: An error is found during BIOS information check and the system cannot be started.

Q & A: This situation is tricky, because it is usually caused by a BIOS refresh error, or the BIOS chip may be damaged. In any case, the BIOS must be repaired.

2. CMOS battery failed

Analysis: No CMOS battery is available.

Q & A: In general, CMOS is useless. just replace the lithium battery on the motherboard.

3. CMOS checksum error-defaults loaded

Analysis: an error was found during the CMOS information check, so it was restored to the default status.

Q & A: There are many possibilities for this situation, but most of the reasons are caused by power supply. For example, CMOS discharge may also occur after the overclocking fails. You should immediately Save the CMOS settings for future effect; if this problem occurs again, we recommend that you replace the lithium battery. If the battery replacement is still useless, repair the motherboard because the CMOS chip may be damaged.

4. Press F1 to continue, del to setup

Analysis: Press F1 to continue, or del to enter the BIOS setup program. There are many possibilities for such a situation, but most of them tell users that the BIOS settings are problematic.

Q & A: The problem may be caused by incorrect BIOS settings or the CPU fan is not installed. You can follow the prompts above to perform the actual operation.

5. Hard Disk install failure

Analysis: hard disk installation failed.

Q & A: Check for any hardware settings related to the hard disk, including power cord and data cable, and hard disk jumper settings. If you are purchasing a large-capacity hard drive, check whether the motherboard supports it. If there is no problem above, it is likely that there is a hardware problem, the IDE port or hard disk is damaged, but this probability is very small.

6. Primary master hard disk fail

Analysis: there is an error with the primary master IDE hard disk. The same situation occurs on other Master/Slave disks of the IDE port.

Q & A: Check for any hardware settings related to the hard disk, including power cord and data cable, and hard disk jumper settings.

7. Floppy Disk (s) fail

Analysis: The test fails.

Q & A: Check for any hardware settings related to the soft drive, including the soft drive cable and power cord. If there is no problem, the soft drive may be faulty.

8. keyboard error or no keyboard present

Analysis: the keyboard is incorrect or the new keyboard cannot be found.

Q & A: Check whether the keyboard connection is correct. Re-unplug the keyboard to determine whether the keyboard is good or bad.

9. Memory Test fail

Analysis: the memory test fails.

Q & A: due to memory incompatibility or faults, please first perform a batch test in the form of a memory each time you start the system to find out the faulty memory, reduce the memory usage parameters, or send repairs.

Why upgrade bios? How to update bios?

Analysis: the BIOS program determines the system's hardware support and coordination capabilities. With the emergence of new hardware, it is impossible for the BIOS to support such a large number of hardware in advance, which relies on updates to programs in the BIOS chip. To support updated hardware products, eliminate previous BIOS bugs, improve compatibility between products, or improve product performance, BIOS upgrade is the simplest and most effective way to save.

Q & A: Most motherboard manufacturers update the BIOS firewarm on a regular basis. In addition, BIOS manufacturers also provide dedicated refresh programs in pure DOS mode without loading any hardware driver or memory resident, run the refresh program, enter the name of the BIOS firewarm file provided by the vendor, and select whether to refresh in sequence through the prompt → whether to save the original BIOS → whether to update the latest bios, and then press the F1 key to restart.

Friendly reminder: here we should try to simplify the original BIOS name, but do not change its extension; we should save the original BIOS for use in case of BIOS refresh failure; the entire BIOS refresh process cannot be powered off.

Can I upgrade the BIOS in windows?

Analysis: Regular BIOS refresh programs must run in pure DOS mode, and the system cannot load other memory resident programs. Since Windows 2000 and Windows XP have now removed support for MS-DOS, it is inconvenient to take a traditional upgrade approach in this case.

Q & A: Many motherboard manufacturers have developed targeted refresh programs. The entire operation is performed in windows. You can download updates directly or update updates online. (because the network conditions are not ideal, I suggest you update the BIOS file after downloading it .) After the update is complete, a message box is displayed, prompting you that the update is successful and you are required to restart your computer.

What should I pay attention to when upgrading the BIOS?

Analysis: it is not complicated to upgrade the BIOS. As long as you do it carefully, there should be no problems.

Q & A: However, you must pay attention to the following points during the upgrade process:
1. Enter the pure DOS mode. Do not load the driver of any hardware product or run any program.
2. Use the BIOS upgrade file that matches the motherboard and try to use the BIOS upgrade file provided by the original manufacturer.
3. the BIOS refresh program and bios firewarm must match. In general, the original BIOS program upgrade file and refresh program are supported, so it is best to download them together.
4. Many Magazines or friends usually suggest upgrading on a floppy disk. However, because the reliability of a floppy disk is not as good as that of a hard disk, the upgrade may fail. Therefore, it is recommended that you upgrade the BIOS on the hard disk.
5. Make sure to back up the original BIOS during the upgrade. If the upgrade fails, there is still hope for recovery.
6. Some motherboard providers have built-in BIOS update programs in the BIOS program. Therefore, before upgrading the bios, set the "system BIOS cacheable" option to "disabled" in the BIOS.
7. some Boards enable hard jumper to Disable BIOS writing for BIOS protection reasons, or set the "BIOS updata" option in BIOS to "disabled, therefore, try to check these two settings before updating, otherwise the update will fail.
8. power outages or halfway exit are not allowed during the write process. If conditions are met, use the UPS power supply as much as possible to prevent unexpected events.

Some problems encountered during BIOS upgrade

1. The message "insufficient memory" is displayed when the Award BIOS is upgraded"

Analysis: The main cause is that the regular memory is insufficient, resulting in an update failure.

Q: Just release some general memory. You only need to block the system BIOS cache, the video card BIOS cache, and the shadow in each setting. In pure DOS mode, do not load the drvspace. BIN file. Otherwise, the file is inserted into the regular memory, resulting in insufficient memory. If this problem persists, try awdflash.exe's/tiny parameter, but this parameter is only available in version 7.0 or later. Note: During the restart, press Ctrl + F5 after "Windows starting" appears, so that drvspace. Bin is not loaded, saving about 108 KB of normal memory space.

2. "The program file's part number does not match with your system"

Analysis: ProgramCodeIt is not suitable for your system, or the BIOS data file does not match.

Q & A: however, if the/Py parameter is added, the update program does not check whether the BIOS version is compatible. However, this operation is highly risky. I suggest you try to use the BIOS data files and refresh programs provided by the original manufacturer.

3. "unknown type flash"

Analysis: Unknown flashrom.

Q & A: This usually happens when the Flash ROM requires 12 V voltage to refresh the BIOS (the operating voltage of the BIOS chip is 5 V ), or your motherboard uses an EPROM that is not refresh with software. In this case, some boards provide jumpers (EPROM is free of charge), and the voltage can be adjusted to 12 V during the wiping. If these problems occur, your Flash ROM chip may be damaged.

4. "program chip failed"

Analysis: Program chip failure.

Q & A: This usually occurs on an Intel Flash ROM chip of the 28foo1 model. The reason is that an 8 KB boot block in the chip is under hardware protection, so the content of the boot block cannot be updated. This type of chip usually requires a higher write voltage or a dedicated device to update.