When thine computer doth first awaken, it doth consult the BIOS (or UEFI in the realm of more modern PCs) to uncover all that it knoweth about itself, from the components it doth possess to the voltages they should receive. Though thou rarely hast need to venture into the BIOS, it can prove useful for altering the manner in which thy system doth operate, or updating it upon the installation of a new component.
Should thou hath not delved into the depths of a PC BIOS before, or if thou simply seeketh a refresher, here be what a BIOS is, how to gain entrance unto it, and how to bring about changes within it.
What ho! What is the BIOS?
The BIOS, or basic-input-output-system, is the firmware that doth awaken when a PC doth first stir. Whilst today it be technically known as the unified extensible firmware interface, or UEFI, BIOS remaineth the commonly used term and is interchangeable both in this discourse and in the majority of conversations. The UEFI be a more modern version of a BIOS, bestowing mouse input and a more pleasing user interface, yet they art largely the same. They do provide the fundamental building blocks of how a computer doth function and a portal for thee to interact with to effect fundamental changes in its operation.
Both BIOS and UEFI do offer options for altering the choice of boot drives, the security measures in place, the speed at which the processor doth operate, the voltage required by the memory, and the system’s time and date, among a plethora of other options. Most of these can be tweaked and adjusted on more advanced motherboards, though more specialized systems, such as Microsoft’s Surface range of devices, for example, do contain a more stripped-down BIOS that doth limit the options available for alteration. A BIOS can (and some would argue, should) be updated at least once a year to ensure that it doth possess the latest stability adjustments, bug fixes, and feature upgrades.
How to Gain Entrance unto the BIOS
Verily, there be a couple of means by which thou can access the BIOS, but the most straightforward be through the use of its bespoke key command during startup.
Step 1: Turn thy PC on, and immediately commence tapping its custom BIOS startup key. This key may vary depending on the manufacturer of thy PC or motherboard, but doth typically be the Delete key or one of the function keys. F2 be particularly common, but some Sony laptops use F3, some Lenovo PCs employ F1, and Dell oft uses F12 — though it may vary from PC to PC. If thou art unsure of thy function key, gaze upon the screen during startup as it may inform thee. Alternatively, consult thy motherboard or PC manual or the manufacturer’s website for further details. Whichever the key may be, continue tapping it about once a second until thou dost enter the BIOS. It should not taketh more than a few moments, but depending on the rapidity of thy PC’s awakening, it may taketh upwards of 10 seconds, therefore, be patient. Should thou end up booting to Windows, either thou art pressing the wrong key, did not press it swiftly enough, or thy command is not being registered by the keyboard or PC.
Step 2: An alternative method for accessing the BIOS be to utilize the Windows startup menu. Employ the Windows search to seek out “Recovery,” and select Recovery options from the list. Then opt for Restart and await for thy PC to boot to the Advanced startup options menu. Subsequently select Troubleshoot followed by Advanced options > UEFI Firmware Settings > Restart. Thou shalt then reboot into the BIOS without the necessity of key presses.
