BIOS setup. BIOS (CMOS) Setup program and its main features. BIOS setup to speed up your computer
It is not uncommon for PC users to have to dig into BIOS settings. There are many questions and problems here, since on various motherboards there are sewn different types BIOS. Menu items differ in name and location, but in general they perform similar functions.
The own type of BIOS is integrated by the motherboard developers themselves or by third-party companies that have concluded an agreement with the manufacturers. The market is dominated by third-party companies.
Three main types of BIOS should be distinguished:
- AWARD
Let's dwell on these types and consider in more detail the interface and distinctive features.
It is a leader in this field. Back in 1998, Award Software was bought by Phoenix, but BIOS is still labeled as Award.
Traditionally, the base system shell has a blue (grey) background with English menu items. The interface is different in different versions.
For example, in version 4.51 PG, navigation is visually divided into two vertical compartments. At the very bottom are the control keys.
If we consider version 6.0, then surprisingly already appearance looks different. The gray color scheme prevails. The menu items have different names. The main sections are arranged horizontally. In the column on the right, there is a brief background information.
Takes an honorable second place. It is the property of American Megatrends Incorporated, hence the abbreviation AMI. In all respects, the similarity with the AWARD BIOS is noticeable. The names and location of the main sections coincide, but not always.
The presence or absence of BIOS options primarily depends on the manufacturer of the motherboard and its functions. Therefore, it is impossible to single out specific features of AMI unambiguously. Also, different versions have different interfaces.
The appearance of BIOS versions 2.5x (2.6x)
And this is what BIOS 3.31 looks like
UEFI BIOS:
The third type of BIOS is a truly modern technology. It has a graphical interface, something even resembles an operating system.
The menu is made in the form of pictures with inscriptions. Without knowing English, you can intuitively guess what this or that section is responsible for.
It has a big advantage over the old types. As you know, the traditional BIOS, due to its functional limitations, is able to see no more than 2 TB. UEFI breaks the limits, as there are practically no volume limits.
The new software boasts a rich set of system utilities. It is possible to backup data or optimize the operation of RAM. The following features should be highlighted:
- Convenient interface;
- Ability to control the mouse;
- Expanding functionality by adding new utilities;
- Internet update;
Of course there are many more benefits. Large manufacturers have already begun the transition to a new type of BIOS. UEFI technology has proven itself only from the best side, it is not for nothing that such giants as Intel and Microsoft are interested in it. I bring to your attention a video.
How to find out the type and version of BIOS
There are cases when you need to find out the current BIOS version. This can be done in the operating room. Windows system 7 XP. To do this, click "Start" - "All Programs" - "Accessories" - "Utilities" - "System Information". In the window that opens, find and read the item “BIOS version”.
At its core, there is no big difference between AMI and AWARD. They perform the same function, the distinctive differences were discussed above. Particular attention should be paid to UEFI, since this type of BIOS new technology with high functionality.
Many motherboards currently use version 6.0PG of the Phoenix Award BIOS from Phoenix. It is just as popular with manufacturers as the competing one. Phoenix Award BIOS 6.0PG combines the most modern options for setting up a computer's hardware configuration and has a familiar interface similar to the now "classic" interface.
As always, if the manufacturer is Phoenix, you can find the version described under the most different names. The most common variant is Phoenix Award BIOS 6.0PG, Phoenix Award Workstation BIOS 6.0PG is used a little less often, sometimes it is Award BIOS 6.0PG or Phoenix BIOS 6.0PG.
Main menu
By calling the utility BIOS Setup, you get to the main menu of this program (Fig. 1). Let's dwell on the options grouped in one or another menu item.
Rice. 1. Phoenix AWARD BIOS version 6.0PG main menu
Some motherboards manufactured by Gigabyte initially display only "safe" BIOS Setup options, hiding those required for overclocking or fine-tuning the parameters of RAM, processor, buses ... To access all settings, press the combination
Standard CMOS Features
Traditionally, the first section (Fig. 2) contains the settings:
Rice. 2. Item Standard CMOS Features
On Foxconn motherboards, this section may be called System Information.
Advanced BIOS Features
This section (Fig. 3) contains options responsible for:
Rice. 3. Advanced BIOS Features
Advanced Chipset Features
Referring to the section options (Fig. 4), you can set:
Rice. 4. Advanced Chipset Features
Often this section also specifies , sometimes there are options responsible for , .
Power Management Setup
The section (Fig. 6) includes options related to the advanced configuration and power management system:
Rice. 6. Power Management Setup item
PnP/PCI Configurations
The section (Fig. 7) contains settings related to expansion cards:
Rice. 7. Item PnP/PCI Configurations
PC Health Status
This section (Fig. 8) is responsible for system monitoring:
Frequency/Voltage Control
Here (Fig. 9) are options that allow you to specify:
Rice. 9. Item Frequency/Voltage Control
Sometimes this section is moved, etc.
Motherboard manufacturers often rename this section, often moving all options into it, . This is especially true for products aimed at enthusiasts. So, on Abit motherboards, the section can be called softmenu or SoftMenu Setup, in DFI products - Gene BIOS Settings, at Foxconn - Fox Central Control Unit or Quantum BIOS, at Gigabyte - MB Intelligent Tweaker (M.I.T.), MSI has Cell Menu etc. To emphasize its importance, the renamed section can be moved to the first position in the main menu.
Load Fail-Safe Defaults
Load Optimized Defaults
Loading BIOS Setup options for best performance, some settings may need to be manually adjusted to ensure stable operation.
Sometimes the last two items of the main menu are called Load Optimized Defaults and Load Performance Defaults respectively. Please note that the purpose of the item Load Optimized Defaults changes in this case, in fact, to the opposite: it loads safe option values.
Set Supervisor Password
Control
The controls in version 6.0PG are very similar to those adopted in version 4.51PG. If there is a triangle to the left of the main menu item, then when you select this item, you will be taken to the corresponding BIOS Setup section, if there is no triangle, you are immediately prompted to perform one or another action (say, set a password, confirm the exit, etc.). To select an item in the main menu, use the cursor keys to move the pointer to it and press
If there are too many options in this section and they do not fit on the screen, a vertical scroll bar appears to the right of them, signaling this fact.
If, while in the main menu, you press the key
To select one or another option in one of the sections, all the same cursor keys are used, changing the value of an option - the keys
If there is a triangle to the left of the option name (often there is an inscription as the "value" of such an option Press Enter), when you select this option and press the key
The BIOS is a system program that is built into the computer's microcircuits. It ensures the normal startup of the PC and the system. In this article I will talk about how the BIOS is configured to install Windows. This manual is suitable for any operating systems.
Here I will only talk about how to install Windows from under the BIOS of two types - AMI and AWARD (Phoenix). These versions are the most common, but there are others. If you need to configure a BIOS version that I did not talk about, then write to me and I will create a separate article for you with instructions or supplement this one.
But enough talk, time to get down to business.
In order to configure the BIOS for installing Windows, you need to get into it. As a rule, entering the BIOS is done in the same way, regardless of the version. To do this, you need to restart the computer and click on the desired button while it is loading.
In order to find out which button should be pressed to enter the BIOS, you need to pay attention to the inscription that appears after turning on the PC - Press "key" to enter SETUP (where "key" is the same button that enters the BIOS ).
The following keys can usually be used to enter the BIOS: esc, del, ctr+alt+esc, F1, F2, F3, F10. I repeat - what exactly to press will be written in the message when you turn on the computer. Press the key while this message is displayed, it is recommended to press periodically, every 3-5 seconds.
If you didn’t manage to get into the BIOS right away, then don’t despair. Reboot again and try again. Will definitely work.
If we are installing Windows from under the BIOS, then before setting it up, it is necessary that there is a disk with the distribution kit in the drive or a bootable USB flash drive is connected.
Installing Windows with AMI BIOS
With AMI BIOS, Windows installation begins by going to the "Boot" tab. To do this, move the cursor using the arrow keys on your keyboard. The mouse does not work in the BIOS.
Here you need to select the device from which the installation will be performed: "CD-ROM drive" if from a CD or any USB device if Windows is installed via a USB flash drive. It should appear in the list when a bootable USB flash drive is connected.
When a device is selected, it must be moved to the first location. This is done using the "+" key on the keyboard.
Now you need to save AMI settings BIOS for installing Windows. To do this, press the F10 key, agree with the message by pressing the "Y" key, and then press "Enter". The computer will restart and it will start downloading from the specified device.
Installing Windows with Award BIOS
Award, aka Phoenix BIOS, is also controlled by keyboard arrows. In order to configure the Phoenix BIOS for Windows installation, you must select the Advanced bios Features item.
Then, in the First Boot Device line, you need to select the CDROM item if a CD or USB device is used to boot, if Windows will be installed via a bootable USB flash drive.
In order for Award Bios to install Windows from the selected device, you must save. To do this, press F10, then "Y" for consent, and "Enter". The computer will exit the BIOS and start booting from the desired device.
How to set the default BIOS
If suddenly you did something wrong in the options, and the computer began to work worse or does not work at all, then set the default BIOS settings. In any version there is such a button.
After the publication of a series of materials on overclocking computer components, we began to receive questions from readers who reveal their ignorance of elementary things related to setting up the BIOS of motherboards. We mentioned that it is worth approaching the occupation of overclocking, already having initial theoretical knowledge in this area. However, it seems that many PC users are interested in getting a free performance boost (and not only).
This material is designed to help beginners navigate the basic system settings.
The article will focus on fairly simple concepts related to working with motherboard firmware configuration. First, let's decipher the abbreviation BIOS - Basic Input / Output System ( base system I/O). This is a kind of software recorded in a microcircuit with non-volatile memory, which allows you to carry out the initial initialization of PC components, setting their operating modes. The BIOS contains the microcode needed to control the keyboard, graphics card, drives, ports, and other devices. For the average user, the BIOS is identified with a visual shell that allows you to change the computer settings if necessary.
We also note that the answers to most of the questions raised in this material can be found in the manuals for motherboards. Alas, few of the users who want to know everything at once pay attention to the brochures that come with these products. Sometimes the manuals are quite scarce, but nothing prevents you from getting acquainted with those dedicated to other lines of boards from the same (or another) manufacturer - the basic BIOS options are standard, and what is applicable to one firmware is often suitable when working with another. Knowledge of this material also contributes to the development of this material. of English language- a banal translation of terms will help you navigate in the search for the necessary parameters.
What types of BIOS are there
Firmware differences come down not only to the abundance of settings and adjustment ranges of individual parameters. First of all, it is the microcode of a certain developer, which ultimately determines the visual shell. For example, the motherboard BIOS from ASUS is based on the code from AMI (menu with blue characters on a gray background), most manufacturers use Award/Phoenix (blue background, yellow letters). AT recent times Expandable EFI (Extensible Firmware Interface) firmware interfaces are gaining popularity, distinguished by an extraordinary graphical interface. They allow you to navigate using not only the keyboard, but also the mouse, and the menu items have become even more intuitive.
How to get into the BIOS
In order to enter the BIOS, it is necessary to press the corresponding button on the keyboard during the initialization of PC devices (passing through the POST procedure). If the motherboard firmware is based on AMI microcode, it will be F2, Award - Del. In order to get into the BIOS of some laptops, you will need to activate the F8 key. However, even if you don’t know what microcode the board’s firmware is based on, during the device initialization process, a prompt will appear on the screen (for example, Press F2 to Enter Setup - “Press F2 to get to the settings section”). If the monitor does not light up in time, after turning on the PC regularly and often press the desired button or, if you are not sure which one, try Del, then F2.
Selecting and changing firmware settings
The BIOS settings are controlled exclusively from the keyboard. To move the cursor, use the arrow block (Up, Down, Right, Left). To change the desired parameter by highlighting it with the cursor, press Enter and select one of the available modes. If the BIOS of the board is based on microcode from AMI, you will have to use the "+" and "-" buttons for the same purpose. Installation certain values can be carried out directly from the numeric keypad (for example, if you need to change the system bus frequency from 266 to 320 MHz, hover over the corresponding position, enter 3, 2, 0, then Enter). To go up one menu level, press the Esc key, exit the BIOS - perform a similar operation in the root directory. Often it also provides decoding options for managing firmware settings. When you exit the BIOS using the Esc keys (without saving settings) or F10 (with saving settings), a window will definitely appear with the question Do you want to exit/save settings? To confirm, press the Y (Yes) button, to cancel - N (No).
BIOS basics in pictures
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| The system goes through the initialization procedure (POST). To get into the BIOS, this moment you need to press the Del key (this is indicated by the inscription at the bottom left of the screen) |
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| The main BIOS menu of one of the Gigabyte motherboards. Below are brief hints - descriptions of the purpose of individual keys |
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| The section devoted to fine-tuning the operating modes of the main components of the system (processor, RAM) can be called differently. In this case, this MB Intelligent Tweaker(M.I.T.) |
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| Standard CMOS Features- menu item available in the BIOS of any board. Allows you to set the date and time, as well as view the list of FDD, IDE and SATA devices connected to the system |
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| Advanced BIOS Features, or Options, is one of the most important sections related to system setup. In our case, it is possible to control the boot priority, individual CPU technologies and the visual design of the splash screen. |
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| In chapter Integrated Peripherals the functional blocks implemented on the motherboard (network card, audio codec, IEEE 1394, USB ports, IDE and SATA controllers) are activated, their operating modes are set |
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| Power Management Setup- computer power control, on / off without using a button power system block |
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| Subcategory PnP/PCI Configurations is nothing of interest to the average user. Hidden there are system addressing settings. |
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| System monitoring section - PC Health Status. Allows you to track temperature regime operation of PC components, main supply voltages, control the number of revolutions of system fans |
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| In this BIOS, the management of parameters important for overclocking a PC is concentrated in one section. Otherwise, things may be different with the settings of boards using firmware from AMI - similar options are sometimes located in different subcategories of the main menu |
BIOS updates - is it worth it?
By the time a certain motherboard model is announced, manufacturers do not always have time to develop the optimal firmware for it. Therefore, over time, BIOS updates are released that are available for download from the official websites of manufacturers. The list of improvements that a particular version of the firmware has is often given in the description. Is it worth it to constantly update the BIOS of the motherboard? If the PC works well, and overclocking of components is not limited to the board, then this is not necessary. The firmware should be changed only when certain parameters are significantly changed, functionality is expanded, and sometimes support for new processor models is introduced.
Information on how to update the firmware is also available on the manufacturer's websites. Owners of modern products do this directly from under the OS, using specialized utilities. To update the firmware of older boards, you need to get a floppy drive. When upgrading the BIOS, be extremely careful - power failure, pressing the Reset button prematurely before the operation is completed - and the motherboard will have to be sent to a service center. Possible freezes caused by flaws in utilities from manufacturers. So don't overdo it in chasing every new version BIOS, because they don’t look for good from good.
After changing the settings, the computer does not boot. What to do?
A typical situation that accompanies the activities of overclockers is the inability to boot the PC after setting incorrect parameters in the BIOS. Many modern motherboards implement reset technologies in such cases. However, they do not always work, and not all boards are equipped with them. But this is not a reason to get upset, panic and say that the computer is broken. Any motherboard has a special jumper to force reset all settings to Default, often referred to as CLR_CMOS (or Clear CMOS). Its location must be indicated in the instruction manual for the board. The jumper can look like a special button placed on the rear panel (a similar solution is found in top ASUSTeK boards), or it can be soldered in the area where the battery is located. If it has three contacts, two of which are closed by a jumper (a similar scheme is used in most products), it is necessary to move the jumper from one position to another (say, 1-2 → 2-3) and vice versa with the computer turned off for a few seconds. Sometimes the jumper has only two pins (often found on Gigabyte boards), then they must be connected with a conductive object (for example, a screwdriver).
If, after resetting, the system goes through the POST initialization procedure, but the OS does not boot, make sure that the BIOS displays HDD and it is listed as the first number among the available boot devices. When using an IDE HDD on modern motherboards, you may need to configure the external controller mode (Configure SATA Interface as IDE). After carrying out the described manipulations, the system should boot successfully, except for cases of OS failure (such complications are possible, especially when playing for a long time with memory timing settings, but they occur extremely rarely).
Basic BIOS sections - where to look
It is absolutely not necessary for a novice user to thoroughly study each item of the firmware in order to configure the system. Therefore, we will briefly describe the main features available in the BIOS of all boards.
From the basic sections, we single out Standard CMOS Features, Advanced BIOS Features and Integrated Peripherals. The first one displays the current date and time, the amount of RAM, and displays a list of IDE- and SATA-compatible system devices. You can also change the clock indicators through the OS, so the value of the section lies in the initial PC diagnostics: it keeps track of which drives, hard drives are connected and determined at the hardware level, and which are not. The Advanced BIOS Features (or the Boot menu if the firmware is based on code from AMI) prioritize the boot sequence. There are cases when the operating system on the HDD is not initialized just because the first in the list of devices is the FDD, which contains a floppy disk, or a CD-ROM with a boot disk. Until you remove the media - do not expect to see the OS. Immediately put the hard drive first - you can never go wrong. The Integrated Peripherals section is interesting because it allows you to disable the controllers soldered on the motherboard, thus controlling the functionality of the PC. If there is no sound in your system when the speakers are connected correctly, check if the audio codec is activated (the submenu value should be Enabled or Auto). The situation is similar with the network controller, IEEE 1394, etc. Pay attention to the paragraphs on USB. Be sure to activate the appropriate controller, enable USB keyboard and mouse support. Depending on the positioning of the motherboard, its features, the Advanced BIOS Features and Integrated Peripherals sections may contain different system settings. On the brief study the settings proposed in them should be noted.
Of the most boards available in the BIOS, we also highlight the sections of system monitoring (PC Health Status), power management (Power Management Setup) and configuring data bus addresses (PnP / PCI Configurations). The last two are of no interest to most. The most valuable for the average user is the monitoring section, which displays the temperatures of the main PC components (CPU, chipset) and the current voltages issued by the power supply, and also has the ability to control the fan speed. However, you should not unconditionally trust these sensors - their readings are sometimes inaccurate.
The settings that determine the speed of the PC, the modes of operation of the main components, are located in one or more adjacent subsections of the BIOS. It is possible that they may not be available at all - do not expect to find options on a cheap motherboard for an office computer for seriously raising the supply voltages, setting RAM timings, and controlling CPU parameters. We talked about the relevant points in more detail in the materials on overclocking a PC, so we will not dwell on them now.
Most of the parameters available for change through the BIOS can be set directly in the OS using specialized utilities. However, this method is often inconvenient - every time you boot your computer, you need to run additional software, activate certain settings. When you reinstall the system, they will be lost. Therefore, if you want to be with your computer on "you", you will have to study the BIOS of the motherboard.
Afterword
Perhaps this material does not describe all the nuances of working with the BIOS that beginners would like to know. However, do not be upset if you have not found the answer to your question - first of all, remember where the motherboard manual is located and carefully study the section on firmware. If there is no brochure or the description is too sparse, you can download an extended version from the official website of the motherboard manufacturer for a particular product, or simply find a good manual from a third-party manufacturer. It is likely that the settings mentioned in it will be similar in many respects. If you are not sure - ask again on specialized forums of thematic resources, although we do not see anything wrong with learning the BIOS on your own by trial and error. The “magic” CLR_CMOS jumper for resetting the settings is available on any board, and it is almost impossible to damage some component without radically changing the power settings (for example, increasing the voltage on the processor by 80% of the nominal value).
If, after carefully studying the BIOS of the motherboard installed in your PC, it suddenly turns out that certain settings are missing, do not worry. On Gigabyte products, to activate the section responsible for fine-tuning the memory subsystem and the CPU operating mode, after entering the BIOS, press the Ctrl + F1 key combination. In other cases, it is quite possible that some options do not exist. A similar situation is typical for budget boards. In their firmware, sections on fine-tuning, power management of PC components are either very scarce or completely absent. However, it is likely that the required parameters can be changed from under operating system using specialized utilities.
A few words need to be said about the new interface - EFI - coming to replace the classic BIOS. Undoubtedly, a pleasant graphical shell will appeal to individual users, but the convenience of its implementation should be judged only by testing the relevant products. In the meantime, experienced overclockers are quite satisfied with the available opportunities, in which a complete BIOS setup of the motherboard to optimize the parameters of all components and overclock the PC takes from several tens of seconds to a minute. Too fast? Not at all. Learn the basics of working with firmware configuration, expand your own knowledge, and it is possible that over time you yourself will become experts in this field.
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Let's say you have a boot disk with Windows in your hands. Or the anti-virus disk Dr.Web LiveCD. Or maybe you want to install Linux. You insert the disc into the computer, but suddenly the question arises: “What to do next?” If you are an inexperienced (yet) computer user, then this question will be one of the first. Advanced users also sometimes need to know the boot order in various versions BIOS. So my guide is for everyone.
So, we are faced with the task: we need to tell the computer which disk to boot from first. To do this, you need to get into the BIOS settings. How to do this - read on.
Which button to press?
The very first question that arises from an unprepared user. How to boot from a boot disk or flash drive?
Two solutions:
- Open the boot menu with a list of connected boot devices and select the one you need from the list.
- Configure the BIOS of the motherboard so that the operating system boots first of all from the desired device, and not from hard drive.
Option 1 is simple, but not all BIOSes support such a menu. In any case, it's worth trying. Typically, the boot menu appears when you press F11 or F12 right after turning on the computer. Less often - Esc, F8 or other buttons. Sometimes it is supported but disabled. In this case, read the instructions for the motherboard of your computer.
Option 2 always works - there are boot settings in almost every BIOS. About the setting and will be told by me.
We need to get into the BIOS settings. BIOS (or its improved analogue UEFI) is a special system that boots immediately after turning on the computer. The BIOS is independent of Windows or anything else because it resides on a memory chip soldered into the motherboard. You can read more about terminology.
Usually, to enter the BIOS settings, you need to press the Delete, F2 or Esc button 1-3 seconds after turning on the computer. How to find out which button to press: after turning on the PC, look for the line Press Del to enter Setup on the screen (where instead of Del there may be F2 or another key). This will be the inscription about which button to press. Example:
Another example:
Instead of a black screen with diagnostic text, the logo of the laptop or motherboard manufacturer may be displayed, then the prompt will look like this:
By the way, in the last two screenshots there are hints for the boot menu button (which easier) - on the first one it's Esc, on the second it's F12. Let me remind you that this option is preferable, but not always present.
On the boot screens of some laptops there is no inscription, then look at the keymap
We press the desired button and get into the BIOS. If you pressed the wrong button, nothing bad will happen, because. the computer will simply ignore your actions or show some other BIOS add-on, where it will not be what you need. Then you need to press Reset (the reset button on system block) or Ctrl Alt Del to restart your computer.
After pressing the desired button and the BIOS screen appears, an ambush awaits us - there are many BIOS versions, their settings look different. There is also good news - they all most often have the same points, so you can figure out what's what. There are two BIOS versions that are very different from each other, we will consider them below.
Please note that similar tips are also in the instructions for a laptop or desktop computer motherboard. If you do not have instructions in paper form, you can always download it from the model page on the official website of the manufacturer.
After reading this article, looking at the explanatory illustrations, you can set up booting from the Windows installation disk on any computer.
Popular BIOS version. It is, in particular, on many Acer laptops:
We need to get into the Boot section. Press the right arrow three times:
Before us is a list of devices from which you can boot. On each computer, the names of the lines are different, but the first two words always say what kind of device it is:
- IDE CD - CD/DVD drive
- IDE HDD - hard drive
- USB HDD - portable hard drive
- USB KEY - flash drive.
To set the first drive (line starting with IDE CD), i.e. change the boot priority, use the up/down arrows to highlight this item, then press F5/F6(on some versions of this BIOS you need to press - or), put it first in the list. It will be something like this:
To save settings, click right arrow to get to the menu exit(Exit), select menu item Exit Saving Changes(Exit and save changes) and press Enter twice in a row.
Note: The Exit Discarding Changes menu item allows you to exit the BIOS without saving your settings.
The computer will restart and instead Windows boot the download should start from the selected drive. That is, for example, the installation of Windows will begin. Mission accomplished!
The main menu of this BIOS looks like this:
To change the boot order to AWARD BIOS, go to the menu Advanced BIOS Features:
Selecting a menu item First boot device(First boot device), click Enter and point opposite CDROM (Removable, if you need to boot from a USB flash drive or portable hard drive):
Press Enter, return to the previous settings page, go to Second boot device(Second boot device) and there we set hard drive- this will allow your computer to boot normally with the DVD disc or flash drive.
Press Y on the keyboard, then Enter - the settings will be saved, the computer will restart.
Ready! Now, when a boot disk is inserted, the computer will boot first of all from it, and not from the hard disk. If the disc is not inserted, it will boot from the next device in the list.
Old version of AWARD BIOS
I have seen this only on older computers before 2003. The main menu looks like this:
To configure the boot order, you need to go to the BIOS FEATURES SETUP menu: 
Paragraph Boot Sequence responsible for the load order. buttons PageUp and PageDown(or Enter and arrows - unfortunately, I don’t have the opportunity to check) you need to set the first CDROM, the second C (this is a hard drive), the third is not important - set any.
Similar to the aforementioned AWARD BIOS. It most often contains the inscription BIOS Setup Utility without any explanatory names.
Use the right arrow key on your keyboard to move to the tab Boot:
On the Boot page, go to Boot Device Priority:
There are points here 1st Drive, 2nd Drive- "First boot device", "Second boot device". You need to open 1st Drive and specify CDROM (for a floppy drive) or USB (for booting from a USB flash drive), specify SATA or IDE in 2nd Drive, depending on what hard drive you have and what item will be available in the menu.
Another AMI BIOS
Everything is clear here, look at the picture:
buttons and – you can cycle through the menu items by pressing the button F10 will call the save settings item.
Questions and answers
AT: I can't get into BIOS settings. What to do?
O: Make sure you're doing everything right. 99% of problems are due to inattentive reading of the instructions. Everything is solved if you correctly ask the question to the almighty Google: "motherboard / laptop model boot setup."
AT: I configured it as it should, but the error “NTLDR is missing” occurs or the cursor blinks at the top left of the screen.
O: You have burned your boot disk or flash drive incorrectly.
AT: How to boot from a flash drive (or portable hard drive) and not from a DVD?
O1: You must specify USB-HDD, USB-ZIP or Removable in the boot setting. Item name may vary. In case of problems, read the instructions for the motherboard.
O2: If the BIOS does not support booting from USB devices, you can make a bootable DVD with Plop Boot Manager and, when booting from it, select the “USB” item in the menu that appears. The advantage of this method is that even on older computers, where USB works in slow USB 1.1 mode when booting, the speed will be fast - USB 2.0 mode will turn on. Minus - again, not always supported by some motherboards. More about Plop written
AT:How to make a bootable flash drive?
O: If you need a flash drive with the installation of Windows 7 or 8, then you are in the section
AT:The article does not contain instructions for setting up my BIOS. Please write!!111
O: With the advent of motherboards, where UEFI is used instead of BIOS, there has been a large number of different externally, but essentially the same screens with settings. Since the settings need to be done the same everywhere, either read the article above carefully and find similar items in your BIOS, or read the instructions for your motherboard / laptop.
AT: I set up the BIOS, now nothing is loaded at all. Help!
O: In 10 cases out of 10, the problem is inattention or an incorrectly made bootable flash drive / disk. Reset the BIOS settings either by removing the battery for half an hour from turned off computer, or the menu item Load Default Settings. Then do it all again, carefully reading all the instructions.
AT: When booting from a flash drive, a blue screen appears.
O: You made a mistake somewhere when creating a bootable USB flash drive. Read the instructions more carefully or look for another one - there are many ways to create bootable flash drives.
AT: I made a boot disk / USB flash drive, configured the BIOS, but it still boots from the hard disk.
O: Either the boot disk / USB flash drive was not prepared correctly, or the boot was configured incorrectly. If you can't read the instructions carefully, consider: are you doing everything else right? Maybe it's better to turn to experienced people (to the service center)?
Conclusion
Using the information in this article, you will be able to run bootable disks on any computer or laptop - any LiveCD, Windows or Linux installation disk, any bootable USB flash drive (if the BIOS supports booting from USB devices).
On modern computers, there are BIOS (or UEFI) versions with mouse support, beautiful menus, and more, more. Despite the different appearance, everything is configured according to the same principle that I gave above.
Do not forget after installation (or why else do you configure the BIOS) to return the boot settings back so that the computer boots normally from the hard drive!