Lips (Basic Input Output System for its acronym in English) consists of a firmware interface standard for PC computers, which allows the user to control certain behaviors, components and peripherals of their machines.
The first thing that runs
When we press the button to turn on our computer, the first thing it will do is go to the BIOS to look for the boot instructions, since there is, for example, the definition of the order of the storage units to which the computer must go find an operating system to load into memory and start working.
That allows us
The BIOS is also responsible for giving "a review" to the hardware components that make up the computer, and warn if any of them does not work properly or is defective.
From the BIOS interface, and always depending on what the manufacturer and the computer model allow, we can also control the temperature at which the CPU is working (a very important fact), and know if the fan that is usually on the microchip is working properly.
Some parameters such as the speed at which the processor works can also be set via BIOS.
Manufacturers
It is curious, but the large computer manufacturers have not, traditionally, been the same ones that manufactured the firmware for the BIOS, this last task residing in specialized manufacturers such as Phoenix, AMI or Award.
Upgradeable
BIOS firmware can be upgradeable. To carry out this operation, it is necessary to use special tools from the same BIOS manufacturer company or from the computer manufacturer, with files containing the code to install. The process is delicate, so you have to follow the instructions to the letter.
Updating the BIOS many times can fix existing problems with the hardware. If you want to update your computer's BIOS, it is best to contact a professional IT technician or visit your computer manufacturer's website to find the necessary tools and information.
How to access the BIOS of our computer
We can access the BIOS of our computer to modify certain parameters and choose, for example, if we want the virtualization instructions of the processor (if the CPU has them) activated or deactivated, or choose a disk drive to which to go to find the operating system to load and, with it, start working.
The way of accessing the BIOS interface varies between manufacturers and may even vary in a certain computer model (although it is not the most frequent) due to changes in the supply contracts, but in general the access is done by pressing on a key, usually the function keys (F2, F9, F10, F11 or F12 are the most frequent), or the delete key (Delete on the numeric keypad).
The future of BIOS
Despite the fact that to this day, the BIOS is still present in a large number of computers and is still integrated in new machines, its destiny is to be overtaken and replaced by the UEFI (Unified Extensible Firmware Interface), which adapts this firmware to the new times and new technologies, keeping backward compatibility with the BIOS.
Photos: iStock - princigalli / alberto gagna
