How do you adjust bios?

[spummerr]

Looking at getting a second hard drive for video use. Salesguy said The Bios in my computer might need to be adjusted to use a large drive like 200 gigs.
What is a Bios? And how is the bios adjusted??
I have Wn XP Athlon 1200 chip, Biostar motherboard. Thanks

[VCDHunter]

Looking at getting a second hard drive for video use. Salesguy said The Bios in my computer might need to be adjusted to use a large drive like 200 gigs.
What is a Bios? And how is the bios adjusted??
I have Wn XP Athlon 1200 chip, Biostar motherboard. Thanks

BIOS Basic Input Output System.

I Access mine by pressing del when the system boots up.

Check on your Motherboard manufactures website for a detailed explanation of what you can plug into it.

[808smokey]

To access the BIOS in a BIOSTAR motherboard just hold the delete key when you turn your computer on. I think what the sales guy/idiot meant was "Update" your BIOS or mobo drivers. Just go to thier site:

http://www.biostar.com.tw/support/bios/index.php3

It will tell you how to install the updates you might need.

[RabidDog]

Salesman is correct, but it is very unlikely that you will have a problem, if your pc is less than 5 yrs old. Older Pcs couldnt handle 200gbs, (just like most lawyers cant handle the truth). Actually it was the Bios on the motherboard...even if your BIOS cant handle it you can buy a special plug in card from someone like promise that fixes the problem.

[Solarjetman]

Actually, the limit is something like 135gig isn't it for the older bioses?

Anyway, I do not want to be rude but there is a general rule about the BIOS. "If you do not know what it is, you do not want to change it."

My suggestion is to go to your motherboard manufacturer's website, or tech support and get exact directions how to change it. It is VERY VERY easy to do, however if you do make a mistake, you could render your computer completely unusable. Thus you should get exact directions for your exact piece of hardware.

Just a word of warning. Be sure you know what you are changing.

[gmatov]

Solarjetman,

That one is totally BS. You can always set default values in BIOS, or, at worst, "Clear BIOS" with the shorting jumper.

Flashing to upgrade may cause a prob if you lose power or shut off, but most mfgs say to redo.

5 years is too old to recognize large drives, 98, you might be able to DL the Large Drive patch.

Elsewise, you might have to use the utility that comes with the drive, which I, personally, do not advise. If you have to, go ahead.

Or, get an ATA 133 card, 30 to 40 bucks more out of pocket.

Sorry.

Cheers,

George

[Solarjetman]

I don't know what you think is BS in my post.

Not all motherboards have jumpers to reset the BIOS. And if you do lose power during a patch, it is possible your computer will not boot in order to try again. If it will not boot, then forget any software reset. However, it is possible to make it unusable without sending the ROM to the manufacturer for a flash, just unlikely.

Plus, no where did I mention anything about a failed update. I was speaking genericaly about all BIOS changes.

Now, if you want to criticize, please be more specific in what you think is BS.

[bottle-necked]

I think you should learn how to enter the BIOS. I think you should learn what adjustments are available and what every one of them does. I think you should mess around in the BIOS enough so you spot problems that are related to those settings. I 'don't' think someone should be afraid of it.

The items you don't understand just write them down and run a simple internet search on them. I guarantee you will find enough information to explain all of them.

The only thing to remember is "Exit and Save" function. Do you really want to do that. Yes you do when you know how to setup the BIOS properly.

As far as "Reset to Default Values" goes. You can always pull the battery, wait a few minutes so the caps can discharge, then replace it. I guarantee you it will load default values then.

As far as flashing the BIOS.. I've flashed every computer I've ever owned and I haven't crashed one yet. Knock on wood. I used to make an emergency flash floppy disk but anymore I just flash from Windows. It's a lot easier. If I need a flash floppy I'll make it with my laptop.

Good luck.

[gmatov]

Bottle gave you my answer, Solar.

You can always, after toying in the BIOS, go into setup again and select "Default" and get right back to where it was when you opened the box, or, if that fails, short the "Clear BIOS" pins, or solder nubs, or pull the battery.

The ONLY thing you can do in BIOS to do ANY harm, and I really doubt even this will, is screw around way too much with the manual CPU settings. Should you set WAY too high or low a voltage for one of the CPU's inputs, you just MIGHT screw it up, but most since maybe '02 have overheat protection built in, and will shut down to cool off.

Don't teach people to be AFRAID of the BIOS, for Pete's sake. People come here to learn,and "Don't, under any circumstance, do that, you'll kill the whole machine" is not the way to do that, just as those who tell you you risk getting a 3.3, or 5, or 12 volt chance of being electrocuted.

And, static straps are crap, also. Leave the PS plugged in, flip the PS switch to OFF, break the black, "hot" wire, ground and white, "neutral" are still electrically intact, and will drain off any "static charge" you build up scuffing your rubber soles across your nylon carpet. Try picking up and putting down your feet, it's negligible, anyhow.

Jeez, sounds like some pipple here go to an electrician to have their flashlight batteries changed.

Cheers,

George

And, I'm not in a particularly crabby mood, tonight, either.

[wulf109]

I believe that the operating system/file system(fat32)determines how large a HD you address not the BIOS.

[gmatov]

Wulf,

No, not really. You could put a 100 gig drive in a P2 era machine, with FAT32 , and it might be limited to 8 gigs, 32 gigs, whatever the BIOS was capable of.

For a larger drive, you either used a disk utility, Max, WD, Seagate, all different parameters, to fool the BIOS into thinking the drive had more heads, cylinders, LZs, etc.

To "see" a larger drive,you would DL a BIOS update if the MoBo mfg had written, or had written for them, an update.

Go into your BIOS sometime and see what are the "standard" drive parameters accepted. 47 types, I believe, up to, probably, 8 gigs, max. You can't even buy those drives anymore, less at a junk parts dealer at a show.

SE originally only "saw", I think, 32 gigs with a good BIOS. And a 100 gig would show and format as a 36 gig, 64 less than the drive size. You had to Dl the new "Large Drive" fix for your Boot Disk to use large drives. I fdisk/format 160 gig drives with that DL. I do NOT use Max, WD or any other proprietary disk utility.

Cheers,

George

[bottle-necked]

wulf109 Posted:

I believe that the operating system/file system(fat32)determines how large a HD you address not the BIOS.

That is probably more true today than just a few years ago.