BIOS Functions and Key Uses

BIOS Functions and Key Uses | Generated by AI

Home 2026.02

Question: What can we use BIOS for?

Answer:

BIOS (Basic Input/Output System) is firmware stored on your computer’s motherboard. It serves as the very first software that runs when you power on a PC. While most modern computers (especially after ~2012–2020) have replaced traditional legacy BIOS with UEFI (a more advanced successor), the term “BIOS” is still widely used to refer to the setup interface even on UEFI systems.

Here are the main things BIOS is used for:

Core Functions During Startup (Everyone Uses This Automatically)

Performs the Power-On Self-Test (POST) — checks that essential hardware (CPU, RAM, graphics card, storage devices, keyboard, etc.) is present and working correctly.
Initializes and configures hardware components so they are ready for the operating system.
Locates a boot device (hard drive, SSD, USB, etc.) and loads the bootloader, which then starts your operating system (Windows, Linux, etc.).

Without this process your computer simply would not start.

Practical Uses — What Users Do in the BIOS Setup Screen

You can enter the BIOS setup (usually by pressing Del, F2, F10, or Esc during startup — it varies by motherboard) to manually control several important settings:

Change the boot order (e.g., boot from USB first to install Windows or try Linux from a flash drive)
Enable or disable Secure Boot (mostly in UEFI mode — helps prevent malware during boot)
Turn hardware features on/off (integrated graphics, onboard audio, certain USB ports, TPM for security, etc.)
Overclock CPU, memory, or adjust voltages and timings (common for gamers and performance enthusiasts — requires caution)
Set system date and time
Enable/disable Fast Boot or other startup optimizations
Configure fan speeds and cooling profiles (on many modern motherboards)
Reset settings to default if the system becomes unstable after changes
View basic hardware information (CPU temperature, detected RAM amount, storage devices, etc.)

Additional / Less Common Uses

Update the BIOS/UEFI firmware itself to add support for new CPUs, fix bugs, improve stability, or unlock new features.
Troubleshoot hardware problems (POST beeps or codes often point to issues BIOS detects).
In very old systems (pre-UEFI era), BIOS provided direct low-level access for DOS programs to control hardware (keyboard, screen, disks) — this is almost never needed today.

Important note for 2026:
Most new motherboards and PCs use UEFI instead of classic BIOS. UEFI offers faster boot times, support for drives >2 TB, a graphical mouse-friendly interface, better security, and more features. However, people still say “enter the BIOS” even when they mean the UEFI setup utility.

In short — BIOS (or UEFI) is mainly used to:

Make the computer start properly every time
Customize boot behavior and hardware settings
Solve startup or compatibility problems

References:

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