BIOS/UEFI Lesson 001: General Terms

Basic Input/Output System (BIOS)

A firmware interface that initializes hardware for an operating system in order for it to boot up.

Operating System (OS)

Are built as software and stored on a hard-drive or solid-state drive.

Why is a BIOS necessary for OS boot up?

It prepares the hardware and locates/starts the OS.

What would happen with the OS if there was no BIOS?

The operating system would have no foundation to run on.

How does the BIOS interact with the motherboard?

Serves as a method of configuring the motherboard and its features by using driven text-based interface.

Firmware (Software-on-a-Chip)

Contains the specialized BIOS program code in flash memory on the motherboard.

Where is BIOS stored?

On firmware as part of the motherboard inside of the system.

Is BIOS firmware software for general use or is it a specialized motherboard software?

A specialized software tailored specifically to the motherboard it is on.

Is an operating system general software or is it system specific?

It is a general software that can be used across many different devices.

Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI)

Supports 64-bit processors and provides a graphical user interface, with mouse and keyboard function, network connection, and better security features.