The BIOS is a collection of commands usually stored in a ROM chip, which allows a CPU to communicate with the connected devices in a PC or other digital system.

For more detailed information please see below.

BIOS continued...

The CPU in a PC needs a way of communicating with the many different hardware devices that are installed. Each hardware device has its own special BIOS software which allows for this communication.

The BIOS contains special software instructions that enable the CPU to communicate with, and control devices. It is usually stored in ROM and can be either built-in to the motherboard, or on the device itself.

The main BIOS in a PC system is stored inside a microchip on the motherboard (mainboard), and is the first piece of software your computer runs when you (boot up) turn it on.

It uses the information stored in the CMOS memory for configuration purposes.

A Flash BIOS can be updated with new information and many motherboard manufacturers publish updates for their respective BIOS on their websites.

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