Republic of the Philippines

Department of Education
Regional Office IX, Zamboanga Peninsula

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Z P
10 eal of artnership

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TVL-ICT
Quarter 3 - Module 4
Computer System Servicing
Power-On Self Test (POST) BIOS
System Configuration Procedures

Name of Learner: ___________________________

Grade & Section: ___________________________
Name of School: ___________________________
TVL-ICT Grade 10 Computer Systems Servicing
Alternative Delivery Mode
Quarter 3 – Module 4: Power-On Self Test (POST) BIOS System
Configuration Procedures
First Edition, 2020

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 What I Need to Know
In this module, you will learn more about how to access the BIOS
setup utility and explain the POST and boot processes. Students will also
identify the symptoms of, probable causes of, and potential solutions to
problems with the BIOS and POST operationally. Moreover, you will learn
how to setting up or configuring BIOS correctly and its configuration values
regardless whatever BIOS in the computer system.

After going through this module, you are expected to:

• Access the BIOS setup utility box;

• Configure values in the BIOS setup utility box;
• Explain POST /Boot sequence diagram processes;
• Identify the error beep codes and its solutions during POST.

Lesson Power On Self Test

(POST) BIOS System
1 Configuration Procedures

What’s In
If the POST/BIOS finds anything faulty on the computer, it will stop the
booting and the message will be displayed on the screen. Check the boxes which
among the choices below are the possible notifications.

1.POST will notify you about the problem by giving a beep or a

combination of beeps.
2.The drive has failed (hardware).
3.Blue screen will appear.
4.The computer will not power on.
5.Invalid system disk.
6.Boot failure.
7.Hard disk error.
8.Missing operating system.

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 9.NT boot loader is processing.
10.Press F1 to continue.

What’s New
The Power On Self Test happens each time you turn your computer on. It
sounds complicated and that is because it is a kind of sequence upon booting. Your
computer does so much when it’s turned on and this is just part of that.
The POST is an automated test that is controlled by the BIOS. It happens
during the first boot of the computer . The first step of the POST, which is operated
by the BIOS, is to verify the BIOS code.
After it has completed, the POST then continues to check all the
computer hardware. If there are no errors the POST will proceed very
quickly. However, if any errors are found, these will be displayed via an error
message, or if the video hasn’t been turned on, or if there is some error in it,
then the computer will make a number of beeps. These are known as the
POST beep codes.
The computer may make one or two beeps on startup anyway,
however these are normal. It is only when the beep continues and your
computer does not start up correctly. Then you may have problems.
Consider the sequence of the diagram below.

Figure 1

Power On

Reads First Instruction from

ROM

POST
Power OnSelf Test

BOOT UP SEQUENCE
Questions:

1. After switching on the computer, where do the CPU reads the

instruction?
2. After completing the POST, what parts of the computer system is
activated?
3. If POST is failure, what is the activity response of the computer?

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 What is It

What is BIOS?

As your PC’s most important startup program, BIOS, or

Basic Input/Output System, is the built-in core processor software
responsible for booting up your system.Typically, embedded into your
computer as a motherboard chip, the BIOS functions as a catalyst for PC
functionality action.

The BIOS system is also responsible for managing data flow between
your computer’s operating system and any attached devices including a
hard drive, keyboard, video adapter, printer, or mouse.

Each time you power your PC on, BIOS runs through a process called
Power-On Self Test, or POST, that determines whether your attached devices
are operating correctly and are in their proper place.If BIOS detects any
problems, an error screen will appear or a series of beep codes will sound,
effectively indicating to you that something has gone wrong.

This is how to access the BIOS Setup utility:

1. Turn off the computer and wait five seconds;

2. Turn on the computer, and then immediately press the
Esc key repeatedly until the Startup Menu opens;
3. Press F10 to open the BIOS Setup Utility.

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 Basic BIOS/CMOS Utility
When you are in the
setup, you can change
many options. You can
change the order of
booting, which device do
you want the computer to
boot to etc. You can
decide whether to disable
the devices (such as on-
board sound or network
cards). You can change
the date or time and you
can also reset the CMOS
back to factory settings.
The settings in the BIOS
Main Tab
depend on each
manufacturer.

In the advance tab, you

often find information on
the IDE configuration, the
Floppy Configuration, the
Boot Settings
configuration.
This is a great place to
check if your hard drive is
being recognized.

Advance Tab

The power tab is self-

explanatory. It just gives
you power options that
you can change. I would
recommend leaving these
as they are.

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 Power Tab

The boot tab of the BIOS

setup gives you all the
options for when you boot
up. You can order the
preference in booting. You
can choose whether you
want to boot from the
Floppy Drive, CD drive, or
hard drive and in what
order. This is probably the
most changed setting in
the BIOS setup. I would
also leave as they are
unless you need
tospecifically boot from
Boot Tab
another location.

In this tab, you can

change all the passwords,
or assign passwords to the
BIOS. This can be a risky
thing to do because you
could forget your
password, but if you do
there is a way of fixing it.

Security Tab

The Exit tab is more

completed then you would
expect. There are a
number of options here.
You can exit saving your
changes, you can exit
discarding changes, you
can load optimal defaults
and also the fail sage
defaults. I wouldn’t
recommend going back to
these defaults as they will
change everything, unless
you know whatyou are
doing.
Exit Tab

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Error Beep Codes

When a PC is first switched on or reset it, performs a special diagnostic test

called a POST(Power-on Self-Test). To check all components in the PC, the POST
program sends out a signal to each device initializing each device’s built-in self test
procedure.
The POST test is a two stage process:

1. First, it will check all the basic components including among other things
the system clock,the processor, RAM, the keyboard controller and the
video;

2.After the video has been tested the BIOS will then indicate any errors
encountered by displaying either a numeric code or a text message on the
screen.

When a device fails the first part of the POST, the BIOS will send a series of
beeps from the PC’s speaker (internal) to inform the PC user that there is a problem
these beeps are coded allowing the user to diagnose the troublesome component.
When the POST has been completed successfully, the PC will make a short beep to
let the user know everything is as it should be.

For the sake of discussion we will use three (3) major brands of BIOS chip.
1. AWARD BIOS
2. Phoenix BIOS
3. AMI BIOS

Note: Each type of BIOS chip has its own error code.

AMI BIOS ERROR CODES

Indicator Error message Solution

1 Beep Memory refresh failure Check memory

Memory parity error

2 Beeps Memory read/write error Check memory

3 Beeps Motherboard timer not Check memory

functioning
Processor error

4 Beeps Gate A20/keyboard controller Replace motherboard

failure Replace processor

5 Beeps Processor exception interrupt Replace motherboard

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 6 Beeps Display memory read/write
failure Replace memory

7 Beeps ROM checksum error Replace video card

8 Beeps CMOS shutdown read/write Replace BIOS

error chip/Motherboard

9 Beeps Bad cache memory Replace BIOS

chip/Motherboard
10 Beeps
Replace cache memory

Phoenix BIOS ERROR CODES

Phoenix BIOS beep codes are a series of beeps separated by a pause, for
example:
beep---beep beep---beep—beep beep would be 1-2-1-2

Indicator Error message Solution

1-1-4-1 Cache error Check cache memory

Check BIOS ROM

1-2-2-3 BIOS ROM Checksum

1-3-1-1 DRAM test rate Check DRAM

1-3-1-3 Keyboard controller test Check keyboard

controller
RAM failure Check memory

1-3-4-1 RAM failure data bits of low Check memory

memory bus

1-3-4-3 RAM failure data bits of high

memory bus

1-4-1-1 ROM copyright notice Check ROM

2-1-2-3 Test for unexpected interrupt

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 AWARD BIOS ERROR CODES

Indicator Error message Solution

One long beep Video error Replace video card

and two short
beeps

Two short beeps Non-fatal error Reset RAM, Check

other components

Questions:

1. What does the acronym POST stand for?

2. What are the Three Major Brand of BIOS chips?
3. What does BIOS stand for, and what does it do?
4. Identify the following error codes:
• 1-2-2-3
• 1-3-4-1
• 2-1-2-3

What’s More
Activity 1
Direction: Give the brand name for each BIOS chip and its serial
number.

BIOS CHIPS BRAND SERIAL

NUMBERS
1.

10
2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

11
 7.

What I Have Learned

Task Sheet

Direction: Rearrange the correct series of activity occurred during the

Boot process.

A.________ The BIOS looks for the system files in floppy disk drive and
hard disk.
B. _______ The system files and the kernel of the OS load into RAM from
hard disk.
C. _______ The power supply sends a signal to the components in the
system unit.
D. _______ The CPU finds the ROM chips that contains BIOS.
E. _______ The BIOS performs the POST which checks components (e.g.
mouse, keyboard connectors and expansion card)
F. _______ The results of the POST are compared with data in the CMOS
chip.

What I Can Do
Short for Basic Input/Output System, the BIOS (pronounced bye-oss)
is a ROM chip found on motherboards that allows you to access and set up
your computer system at the most basic level.
The BIOS includes instructions on how to load basic computer
hardware. It also includes a test referred to as a POST (Power-On Self-Test)
that helps verify the computer meets requirements to boot up properly. If the
computer does not pass the POST, you hear a combination of beeps
indicating what is malfunctioning in the computer.

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Directions: Answer the following questions below. Write your answers in a
separate sheet of paper.

1. What is the difference between BIOS and CMOS?

2. Can a BIOS chip be upgraded or updated?
3. After switching on the PC, how many stages do BIOS accept?

Assessment

Multiple Choice

Directions: Read each item carefully and determine the correct answer
from the choices lettered A,B,C and D. Encircle the letter that
corresponds to your correct answer.

1.Short for Basic/Input Output System?

A. POST B. BIOS C. CMOS D. ROM
2. What does the term POST stand for?
A. Push On Start Task C. Pray operating System Talk
B. Power On Self Test D. Power Operations Startup Tasks
3. This term refers to programs that are stored on ROM chips.
A. Firmware B. CMOS C. Virtual machine D. OS
4. About 99 percent of the BIOS business is controlled by two companies.Of
thefollowing, which one is not a major BIOS manufacturer?
A. Intel B. AMI C. Phoenix Technology D. Award
5. Where is post located?
A. System ROM B. CMOS C. Expansion Card D. RAM
6. 1-3-4-1 error codes is RAM failure data bits of low memory bus, which
BIOS chip is manifesting such?
A. AWARD B. Phoenix C. AMIBIOS D. Intel
7. What function key is to be pressed to open the BIOS Setup Utility?
A. F12 B. F10 C. F3 D. F5
8.The computer error displayed a RAM failure, which error codes below

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indicates?
A. 1-1-1-2 B. 1-3-4-1 C. 2-2-3-1 D. 1-4-2-2
9. 9 beeps indicate a bad cache memory. What is the solution for this?
A. Replace BIOS C. Replace battery
B. Replace Video card D.Replace keyboard
10. How many beeps must be observed indicating that the processor
exception interrupted?
A. 6 beeps B. 5 beeps C. 4 beeps D. 3 beeps

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 Answer Key

Assessment Answer What I Can Do? Answer

1. B 2. B 3. A. 4.A 5. 1. The computer BIOS setup utility (also known

A as the CMOS setup) is the place where you can
6. B 7. B 8. B 9.B 10. B change a few basic computer hardware settings
while the Power On Self Test happens each time
you turn your computer on.
2. YES
3. Two stages

WhatsI Have Learned? Answer WhatsMore? Answer

A. – 5 1. Award BIOS #123456789

B. – 6 2. Phoenix BIOS # 123456789
C. – 1 3. Award BIOS # 123456789
D. – 2 4. AmiBIOS # 1234
E. – 3 5. Phoenix # 12345
F.– 4 6. Award BIOS # 123456789
7. AmiBIOS # AA654321

What Is It? Answer

1. Power -On Self Test

2. Award BIOS
Phoenix BIOS
AMIBIOS
3. Basic Input/Output System
4. 1-2-2-3 BIOS ROM checksum
1-3-4-1 RAM Failure
2-1-2-3 Test for unexpected interrupt
Whats New? Answer

1. ROM
2. Boot up Sequence
3. displayed an error message or make a number of beeps

Whats In? Answer

1,2,3,5,6,7,8,9

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REFERENCES

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Booting

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Power-on_self-test

https://www.informit.com/articles/article.aspx?p=2254213&seqNum=5

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dUCWRqOdLUw

https://www.computer-hardware-explained.com/power-on-self-test.html

https://www.geeksforgeeks.org/what-is-postpower-on-self-test/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Booting

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Power-on_self-test

https://sourcedaddy.com/windows-7/power-on-self-test-phase.html

Computer Hardware Servicing Learner’s Materials/DepEd pp.236-239

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