All About Your Computer's BIOS

Are you confused by the computer BIOS? The BIOS is a fundamental component of any PC and if you really want to get into the guys of a computer, it's good through understanding what BIOS Is all about.

This article gives you a summary of what BIOS is and how you can play with the basic and advanced options in a typical BIOS configuration.

Definition

First up, let's just define what the BIOS is. The BIOS stands for the Basic Input-Output System of a PC. It is stored on a BIOS chip on the motherboard and it is the interface between your operating system and the computer's hardware. All the software actions you make, e.g. click a in Windows XP, are translated into machine instructions which pass through the BIOS and then subsequently to your monitor, graphics card and what not.

The BIOS is a crucial component of a PC If it fails, your PC isn't going to boot up. I always skip a heartbeat if I see any funny behavior with a PC's BIOS. Because it spells (almost certainly that is) doom for the computer. Make sure you're very, very careful if you intend to fiddle around with the BIOS in anyway. Children, don't do this at home without the supervision of a technie.

Basic Options

Let's run through the basic options of a BIOS setup. Right after you power up the computer, there is usually a key you can hit (usually F8) which allows you to access the PC's BIOS.

In the basic menu in the BIOS, you should see settings for configuring hard drives and boot up options. You can specify which are your primary and secondary hard risk and which will boot up first. You can also specify if the floppy disk or CD Rom boot support before or after the hard disk.

Advanced Options

If you go in to the Advanced Options menu, you can delve into the advanced options for the BIOS configuration. If you're into overclocking, you can specify a different CPU frequency than the default. But be very careful when you do this - you may end up burning your CPU chip if you don't know what you're doing.

In the advanced options menu, you can also change memory frequency and timing, as well as the AGP speed for your graphics card. Again, exercise extreme care when playing around with these settings. You can damage your PC if you don't know what you're doing.

There are many other options in a computer's BIOS you can play with. Some of them include password and security options to limit access to the system, or stuff like power saving options. You can also control things like whether the Numlock key should be on or off when you first start the system.

Conclusion

I hope the article has helped you understand a little of what goes into a com0utper's BIOS and how you can make use of it. Remember, the BIOS is such a fundamental component of any PC that you MUST exercise extreme caution when meddling with it. If you're not sure - don't change anything. It's best to understand the BIOS properly from an expert or read a good book before changing it in any way.

How To Safeguard Your Computer Against Online Threats

Your computer is like the human body. It is susceptible to viruses, malicious codes and other threats from the cyber world that can infect and destroy its data. Cyber crime is on the rise and just like new diseases in the real world, cyber criminals and hackers engineer new viruses and programs every now and then to intrude into people's computers in order to hack and steal sensitive stored data. There is no cause for concern however as there are certain precautions you can take to protect your computer from the menace of online threats and intrusions.

Antivirus - With the present technological advancement, hackers have become more malicious. They release new viruses and worms online that get installed on the computers of unsuspecting users. This leads to an epic loss of data and in worst cases results in a crash as these viruses wipe out all crucial system files from the computer. However, installing an effective antivirus program can protect your computer from these online threats. Once installed the antivirus program will automatically secure your computer by individually scanning all files and folders. If any viruses or malicious threats are detected, the antivirus program would notify you and quarantine the infected file in a safe location on your computer.

Anti spyware - Spyware is one of the stealthiest online threats that quite often goes undetected by the user. Spyware are created by unscrupulous online marketers who use the program as a behavioral tracker to keep tabs on the type of websites you visit so that they can decide which product you would most likely purchase. Spyware is harmful for your computer as it changes your settings and drastically slows it down. They usually install themselves in the guise of tool-bars or enter your computer directly from certain websites. Installing Anti spyware software would shield your computer from this menace. The Anti spyware software gets activated the moment you turn on your computer and constantly monitors and scans your files and folders for any spyware that might be present.

Firewall - Firewall is a basic default security setting found on every Windows supported computer. When activated, it monitors the stream of data that is relayed from the Internet to your computer and vice versa. The firewall scans all applications that are connected to the Internet and prompts you with a message if it notices a suspicious unidentified program. It is a fairly effective security measure that is best supplemented by a potent antivirus program for maximum security.

In addition to the methods mentioned above, you can follow these simple precautions:

-Always scan for viruses before downloading an email attachment

-Never open an unknown email attachment as it could most likely be a virus

-Always ensure to run a virus scan before opening or installing a downloaded file or program from the Internet.

-Avoid clicking on indiscriminate pop ups that appear on your browser window.

Keeping these basic preventive measures in mind, you can ensure complete protection for your computer from the peril of online threats.