Lesson 6 Chapter 4 - BIOS/UEFI Flashcards
What is the boot process?
steps, after, before
The steps your computer goes through after you press the power button but before the OS appears on the monitor
What components make up the boot process? (4)
system, built in, config, eraser
- System ROM chip (mostly permanent, firmware)
- BIOS/UEFI (programming built into the ROM chip to support components)
- BIOS/UEFI configuration options
- NVRAM
What does the system ROM store? For what type of computer?
The system ROM stores all absolutely essential programming that a computer needs (any computer, mobile device, old and new, etc)
What does the BIOS/UEFI provide for the computer? (2)
amnesia, provides
- Provides system information (what type of computer, what hardware is in it, what day/time it is)
- Provides support for all the motherboard components/things that are plugged into the motherboard
What does CMOS stand for?
Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor
What’s the difference between the ROM-BIOS chip and the CMOS chip? (BIOS 1, CMOS 3)
bios: stores
cmos: load, rely, contain
The ROM-BIOS chip:
- Stores BIOS settings from the motherboard’s manufacturer
CMOS chip:
- Loads any exceptions/changes to the BIOS’s basic facts (overwrites)
- The CMOS chip relies on a battery to keep it powered
- Contains a special kind of Dynamic RAM that requires very little electricity
What does NVRAM stand for?
Non-Volatile Ram
What is NVRAM used for? What doesn’t it rely on?
NVRAM replaced the CMOS chip, and provides the custom settings for a computer along with the system ROM without relying on a power connection
In today’s modern systems, which bootup processes are still used and for what? (3)
- System ROM - absolutely essential programming
- BIOS/UEFI - basic system information, hardware, day/time (CMOS), support for motherboard components
- NVRAM - exceptions/changes to BIOS/UEFI
On older systems, what were the 2 choices for data stored on chips?
- System ROM/BIOS (read-only, unchangeable)
- CMOS (chip remains constantly on to retain its data)
How many bits make up a BIOS chip, and a UEFI chip? (2)
BIOS chip - 16 bits
UEFI chip - 32 bits
Why did manufacturers start making motherboards with a UEFI chip instead of a BIOS chip?
UEFI chips because it’s 32-bits and is able to store more data that the 16-bit BIOS chip can’t
What are some differences between BIOS and UEFI features? (4)
chip, gpu, bytes, shoe
- 16-bit BIOS, 32-bit UEFI
- UEFI offers a GUI to allow navigation with a mouse
- Supports booting drives larger than 2.2 TB by using the GPT standard
- Supports Secure Boot feature
What are the 3 main stages of the boot process?
fight the, office, weight
- Power on
- POST
- OS loads
Where is the power good wire located? What uses the power good wire to wake the system up?
The good wire is located on the CPU
The power supply uses the power good wire to wake the CPU and system up (so the CPU can communicate with the system ROM chip and start the BIOS/UEFI programs)
What happens during POST? (3 parts)
asks, run-report, error user
- BIOS/UEFI asks essential hardware to identify itself
- Runs internal diagnostic routines and reports back to the BIOS/UEFI
- If there are any device errors, the BIOS/UEFI communicates it to the user with POST error codes
POST error codes are communicated through…. ?
beep codes
What are three common but different types of POST beeps? (3)
1, repeat, series
- A single, short beep at boot-up means all’s good
- A long, repeating beep signals a problem with RAM
- A series of beeps, 1 long 3 short, is usually a problem with the video card
Besides beeps, what are 2 other ways a POST might display errors?
- Numerical
- Text
What are the 4 steps taken during Step 3 [The OS Loads] of the Boot Process?
locates shoe, if/then pass the stick, load -heart into, core 3x into
- Locates the first bootable device in boot device sequence
- If POST succeeds, BIOS/UEFI passes control to the OS
- The OS loads vital system files into memory
- The OS loads core files, drivers, and services into RAM
Describe the 4 steps taken during Step 1 [Power on] of the Boot Process
fight the, zap, wake up, brain talks to -starts
- Powers on
- Zaps the motherboard and drivers awake
- PSU tells the system to wake up through the power good wire on the CPU
- CPU communicates with the system ROM chip to start the BIOS/UEFI programs
What’s the most common way of acquiring a firmware update (for BIOS/UEFI)? (2 places to download)
- Download the installer file from the manufacturer’s website
- Optical disk
What happens during the firmware installation process (updating the BIOS/UEFI) (4)
down, special, up in, re-re
- Installer shuts down the OS
- Reboots into a special mode that provides access to the firmware
- Update installs
- System reboots and re-loads the OS
What does “flashing the BIOS” mean?
up
Flashing the BIOS means electrically erasing and reprogramming the BIOS/UEFI chip using a special utility
What’s an important warning when installing a BIOS/UEFI firmware update? What should you do beforehand? (2)
- Always let it finish completely! An interrupted BIOS/UEFI flash renders the motherboard useless.
- Back up important files before starting a firmware update and update any system repair media
What are 5 tools the BIOS/UEFI setup utility provides?
component, enable.. essential, provide d, monitor and displays, enables up
- Display BIOS/UEFI component information
- Enables configuration of essential system options
- Provides diagnostics
- Monitors and displays system information
- Enables firmware updates
What does “secure boot” prevent you from doing? How does it prevent this? (2)
prevents, requires
It prevents the computer from loading into UEFI during the boot process.
It requires the UEFI to start from a signed software (have to start it through the OS)
How do you access the BIOS/UEFI setup utility in a system running Windows 8 or later? (7 steps) [OS, because of Secure Boot] [Windows 10 + 11]
- open
- update
- Hospital
- adv, re
- basketball
- adv opt
- settings, re
- Open Settings
- Update and Security (Windows 10), System (Windows 11)
- Recovery
- Advanced startup > restart now
- Troubleshoot
- Advanced Options
- UEFI Firmware Settings > Restart
Where do you go in the UEFI to change the boot order?
BIOS/UEFI configuration utility
What does Secure Boot require? (3)
type cpu, boot, os
- Intel CPU
- UEFI/BIOS
- OS designed for it (Windows 8 or later)
What does the chassis intrusion detection/notification do? (3)
trip, what logs it, notification
- Compatible cases contain a switch that trips when someone opens the case
- CMOS logs whether the case has been opened
- Posts a notification to the screen on the subsequent boot
What is DriveLock? Where is it located and enabled by? What is it used for? (2)
is the… mode… on some motherboards…
mode…protects…from… when…
- DriveLock is the ATA Security Mode Feature Set on some motherboards enabled by the CMOS setup program.
- ATA Security Mode protects hard disks from unwanted access when a system is lost or stolen
What does LoJack allow you to do if your PC is stolen? (3)
path, lumberjack, remote
LoJack security feature in the BIOS allows you to:
- Track a stolen PC
- Install a keylogger
- Remotely shut down your computer
What does TPM stand for?
Trusted Platform Module
What does the TPM do? What’s one of the most common uses for it? (2)
- TPM is a hardware platform (specialized chip) that acts as a secure cryptoprocessor for secure data storage
- One of the most common uses of TPM is hard disk encryption
What does the TPM look like/located? (2)
Trusted Platform Module
- TPM can be a small circuit board plugged into the motherboard
- Or, it can be built directly into the chipset
(Enabled/Disabled by CMOS setup program)
What are 4 other possible uses for TPM?
digital, network, app, password
- Digital Rights Management (DRM)
- Network Access Control
- Application Execution Control
- Password Protection
How do you update the BIOS/UEFI firmware normally? (3)
web, down, boot
- Go to motherboard manufacturer’s website
- Download latest firmware upgrade
- Boot to the BIOS/UEFI setup utility
If it’s a utility option, how do you update the firmware? (3)
run, locate, dry skin
- Run the utility (boot)
- Locate the downloaded firmware upgrade
- Patch
POST error codes in the 100-199 range mean what?
Motherboard error
POST error codes in the 200-299 range mean what?
RAM error
Where is the BIOS/UEFI setup utility stored?
In the system ROM/NVRAM
