Definitions for "Basic Input/Output System"
n. Code that controls basic hardware operations, such as interactions with diskette drives, hard disk drives, and the keyboard
Chips on the motherboard of a computer contain read only memory instructions that are used to start up a computer. The operating system of a PC also makes use of BIOS instructions and settings to access hardware components such as a disk drive. Some BIOS/ CMOS settings can be set to scan for viruses, causing problems for some installation programs.
The program that tells a computer to start the operating system and communicates with various hardware; disk drives, keyboards, monitors, printers and communications ports. Return to .
Keywords:  interface, rate