BIOS
Technology & Computing abbreviation · Computer
| Stands for | Basic Input/Output System |
|---|---|
| Categories | Technology & Computing |
BIOS stands for Basic Input/Output System, a computer abbreviation.
Firmware on a motherboard chip that starts a PC, checks its hardware and hands control to the operating system's boot loader. Users enter BIOS setup, usually by pressing Del, F2 or F10 at power-on, to change boot order, enable virtualization or tune memory.
Example: Enable virtualization in the BIOS before installing the Android emulator.
Usage notes
Gary Kildall coined the term in 1975 for the CP/M operating system, and the 1981 IBM PC made it a PC standard. Since the early 2010s PCs have shipped with UEFI firmware instead, but "BIOS" remains the everyday name for the setup screen. Pronounced "BY-ose". Updating it is called flashing the BIOS; losing power mid-flash can leave a board unable to start.
Related abbreviations
More computer abbreviations
- ACPI – Advanced Configuration and Power Interface
- AD – Active Directory
- Alt – Alternate key
- AltGr – Alternate Graphic key
- APFS – Apple File System
- ASCII – American Standard Code for Information Interchange
- BOM – Byte order mark
- BSOD – Blue Screen of Death
- Btrfs – B-tree file system
- BYOD – Bring your own device
- CAD – Computer-aided design
- CAM – Computer-aided manufacturing