Hardware Reference
In-Depth Information
At this point, you are ready to power on the system for the first time. To prepare for this, connect the
following:
• Keyboard
• Mouse
• Display
• Power
Note that I did not include connecting a network cable. I usually recommend you do that after the OS
has been installed, along with any service packs, and after you have ensured you are either behind a
router or have the OS's built-in firewall turned on.
Now that everything is connected, you can power up the system and run the BIOS Setup program. This
enables you to configure the motherboard to access the installed devices and set the system date and
time. The system POST (power-on self-test) also runs to determine whether any major problems
exist. To run the BIOS Setup and configure the system, do the following:
1.
Power on the monitor first and then the system unit. Observe the operation via the screen and
listen for any beeps from the system speaker.
2.
The system should automatically go through a POST consisting of video BIOS checking, a
RAM test, and usually an installed component report. If a fatal error occurs during the POST,
you might not see anything onscreen, and the system might beep several times, indicating a
specific problem. Check the motherboard, BIOS documentation to determine what the beep
codes mean. A list of POST codes is included in
Chapter 20
.
Systems that use UEFI might
create an error log that can be viewed before the system starts or use beep codes for some types
of errors.
3.
If there are no fatal errors, you should see the POST display onscreen. Depending on the type
of motherboard BIOS or UEFI used, such as Phoenix, AMI, Award, or others, you have to press
a key to interrupt the normal boot sequence and get to the BIOS Setup program screens that
enable you to enter important system information. Normally, the system indicates via the
onscreen display which key to press to activate the BIOS or UEFI Setup program during the
POST, but if not, check the motherboard manual for the key(s) to press to enter Setup. Common
keys used to enter BIOS or UEFI Setup are F1, F2, Del, F10, Esc, and Ins.
See the
Chapter 5
section, “
Running or Accessing the BIOS Setup Program
,”
p.
292
.
4.
Press the appropriate key to enter the BIOS Setup when prompted. Because the POST in
modern motherboards is so fast, it is easy to miss the time you are supposed to press the key, so
I usually start tapping the key repeatedly just a second or two after powering on. In some cases
this may generate a keyboard error message, which you can ignore as the BIOS Setup screen
appears. You should now be in the BIOS Setup. If you didn't press the key in time, reset the
system and try again.
5.
Check the BIOS version reported on the main Setup screen and ensure that it is the latest
version. If it isn't, now would be a good time to install the updated flash BIOS image. The
easiest method to do a BIOS upgrade on newer systems is via a bootable CD containing the
BIOS image. To do this, on another system visit the motherboard manufacturer website and
download the bootable CD image (*.ISO) file. Burn this image to a CD, and then place the CD
into the optical drive of the new system and reset it. Follow the prompts on the screen to
