Hardware Reference
In-Depth Information
System Startup
At this point you are ready to power on the system for the first time. To prepare for this,
you should 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 de-
termine whether any major problems exist. To run the BIOS Setup and configure the sys-
tem, 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. ThesystemshouldautomaticallygothroughaPOSTconsistingofvideoBIOScheck-
ing,aRAMtest,andusuallyaninstalledcomponentreport.Ifafatalerroroccursdur-
ingthePOST,youmightnotseeanythingonscreen, andthesystem mightbeepsever-
al 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 . SystemsthatuseUEFImightcreateanerrorlogthatcanbeviewedbeforethesys-
tem 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 Running or Accessing the CMOS Setup Program ,” p. 282 ( Chapter 5 ).
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