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Q: What is a
BIOS?
The BIOS is the software interface that
allows the Windows 2000 operating system to communicate with
your computer's underlying hardware. It is used to boot the
computer when it is turned on. The BIOS is the lowest level
code that lives directly on the computer's main circuit board
(motherboard).
Q: Why do I need to update my BIOS?
Windows 2000 has advanced power management
and Plug and Play features. If you acquired your system before
the manufacturer prepared it for some of these new features,
it may have a BIOS version that is not compatible with Windows
2000. To work properly with Windows 2000, your computer must
have a compliant Advanced Configuration and Power Interface (ACPI)
BIOS, otherwise you won't be able to use the ACPI-based power
management support in Windows 2000. Updating your BIOS is
especially important if you have a notebook or laptop computer
and you want to take advantage of the latest power management
features built in to Windows 2000.
Q: What is ACPI?
ACPI stands for Advanced Configuration
and Power Management Interface. ACPI defines new
working interfaces between Windows 2000, the BIOS, and your
system's hardware. These new interfaces include mechanisms
that allow Windows 2000 to control power management and device
configuration.
Q: What is power management?
Windows 2000 has power management
capabilities that allow it to control how much power a
computer uses by putting it in lower power "sleep
states," such as Standby and Hibernate. Windows 2000 then
"wakes" the system up when you press the power
button, and your system is fully operational almost
immediately.
Q: How do I know if my Windows 98 system
requires a BIOS update?
- Determine if you computer uses ACPI.
You can tell whether your Windows 98-based system uses
ACPI by checking the list found in the Device Manager.
NOTE: Windows 95 and Windows NT� systems do not
support ACPI features.
- From the Start menu, point to Settings,
then Control Panel, and click System.
- Select the Hardware tab and
then click Device Manager. If your computer
uses ACPI, Advanced Configuration and Power Interface
appears in the list.
NOTE: After you upgrade to Windows
2000, you can tell if you have ACPI support if Standby
appears in the Shutdown menu. If you get a BIOS update
from your computer manufacturer, you can enable ACPI-based
power management support after installing Windows 2000.
Q: How do I get the correct BIOS update for
my computer?
- You must know the make and complete
model number of your computer. Check your system
documentation or contact the hardware manufacturer for
complete information. In some cases, you can determine the
manufacturer and model from the BIOS identification string
that is shown on the first screen when you turn your
computer on (during the memory count-up). When this screen
comes up, push the PAUSE or BREAK button to freeze
the screen and note the long string of numbers and letters
at the bottom of the screen, excluding the date.
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CAUTION! It is very
important to obtain the correct version of BIOS
for your computer model from the manufacturer.
Computer manufacturers may offer several different
BIOS versions. Do not download a version of
BIOS that is not specified for your specific
computer model. Please be aware that installing an
incorrect BIOS update may cause serious damage to
your computer system. You are solely responsible
for the accuracy of your selection. Contact your
computer manufacturer to ensure you have the most
current BIOS version.
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- Go to the Search
for Compatible Computers area. This area lets
you search for computers that are compatible with
Windows 2000. When you search for your computer by model
and manufacturer, some search results include links to
manufacturer Web sites that have the correct version of
BIOS for specific computer models. The search tool
results are not all-inclusive.
NOTE: The links provided from the Search for
Compatible computers site allow you to leave
Microsoft�s site and access the computer
manufacturer�s site, from which you may download a
BIOS update. Microsoft does not control, and is not
responsible for the contents of any linked site, any
link contained in such linked site, or any changes or
updates to such sites. These links are provided to you
only as a convenience and Microsoft is not responsible
for the contents or services on these sites.
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�
2000 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. Terms of
use.
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