Flash BIOS Failure

The BIOS is a chip located on the motherboard.

BIOS is a chip located on the motherboard, responsible for detecting the basic hardware and input devices when you power on your computer. The BIOS requires periodical updating, or flashing in order to work with newer hardware.

Causes

A BIOS flash failure can permanently damage a motherboard, so take extreme caution when executing this operation. Make sure you download the correct BIOS versions, and only use the motherboard's manufacturer site.

Prevention

To avoid a BIOS flash failure, update the BIOS only if you really need to. There's no point in risking a faulty BIOS update if everything works fine.

Misconceptions

Many people think a BIOS update requires modifications to the motherboard. This is due to the fact that older motherboards used a read-only memory chip (ROM chip) to store the BIOS, but most modern motherboards use flash memory, which makes BIOS updates more accessible.

References

• Webopedia: BIOS
• Princeton University: How to upgrade of flash your computer system BIOS

Resources

• Suny College at Oneonta: Understanding the BIOS