Jump to content
United States - English

BIOS Setup Information and Menu Options

Give us feedback

This document:
  • » Was helpful
  • » Was not helpful
  • » Does not apply

Support details

This document contains information on what the BIOS is, how to enter it, and how to use it. Specific default BIOS settings are not addressed here, as there are too many variations between computer models to include in a short document. It is good practice to keep a record of your BIOS settings for future reference. Default settings can be reloaded easily.
Updating the BIOS
If you are looking for information on updating the BIOS, go to the following document:
What is the BIOS Setup utility?
Basic Input/Output System (BIOS) is a program that controls communication between all the input and output devices on the system (such as, disk drives, display, keyboard, mouse, and printer). The BIOS is typically placed in a read only memory chip (ROM) on the computer's motherboard.
The system BIOS on the computer has a built-in setup utility that lets users control the special features of the computer. Configuration information stored in the BIOS includes the type of peripherals installed, the startup sequence of the computer, and the amount of system and extended memory. When the system is turned off, a battery on the motherboard maintains the BIOS Setup information.
NOTE: The information stored by the BIOS Setup utility is essential. It should not be changed arbitrarily.
CAUTION: Caution should be used when making changes in the BIOS Setup utility. A mistake could cause the PC to not perform as expected.
Navigating through the BIOS
The following table explains how to navigate through the BIOS:
Key on keyboardDescription of function
F1 or F10Enter Setup at the red Compaq logo or blue HP logo
F1Setup Help
EscExit Setup
Up or Down arrow keySelects an item (Moves the cursor up or down)
Left or Right arrow keySelects a different menu screen (Moves the cursor left or right)
+ or -Changes the values of the selected item
EnterSelect submenu
F5Load the Setup default values
F10Save changes and Exit
Entering the BIOS Setup menu
Entering the BIOS Setup menu requires pressing a specific key at a specific time. If you fail to enter the Setup menu on your first try, repeat the following steps until you are successful:
  1. Close all applications that are currently running and restart the computer by clicking Start , Shut Down , Restart the Computer , and then OK .
  2. When the red Compaq logo or blue HP logo screen appears, press the F10 key on the keyboard to enter the Setup menu.
NOTE: An alternate to the above steps, especially if the logo screen disappears too quickly to enter BIOS, is to shut down (turn off) the computer. Wait 30 seconds, turn the power on and press F10 or F1 at the logo screen.
Reloading the default settings
Complete the following steps to reload the factory installed BIOS Setup settings:
  1. In the BIOS Setup utility, select the Exit tab.
  2. Select Load Setup Defaults .
  3. Select Save Changes and Exit (pressing F5 and the Enter key will also load the Setup Defaults).
  4. Press Esc and then Enter to exit Setup.
BIOS menu options
The BIOS Setup has five different tabs along the top. The tab headings are listed below:
MainAdvancedPowerBootExit
Allocates resources for hardware componentsConfigures advanced features available through the chipsetConfigures power management featuresSelects boot options and power supply controlsSaves or discards changes to Setup program options
BIOS Setup initially displays the Main menu screen. In each screen, there are different options for modifying the system configuration. The menu screens and their options are listed below.
Main menu
Below is a summary of what may be contained on the Main tab of the BIOS Setup:
  • System Time
  • System Date
  • Language
  • Legacy Diskette A (floppy)
  • Primary Master (hard drive); selecting this brings up the hard drive settings, such as cylinders, sectors, and capacity
  • Primary Slave
  • Secondary Master (CD-ROM); selecting this brings up the CD-ROM settings
  • Secondary Slave
  • Installed Memory (RAM)
  • BIOS revision
Primary and secondary device submenu
  • Type
  • CHS Format
  • Cylinders
  • Heads
  • Sectors
  • Maximum Capacity
  • LBA Format
  • Total Sectors
  • Maximum Capacity
  • Multi-Sector Transfers
  • LBA Mode Control
  • 32 Bit I/O
  • Transfer Mode
  • Ultra DMA Mode
Advanced menu
Below is a summary of what may be contained on the Advanced tab of the BIOS Setup:
  • CPU type
  • CPU speed
  • Cache Ram
  • Plug and Play O/S
  • Reset Configuration Data (Clear the NVRAM)
  • PS/2 Mouse
  • Large Disk Access Mode
  • Local Bus IDE Adapter
  • PCI Configuration; selecting this brings up an additional Setup menu to configure PCI devices
  • I/O Device Configuration; selecting this brings up the Peripheral Configuration; for example, the serial port and parallel port IRQs and modes
PCI Configuration submenu
  • PCI Device, Slot number 1
  • PCI Device, Slot number 2
  • PCI Device, Slot number 3
  • PCI/PNP ISA UMB Region Exclusion
  • PCI/PNP ISA IRQ Resource Exclusion
PCI Device, Slot #n submenu
  • Option ROM Scan
  • Enable Master
  • Latency Timer
PCI/PNP ISA UMB Region Exclusion submenu
  • C800 - CBFF
  • CC00 - CFFF
  • D000 - D3FF
  • D400 - D7FF
  • D800 - DBFF
  • DCFF - DFFF
PCI/PNP ISA IRQ Region Exclusion submenu
  • IRQ 3
  • IRQ 4
  • IRQ 5
  • IRQ 7
  • IRQ 9
  • IRQ 10
  • IRQ 11
  • Serial port A
  • Base I/O Address
  • Interrupt
  • Serial port B
  • Parallel port
  • Mode
  • Base I/O Address
  • Interrupt
  • Floppy disk controller
  • Base I/O address
Power menu
Below is a summary of what may be contained on the Power tab of the BIOS Setup:
  • Power Savings
  • Auto Suspend Timeout
  • Hard Disk Timeout
  • IDE Primary Master (power saving setting)
  • IDE Primary Slave (power saving setting)
  • IDE Secondary Master (power saving setting)
  • IDE Secondary Slave (power saving setting)
  • IRQ assigned to modem
  • Power button behavior
  • Restore on AC/Power Loss
Boot menu
Below is a summary of what is contained on the Boot tab of the BIOS Setup:
  • The order for the bottom process; for example: Removable devices, CD ROM, and hard drive.
  • Boot-time Diagnostic screen
Exit menu
Below is a summary of what may be contained on the Exit tab of the BIOS Setup:
  • Exit Saving Changes
  • Exit Discarding Changes
  • Load Setup Defaults
  • Discard Changes
  • Save Changes


Other solutions customers found helpful

» HP Notebook PCs -- Updating the BIOS or ROM for Notebooks Running Windows XP
» HP Notebook PCs -- Locating HP Software, Driver and BIOS Updates
» HP Notebook PCs -- Checking Your Notebook PC Using the HP System Health Scan
» HP Notebook PCs -- A Password is Required Causing the Computer to not Startup or Boot in Windows XP
Search
Contact HP