Nepal Police2080 BSQuestion 1 of 14

What is BIOS? Explain its importance in computers.

5 marks

Exam year: 2080 BS / 2024 AD
Level: Sub-Inspector (Prabidhik – IT/Computer)
Paper: Paper II – Professional and Service Specific Test
Section: Section A

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BIOS (Basic Input/Output System) — UEFI on modern PCs — is firmware stored in motherboard flash chip that starts the computer before the OS loads.

Importance:

POST — Tests CPU, RAM, keyboard, disk on power-on; beeps/displays error if hardware fails.
Hardware detection — Identifies disks, USB, LAN before OS drivers load.
Bootstrapping — Finds bootloader (SSD/USB) per boot order and hands control to OS.
Low-level settings — Date/time, SATA mode, virtualization enable, Secure Boot, BIOS password.
Recovery base — Works even when OS is corrupted, allowing reinstall from USB.

Without BIOS/UEFI, the CPU would not know where the OS lives — it is the bridge between hardware and software.

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