LAB 2-4 CMOS MANIPULATION

 

Objective

Play with the CMOS.

 

ACTIVITY

Creating a System Configuration Worksheet

A System Configuration Worksheet is a spreadsheet or other type of document that contains all of your workstation’s CMOS configuration parameters. Use the sections below to develop your own System Configuration Worksheet for your lab workstation.

 

For each of the following system components, record the information currently saved in your lab workstation’s CMOS. NOTE: Not all things will be in all computers.

CPU

Memory

IDE 1

IDE 2

IDE 3

IDE 4

SCSI

SATA 1

SATA 2

Serial 1

Serial 2

LPT 1

Network card

CACHE

 

Changing CMOS Values

  1. Review the System Configuration Worksheet provided for your computer.
  2. Start your PC.
  3. Following the instructions provided on your screen, enter the Setup program.
  4. Change the DATE for your computer to today’s date, in the year 2010.
  5. Change the boot order to boot from floppy. Get a floppy disk from me and put it into your a: drive.
  6. Save your changes.
  7. Shut down your computer, and allow it to reboot.
  8. Observe the changes in the startup sequence. What happens?

 

 

 

 

 

  1. Why?
  2. Enter the Setup program.
  3. Reconfigure your hard drive to match the parameters of your System Configuration
  1. Worksheet.
  1. Activate the Power Management on your PC.
  2. Assign the password of SNO123 in all uppercase letters to your CMOS (BIOS).
  3. Save your changes.
  4. Shut down your computer and allow it to reboot.
  5. Observe the changes in the startup sequence. Write down what happens.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When you finish, remove the BIOS password.

 

 

Restoring your lab workstation using the System Configuration Worksheet

  1. Enter the Setup program.
  2. Refer to the System Configuration Worksheet, and reconfigure all CMOS settings to their original configuration.
  3. All better? Yes or no?

 

 

 

Review Questions

Circle True or False.

  1. A System Configuration Worksheet is used to record your operating system’s configuration. True / False
  2. The system time and date are configured using the CMOS SETUP program. True / False
  3. It is best practice to always record your CMOS settings before making changes. True /False
  4. Describe some of the dangers of flashing a BIOS.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  1. You just finished installing 1 GB of RAM into Umair’s computer. You now want to verify that Chicken Little’s computer recognizes all of the RAM. Describe below how you can verify the memory configuration of his computer.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  1. Describe how replacing a CMOS battery affects a CMOS password and other configured CMOS parameters.

 

 

 

 

  1. Why does this happen?

 

 

 

 

Because newer systems do not respond immediately to a dead CMOS battery, we won’t pull the battery to see what happens. If you don’t know, ask someone else or go find the information online. In older systems, if you pulled the battery it would react immediately.