Do you password protect your Bios?

[Cida]

If I had anything I didn't want any body accessing

/TrueCrypt

[Elektrisk]

I don't use a BIOS password. Aside from the fact that I don't have any important files on my computer, I don't plan on my computer being stolen either :p

I doubt anyone does until it happens

[MrD.]

I don't bother. If someone really wanted to use my PC they could just remove the CMOS battery to remove the password (or use a CMOS clear jumper/button, depending on the motherboard) and bye bye BIOS password.

[Elektrisk]

I don't bother. If someone really wanted to use my PC they could just remove the CMOS battery to remove the password (or use a CMOS clear jumper/button, depending on the motherboard) and bye bye BIOS password.

To be honest, there're many ignorant people who would try to steal a laptop. Many wouldn't know what the CMOS battery is. *I* don't know what it is =P So, I'm doubting many low life criminals who would steal a laptop knows what to do to remove a BIOS password.

I assigned one. I was rather displeased at how my password could only be like 8 characters long, but it works.

[.:xX[ThunderStorm]Xx:.]

I don't use it unless'm on laptop and yea What is BIOS is very nice lol.

[MrD.]

*I* don't know what it is =P

Take a look at the motherboard in your computer, on it somewhere there will be a circular battery. Now the memory that is used to hold your BIOS settings is volatile (think of RAM, that's volatile memory, once it loses power anything in it is lost), because of this it has to have a constant small supply of power in order to make it non-volatile when the mains power is switched off. Once this power supply (the battery) is removed or dies in some way, all your settings are lost so when you next start your PC it will use the factory default BIOS settings.

[Elektrisk]

Take a look at the motherboard in your computer, on it somewhere there will be a circular battery. Now the memory that is used to hold your BIOS settings is volatile (think of RAM, that's volatile memory, once it loses power anything in it is lost), because of this it has to have a constant small supply of power in order to make it non-volatile when the mains power is switched off. Once this power supply (the battery) is removed or dies in some way, all your settings are lost so when you next start your PC it will use the factory default BIOS settings.

Thanks a lot. That makes sense.
So, would removing the battery and putting it back in be fine, or would you need to replace the battery with a different one? Or, can you remove the battery and start your PC that way? Or does it need the battery to start?

[Support]

BIOS provides an interface for a computer's hardware and software

Source: http://www.satech.com/glosofmemter.html

To the user that voted what is bios?

[MrD.]

So, would removing the battery and putting it back in be fine, or would you need to replace the battery with a different one? Or, can you remove the battery and start your PC that way? Or does it need the battery to start?

Yes, no, yes, no.

You would probably want to replace the battery if it was dead.

No, your PC doesn't need one, but it would mean that you would have to reset all your BIOS information to the correct details every time you used your PC after disconnecting it from the mains.

[Elektrisk]

OK, so removing the battery and putting it back in would reset the BIOS?