Individual PC makers might have modified some of the BIOS code they purchased, or not have activated all the features. Phoenix and Award between them have supplied most motherboard manufacturers.

That covers most BIOSes that users are likely to encounter. Note that even BIOSes with built-in automatic rollover may not have had that feature activated by the PC maker, so be prepared to manually advance the date to 2000 next year. Phoenixs QuadtelBIOS 3.0x is year 2000-ready.

Visit the Web site for readiness details on all PhoenixBIOS CBG 1.x versions released between 19 and on ROM BIOS Plus, released from 1986 through 1992. The same holds for NoteBIOS, Phoenix PicoBIOS and ServerBIOS.

Phoenix Technologies Web site at claims that the companys PhoenixBIOS 4.0 releases dated after 1992 are readyif you manually roll over the date. Note that this is specific timing and cannot be done just any old time. 31, 1999, turning it back on again after midnight and correcting the system date in Microsoft Windows Setup. If the BIOS dates from before April 26, 1994, reset the system clock by turning the PC off before midnight on Dec. Some old Award BIOSes need only a one-time fix as described on the companys Web site. Awards Web site at doesnt specify the version number but advises replacing all Award BIOS chips released between April 26, 1994, and May 31, 1995. of San Jose, Calif., check whether it is Version 4.05. If you happen to have a BIOS from Award Software International Inc., a company recently acquired by Phoenix Technologies Inc. Dont neglect to check this out even if the PC runs supposedly 2000-ready Microsoft Windows 9x or Windows NT software. A new PC with flash BIOS is designed for electronic upgrades. For faster booting, it might copy the BIOS information to RAM and work from the copy, but in any case the PC cannot communicate with its keyboard or drives until it has relearned from the BIOS what I/O devices are attached and how they work.Īn old computer with an unready BIOS might fail even to boot next year unless you replace the BIOS chip, which often causes other problems. Whether a PC will boot up correctly next year depends on its basic I/O system, or BIOS.Įach time a PC starts after a cold or warm boot, it checks the BIOS software stored in nonvolatile read-only memory.

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