Symptoms

• If your computer is having problems with its BIOS, you will know right away when you start up your computer. A computer's BIOS performs a self-test on basic hardware when starting up; a series of beeps, which varies depending on the BIOS manufacturer, indicates that a hardware problem exists. Other symptoms of a dead BIOS include a blank screen displayed after start-up, or a blue screen if using Windows 7.
  
  

Possible Causes

• Your dead BIOS may be the result of an improper update to your system. Many motherboards allow updates to be uploaded to a BIOS through a flash drive to improve various functions of the BIOS's performance, such as the ability to read larger capacity hard drives. Any problems experienced during the updating process, such as a power outage, can corrupt the BIOS chip. A motherboard will not stop the BIOS from uploading an incompatible BIOS update, so if you use a BIOS update incompatible with the manufacturer's BIOS, this can also result in a dead BIOS.
  
  

Troubleshooting

• You can diagnose your dead BIOS by using a power-on self-test, or POST, card. The manufacturer of your BIOS will have POST cards for sale to perform your own diagnostic test. Disconnect your computer from any power sources and dismantle the hardware to reveal your computer's motherboard. Plug the POST card into an open motherboard slot and turn the computer back on. The POST card will have an LED display or beep codes indicating any problems with the computer's hardware; these error codes will vary depending on the manufacturer.
  
  

BIOS Restore

• You can also restore a malfunctioning BIOS to its default settings; this sometimes can counteract any corruption caused by an improper flash. Restart your computer and, when prompted during the start-up, press the key that enters BIOS setup. From the main BIOS window, select "Restore Previous Settings," "Reset All Settings to Default" or any other option that will restore your BIOS to the factory default settings. Save your changes if necessary and restart the computer to use the restored BIOS.