Short for Basic Input/Output System, the BIOS or System BIOS is a chip located on all computer motherboards that contains instructions and setup for how your system should boot and how it operates. In the picture to the right, is an example of what a BIOS chip may look like in your computer.The BIOS includes instructions on how to load basic computer hardware and includes a test referred to as a POST (Power On Self Test) that helps verify the computer meets requirements to boot up properly. If the computer does not pass the POST, you will receive a combination of beeps indicating what is malfunctioning within the computer.