If you don’t know why you need to edit the BIOS settings, you don’t need to read this section expect perhaps out of rainy day curiosity. This section describes how to enter the BIOS and make some of the changes.

Don’t change anything unless you know exactly what setting you’re supposed to change, either though advice from your PC’s tech support staff, a trusted Internet site. Unlike Windows XP, the BIOS doesn’t come with a System Restore safety net. Experimenting can lead to unexpected and unfortunate consequences.

The closest thing to a safety net awaits you at the Exit screen where you leave the BIOS and load your operating system. There, your BIOS may offer the chance to “Exit and Restore Factory Defaults.” That reverts all the setting to their states when the PC left the factory, a helpful last resort that wipes out all the changes you’ve made.