You probably don’t want to have to do this very often, but you have to reset your motherboard. It needs to always come about as a consequence of the process of diagnosing a significant issue associated with your gear. To put it simply, you will need to reset the BIOS in order to reset your motherboard. When you turn on a computer, the most fundamental part of the operating system that is used is called the BIOS, and it is responsible for initializing the hardware. When a piece of hardware, such as a graphics card, ceases to operate properly or when freshly installed gear cannot be detected or used, it is frequently necessary to do a reset on the motherboard. For instance, if you recently overclocked your CPU and subsequently began seeing troubles, it is essential to reset the BIOS so that it can be configured properly going forward.
Resetting the motherboard is the only certain method to get it back to the condition it was in when it was first installed. The fact that it is difficult and you run the danger of placing the motherboard into the red led condition, from which it is almost impossible to recover, indicates that it should be used only as a last option. Don’t worry, however; my step-by-step instruction will be simple to understand, and I’ll make sure to simplify wherever it’s necessary to break down any complicated technological jargon.
Some Important Motherboard Terminologies That You Should Know
The following terms will be used regularly in the forthcoming procedures; so, it is preferable to learn them now. They will simply add to the confusion later on, which I do not desire.
BIOS
The BIOS is one piece of technology that has become associated with a motherboard. BIOS is an abbreviation for Basic Input/output System. The BIOS is essentially a smaller version of the operating system installed on your PC, only it is just for the motherboard.
The BIOS’s job is to serve as a bridge between the motherboard’s hardware and software; hence, it is charged with providing users with information and control over specific parts of the motherboard’s hardware. Simply put, the BIOS acts as a middleman between your motherboard’s hardware and you. Of course, hardware cannot function efficiently without software, therefore the BIOS serves as software for the motherboard. A motherboard’s hardware, for example, may support overclocking, but it cannot choose the overclock settings on its own. This is when the BIOS enters the picture. It allows users to adjust the overclock and applies the final settings to the hardware.
POST
POST, or Power on Self-Test, is a BIOS sub-branch that examines the settings of the motherboard at startup. It is responsible for detecting any hardware errors when the computer boots, ensuring that the computer is in proper working order. If there is a problem with the PC during startup, the POST will guarantee that it is acknowledged by beeping. I’m not sure whether you’ve heard them, but the beeps on startup indicate that the POST utility is in use. These noises are crucial in diagnosing a faulty motherboard. I have a post on how to examine a faulty motherboard in which POST identification is an integral approach. You may look it up if you want to learn more about POST in general.
CMOS
CMOS is an abbreviation for Complementary Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor. The BIOS of the motherboard is placed on this little microprocessor. As a result, you might say that the CMOS is where the majority of the motherboard data is placed, which contains all of your overclocking profiles, memory XMP, storage Raid information, and so on. As a result, all changes to the motherboard occur in the CMOS area of the motherboard. Given that, you can understand why CMOS terminology is so crucial for us today, since resetting the motherboard also entails cleaning the CMOS.
HOW TO RESET THE MOTHERBOARD
There are essentially 3 ways to reset your motherboard:
- Resetting the BIOS Internally
- Resetting CMOS by Removing the CMOS Battery
- Resetting CMOS Through the Clear CMOS Jumpers
Method 1: Resetting from the BIOS Menu
This is the least intrusive and simplest option to attempt before moving on to the more complex ones outlined below. This requires a restart of your computer. Find the key you need to press to access your computer’s BIOS. F2 and F12 are two popular ones. As the computer restarts, keep pressing the key you indicated until you see the first logo. You will only have a limited amount of time to complete this task. You will successfully enter your PC’s BIOS. The option you’re looking for is named “Setup Defaults” or something similar, such as “Load Default Configuration,” and so on. Save your BIOS adjustments and restart your computer. If your particular concerns have been resolved, don’t proceed any further. If they don’t, you’ll need to clear the CMOS using the techniques listed below.
Method 2: Resetting CMOS by Removing the CMOS Battery
As previously said, CMOS is a chip that keeps the user-defined settings in the BIOS. If you’ve made modifications to your hardware, here is where they’ll be saved. CMOS settings may potentially get corrupted, necessitating a reset. Disconnecting the CMOS battery from the motherboard is a common procedure. The CMOS battery allows the motherboard to retain information like the time, date, and user-defined BIOS settings even when the computer is turned off. When you disconnect it, all CMOS settings are cleared?
Step 1: Disconnect PC Power Supply
Turn down your computer and unplug it from the electrical socket.
Step 2: Locate the CMOS Battery On Your Motherboard
This is difficult to overlook. It’s a little coin cell that must be disconnected.
Take note of the negative “-” and positive “+” terminals, as well as the battery’s orientation. This is important to remember while replacing the battery.
Step 3: Unlock the Latch/Locking Mechanism
Most incorporate a latch or locking mechanism to keep CMOS battery holders in place.
Try opening it with a precise screwdriver without using too much power. The battery may rise up when you press on the clasp.
Step 4: Carefully Remove the Battery
Carefully remove the battery from its holder.
Step 5: Reconnect the Battery After 1-5 Minutes
Do not quickly replace the battery. Allow a few minutes for the CMOS to drain all of its leftover power. Reconnect the battery with care. Once the latch is in position, it will make a clicking sound. Take care to take care of the battery’s negative “-” and positive “+” terminals.
Conclusion
Here we discussed how to reset the motherboard. Resetting a motherboard restores manufacturer-default settings. Motherboard resets BIOS. This won’t damage disk data. Your data is safe. Resetting BIOS is different from reformatting the OS. First resets hardware, second resets software (OS). If you’re unsure about your hardware’s performance or if you just changed the default settings, reboot your motherboard.
