Alpha Geeks Only! Rewrite Your BIOS...
The BIOS is a fundamental fact of modern computing. Short for Basic Input/Output System, it's the enabler of your computer's hardware, turning on or off various functions and devices during the POST process before relinquishing control to the operating system. This system has been around for decades and carries many legacy compatibility requirements—and because of this, it's very resistant to change. That's why many computers had trouble recognizing partitions bigger than 8.4GB a little while back, and why you won't be able to plug a CableCard device into your computer today. (Incidentally, today's Apple PCs use a more modern technology called Extensible Firmware Interface. Unlike the BIOS, EFI is not tied into the x86 architecture; see for more information.)

When a PC manufacturer releases a new system, the company incorporates a customized version of a popular BIOS, usually from AMI or Phoenix. Often features—such as the ability to adjust the motherboard's bus ratios, the voltages going to certain components, and the timings and speeds—are turned off and hidden from view. These settings are hidden for a reason: They're dangerous. Setting them incorrectly could overstress, disable, or even permanently damage your computer.

Nevertheless, a small community of dedicated enthusiasts has devoted years to building tools that will let you edit your BIOS. Though it is no longer supported, one of the most full-featured is called, simply enough, Award BIOS Editor, and it's available from The program lets you unpack, replace, and repack a BIOS image, changing settings and tweaking along the way. But be careful, for Mitnick's sake! Any changes you make, however small, can easily turn your PC into a paperweight. — next: ...And Your Graphics Card Drivers

Jeremy A. Kaplan