Friday 26 September 2014

If Malware Corrupts The Bios What Do

Your computer's BIOS is a small program stored on a motherboard chip.


If malware corrupts your computer's BIOS, you don't have a lot you can do unless you are fairly computer savvy. You can try to clear the BIOS settings and reinstall your operating system. However, if those two solutions don't work, you may need to physically modify the computer's hardware if the motherboard will ever operate correctly again.


Clear CMOS Settings


The first line of response is for you to clear the CMOS settings. The simplest way to do this is to open the computer and remove the backup battery for five minutes. This solution will work if the malware corrupted the CMOS settings to the point where the computer could no longer boot correctly. Some motherboards let you reset the CMOS settings with a jumper on the motherboard.


Reinstall the Operating System


In some cases, reinstalling the operating will adjust system settings and resolve the problem. However, if malware damaged your BIOS to the point that you can't boot the computer, this solution will not work.


Reload/Flash BIOS


You can try to reload the BIOS by using a USB Flash Drive or a floppy disk. The motherboard's manufacturer should have the BIOS update files available for download and instructions on reload BIOS for the particular motherboard. The procedure usually involves making the floppy disk or USB drive bootable and installing the BIOS files on to the disk or drive. As of 2011, most computers don't have floppy drives anymore, so the USB flash drive option is more probable. The BIOS files are very small in size so any USB flash drive should work. You shouldn't attempt this procedure unless the computer has a reliable power source at the time. Power loss or power surges will break the motherboard while you reload the BIOS.


Replace the Motherboard


It may be financially viable to replace the motherboard instead of fixing it, especially with older hardware. If you replace the motherboard, you will have to remove all the parts that connect to the old motherboard and reattach them to the new one. If you are not familiar with the insides of a computer, you can bring the computer to a repair shop. If you decide to replace the motherboard, remember to reapply the thermal paste to the CPU. You can just connect in all of the other parts, but you need to reapply the thermal paste or else the CPU may overheat and break.


Repair the BIOS Chip


If you want to keep the existing motherboard, you can bring the computer to a repair shop and have the shop technicians replace the BIOS chip on the computer. If they can't find a replacement chip, they might do a procedure called a "Hot-Swap," in which they use a working chip to repair the broken one. These procedures require a very high level of expertise and mistakes can easily destroy hardware.

Tags: CMOS settings, reload BIOS, BIOS files, bring computer, bring computer repair, computer BIOS, computer repair