The BIOS and disk drives connect to ports on the motherboard.
PC manufacturers are increasingly building modern desktop and laptop computers to support multiple hard drives and optical disc drives. However, before these drives appear in the list of drive letters in the Windows operating system, the BIOS (basic input output system) must perform a hardware check. Some desktop towers can hold as many as four hard disk drives and two DVD/CD drives. Though less common, some laptops can hold two hard drives. The installation of these drives is mostly uncomplicated, without the need for additional software. However, the BIOS software program does need to confirm that the PC at least recognizes the drive.
Instructions
1. Turn off your computer. Press the power switch to turn the machine back on. Press and hold down the key that enters the "BIOS" or the "Setup" menu. This entry-key is commonly designated as the "F1" or "F2" key on the keyboard. The start-up screen will usually describe which is the appropriate key to use, such as "Press to enter Setup."
2. Wait until the PC shows the BIOS Setup menu on the screen. Alternate names for this menu might include the "Phoenix" and "Award" brands.
3. Look at the first page or tab in the menu, usually labeled "Main." Look at the hardware devices on that page to find if the BIOS is recognizing the drive. The hard drive and DVD/CD drive will take on the name of the component's manufacturer, such as "Western Digital" or "Samsung" -- not the name of the PC's manufacturer, such as "Toshiba" or "Dell."
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