BIOS setup and drive devices

I don't have a PC anymore (I've been a Mac user since 2006), but last year, a neighbor gave us a really old laptop, so I pulled the settings from it.

BIOS (version A04) settings:

HDD size: 20 GB (20005 MB)
Boot order: CD drive, then HDD, then 3.5" floppy drive.
System primary password for the HDD: Disabled

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DMA:

DMA, or direct memory access, is a transfer mode for data that bypasses the CPU. Data is sent directly from the drive to the memory, freeing up processor power and capacity.

Low-level formatting:

Low-level formatting is a process which assigns tracks and sectors to disks. As opposed to high-level formatting, which creates partitions based on the information that's already there, low-level formatting provides that information. This is the type of formatting that takes place before drives are put onto the market.

SATA:

Serial ATA is today's standard for computer drives. SATA devices transmit data bit-by-bit across the cable in real time. Because of its speed (up to 1.5 GB/sec vs. PATA's 133 MB/sec) and method of transferring data, most drives use SATA.

ATA:

ATA, or Advanced Technology Attachment, is the foundation for today's data transfer between drives. It's a series of standards that determines how drives communicate with the rest of the system. ATA standards have changed over time; the earliest editions are now obsolete, but some early editions are still being used.

IDE:

IDE, or Integrated Drive Electronics, was the foundation of ATA. It allowed data transfer without connecting a device directly to the motherboard, but through a connector that transfers data. The first IDE devices entered the market in 1986, and Enhanced IDE (EIDE) devices became what we now know as PATA.