Which of the following is reset when a workstation is turned off?

Random Access Memory (RAM) is a form of volatile memory, which means it requires a constant source of electrical power to maintain the data stored within it. When a workstation is turned off, the power supply to the RAM modules is cut. As a result, all the information held in RAM, such as the operating system, active applications, and any unsaved data, is completely erased. This loss of data is effectively a "reset" of the memory's contents to a blank state.

A. BIOS: The BIOS (or UEFI) is firmware stored on a non-volatile flash memory chip on the motherboard; its settings are preserved by a CMOS battery even when the main power is off.
B. NIC: A Network Interface Card's fundamental configuration, such as its MAC address, is stored in non-volatile memory (ROM) and is not reset when the computer is powered down.
C. CPU: While the CPU's internal cache is volatile, the CPU itself is a processor, not a primary data storage device in the same way as RAM. Its core architectural state is not what is considered "reset."

1. Silberschatz

A.

Galvin

P. B.

& Gagne

G. (2018). Operating System Concepts (10th ed.). Wiley. In Chapter 1

Section 1.2.1

"Computer-System Operation

" the text states

"Main memory...is a large storage area that the processor can access directly. It commonly is volatile storage that loses its contents when power is turned off or otherwise lost."

2. Patterson

D. A.

& Hennessy

J. L. (2017). Computer Organization and Design: The Hardware/Software Interface (5th ed.). Morgan Kaufmann. In Appendix B

Section B.4

"Memory Technology

" DRAM is described as volatile: "Like all DRAMs

the contents are lost when the power is turned off."

3. MIT OpenCourseWare. (2017). 6.004 Computation Structures

Spring 2017. Massachusetts Institute of Technology. In Lecture 15

"Memory Technologies

" slide 10 explicitly defines DRAM (the technology used for main RAM) as "Volatile

" meaning "data is lost when power is removed."