A computer will function only if has a program in its memory.
The chips that make up a computer's internal memory come in two broad flavors known as RAM (random access memory) and ROM (read-only memory). RAM chips remember things only while a computer is powered on, so they're used for storing whatever a computer is working on in the very short term.
Organizing Data Storage. Data is stored as lots of binary numbers, by magnetism, electronics or optics. ... The computer's BIOS contains simple instructions, stored as data in electronic memory, to move data in and out of different storage locations and around the computer for processing.