Your computer'southward BIOS or Basic Input/Output System is a hardwired computer program that allows your operating system to communicate with the hardware attached to the estimator. Information technology's also the office of the computer that starts up and prepares the PC before the operating system takes over.

In other words, it detects all attached devices, checks that they are working properly and lets you know if something is wrong earlier the operating organisation of your choice loads.

Your BIOS is written onto a read-only wink memory chip that'southward unaffected past the power beingness cutting or anything that goes wrong with your operating system. That doesn't mean the BIOS itself tin can't be updated. Through a process known as "flashing", your BIOS can be updated with new versions released by the motherboard maker.

Just should yous update your BIOS? How is it even done?

When Yous Should Update Your BIOS

A BIOS update is no trivial thing. If it goes wrong for some reasons, you could very well end upward with a motherboard that won't plow on, in which case you either have to buy a new one or send it for a BIOS fleck replacement. Some mod motherboards practice even so accept a "dual" BIOS, where a second backup chip tin be used to restore the primary one. Consult your motherboard documentation if you want to know if yours has this feature.

If your computer is working just fine and y'all have no problem with information technology, then you tin probably terminate worrying about updating your BIOS. That is, unless the new BIOS version adds specific features that you lot want.

Y'all should likewise update your BIOS if in that location are critical security flaws that need patching or you intend to upgrade to a new CPU. CPUs that are released after your BIOS was created may not work unless you are running the latest version of the BIOS. Motherboard makers usually have a CPU support list for each motherboard, which shows the BIOS version needed for that CPU likewise.

If there'southward no highly desirable feature, major bugs or hardware upgrade on the cards, then you lot are probably better off leaving your BIOS solitary.

BIOS vs UEFI

While the common practice is withal to use the term "BIOS", most modern computers take something called a UEFI or Unified Extensible Firmware Interface. This is the fancy modern equivalent of a BIOS.

UEFI comes with a long list of improved features compared to an onetime-school BIOS, just for our purposes at that place'due south no real difference hither. Updating your BIOS/UEFI works near exactly the aforementioned.

What Yous'll Need To Update Your BIOS

In that location are two master ways to update your BIOS. One is from within the BIOS' own interface, before your operating system has fifty-fifty started. The other is from within your operating system, using a BIOS flashing utility provided by the motherboard maker.

Nosotros strongly recommend that you utilise an operating system-based utility if that option is open to you. At that place are a few reasons for this, the most of import of which is that if something goes incorrect with the BIOS reflash, you can still practise something about it while the reckoner has not nonetheless rebooted.

In other words, flash the old BIOS back or retry flashing the new one. It also helps that well-nigh good motherboards makers accept update utilities that are essentially automated, making your life easy.

If y'all do need to update the BIOS from the BIOS menu itself, usually because there is no operating organization installed, then you lot'll also need a USB pollex drive with a copy of the new firmware on information technology. Y'all'll have to format the drive to FAT32 and use another estimator to download the file and re-create it to the bulldoze. We'll walk you through the specific process a trivial further down.

Is an Update Available?

There are two means to easily check for a BIOS update. If your motherboard manufacturer has an update utility, you'll ordinarily simply accept to run it. Some will cheque if an update is bachelor, others will but show you the current firmware version of your present BIOS.

In that case, you tin go to the downloads and support page for your motherboard model and encounter if a firmware update file that's newer than your currently installed one is available.

You can also apply a utility such equally CPUZ to check your current BIOS version or, as a final resort, kicking into the BIOS menu and bank check the version number in that location.

Updating Using a Utility

The estimator we're working with here has a Gigabyte motherboard, and then nosotros have to download the Gigabyte update utility, which is known as @BIOS. Each motherboard brand and model may be different. So expect for an equivalent utility for your specific board.

Once the utility is downloaded, all we have to exercise is run information technology. It detects the electric current BIOS version and checks for an update. If it finds one, it will ask united states to initiate the update. Y'all tin too manually flash a firmware file you've downloaded with this utility as well.

This is useful in instance you need to become dorsum to an older version of the BIOS considering of compatibility issues, new bugs or performance deposition

Updating Using The BIOS/UEFI

Assuming that you lot've downloaded the new firmware file and copied information technology to a flash drive, restart your computer and then press the cardinal to boot into the BIOS. This is usually either the Del or F12 cardinal, simply check your motherboard transmission for the verbal method. Your BIOS will probably look something like this.

Each BIOS looks different,  but it should be an pick that either mentions updating or flashing the BIOS. If you choose the option, information technology should allow you to select the firmware file from the USB drive. Subsequently doing all the appropriate confirmations, the flashing process should consummate.

In the case of our Gigabyte lath, the utility is chosen "Q-wink".

Unfortunately the UEFI screenshot function doesn't work while Q-flash is launched, but the utility simply asks you for the location of the updated firmware file and and then flashes the BIOS. Simple!

Important Tips

Brand 200% certain that the firmware y'all download is actually meant for your motherboard. Some motherboard models have multiple hardware revisions. And then information technology'southward important to friction match the update to your exact board. Information technology'south also very of import that the flashing process not be interrupted in whatsoever mode. Whether by a power cutting or you pushing the reset button.

Nosotros have never experienced a bricked board or failed wink ourselves, but they do happen and it can exist a real pain to fix. So follow your motherboard manufacturer's instructions to the alphabetic character and make sure you understand the process before even attempting it. The good news is that, one way or another, the wink should be over in a few seconds.