Hardware and software setup

How to update motherboard bios? Determining the correct version.

The BIOS is a set of firmware that connects the existing hardware to the operating system. They are recorded in the chip and are actually “installed” by the manufacturer. The user, in turn, can configure, update or reinstall the BIOS in case of an error.

The BIOS type differs depending on motherboard and directly affects the performance of the computer. Therefore, if the motherboard was bought at an authorized point of sale, all possibilities basic system I / O are described in the attached passport. To enter the BIOS, carefully look at the boot screens until the logo appears operating system. We are looking for hot key, which will appear in the sentence, like “Press<клавиша>to enter Setup". It can be Enter, Del, F8, F12 or others. Click it and see blue screen with numerous tabs and settings. One of the most common BIOS features that are needed ordinary user is the boot priority from devices. Most often it is used before Windows installation(or another OS) to gain access to installation files on flash or CD/DVD media. In most BIOS types, the tab you are looking for is called “Boot devices” and is located in the “Advanced BIOS Features” menu section. You can enter any submenu with Enter, and at the very bottom you can read what this or that tab does. In the mentioned boot priority list, the first device will be the device that is assigned the value “First boot device". Exit with the “Esc” button, remembering to select “Save and Exit Setup” to save the changes. In the sections of our BIOS, we have the ability to:
  • change the system date and time;
  • customize settings hard drives, read their description, track the status and performance;
  • enable 16-bit or 32-bit data transfer mode on the PCI bus;
  • find out summary data for the entire system (“System Information” tab);
  • enable/disable SATA controller;
  • enable compatibility mode for older operating systems, such as Windows 95 and 98;
  • protect discs from writing;
  • “overclock” components with manual input of parameters;
  • enable or disable the network adapter;
  • assign addresses to COM and other ports;
  • configure USB;
  • configure power saving and PC power;
  • get data on the temperature and speed of rotation of coolers;
  • configure the “Num Lock” key and the order in which information about the system is displayed before booting;
  • set administrator and user passwords;
  • update the BIOS from a disk, floppy disk or flash drive.
The user may need to update the BIOS to avoid an error, connect new hardware, or speed up performance. A fresh version for your motherboard comes out about once every half a year and can contain important fixes or improvements. To update the BIOS, go to the manufacturer’s website, look for the “Update Center”, it contains the “Motherboards” section, the model and series of the one that costs in your PC. We write the resulting file to a flash drive or cd drive that does not contain any other data. We reboot, go into the BIOS, in the "Tools" item, the subsection for installing updates. The flash drive will be displayed there. Press "Enter", we find ourselves in the firmware utility. We confirm the launch and wait for the program to do everything for us. It is important to know that if you carry out such a procedure yourself, you lose the warranty on the motherboard and are responsible for all problems.

If during power-up, before the OS is loaded, the computer emits sound signals- This is also the work of the BIOS. The program interrogated the devices and found some kind of malfunction, which is encrypted in a specific “beep”. The decryption codes vary depending on the type of BIOS, you can find them in the instructions for the motherboard or on the Internet.

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Changes:

Improve system stability.

About OS Independent BIOS:

Although installing a newer BIOS version might add new features, update various components, or improve the device’s usability, this process is very risky, so the upgrade is recommended to be performed only when it is really needed.

in addition to that, this task should be performed by someone who has the knowledge to successfully complete the installation; regular users may fulfill it at their own risk.

When it comes to applying a new version without taking into account the computer's operating system, the most commonly used method to flash the BIOS is by creating a bootable USB or CD containing the update file, and running it from DOS.

Still, regardless of the method used or whether the upgrade is performed by a regular or power user, it’s recommended that the new BIOS be applied in a steady power environment such as the one ensured by a UPS unit.

The Basic Input/Output System (BIOS) is a very important software that loads the currently installed OS, and tests all of the system’s hardware components - so make sure you flash it correctly.

Bear in mind that failing to perform a successful installation could seriously damage your device, and the faulty BIOS resulted from the process might even render it unusable.

So, if this release includes useful changes, hit the download button, get the package, and update your BIOS version. Otherwise, check with our website as often as possible, so that you don't miss the release that you need.

If you have any problems with your computer and decide to fix them by BIOS updates, then before performing this procedure, you need to find out the BIOS version of your computer. There are several ways to accomplish this task.

Before proceeding with the firmware, you need to know that updating the BIOS is a very responsible procedure, and if you are an inexperienced user, then consider whether you need to do this. The fact is that you need to clearly understand what a BIOS flashing will give you. If the computer works without problems, then it is better to abandon this procedure. In other situations, if the computer is unstable or you need support for new video cards, processors, etc., then an update will be justified. In some cases, the update allows you to add virtualization support or even reduce fan noise.

So. Let's return directly to the topic of the article. How to find the bios version? Let's look at a few ways.

When booting a computer or laptop

This is one of the most simple ways. It is enough to look at the first lines on the screen when loading the computer. Your BIOS version will be listed there. But since these lines are displayed for a second or even less, it is better to press the key when loading Pause/Break and easy to see the information you need.

On the modern computers and laptops with bios UEFI, when loading the data we need may not be displayed. This requires some additional action. For example, for a Gygabyte motherboard, press the key F9.

Directly in the BIOS itself

You must be logged in to use this method. BIOS settings(usually using the DEL or F2 key). Next, you need to find an item or section with the name System Information(System Information) which will contain information about the BIOS version.

Through the Windows "System Information" component

In this method, we will use Windows component « System Information”, which shows information about the hardware configuration, installed programs, components and drivers.

To run it, you need to open the window " Run» (key combination “ Windows+R”). Then enter and execute the command " msinfo32».

As a result, the "System Information" window should load, on the right side of which there is an item " BIOS version with the information we need.

Using the Windows Registry

If you are confident with the registry, you can use this method to find out the BIOS version.

  1. Open the registry by typing " Run» ( Win+R) commands regedit.
  2. Then go to the following registry branch:
    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\HARDWARE\DESCRIPTION\System\BIOS
  3. On the right side, find the item BIOSVersion, the value of which will be the desired version of the BIOS.

Using command line

Another very easy way. To implement it, it is enough to enter the command wmic bios get smbiosbiosversion and press the Enter button.

As a result of executing the command, the version of your BIOS will be displayed on the screen.

With additional programs

Exists a large number of applications that allow you to find out the characteristics of your computer, including the BIOS version. Within the framework of this article, we will not consider all these programs, but for example, we will analyze only two: Speccy and CPU-Z.

Speccy

Download and install this program using the following address: https://www.piriform.com/speccy

Once launched, the application will analyze your system within a few seconds. Then, in the left part of the program window, click on the menu item mother board and you will see information about your BIOS.

CPU-Z

Similar to the previous program, you also need to download and install CPU-Z. Application page address: http://www.cpuid.com/softwares/cpu-z.html

After opening the program, you need to select the tab main board. On this tab, you will find the BIOS section, which will contain information about the version of your BIOS.

Conclusion

Now you can choose the best way for you to find out the BIOS version and download the motherboard firmware you need. The procedure for updating the BIOS for different motherboards may vary slightly, so carefully follow the instructions that should be on the manufacturer's website. In any case, before performing the update, it will not be superfluous to do backup bios and operating system.

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