Updating BIOS can be a daunting task for computer novices. You want your motherboard to be up-to-date, and yet you are worried if you it will end up in a disaster. Don’t worry!
This article provides a complete guide to updating BIOS on a motherboard in the safest way possible. Explore how you can push performance to the next level with ease!
Introduction
This guide will help you to understand the benefits of updating your BIOS as well as how to proceed with the update. For starters, let’s begin by defining what a BIOS (Basic Input/Output System) is. Essentially, it is the chip on your motherboard that controls the fundamental communication functions between other components including processors, system memory, hard drives and installed adapters such as video cards. When you power up your PC, one of its first steps is to run the code stored within this chip in order to configure the RAM and other integrated components.
As technology advances, a more advanced version of this code will be published by motherboard manufacturers in order to stay up-to-date with modern hardware and software standards. The update of this code will typically occur through a product control panel or website provided by its manufacturer where customers can manually download and install these updates. It’s important to note that there are potential dangers any time hardware is tweaked so be sure to read up on any specifications regarding compatibility before making any changes or installing new components. You should also be sure that all files are safely backed up in case anything were to happen during or after the installation process.
Definition of BIOS on a motherboard
BIOS stands for ‘Basic Input/Output System’ and is a type of firmware stored permanently on a computer’s motherboard. It is responsible for providing the initial instructions that tell the computer how to start up and control basic system hardware. This allows the BIOS firmware to access hardware like hard disks, optical drives and other internal components, as well as display basic information about them on the screen.
It also provides access to settings that can be used to control features such as enabling or disabling integrated peripherals (e.g. Wi-Fi, Bluetooth), setting boot order, overclocking or underclocking the CPU, adjusting GPU clock speed and much more. The BIOS also contains some core functions that can help improve system performance such as optimizing memory configurations, setting power management settings and controlling fan speeds.
Updating your BIOS can provide benefits such as improving overall system stability or unlocking new features or bug fixes available in the latest version of your motherboard’s BIOS.
Importance of updating BIOS for improved computer performance
A motherboard’s Basic Input/Output System (BIOS) is an essential low-level software that supports hardware initialization and settings during the boot process. It is responsible for verifying system hardware components and loading the Operating System. Updating BIOS has multiple benefits associated with improving the computer’s performance.
By updating the BIOS regularly, users not only get access to new features but also all declared major compatibility updates and bug fixes for OS, drivers, or applications. This can enhance system stability when using third-party peripherals and provide a better user experience in terms of system performance. An outdated BIOS may cause incompatibility issues with the latest version of Operating System or newly installed applications such as audio capture software, virtualization technology, overclocking utilities, etc.
Updating the motherboard’s BIOS also helps reduce power consumption; modern BIOS typically brings elevated power efficiency so that users can get more battery life when running laptops compared to old versions of BIOS. Furthermore, it offers more rigorous security by introducing extra capabilities such as DriveLock Hard Drive Protection and ProtectTools Security Manager which profoundly strengthen confidential data protection against cyber threats. All these factors contribute to an improved PC performance as well as increased reliability resulting in a better overall user experience with your PC/motherboard over time.
Methods of Updating BIOS
Once you have determined the correct version for your BIOS, there are two methods for updating it. The first is to use a utility provided by either the manufacturer of the motherboard or your computer system manufacturer to update from within Windows. The second method is to update the BIOS from within its own user interface, usually known as CMOS setup.
Updating from Within Windows
If your motherboard includes a utility to check and update BIOS, you can run it one of two ways—either boot the system into its UEFI setup program (as detailed in Method 1 of this article) or launch a dedicated program in Windows itself. To comply with varying versions of UEFI, different vendors include their own versions of a BIOS updater tool. Updating from CMOS Setup
Your computer system may include an updater inside its own start-up menu; many modern computers do not require this step (and select motherboards will offer an additional means for updating). To ensure you won’t run into any potential issues, make sure that your version is designed for updating BIOS firmware through the CMOS setup program. An outdated version can cause serious errors and instability; if you don’t know how to locate this feature on your particular motherboard model.
Using a BIOS update utility provided by the motherboard manufacturer
To ensure a successful BIOS update, your computer must have an internet connection. Some modern motherboards provide a built-in utility for updating the BIOS without you having to download and install it yourself. Most of these utilities are provided by the motherboard manufacturer, and remain on your system as long as you’re using the computer. This utility is usually located in the same folder as any other programmed with the board’s associated drivers and software.
Using this feature will often require you to restart your system in order for it to access the files required for flashing (updating) your BIOS. Make sure to check with your model’s website first, before downloading any new BIOS files from an external source, as updating in this manner can be potentially dangerous for both your hardware and software if not done properly.
Once that step is complete, look on either the desktop or start menu for a directory marked “BIOS” or “UEFI” – depending on which system you have – then follow any pertinent instructions provided by the manufacturers ranging from formulating a bootable drive up to properly preparing certain files needed before attaching them back into the utility program. Be sure that you double check all of those instructions before proceeding – one wrong move can cause extensive damage far beyond repair!
Using a USB flash drive
Installing a BIOS update using a USB flash drive is a convenient option for updating the Basic Input/Output System (BIOS) on most motherboards. This method is useful if you don’t have access to CD/DVD drives, or if you are updating the BIOS over the Internet. Before updating your BIOS, it is recommended that you back up any important data that is stored on your computer and make sure all running programs are closed.
When preparing to update your BIOS, you need to perform all of the below steps:
-Download the latest version of theBIOS from your manufacturer’s website, and transfer it to a USB flash drive.
-Enter BIOS Setup mode by hitting the appropriate key during system startup (or pressing F8 before Windows loads).
-Navigate to and enter ‘Tool & Utility’ or ‘Advanced’ menu.
-Find and select ‘Flash Utility MI Flash’, then select ‘Update From Removable Media’
-Select Browse & locate the downloaded file and click Open
-Select OK when prompted
-Wait until installation is completed without any errors then reset system or press Exit & Save Settings from Setup Menu.
III. Steps to Update BIOS
Updating the BIOS is the first step in making sure your system is up to date. It can be a daunting process, but follow these simple steps to update your BIOS.
Step 1: Identify Motherboard Model Before you begin updating the BIOS, you’ll need to know what type of motherboard you have. This will determine where to get the most recent update from as different versions of motherboards require different updates. This can usually be done by removing the casing from your computer and examining the motherboard for a model number sticker or etching on it.
Step 2: Download and Install Drivers After identifying your motherboard model, download and install any relevant device drivers that could be associated with your BIOS. This usually includes processor drivers, chip-set drivers, RAID drivers, video adaptor drivers etc. Installing these prior to updating BIOS will ensure that any other devices work correctly when the new version of BIOS is installed on your computer/Motherboard.
Step 3: Download New or Updated Version of BIOS Motherboard manufacturers often provide updated firmware or updated versions of their motherboards’ Basic Input Output System (BIOS). A newer version may offer improved features, better reliability and overall performance. To obtain an updated version search for your motherboard make and model then find where downloadable bios files/updates are offered for purchase or free download on vendor websites either directly from them or a trusted third party site such as CPU-Upgrade which offers information about what type of bios is available for download based on information entered in about both board make & use agreement.
Step 4: Update Your Bios After downloading and installing any necessary device driver related to the Bios update process it’s time to flash/update it into computer using installer program available either included with bios file or one provided by website vendor who sells downloads. This should include detailed instructions within installation program / software package which also includes essential reference requiring attention during updates., i.e., backup any existing data prior flicking/update in case something goes wrong during updates , etc.. Attention should also be given regarding how system is booting up when updates are being executed .. Consult detailed instructions which were accessed with firmware updates file if necessary , some UEFI implementations no longer have older style POST codes so measurements must be adapted accordingly based upon vendors documentation .
Step 1: Identify the current BIOS version
One of the important steps in updating BIOS is to identify the current BIOS version installed on the motherboard. This can be done by entering the BIOS menu as soon as you power on your computer. To enter, press and hold a particular key (generally F2 or DEL) when booting your computer.
Once in the BIOS menu, you can look for a section called “System Information” or “Information” where you will find details about components like processor and memory along with the current system status and configuration settings including information about your BIOS version.
Make sure to note down your existing BIOS details accurately before proceeding further with the update process.
Step 2: Download the latest BIOS update
Once you have identified the required BIOS version, it is time to download the update. The file you need can usually be found on the website of your motherboard manufacturer by searching for ‘bios update’, followed by the model name. All available updates should be listed in descending order – you want to make sure that you download the correct version and only execute it on your system once it has been verified.
When downloading, make sure you apply the proper updates to your operating system. For example, Windows users should always download an ‘*.EXE’ format while DOS users may need to use a ‘*.COM’ file type instead. Generally speaking, Flash utility files can also be downloaded from reliable sources such as ASUS and Dell websites in order to provide more support for drivers and/or utilities that are necessary for updating BIOS.
After downloading a BIOS update, place it onto a USB drive or floppy disk before connecting it to your computer in order to complete installation. It is important to note that not all updates can be completed this way; some require an internal CD-ROM drive or floppy drive before installing any new software during the process of flashing your BIOS. Once everything is connected and ready, you are now prepared to install the latest BIOS on your motherboard!
Step 3: Create a bootable USB flash drive (if necessary)
Before you get started, you will want to make sure that you have the latest BIOS version available from the manufacturer that is applicable to your motherboard. Additionally, depending on the BIOS provided by your motherboard manufacturer, it may require a bootable USB flash drive to update the BIOS from a different computer instead of directly from the affected system.
In this step, we will explain how to create a USB flash drive that can be used for this purpose. The primary thing to consider is that most motherboards use either UEFI or legacy BIOS— both of which require their own separate bootable drive. In addition, some motherboards allow you to create both types of bootable drives and choose between them at system startup.
If you have determined which type of BIOS your motherboard uses and need information on creating a bootable flash drive, view our guides below:
- For UEFI systems: How To Create a Bootable UEFI USB Flash Drive
- For legacy/BIOS systems: How To Create a Bootable MS-DOS USB Flash Drive
Conclusion
At this point, you will now be able to update BIOS on your motherboard with ease. It is important to note that it is best practice to always update your BIOS when possible. This is because your BIOS is an essential part of your computer’s hardware and should be kept up-to-date in order to ensure the safest, most reliable performance from the underlying components.
If you have any additional questions or concerns related to updating your BIOS or need help doing so, please don’t hesitate to reach out to our support team. We are here to help!
See Also :
- How To Install Motherboard? How To Install Motherboard Drivers?: Complete Guide
- Best Z370 Motherboard 2023
- How To Install MSI Motherboard Drivers: A Complete Guide
- How To Remove A Motherboard: Complete Guide
- How To Remove CPU From Motherboard: A Complete Guide