How Often Should I Update My Bios

You may have tons of questions about updating your BIOS.

What does BIOS hateful? Is it rubber to update my BIOS? Why are people constantly saying that y'all shouldn't update your BIOS while many of them really did? Does my calculator actually need a BIOS update? If so, how to perform a BIOS update in a safe way?

In this post, we volition walk y'all through all of these questions and show you how to update BIOS fifty-fifty if yous're a total computer newbie.

What does BIOS mean?

BIOS, short for Basic Input Output System , is the software installed on the motherboard. When y'all power on your figurer, BIOS is the first software to run, initializing your system hardware components, and preparing your computer to boot.

Should I update BIOS?

Does it mean that you should update BIOS just considering there'southward a newer version? Actually no. Merely what is the BIOS update for?

New Hardware Support: Many of the updates are released just in society to support new hardware like a new CPU or graphics menu. So if you want to upgrade your estimator'due south CPU or graphics card, yous may need to update your BIOS.
Fix Bugs: In addition, these new releases assistance fix some known bugs. If yous're experiencing some bugs and the new version happens to fix them, information technology may be worth taking the run a risk of updating your BIOS.

To make sure the update suits what yous need, you can cheque the changelog for the BIOS update. If there's zilch wrong with your computer, or possibly simply running slow or overheating, don't bother updating BIOS for information technology won't improve your figurer performance.

Recommended: How to Fix 100% Disk Usage in Task Manager

Is information technology safe to update BIOS?

Each motherboard model requires its own BIOS version, so an incorrect or even a slightly different BIOS version can cause major problems.
If something goes incorrect such as a computer losing power during the update, it can somewhen brick your figurer and cost hundreds to repair.
Even a correct BIOS version may crusade boot problems considering not all BIOS updates are tested as thoroughly as the one that came with your computer.

How to safely update BIOS?

Each manufacturer has its ain instructions for updating a BIOS. Some manufacturers offer utilities that can update BIOS directly inside Windows by running an executable file (you can bank check its updated guide: Dell, HP, Lenovo, Asus, etc.), but we strongly recommend using updating BIOS from a USB flash drive to avoid any problems.

Flashing your BIOS from within Windows can be very risky. Some groundwork applications and system freezes may interfere with BIOS updates, which will crusade the process to fail and decadent your BIOS.

Footstep 1: Check your BIOS Version

Before updating BIOS, you need to check your current version of BIOS and compare it with the latest version on your motherboard's support page.

1) Type msinfo in the search box and open System Information.

2) Cheque your BIOS Version/Date.

3) Type cmd in the search box and open Control Prompt, so enter the following command to become your serial number.

wmic bios get serialnumber

Annotation down the system serial number (besides referred to as service tag), which is an alphanumeric graphic symbol lawmaking yous may need later on on.

Footstep 2: Download the latest version of BIOS

Go to your manufacturer's support website to download the latest BIOS version.

Dell
Asus
HP
Lenovo
Other major BIOS vendors

1. Dell

ane) Go to Dell Drivers & Downloads page, and enter the serial number from step 1 and starting time searching.

2) Curlicue downward to the search results, and select BIOS under Category. And then it will display the bachelor BIOS version for you. Check its RELEASE DATE and Version to make sure information technology's the new version compared to your current one, and click Download.

2. Asus

1) Go to the Asus Support page and enter your product model name.

ii) Enter your PC'due south model name and select the product from the product listing. (M409BA, for case.)

This will take yous to the support page for your PC.

Or yous can select your product series and mode50, so click Driver & Utility.

3) Become to the Driver & Utility > BIOS & FIRMWARE. Then click the Download button if this BIOS version is the one y'all need.

3. HP

1) Go to the HP Customer Support page, and select your product.

ii) Enter the serial number yous got from Step i and get-go searching.

3) Expand the BIOS section, and cheque its version and engagement so click Download.

four. Lenovo

1) Get to the Lenovo PC Support page.

two) Enter the series number or let Lenovo find it for you.

3) Click Drivers & Software > Manual Update > BIOS/UEFI.

4) Check the version and engagement of the available BIOS update, and so download information technology to your reckoner.

five. Other major BIOS vendors

Download the latest BIOS from the manufacturer's website.

American Megatrends (AMI)
Gigabyte
Phoenix Technologies

Step iii: Flash your BIOS

The BIOS flashing process varies by manufacturer. Therefore, for safety concerns, you can bank check the updating details of each BIOS manufacturer. However, we'll walk you through the nuts.

1) Extract the downloaded BIOS file every bit required and copy information technology to a USB disk.

one. The BIOS file should exist copied onto the root directory (non in a split up folder) of your USB.
2. Please remember NOT to rename the file at all.
3. Usually, the file should also include an installation guide, such as a README.txt. You'd better read these instructions carefully.
4. Leave the USB plugged into your computer during the whole update process.

2) Insert your USB wink driver and boot into BIOS by pressing the hotkey repeatedly when your computer starts.

For nigh computers such as Dell, the BIOS key is F12/F2.
Asus, MSI, and Gigabyte: Delete.
HP: ESC.

3) Launch your BIOS update tool or flashing tool. Each BIOS has a unlike way of accessing the update tool.

Make certain to back up your PC'due south existing firmware to your flash bulldoze if possible in instance something goes incorrect.

1. Dell

Employ the arrow keys to selectUSB Storage Device and pressEnter.
At the command prompt, type the full BIOS filename e.g. O9010A12.exe, and printingEnter key.
Follow the instructions in the BIOS Update Utility screen to complete the update process.

2. ASUS

Press F7 to open Avant-garde Mode.
Choose Advanced and so select ASUS EZ Wink iii Utility/Start EZ Flash.
Select your USB with the extracted BIOS file from the storage device list.
Select the BIOS file and confirm that you lot wish to read this file.
Ostend that you wish to update the BIOS.

3. HP

ClickFirmware Management orBIOS Direction on the HP PC Hardware Diagnostics UEFI screen.
Select BIOS Update.
ClickSelect BIOS Paradigm To Use, and so select HP_TOOLS – USB Bulldoze.
Select Hewlett-Packard > BIOS >Current.
Select the BIOS update file that matches the Arrangement Board ID.
Utilize Update Now

4. MSI

Navigate to M-Wink and agree to auto-reboot the arrangement in Wink manner.
Select the USB drive with the BIOS file you extracted earlier.
Select the BIOS file.
Accept the prompt.
Re-apply your settings.

5. Gigabyte

Navigate to Q-Wink – you lot may need to printing the ALT central to bring up the Q-Flash shortcut from the BIOS menu.
Select Update BIOS.
Select the extracted BIOS from your storage drive.
Press Enter and hold to update your BIOS.

4) Await patiently for the update to end, and make sure not to shut off your PC during this process.

five) Restart your computer when prompted to or wait for your computer to restart automatically.

Pro-Tip

To improve computer operation substantially, especially for gamers, we recommend updating your device drivers.

As the translator for your hardware and operating organization, device drivers usually need an update to exercise a proficient chore.

To update a device driver, you can ever go to the manufacturer's website to download the correct and latest driver and install it step by step. However, if yous don't take time or patience, yous tin exercise it automatically with Driver Easy.

one) Download and install Driver Easy.

ii) Run Commuter Piece of cake and click the Scan Now button. Driver Easy will so scan your computer and detect whatever problem drivers.

3) Click the Update button next to your graphics card driver to automatically download the correct version of that driver, then you can manually install it (you tin do this with the Costless version).

Or click Update All to automatically download and install the right version of all the drivers that are missing or out of date on your organisation. (This requires the Pro version. You will get total support and a thirty-twenty-four hours money back guarantee. You lot'll be prompted to upgrade when you click Update All.)