The app is designed to detect attached devices and check that they are working properly. If something is wrong, the app will let you know before the operating system of your choice loads.
Your BIOS is a chip that’s unaffected by power cuts or anything that goes wrong with your operating system. This means that if something goes wrong with your motherboard, the BIOS can still be updated. By flashing the BIOS, you can update it with new versions released by the motherboard maker.
There is no one-size-fits-all answer to this question, as the best way to update your BIOS may vary depending on your specific computer and operating system. However, some tips on how to update your BIOS include downloading the latest BIOS update from your computer manufacturer’s website or support site, ensuring that you have a compatible USB drive or disc ready to go, and following the instructions provided by the update software. ..
When You Should Update Your BIOS
A BIOS update is a critical step in keeping your computer running smoothly. If it goes wrong, you could very well end up with a motherboard that won’t turn on, in which case you either have to buy a new one or send it for a BIOS chip replacement. Some modern motherboards do however have a “dual” BIOS, where a second backup chip can 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 you have no trouble with it, but you don’t have the latest BIOS version, then you should probably stop worrying about updating your BIOS. That is, unless the new BIOS version adds specific features that you want.
If you are planning to upgrade your CPU, you should also update your BIOS. BIOSes are important for security reasons and can help prevent critical security flaws from becoming public.
If you don’t have a highly desirable feature, major bugs or hardware upgrade on the cards, then you should leave your BIOS alone.
BIOS vs UEFI
UEFI is a standard that most modern computers use to store their settings and data. It’s different from BIOS, which is the traditional way computers store their settings and data. UEFI is more advanced, and it can help you save your settings and data in a more secure way.
UEFI comes with a lot of new features compared to an old-school BIOS, but for our purposes there’s no real difference here. Updating your BIOS/UEFI works almost exactly the same.
What You’ll Need To Update Your BIOS
There are two main ways to update your BIOS. One is from within the BIOS’ own interface, before your operating system has even started. The other is from within your operating system, using a BIOS flashing utility provided by the motherboard maker. ..
We strongly recommend that you use an operating system-based utility if that option is available to you. There are a few reasons for this, the most important of which is that if something goes wrong with the BIOS reflash, you can still do something about it while the computer has not yet rebooted.
If you have a BIOS that is not working, or if you have just flashed a new BIOS and it is not working, it may be helpful to retry flashing the old BIOS. Many good motherboard makers have update utilities that are essentially automated, making your life easy.
If you need to update the BIOS from the BIOS menu, you’ll also need a USB thumb drive with a copy of the new firmware on it. You’ll have to format the drive to FAT32 and use another computer to download the file and copy it to the drive. We’ll walk you through the specific process a little further down.
Is an Update Available?
If your motherboard manufacturer does not have an update utility, you can also check for a BIOS update by using the BIOS Update Utility provided with your motherboard. This utility will usually detect if an update is available and will guide you through the installation process. ..
In this case, you can find the firmware update file for your motherboard model on the downloads and support page for that model.
You can check your current BIOS version by using a utility such as CPUZ. If you need to boot into the BIOS menu to check the version number, you can do so as a last resort. ..
Updating Using a Utility
To update your computer’s BIOS, you will need to find the corresponding utility for your specific motherboard brand and model. Some brands and models may have an equivalent utility, while others may require a different utility. ..
The utility can be downloaded and used to update BIOS versions on a computer. You can also flash a firmware file you’ve downloaded with the utility.
This is a useful tool to help you restore an older BIOS version if you have compatibility issues or new bugs.
Updating Using The BIOS/UEFI
If you have not downloaded the new firmware file and copied it to a flash drive, restart your computer and then press the key to boot into the BIOS. This is usually either the Del or F12 key, but check your motherboard manual for the exact method. Your BIOS will probably look something like this.
BIOS flashing is an option that either mentions updating or flashing the BIOS. After doing all the appropriate confirmations, the flashing process should complete.
In the case of our Gigabyte board, the utility is called “Q-flash”.
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 then flashes the BIOS. Unfortunately, this process can be difficult to follow because it’s not clear where you should find the file. If you’re having trouble flashing your BIOS, we suggest using our guide to do so manually.
Important Tips
Make sure that the firmware you download is actually meant for your motherboard. Some motherboard models have multiple hardware revisions. So it’s important to match the update to your exact board. It’s also very important that the flashing process not be interrupted in any way. Whether by a power cut or you pushing the reset button.
We have never experienced a bricked board or failed flash ourselves, but they do happen and it can be a real pain to fix. So follow your motherboard manufacturer’s instructions to the letter and make sure you understand the process before even attempting it. The good news is that, one way or another, the flash should be over in a few seconds.
