One of the most important things that you should not mess up is updating the BIOS of your computer's motherboard. Yes, the process is not that complicated even though it is not easy either but there are so many things to you must get right, that it might seem overwhelming. We decided to help and share a list of best practices that will help you update the BIOS without problems from your very first try. Let's get started:
Step 1. Find The
BIOS Version Used By Your Computer's Motherboard
First, you will have
to find if there is an update available for the BIOS of your computer's
motherboard. In order to do that, you need to know the current BIOS version
that is used by your computer. There are many ways of learning the BIOS version
and we have shared them in this article: 6 Ways Of Learning Your Computer's Motherboard BIOSVersion.
Step 2. Check If
There Are Any BIOS Updates Available
Once you know the
BIOS version used by your computer's motherboard, it's time to find out if
there are any new updates available. To do that, you'll have to search the
support page of the company that manufactured your computer (if it is a
prebuilt system from HP, Dell and others) or your motherboard (if it is not a
branded computer). The manual you received for your computer or your
motherboard should tell you what this website is.
Once you've landed
on the manufacturer's support website, look for something like Drivers or Downloads.
Because every computer or motherboard model has its own specific BIOS, you'll
have to identify it exactly. The manufacturer's website usually offers more
ways of doing that. You'll probably be able to use a search box, a list of
products and models or an application that you can download and run to
automatically find the appropriate BIOS version for your computer.
Once you've
correctly identified your computer or motherboard, look for a section like BIOS
Download, Firmware or Utilities. On the page with BIOS
updates you might find more than one version available. Also, each version
might be available in different formats, depending on the method that you
choose for updating the BIOS. These methods usually include updating the BIOS
directly from Windows, updating it from DOS or updating the BIOS from the BIOS
itself.
If an update for
your BIOS is available, download the newest version, taking care to select the
file corresponding to the method you plan to use to update it.
Be sure to download
the BIOS update for the exact model of your computer or motherboard and not
another one. If you'll manage to rewrite your BIOS with a BIOS that is written
for another computer or motherboard model, you will risk bricking your motherboard.
Step 3. Prepare
Your Computer For The Update
Preparing your
computer is a very important step in updating your BIOS and there are a couple
of things that you should do:
·
Read the Readme files that are distributed with the
BIOS update files you've downloaded. These might give you very important
information about the updating procedure and what you should do and not do.
·
If possible, try to update your BIOS while using a reliable source of
electricity. If you're updating the BIOS for a laptop or another portable
device, make sure that its battery is fully charged. If you're doing it on a
desktop computer, use an uninterruptible power supply if you have
one. These precautions are necessary because only a small power fluctuation can
corrupt the BIOS while it is being updated. That can lead to an unusable
computer.
·
If you're updating the BIOS from Windows, it is preferable that you
disable any running antivirus or security suite, so that it doesn't block
anything during the update process.
Step 4. Backup The
Existing BIOS Version
Most BIOS update
programs include a backup option for your current BIOS version. If such a
feature is available, take advantage of it and backup your existing BIOS
version before the upgrade. In case something goes wrong with the update, the
backup may be a lifesaver.
In case the BIOS
updater provided by the manufacturer of your computer or motherboard doesn't
offer a backup option, a good freeware alternative is the Universal BIOS Backup Toolkit.
Try it out and use
it to backup the existing BIOS version.
Step 5. Update The
BIOS Of Your Computer Or Motherboard
The steps involved
depend on the method that you chose for updating the BIOS.
Step 5.1. Update
the BIOS from Windows
The simplest method
is to update the BIOS from Windows. If this is what you chose, you should have
one or more files downloaded to your computer. Below you can see an example for
what you should have in case you update an Asrock motherboard. Among these
files, there should be an executable.
Double click or tap
to run the executable. To begin updating the BIOS you might have to choose the
new BIOS or it may be selected automatically. Then, look for a button named Update,
Flash, Run or something similar and click or tap on it. Once you've
done that, all that you have to do is relax and watch your BIOS getting
updated.
In most cases, when
the process is done, the updater will notify you that a system reboot is
necessary.
If everything
worked out well, the BIOS is now updated. You can now access it and tweak its
settings to your liking.
Step 5.2. Update
BIOS from DOS
If you choose to
update the BIOS from DOS you will have to create a bootable
drive (USB memory stick, CD/DVD, external HDD) and copy the BIOS file(s) on it.
Then, reboot your system and boot from this drive. Depending on the
instructions shared by the manufacturer of your computer/motherboard, you'll
have to run a specific command. This can be simply the name of the BIOS file or
it can be something similar to the command below:
afudos /inewbios.rom
Wait for the BIOS
to get updated and then reboot your computer.
Step 5.3. Update
BIOS from the BIOS
A third method of
updating the BIOS involves using the BIOS itself. Some manufacturers include
this feature. However, it bears a different name from one manufacturer to
another. For example, if you have an Asrock motherboard, your BIOS will have an Instant
Flash utility. If you own an Asus motherboard, its BIOS will have an
utility called EZ Flash.
These kinds of
utilities usually request that you save the new BIOS file on an external drive
or USB memory stick. This drive doesn't need to be bootable and there is no
command you must run in order to start the updating process. These utilities
automatically detect the presence of the new BIOS file on the drive you
selected and start updating the BIOS. When the update is finished, reboot your
computer and you're done.
Conclusion
Updating the BIOS
is not as difficult as it seems at first but it does require a bit of attention
and care. If you mess up one tiny little detail, you will have lots of troubles
to deal with. Also, things like a power failure during the update process can
corrupt the BIOS and make your computer unusable. These problems can only be
repaired by specialized personnel in computer repair shops or by the manufacturer
of your computer. Hopefully our guide has helped you go through this process
smoothly and without issues. If you have any questions or you would like to
share more useful advice to other readers, don't hesitate to leave a comment
below.
0 comments:
Post a Comment