How To Find Your BIOS Version And Update It On Windows 10
Your system’s BIOS rarely updates. That’s not to say it will never update but the updates aren’t like OS updates. They come only as and when needed. For example, your system manufacturer might release a BIOS update in order to run the latest version of Windows 10 more smoothly or add support for some features. In other cases, there might be a BIOS update to fix existing problems. Still, a BIOS update is rare but not unheard. If your system is particularly old, it’s possible there’s an update for your BIOS available to help extend its life a few more years. In order to update your BIOS, you need to find your BIOS version.
You can update your BIOS from DOS or from Windows. It goes without saying that updating it from Windows is the easier option. First, find your BIOS version and then check if an update is available.
Find BIOS Version
We’re going to detail how you can do this in Windows 10. This same method will work in older versions of Windows as well. Open the run box by tapping the Win+R key, and type the following in it. Tap Enter.
msinfo32
This will open the System Information window. Scroll through the System Summary and find the BIOS Version/Date entry. Here you can find the manufacturer that will release an update for your BIOS. It’s the same as the manufacturer of your system unless you built a custom PC. Next to the manufacturer’s name, you will see the version number of the BIOS. Note this down somewhere. Also, check if your BIOS was recently updated from the date next to this entry. If the update is recent then you’re likely running the latest version anyway.
Check For BIOS Update
There is no sure-fire way to determine if a BIOS update is available. The best method is to search the manufacturer’s website. For example, if you have an HP or a Dell laptop, go to their respective websites. Enter the exact model number for your system. Do not guess this. Don’t think using the same model number as another laptop in the same series will work. Get this right.
The manufacturer’s website will show you the latest version of the BIOS that’s available and when it was released. You will need to search around a bit. Laptop manufacturers don’t have the best search features on their websites. When I first checked for the latest version of my BIOS, it showed me one from 2015. It took a little more Googling to find that I do, in fact have the latest version. Of course, what this means is that you can also downgrade your BIOS version if you so choose.
You will also notice there’s a discrepancy in the release date and installed date for the BIOS. This is possibly because the file itself was released later, i.e., after this particular system was available for purchase.
Update BIOS
You can download the BIOS file from your manufacturer’s website. The file is normally going to include instructions for updating BIOS. For Dell laptops, it’s just an EXE file that you can run like any of its driver files, and it will take care of the rest. The same holds true for HP laptops.
For other manufacturers, if your BIOS file isn’t an EXE, try extracting it with WinRAR. It’s possible there’s a Read Me file inside with instructions.
When you’re updating your BIOS version, make sure you’re connected to a reliable power source. Do not rely on the battery for the update. If you lose power during the update, your computer might no longer be usable.
