How to Update BIOS Settings

Whenever you turn on your computer the system goes through a routine called the "Basic Input Output System" (BIOS), which is stored directly on the computer's motherboard. The BIOS allows the computer to perform several tests to make sure each of the hardware components are connected to the motherboard and functioning properly. If you add a new hardware component to your computer that your motherboard was not originally intended to use, you will need to update your system's BIOS to make the component work correctly.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Open up your computer's "Start" menu and then click on the "Shut Down" button. Select the "Restart" option from the "Shut Down" menu.

2. Press the "F1" keyboard key when the logo of your computer's manufacturer appears on the screen. Wait for a new menu screen to appear and then find the heading labeled as "Main."

3. Write down the current version of the BIOS on your computer, which will be the long string of numbers and letters underneath the "Main" heading. Press the "F10" key on the keyboard and then wait for the computer to finish restarting.

4. Access your web browsing program. Navigate the web browser to the support web page for your computer's manufacturer (see the Resources section). Type in the model of your computer.

5. Scroll down to the "BIOS" heading and look through the different BIOS versions that are available. Compare the versions available to the version number you wrote down earlier. Find the BIOS download that is more recent than your current BIOS version.

6. Click on the download link that is labeled as "Auto Update" or a similar phrase. Close the web browser once the download has finished. Double-click the BIOS update file and then follow the on-screen instructions to install the BIOS update.

Tips & Warnings

• Depending on the brand and specific model of your computer you may need to press "F10" instead of "F1" to access the BIOS setup menu. The model number of your computer can be found either on the back of the computer or in the manual that came with the machine.
• Be careful not to install an older version of the BIOS or a BIOS for a different computer model. If you don't use the correct BIOS version your computer's operating system will no longer load itself up properly. Do not click the BIOS download link labeled as "Floppy Disk." If you download the floppy disk version of the download you will have to save the file to a floppy disk and then restart the computer with the floppy disk inserted into the computer's disk drive.

References

• Updating BIOS

Resources

• Dell BIOS Updates
• Acer BIOS Updates
• Asus BIOS Updates
• HP BIOS Updates