How To Update Bios Of A Motherboard? Guide [2024]

Updating your BIOS can have a variety of advantages, including increased performance, compatibility with new CPUs and memory types, and improved stability. It’s always worthwhile visiting a motherboard manufacturer’s support website to see whether new firmware is available because motherboard manufacturers frequently issue BIOS upgrades for a few years after a motherboard is launched. Here are some instructions on how to upgrade your BIOS safely.

Although updating your BIOS is not particularly difficult, it is quite risky. You can have a bricked motherboard if the process is stopped or fails for any other reason. Therefore, it is advisable to update your BIOS with extreme caution. Our guide on how to update the bios of a motherboard will take you through all the steps making it very easy for you to follow with ease. Although bear in mind that if your motherboard runs into an error that would be entirely your expense as the method discussed is proved through various sources.

What is the Bios Of A Motherboard

The BIOS, also known as the Basic Input/Output System, is a ROM chip found on motherboards that enables you to access and configure your computer system at the most fundamental level. An illustration of how a BIOS chip can appear on a computer motherboard is shown in the image below. The BIOS shown is an early version of AMI BIOS, a type of BIOS produced by AMI. The BIOS contains instructions on how to load the most fundamental pieces of hardware. 

Steps for updating your BIOS

Step 1: Verify your Motherboard Model

Verify that you are installing a new BIOS version by comparing it to your existing version before you update. To do this, open the Windows Start menu or the Windows Search bar, type “msinfo,” and press Enter to launch System Information. Write down the BIOS version, which should be immediately underneath the processor details. Your motherboard should be listed under System Model if you are unsure of its precise model. Once you are done with this it’s time to move on to the next step.

Step 2: Download utilities From the Manufacturer’s Website

Visit the support page for your motherboard model on the official website of your motherboard manufacturer (in our instance, Gigabyte). There should be a Downloads area on the help page with a variety of drivers, programs, and tools. Find the BIOS section, then download the most recent version for your motherboard. Make sure you download the one that is suited for you because there are quite a number of models for one manufacturer and you could make a mistake while downloading one for your model.

Step 3: Extract Necessary Files

Use any compression software to extract the downloaded file, if it is in the ZIP or RAR format. The updated BIOS firmware file and related files should now be available for flashing. Place every file on a USB flash drive. Make sure to copy them into the drive’s root directory. The USB mentioned here is just for reference as this is the most commonly used form of secondary storage. You can use any secondary storage of your choice here as well including hard disks and CDs.

Step 4: Updating BIOS

Reboot your computer and go into the BIOS in step four. When your computer boots up, the correct key to enter the BIOS should be shown, but you can also attempt generic choices like F2 and Delete. Find the BIOS or UEFI flashing tool after entering the BIOS. On some motherboards, it is located under Q-Flash. If your motherboard is quite old, look for the option to flash or update the BIOS because there might not be a specific utility. Once you are done let’s move forward.

Step 5: Remember to Back Up

It is advised that you back up your current BIOS firmware once you have opened the BIOS flashing program or setup. This is crucial in case your new firmware flashing process encounters a problem. Not many motherboards have the option to back up the current BIOS, but if your BIOS/UEFI flashing tool has this option, make a backup and save it to a USB disc. This will really help you in the future as anything could go wrong in the upcoming process. This will help you remain safe in that case.

Step 6: Start The Flushing Process

After downloading and copying the new BIOS firmware file to the USB stick, we can now start the upgrade procedure by selecting it. When choosing the right file, exercise extreme caution. If you select the wrong file it may really affect your motherboard. It is essential to make sure that your system is never turned off after the flashing process starts. Again practice extreme care here as this could damage your motherboard’s software so once you are done with this move on to the next step.

Step 7: Update BIOS

Copy the newly created bootable USB stick with the updated BIOS version and BIOS update tool that you downloaded from the manufacturer’s website. Continue using the computer with the USB stick plugged in. Restart the system after that. Hold down the F11 key as the computer restarts. You can choose a boot device at the Boot Selection by doing this. Make sure your bootable USB stick is selected as your boot device before pressing.

You must enter the precise name of your BIOS update tool or flash tool, such as “bupdater,” “afudos,” or “awdflash,” when the prompt displays. You must first reach the location where your files and update tool are located using the command “cd” and press if they are in a different folder than ours, as seen in the image above. As seen in the screenshot above, our files are in the “cdTEST” directory. Moving forward, each flash utility is a little bit unique but still easy to comprehend. 

Additionally, they all include instructions on what to do after the application has started in DOS. To save the existing BIOS and/or choose the new BIOS file to update, review the provided information or adhere to the onscreen instructions. After a compatibility check, the update ought to be prepared. To confirm and start, click. Once it’s finished, you can verify your update was successful by looking up the BIOS version number using the methods mentioned above.

Conclusion

Don’t forget to make a backup of your current BIOS before starting. This will come in handy if there are problems with the upgrade or if you dislike the features or performance of the revised BIOS. Not every new update is favored. In the end, it will be up to you to determine whether an updated BIOS will be beneficial for your system. However, you now have a quick and easy method for updating your BIOS using a USB stick.

There are various ways to update the BIOS, so make sure to carefully follow the instructions provided by your motherboard’s manufacturer. Additionally, you should conduct preliminary research to uncover repair alternatives for a corrupted BIOS and keep that data handy on a second device. Another thing to keep in mind is that a BIOS update is generally not advised for systems that are already functioning normally because it won’t usually unlock any further performance.