How to install bios update. How to update motherboard Bios? Which motherboards need to be flashed with their BIOS

04.05.2019 Advice

BIOS is the firmware responsible for starting Windows. She checks the functionality of components and add-ons. The correct boot of the computer and its normal operation (hardware components) depend on it.

It is recorded on the motherboard and not on the hard drive like the OS. In new devices, BIOS is replaced by UEFI, which performs the same functions, but is improved. Both programs sometimes need to be updated.

BIOS can be updated in several ways

DO I NEED TO UPDATE THE BIOS?

Manufacturers release updates for the laptop regularly. It is downloaded from the official website of the company that made the laptop. It is more difficult for PC owners to build their own. To find the files to update, they will have to rely on the data of the motherboard chip. Any update is also written to the chip, replacing the old version.

It is not difficult to update the bios correctly, but only materials designed for a specific PC model or board should be used. Each motherboard has a strictly defined type of firmware, and installing the wrong version can lead to malfunctions of the computer or its complete inoperability.

BIOS is a thin program, and therefore it is better to update it only in extreme cases. It does not need to be updated on a normally functioning PC. This is due to several factors:

It is difficult to flash bios on an asus motherboard or any other, the process requires some skills, the process goes through DOS;
Improvements will not be noticeable, since the differences between versions are minimal and highly specialized;
Malfunctions and malfunctions may occur. the old version has been tested more thoroughly than the new one;
During work, the power should not be cut off, otherwise the device will stop loading.

But sometimes it is necessary to update the BIOS. If you regularly encounter this or that error in operation, go to the device manufacturer's website and check if such an error has been eliminated in the new firmware version. More often on the websites of manufacturers there is such a list. If this problem is really solved in the new version, it makes sense to update the bios on the laptop.

Another good reason to flash BIOS is to install new equipment. If you purchased a new processor that appeared after the release of your motherboard, then it will not be supported by your BIOS. In new versions for firmware, manufacturers add support for new types of processors, and therefore you will have to download such a file and flash the firmware.

It is necessary to update the BIOS as a last resort. But even then, check the specifications of the new version before upgrading to see if the issues are resolved. Based on this, draw a conclusion whether it is necessary to update the bios.

Find out the current version by holding Win + R on the keyboard. In the window that opens, you see msinfo32 for 32-bit OS. Click the Run button. A window will open listing the hardware and OS characteristics of the device. Find the one you need among them.

Sometimes a notification appears that the bios mode is outdated. This means that the BIOS operating mode is outdated, it still works in real, not protected mode. The firmware may not help to solve the problem, but it is not serious and it is not necessary to fix it.

UPDATE METHODS

The update method depends on the computer manufacturer, motherboard model, etc. Most often, each manufacturer has its own instructions for flashing. You can get acquainted with it on the official website of the company.

On all modern motherboards, or you can update the bios on the computer in any of the indicated ways. But it is better to choose the latter, as it guarantees the minimum number of errors.

UPDATE ALGORITHM

You can update the bios of asus or any other modern laptop in any of the three described ways. They have their own nuances, but when carrying out the process using utilities, they are still not difficult.

FROM DOS

A difficult option with great risks. To update bios on a windows 7 computer, do the following:

Find out your motherboard model;
Download the required firmware version on the official website of the manufacturer;
Sometimes there are several of them. In this case, select the one that is intended for installation in DOS mode;
Create a bootable USB flash drive with BIOS, DOS and additional utility (it is downloaded on the manufacturer's website or included in the archive along with the firmware);
Install a USB flash drive and restart your computer;
Specify the media on which the bios of the motherboard is installed;
After the flashing is finished, restart your PC.

More precisely, there is no instruction, since it varies for different PCs and boards. Find detailed instructions on the manufacturer's website. However, this method is not recommended.

FROM WINDOWS

It is easy to reflash bios on a laptop in this way. Errors are rare. Popular method.

Download the firmware utility. It is different for each manufacturer. Asus bios update software - Asus Update, MSI - Live Update, etc .;
Install the program;
Run;
Find the function online - search for new firmware. In different programs, she is in different groups of teams;
Select the required firmware from the list of firmware;
Activate download;
After downloading, run the flashing and follow the instructions of the program.

The bios firmware of asus, MSI and others in this way is also safe because the program itself selects the appropriate firmware version. In addition, the intuitive interface will help even an inexperienced user to perform the firmware.

FROM BIOS

It is possible to reflash the bios on a laptop from the firmware due to the preinstalled utilities. This is a difficult method, since it differs depending on the model of the motherboard chip, manufacturer, etc. To update the bios on a gigabyte motherboard, run the pre-installed @BIOS utility, other manufacturers have different programs. Such programs are similar to the utilities used in the previous method, but not so convenient. They also work with them - they find the necessary file on the network and launch it.

Most often, the method is used in case of computer breakdowns, when it is impossible to enter the OS, because PC won't boot.

Is a set of microprograms that are stored in a special microcircuit on the motherboard. This firmware is written during the production of the motherboard. BIOS is needed to start the computer, check its performance and start the operating system. In some cases, you may need to update it. For example, in order to add support for new processors that appeared after the release of the motherboard itself. In this article, we will briefly talk about how to update the BIOS.

Step # 1. Make sure you really need to update your BIOS.

Updating the BIOS is always a risk. The slightest mistake or power failure can lead to the fact that yours will turn into a useless piece of PCB.

When you definitely DO NOT need to update the BIOS:

your computer works fine without updating;
you have no experience in computer maintenance;
you have frequent power outages;

Step # 2. Find out the BIOS version that is installed on your computer.

Before proceeding with the BIOS update, you need to find out which version you currently have installed.

Hello friends! In today's article, we are with you update the BIOS of the ASUS motherboard... This is a serious matter and must be treated accordingly. The process of updating the BIOS of any motherboard, although very simple, but any mistake in it will cost you dearly - you will have to return the motherboard to life in the service center, since you probably do not have a special programmer. At the beginning of the article, I will briefly remind you what BIOS is.

BIOS is the most important element of a computer - microprogram written on a microcircuit, which, in turn, is located on the motherboard.

BIOS - provides basic OS access to the hardware capabilities of the computer. In simple words, the BIOS explains to the operating system how to use this or that computer component.

Immediately after turning on the system unit, BIOSchecks all devices (POST procedure) and if any component is faulty, thenthrough a special speaker, a signal is heard by which you can identify a faulty device. Eif everything is fine, BIOS will start looking for the OS bootloader code on the connected drives and find it passes the baton to the operating system.

Now about the not very good. The BIOS update process itself lasts a couple of minutes, but if at this time, the electricity in your house will be cut off, and your computer is not connected to an uninterruptible power supply(UPS), then the operation of the firmware will be disrupted and you simply will not turn on the computer. For recovery, you will have to look for a special programmer (BIOS recovery is a topic for a separate article).

I must say that manufacturers foresaw the seriousness of the issue even at the dawn of motherboard production. completely excluded the possibility of updating or flashing the BIOS, only recently the BIOS began to be equipped with a special program for its update. But still,BIOS update of any motherboard usually happens once in its life, and sometimes never at all.

The most important rule is if the work of a computer or laptop youquite satisfied, then nothing needs to be updated, but eif you still decideupdate BIOS, then there must be good reasons. Here are some of them.

Your BIOS does not have any new features. For example, no technology AHCI, and there is only an outdated IDE, but you bought a new interface hard drive SATA III (6 Gb / s) or SSD in general. Technology AHCI will allow your drive to use modern capabilities and the operating system on the new hard drive will run faster than in the IDE. Having visited the website of the manufacturer of your motherboard, you saw that a new update was released on BIOS, you also found out that after the update, your motherboard will supportAHCI! In this case, you can update the BIOS without hesitation.

One of my friends lost sound on the computer, reinstalling Windows and drivers did not help, he decided that the built-in sound card had burned out and bought a discrete one, so the system worked for 7 years, then the processor had to be replaced on this computer, this required updating the BIOS, after updating the built-in the sound card is working.

One more case. The client's computer constantly rebooted and reinstalling the operating system did not help, they replaced everything in the system unit, they did not change only the motherboard and processor. Finally, we decided to install a new firmware on the BIOS and it helped!

In the "System Information" window that opens, we see the BIOS version - 2003

Now go to the official website of the manufacturer of our motherboard ASUSP8Z77-V PRO and choose "Drivers and utilities"

We select any operating system and open the "BIOS" item. We see that there is an update 2104 (a newer version than ours).

Click on the "Global" button and download the firmware.

Fresh firmware for BIOS (P8Z77-V-PRO-ASUS-2104.CAP) downloaded in the archive. We extract it from the archive and copy it to USB-f Leshka. The firmware weighs 12 MB.

The USB flash drive must be formatted in the FAT32 file system and, apart from updating to the BIOS, must contain nothing.

Reboot and enter BIOS.

In the initial BIOS window, we see the old firmware version 2003.

We press "Additionally" and go to additional BIOS settings.

(Click on the screenshot with the left mouse to enlarge)

We enter the "Service" tab

Select the BIOS firmware utility - ASUS EZ Flash 2 or you may have ASUS EZ Flash 3.

In the ASUS EZ Flash 2 window we see our USB flash drive with firmware P8Z77-V-PRO-ASUS-2104.CAP.

Left-click on the firmware file.

If you've gotten to this topic, chances are there is something wrong with your computer. Updating (also known as “firmware”) the BIOS can help resolve some issues, such as incorrect operation of peripheral devices or lack of support for modern processors. But do not rush to "change", let's first study the theoretical part.

How to update Gigabyte BIOS

The first and most important thing to know is that you need to be very careful when updating your BIOS. If you turn off the power of the computer during the update process, there is a high chance that the motherboard will fail. If your PC is working properly, then you should not chase the latest updates, so as not to sacrifice performance.

Have you made up your mind? Then go ahead! If possible, connect your PC to an uninterruptible power supply and fully charge the battery on your laptop.

There are two main ways to update Gigabyte BIOS:

Method 1: Q-Flash

Q-Flash is a utility from the manufacturer Gigabyte built into the BIOS. "Firmware" with its help is a simple and straightforward process, and the update can be done by an ordinary user who does not have deep knowledge in the field of computer technology. If you have an older BIOS version that does not have Q-Flash, go to method # 2.

We will analyze the update using the example of the Gigabyte GA-H110M-S2H motherboard:

1. Go to Gigabyte official website.
2. Click on the magnifying glass (search button) in the upper right corner of the screen.

1. Enter the equipment model (in our case GA-H110M-S2H) and select a model from the dropdown list.

1. Click on the link "Advantages", then click on "Support".

1. Click on the button "BIOS", select the most recent version and click on the download icon.

1. Unpack the downloaded archive, from it you only need one firmware file, in this case it is "H110MS2H.F21".

1. Copy this file to a USB flash drive, previously in FAT32.

It is desirable that only the firmware file be on the flash drive!

1. Restart your computer, after start press the key "END" until the Q-Flash utility is loaded.
2. Select item "Update BIOS from Drive" and press "ENTER".

Select a USB flash drive from the drop-down list, most likely, its name will be "HDD 1-0" (depending on the number of media connected to your computer) and click "ENTER".
Select the file with the firmware (if you listened to our advice in step 7, then it is one and you will not have to look for it) and double-click "ENTER".
Wait for the update process to complete and the completion message.
Press any key and you will be taken to the start menu. Next click "ESC" and "ENTER", after which the computer will restart.

Method 2: @BIOS Utility

@BIOS Utility is a Windows utility that can update BIOS directly from the system. To use @BIOS utility, you must first download and install .Net Framework 4.5 or higher and APP Center (an application from Gigabyte to get the most out of your motherboard).

1. Follow the first four steps from method # 1.
2. Click on the button "Utilities", and then to the loading icon in the line with the phrase APP Center.

1. Unpack and install APP Center.
2. Find the phrase in the table "@BIOS" and click on the download icon.

1. Unpack and install @BIOS Utility.
2. Run the utility.
3. Click on the button with the text "Update BIOS from GIGABYTE Server"... The firmware file will be automatically downloaded and the program will update the BIOS.

When downloading the firmware, a stable power supply of the computer and an Internet connection must be provided!

You can also use the firmware file downloaded manually in method # 1, for this click "Update BIOS from File" and select the file.
Wait for the update to finish and restart your computer.

In this article, we examined two ways to update the Gigabyte BIOS. It turns out that there is nothing difficult about "flashing". The main thing to remember is that you must not allow the power supply and the Internet to be cut off (if the second method is used).

When you turn on your computer, control is completely transferred to a small firmware called BIOS. It performs many functions: checks the hardware, controls the OS bootloader control. It is through it that you can set the boot priority of devices, set the exact date and time, and set a password. However, over time, the version of the program becomes outdated and many users wonder whether to update the BIOS and how to do it correctly?

Therefore, it is worth familiarizing yourself with all the intricacies of updating the BIOS in order to avoid problems in the future.

Should you update your BIOS?

The question of whether to update the BIOS is asked by many. However, in the pursuit of a newer version, users only get a lot of problems, not benefits. Therefore, it is worth updating the BIOS only in the following cases:

New devices are not detected on the PC. For example, you replaced a hard drive with a newer model, but the old BIOS version does not detect it. In this case, it is worth updating the firmware.
Settings are not saved in the old BIOS version, there are glitches and errors.
Your BIOS version does not support booting the system from removable media, for example, from a USB flash drive, and your drive is out of order.

IMPORTANT! Under no circumstances should you update your BIOS if your PC is under warranty. This will void your warranty service.

How do I determine the BIOS version?

If you are wondering how to update the BIOS, then the process of correctly replacing the program is important for you.

First of all, it is worth determining the model of the motherboard and the BIOS version. The correct information is not always indicated in the documents for the PC. It is worth double-checking the information. To do this, it is better to use the AIDA64 utility.

After installing and running the program, go to the "Motherboard" section and look at the motherboard model.

Now go to the motherboard manufacturer's website and look for a new BIOS version.

BIOS step by step

There are several ways to update the BIOS:

A special utility that is available on the motherboard manufacturer's website and allows even a novice user to update the version of their firmware. However, as practice shows, the work of antivirus, third-party applications or a power outage can ruin the update process.
Using the Q-Flash utility, which runs without the computer's support for drivers, antivirus and other elements. We will dwell on this method.

To update the BIOS, restart your PC and press Del and F2. The BIOS menu will open. It is necessary to translate the program settings into optimized ones. To do this, select the Load Optimized default function, and then click F10.