Most computer users are routinely bombarded with messages about upgrading their software or their drivers. Windows usually prompts you every Tuesday to install at least one update. However, there may be an important part of your setup that you are neglecting – your BIOS. One word of caution before we proceed: this might be a more advanced tip, but it is still useful for anyone who knows the way around a motherboard and a boot screen.

Understanding the BIOS

BIOS stands for Basic Input/Output System and it is part of your motherboard. This important piece of code allows you to run any program on your computer and use any of the devices that you connect to it. Without it, nothing on your PC would work right, or even at all. Every time that you install a motherboard when you build a PC, the BIOS is already loaded. This will work fine for the initial installation. However, when you want to make any upgrades the BIOS should be flashed to make sure that your new components work properly and you are getting to take advantage of the their full potential.

Flashing Your BIOS

Flashing your BIOS can be a daunting task. If it is not done correctly, your PC could no longer boot properly. However, if you take your time and do it right, it can be as simple as pressing a few buttons. Some motherboard manufacturers give you software when you install your motherboard that will tell you when an upgraded BIOS is available. Others may give you the option of signing up for an email notification when this new firmware is released. If either of these two options are available when you install the motherboard, take advantage of them. Otherwise, you will have to visit the website of the motherboard manufacturer to determine if a new version of the BIOS has been released. Verify the latest version number listed against the BIOS version number that appear when you boot your machine or is listed in the BIOS itself.

From here, the process can get a little complicated and different methods will only work for specific motherboard and BIOS ROM chips. It is imperative that you take a look at your owner’s manual for the motherboard and use their recommended method. There are a number of utilities out there that will make the process easier, but only specific ones will work for your motherboard. Determine which method or methods you can use and follow the instructions to the letter. Nowadays, you should be able to use a flash drive for the flashing of the BIOS, so you should probably find a spare one and format it before you begin. Consider adding a separate partition if the drive is larger than 2GB to make sure the data you want to get read gets read first. Otherwise, your boot process may not begin properly.

While this is not a definite tutorial, it should be enough to get you started on investigating the proper way to do this for your machine. Keep in mind that flashing of the BIOS is a difficult, but necessary part of computer maintenance. Once you do it successfully, you’ll have no problem doing it again as needed.