Alternatively, you can use an upgrade assistant for your device. On Windows computers, you can get the firmware version information using the Command Prompt. Knowing your computer’s BIOS version can help you find if you have the most up-to-date version of the firmware. For instance, it helps ensure that your PC boots using only software that is trusted by the PC manufacturer, i.e., it supports a feature called ‘Secure Boot’ to improve security. EFI, sometimes also referred to as Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) has certain advantages over BIOS. EFIĮFI, the abbreviated form of Extensible Firmware Interface is a specification for a new generation of system firmware that provides the first instructions used by the CPU to startup hardware and passes the control to the bootloader. For instance, BIOS still uses 16-bit code while most laptops and PCs run 32 and 64-Bit code. Although good, the low-level software has remained almost unchanged for the last two decades, and because of this, it is now becoming outdated and un-supportive of modern technologies. So, BIOS is primarily responsible for handling your computer’s hardware components and ensure that they function properly. It then signals another program called bootloader which does the job of waking up the operating system sleeping inside the hard drive and put it in the random access memory. It can interact with the hardware and check for any unknown errors. The first thing to come to life after the computer is powered on is BIOS. Also, firmware can start on its own and do what it is programmed or designed to do while drivers must be run by the operating system. It is designed to give permanent instructions to communicate with other devices in a system and perform functions like basic input/output tasks.įirmware, like drivers, has the same function but differs in a way that it is stored on the hardware device itself while drivers are installed inside the operating system. Better known as ‘ software for hardware,’ Firmware is a program that comes embedded in a piece of hardware such as a keyboard, hard drive, BIOS, or a video card.
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