• Checking the BIOS version. Find out the BIOS version

    Basic motherboard I/O system computer(BIOS) is designed to abstract the user's operating systems and applications from the characteristics of the computer's hardware. Such systems can be provided not only for the base board, but also for expansion cards installed in the motherboard connectors. Unlike other varieties, the central one is called systemic and is designated as System ROM BIOS. She performs function not only hardware support, but also its diagnostics, configuration, and launching the OS bootloader.

    Developers motherboards provide support for their products by releasing updates software for basic input/output systems. Updating the BIOS may be required in a variety of situations, most frequent of which are:

    • Incorrect functioning of motherboard components due to errors program code BIOS;
    • Obtaining support for new hardware, such as processors;
    • Errors in hardware interaction with new version operating system.

    Before updating you need to know current version BIOS in order to correctly switch to a new version or roll back to the old one if problems arise when working on the updated system.

    It is also important to know the base system version when upgrading hardware computing system to ensure its functionality. For example, installing the latest BIOS release to work with new model central processor installed in the socket, you may lose support for the old CPU, about which this version“does not know” the basic system.

    How to find out the system version

    In order to determine BIOS version, you can use several methods. The choice of a specific method depends on the capabilities of the user and the settings of the computer.

    We use CMOS

    You can view BIOS information in setup program, which is called CMOS. It is called when the computer boots by pressing a certain key on the keyboard. The specific meaning of the button is displayed on the screen during initialization and initial verification of hardware components - POST self-test. Most commonly used key Delete.

    Version information is usually found in the menu Main or Standard, it is displayed by the value of the BIOS Version constant.

    U different manufacturers There may be a different location for version information, for example, in custom graphical CMOS this parameter is located on the start page.

    Using the Registry

    Sometimes, it is not possible to find out the BIOS version through the configuration program, for example, when set password at the entrance. In this case you will have to use programs And system utilities provided by the computer's operating system.

    In Windows, you can view information about the version of the basic input/output system via registry. To do this you need to follow several steps:


    Application of specialized software

    If for some reason access to the registry is closed, or there is no necessary information, to determine the BIOS version, you can use specialized software . From free software the complex will do Everest, which collects numerous information about hardware and software components personal computer or server.

    This application is convenient because it can be used without installation and has an extensive database that allows it to display large number information about the system board. After launch, Everest spends some time collecting data and then displaying it in the form of structured information.

    In the section " System board" there is a subsection dedicated to the basic input/output system, and there is a field " BIOS version»:

    Also available free program PCWizard, which can be run without pre-installation. This package collects a lot useful information, and the hardware is presented in the section “ Iron" When selecting the icon " Motherboard» information about the system card is displayed, including the BIOS and its version:

    Find out the version using the command line

    Usage additional programs It’s convenient to view system information, but they may not always be at hand. Even without installation, launching them requires a preliminary download, which takes time. If you need to find out the BIOS version in urgent okay, you can use the equipment wmic, work with which to perform through command line.

    This is done in several steps. First you need to run command shell Windows. It is called via Start - Run and typing in the combination window that appears cmd. After clicking OK, a tool for launching scripts via the command line appears:
    In this window we enter the command wmic bios get smbiosbiosversion and press Enter. The result will be the version System BIOS PC boards:

    If used Linux, then you can use the utility dmidecode. You need to run it in the terminal with root rights. As a result, the screen will display detailed information about the hardware configuration of the computer, and the BIOS version, including:

    Using System Information

    In Windows, there is another way to view the version of the motherboard's basic I/O system - using the " System Information" To launch it, use the buttons Start - Run, and then entering the command msinfo32 followed by clicking OK. A window with system information will be displayed, which also contains information about the BIOS:
    The methods described above are quite sufficient to determine current version motherboard's basic I/O system.

    Progress does not stand still, and in order to keep up with the times, you need to periodically update both the software and hardware of your computer. However, it is not always possible to replace all components at once. system unit. In this case, we have to resort to some tricks that can help in solving the issue of increasing the performance of our PC and updating component elements.

    For example, hardware developers often release BIOS updates that may add support for certain new technology, initially absent, but quite functional on the existing hardware platform, provided that appropriate adjustments are made to the program of the basic input/output system. And here the main question that pops up for the average user is: how to find out the bios version, and solve the problem of switching from old version to a new software solution? We will answer this question today!

    Process BIOS updates This is done by reprogramming a special microcircuit and is called flashing. For successful BIOS flashing you need to know the current version of the basic input/output system program.

    The first and most in a simple way Finding out the BIOS version is a direct observation of the computer boot process. Immediately after completing the POST procedure, information about the video card is displayed on the monitor, followed by a screen with all necessary information about the computer. It is here that in the first line you can find out the manufacturer and BIOS version of your motherboard. The picture below is a clear example of how the BIOS version is displayed during boot.

    From the presented picture we can find out that this BIOS was developed by Award Software, Inc, and its version is v6.00PG.

    It happens that when you turn on the computer this information is hidden by the logo of the motherboard manufacturer, in this case you need to go to BIOS settings using the DEL key and in the section BIOS Setup(Boot Settings Configuration) set the Show logo parameter to Disabled.

    The information given is valid for desktop computers. What to do if you happy owner a modern laptop in which the manufacturer deliberately hid this screen and prohibited manual disabling of its logo when booting the computer? How to view the bios version, you ask, throwing up your hands, if the logo is in the way... What should you do? In this case, we will have to use method number two!

    The second way to find out the BIOS version is to use a special type of program designed to display detailed information about any computer. Let's look at some of them.

    Sisoft Sandra - A program for comprehensive system analysis, which will allow you not only to find out the BIOS version, but also to identify all other equipment. There are versions for computers running different Windows versions– from 2000 to latest Windows 8, as well as for light versions of this operating system designed for embedded systems based on Arm architecture processors. If you need to find out the BIOS version of a video card rather than the motherboard, then this program will also allow you to easily solve this problem.

    AIDA32 and AIDA64 - A program similar to the one presented above, with which you can find out the BIOS version. This program replaced Lavalys Everest, popular among personal computer service services (which had a wonderful function of automatically providing a link to current version drivers for each PC component). Functionally, AIDA32 is not much different from Sisoftware Sandra, so you can choose from these programs any one you like.

    The third method is available to operating room owners Windows systems. By pressing the Win+R key combination and entering the msinfo32 command in the “System Information” section, you can easily find an item indicating the computer’s BIOS version.

    After pressing the OK button, a window will open in which you can view the BIOS version.

    You can watch all these methods of recognizing the BIOS version and a few more new ones in the video clip below. From it you will find out what version of bios you have installed, and you will also understand how to determine the version of the motherboard and your processor.

    BIOS is a set of microprograms preinstalled on the motherboard that are necessary to start a personal computer. It is equipped with drivers that interact with all PC components until control is transferred to the operating system. The newer the distribution, the more more devices will be covered by drivers, and the more stable the computer will work. This article presents detailed guide how to find out what is installed on at the moment Bios version.

    If you want to view this information in order to reinstall the firmware, think about the need for this procedure. Perhaps, if everything is already working as it should, these actions will be unnecessary and may lead to unnecessary problems and difficulties.

    POST procedure

    If you are wondering how to find out the BIOS version without loading the operating system, the following 2 methods will suit you. Immediately after turning on your PC, certain information appears on the screen. Among the entries presented, you can find and view the manufacturer and BIOS version.

    If you don't have enough time to read everything you need, you can use the Pause/Break key on your keyboard. It will pause the POST procedure so you can read the information you need.

    BIOS Settings

    You can also find the information you are looking for in the settings menu. To do this, turn on your PC, wait sound signal(usually a single high-pitched beep) and press hotkey calling the control panel. The keys may vary among different motherboard manufacturers.

    Typically, this is one of the following buttons: F2, F10, F12, Escape or Delete. If you can’t determine which one is suitable, you can quickly click the entire list one by one.

    Now that the settings menu has opened, you need to find a section called “BIOS Information” or “System Information”. Typically, it is located in the “Main” category. This will provide information about the release of your firmware set.

    System Information

    The following methods are suitable for those users who want to find out the BIOS version without leaving Windows.

    Registry

    BIOS (from BIOS, basic input/output system - " basic system I/O") is part software, necessary to provide the operating system with API access to the computer hardware, as well as devices connected to it. Some time ago I talked about this, and today you will learn how to find out its version.

    Surely you might have a question - why? to the average user Do you need to know the BIOS version? Here's a simple example: the developers added support for a new technology that was missing in the initial version. At the same time, check whether there is this technology in the current BIOS version, the user cannot, and therefore the easiest way to find out is to find out the BIOS version.

    The procedure is relevant for both computers and laptops (including HP, ASUS, Acer, Lenovo, Sony, Dell, Samsung, etc.), although some users believe that the methods for these two cases will be different. This is wrong.

    There are several ways to check. I will start, according to tradition, with the simplest ones.

    Using the screensaver

    The easiest way, perhaps, is to find out the BIOS version at the moment when your PC boots. You probably could see the splash screen before loading the operating system? So, there you can find the information we need.

    True, there is one BUT here - this screensaver is shown for one or several seconds, so you need to have eagle vision to at least see something on the screen. However, there is a very simple way out - as soon as the splash screen appears on the screen, press the PAUSE/BREAK key located on the keyboard. In this case, further downloading is suspended and you can slowly find all the data you are interested in.

    Via the BIOS menu

    We can go into the BIOS itself and find out its version directly from the menu. To do this, when you boot the computer, you need to press the DEL button, on some devices it works ESC key. Once in the BIOS itself, go to the main menu, where the necessary information will be displayed.

    Windows Utilities

    If for some reason the previous two methods do not suit you, you can use standard utilities Windows.

    Go to the “Start” menu, in the “Search programs and files” line, add the following word msinfo32 without quotes or other symbols, then press the Enter key. This will open System Information. Information about your computer and system will be listed right on the main tab. One of the items is called “BIOS Version”. As you might have guessed, this is exactly what we need.

    Third party programs

    Honestly, it’s hard to imagine that none of the methods listed here would help you, but if this suddenly happened for some reason for unknown reasons, you can find out the BIOS version using third-party programs. For example, this can be done by everyone’s favorite Everest program, which you can download on the official website (shareware program).

    Select the "Motherboard" - BIOS section. Here you will see his version.

    Using the command line

    You can also find out the BIOS version using the command line. Launch (“Start” - “All Programs” - “Accessories” - “ Command line"), enter the command wmic bios get smbiosbiosversion and press Enter.

    If that doesn't work, then enter the systeminfo command. One of the items in the information received will be the BIOS version.

    Via Registry Editor

    You won’t believe it, but you can even view the BIOS version through the registry editor! Open (WIN+R, write the word regedit and click OK), then open the branch HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\HARDWARE\DESCRIPTION\System.

    Here you will see two items SystemBiosDate and SystemBiosVersion - these are the date and BIOS version, respectively.

    You can ask questions on the topic using comments.

    BIOS is present by default in all electronic computers, as it is the basic system for input/output and user interaction with the device. Despite this, BIOS versions and developers may differ, so to correctly update or solve problems, you will need to know the version and developer name.

    There are three main methods to find out the BIOS version and developer:

    • Using the BIOS itself;
    • Through standard means Windows;
    • Using third party software.

    If you decide to use third party program to display data about the BIOS and the system as a whole, then study the reviews about it to be sure that the information displayed is correct.

    Method 1: AIDA64

    - this is third party software solution, which allows you to find out the characteristics of the hardware and software components of the computer. The software is distributed on a paid basis, but has a limited (30 days) demo period, which will allow the user to study the functionality without any restrictions. The program has been almost completely translated into Russian.

    Finding out the BIOS version in AIDA64 is easy - just follow these step-by-step instructions:


    Method 2: CPU-Z

    is also a program for viewing the characteristics of hardware and software components, but, unlike AIDA64, it is distributed completely free of charge, has less functionality, and a simpler interface.

    Instructions that will allow you to find out the current BIOS version when CPU-Z help, looks like this:


    Method 3: Speccy

    is a program from a trusted developer who has released another famous cleaner program - . The software has a fairly simple and pleasant interface, there is a translation into Russian, as well as free version a program whose functionality will be sufficient to view the BIOS version.


    Method 4: Windows Tools

    You can find out the current BIOS version using standard OS tools without downloading any additional programs. However, it may look a little more complicated. Check out this step-by-step guide:

    1. Most of the information about the hardware and software components of the PC is available for viewing in the window "System Information". To open it, it is best to use the window "Run", which is called by key combinations Win+R. Write the msinfo32 command in the line.
    2. A window will open "System Information". In the left menu, go to the section of the same name (it should usually open by default).
    3. Now find the item there "BIOS version". It will contain the developer, version and release date (all in the same order).

    Method 5: System Registry

    This method may be suitable for those users who, for some reason, do not display BIOS information in "System Information". It is recommended to only find out about the current version and developer of the BIOS in this way. experienced users PC, as there is a risk of accidentally damaging files/folders important to the system.

    The step-by-step instructions look like this:


    Method 6: through the BIOS itself

    This is the most proven method, but it requires restarting the computer and entering the BIOS interface. For inexperienced user On PC this can be a little difficult since the entire interface is on English, and the ability to control using the mouse is not available in most versions.

    Use these instructions:


    Method 7: When PC Boots

    This method is the simplest of all those described. On many computers, when loading, a screen appears for a few seconds where it may be written important information about the components of the computer, as well as the BIOS version. When booting your computer, pay attention to the following points "BIOS version", "BIOS data" And "BIOS ID".

    Since this screen appears for only a couple of seconds, in order to have time to remember the BIOS data, press the key Pause Break. This information will remain on the screen. To continue booting your PC, press this key again.

    If no data appears during loading, which is typical for many modern computers And motherboards, then you will have to press the key F9. After this, basic information should appear. It is worth remembering that on some computers, instead of F9 you need to press another function key.

    Even an inexperienced PC user can find out the BIOS version, since most of the described methods do not require any specific knowledge.

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