How to check bios version

How to Check the Current BIOS Version on Your Computer

6 methods to find out what BIOS version your motherboard is running

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Your BIOS version number isn’t something you need to keep tabs on at all times. The main reason you’d want to check what version it’s at is if you’re curious if there’s a BIOS update available.

Like most things in the technology world, your motherboard software (BIOS) occasionally gets updated, sometimes to fix bugs and other times to add new features.

As part of some hardware troubleshooting processes, especially those that involve new RAM or a new CPU that won’t work correctly, updating BIOS to the latest version is a good thing to try.

Below are six different methods for checking the BIOS version installed on your motherboard:

Methods 1 and 2 are best if your computer isn’t working properly. They are operating system independent.

Methods 3, 4, 5, and 6 are more convenient ways to check the BIOS version, require your computer to be working, and work in Windows 11, Windows 10, Windows 8, Windows 7, Windows Vista, and Windows XP.

Method 1: Reboot Your Computer & Pay Attention

The «traditional» way to check the BIOS version on a computer is to watch for the version notation that appears on the screen during the POST as your computer starts to boot.

Restart your computer normally, assuming it’s working well enough to do that. If not, kill the power manually and then start the computer back up.

If your computer is off right now, powering it on normally will work just fine.

Carefully watch as your computer first starts and note the BIOS version that’s shown on screen.

Some computers, especially those made by major manufacturers, show a computer logo screen in place of the POST results, which is what contains the BIOS version number. Pressing Esc or Tab usually removes the logo screen and shows the POST information behind it.

If the POST results screen disappears too quickly, try pressing the Pause key on your keyboard. Most motherboards will pause the boot process, allowing ample time to read the BIOS version number.

If pausing won’t work, point your smartphone at your computer screen and take a short video of the POST results that flash on the screen. Most cameras record 60 fps or higher, plenty of frames to step through to catch that BIOS version.

Write down the BIOS version number as shown on screen. It’s not always 100 percent clear which of the cryptic lines of letters and numbers on the screen is the version number, so log everything that might be.

Take a photo! If you’ve been lucky enough to pause the boot process at the POST results screen, snap a picture with your phone. This will give you something concrete to reference later on.

You should now have your BIOS version number.

The reboot method is great when you don’t have the benefit of a working computer and can’t try one of the more convenient methods below.

However, it can get really frustrating restarting your computer over and over if you keep missing the BIOS version notation. The POST results screen is usually really fast, especially as computers get faster and decrease boot time.

Method 2: Let the BIOS Update Tool Tell You

Updating BIOS isn’t something you do manually, not completely anyway. In most cases, you’ll use a special BIOS update tool supplied by your computer or motherboard manufacturer to do the job.

More often than not, this tool will clearly show the current BIOS version that’s installed, so even if you’re not quite ready to update BIOS, or not sure you need to, the BIOS update tool can be used just to check the current version.

You’ll first need to locate the online support for your computer or motherboard maker and then download and run the tool. No need to actually update anything, so skip those later steps in whatever instructions are provided.

This method works when your computer isn’t starting properly only if the BIOS update tool for your motherboard is bootable. In other words, if the BIOS update program supplied only works from within Windows, you’ll have to stick to Method 1.

Method 3: Use Microsoft System Information (MSINFO32)

A much easier way to check the BIOS version running on your computer’s motherboard is via a program called Microsoft System Information.

Not only does this method not require any restarting of your computer, it’s already included in Windows, meaning there’s nothing to download and install.

Here’s how to check the BIOS version with Microsoft System Information:

In Windows 11, 10, and 8.1, right-click or tap-and-hold the Start button and then choose Run.

In Windows 8, access Run from the Apps screen. In Windows 7 and earlier versions of Windows, select Run from the Start menu.

In the Run or search box, enter the following exactly as shown:

A window titled System Information will appear on the screen.

Select System Summary if it’s not already highlighted.

On the right, under the Item column, locate the entry titled BIOS Version/Date.

Depending on how much you don’t know about your computer or motherboard, you may also need to know who made your motherboard and what model it is. If that information is reported to Windows, you’ll find those values in the BaseBoard Manufacturer, BaseBoard Model, and BaseBoard Name items.

Jot down the BIOS version as reported here. You can also export the results of this report to a TXT file via File > Export in the System Information menu.

Microsoft System Information is a great tool but it doesn’t always report a BIOS version number. If it didn’t for your computer, a similar program not made by Microsoft should be the next thing you try.

Method 4: Use a Third-Party System Information Tool

If Microsoft System Information didn’t get you the BIOS version data you need, there are several system information tools out there you can try instead, many that are much more thorough than MSINFO32.

Here’s how to do it:

Download Speccy, a completely free system information tool for Windows.

There are several really good system info tools to choose from but Speccy is our favorite. It’s completely free, comes in a portable version, and tends to show more information about your computer than similar tools.

Install and run Speccy if you chose the installable version, or extract and then run Speccy.exe or Speccy64.exe if you chose the portable version.

See 64-bit vs 32-bit if you’re not sure which file to run.

Wait while Speccy scans your computer. This usually takes several seconds to a few minutes, depending on how fast your computer is.

Choose Motherboard from the menu on the left.

Note the Version listed under the BIOS subcategory on the right. This is the BIOS version you’re after.

The Brand listed here isn’t usually something that’s worthwhile to know. The BIOS update tool and data file you need will come from your computer or motherboard maker, listed as Manufacturer, and will be specific to your motherboard model, listed as Model.

If Speccy or another «sysinfo» tool doesn’t work out for you, or you’d rather not download and install software, you have a couple other methods for checking your computer’s BIOS version.

Method 5: Run a Command Prompt Command

A simple command can be used to print the BIOS version in Command Prompt. You might try this before the slightly more advanced method below, but only after trying the graphical programs above.

There are multiple ways to open Command Prompt, but in most versions of Windows, you can type cmd in the search bar or Start menu to find it. In all versions of Windows, executing the same command in the Run dialog box (WIN+R) works, too.

Type this command, followed by Enter:

You should see the BIOS version appear just below the command you entered.

You can also enter the systeminfo | findstr «BIOS Version» command into Command Prompt to find the BIOS version information as it’s reported in the System Information tool explained above.

Method 6: Dig It up in the Windows Registry

Last but not least, and probably not that surprising to those of you in the know, a lot of information about BIOS can be found logged in the Windows Registry.

Not only is the BIOS version usually clearly listed in the registry, so is often your motherboard’s maker and your motherboard model number.

Here’s where to find it:

No changes are made to registry keys in the steps below but if you’re afraid you might make unintentional changes to this very important part of Windows, you can always back up the registry, just to be safe.

From the registry hive list on the left, expand HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE.

Continue to drill deeper inside of HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE, first with HARDWARE, then DESCRIPTION, then System.

With System expanded, select BIOS.

On the right, in the list of registry values, locate the one named BIOSVersion. Surprise. the value on the right is the BIOS version that’s installed right now.

Write down the BIOS version somewhere, as well as the BaseBoardManufacturer and BaseBoardProduct values, if you need them.

The Windows Registry can seem scary but so long as you’re not changing anything, it’s perfectly harmless to dig around.

Did you accidentally make changes in Windows Registry? It’s easy to reverse them if you backed up the registry to a REG file. see How to Restore the Windows Registry if you need help.

How to Check Your BIOS Version and Update it

Chris Hoffman is Editor-in-Chief of How-To Geek. He’s written about technology for over a decade and was a PCWorld columnist for two years. Chris has written for The New York Times and Reader’s Digest, been interviewed as a technology expert on TV stations like Miami’s NBC 6, and had his work covered by news outlets like the BBC. Since 2011, Chris has written over 2,000 articles that have been read more than one billion times—and that’s just here at How-To Geek. Read more.

You probably shouldn’t update your BIOS, but sometimes you need to. Here’s how to check what BIOS version your computer is using and flash that new BIOS version onto your motherboard as quickly and safely as possible.

Be very careful when updating your motherboard’s BIOS! If your computer freezes, crashes, or loses power during the process, the BIOS or UEFI firmware may be corrupted. This will render your computer unbootable — it’ll be “bricked.”

How to Check Your Current BIOS Version in Windows

Your computer’s BIOS version is displayed in the BIOS setup menu itself, but you don’t have to reboot to check this version number. There are several ways to see your BIOS version from within Windows, and they work the same on PCs with a traditional BIOS or a newer UEFI firmware.

Check Your BIOS Version at the Command Prompt

To check your BIOS version from the Command Prompt, hit Start, type “cmd” in the search box, and then click the “Command Prompt” result — no need to run it as an administrator.

At the prompt, type (or copy and paste) the following command, and then hit Enter:

You’ll see the version number of the BIOS or UEFI firmware in your current PC.

Check Your BIOS Version by Using the System Information Panel

You can also find your BIOS’s version number in the System Information window. On Windows 7, 8, or 10, hit Windows+R, type “msinfo32” into the Run box, and then hit Enter.

The BIOS version number is displayed on the System Summary pane. Look at the “BIOS Version/Date” field.

How to Update Your BIOS

Different motherboards use different utilities and procedures, so there’s no one-size-fits-all set of instructions here. However, you’ll perform the same basic process on all motherboards.

First, head to the motherboard manufacturer’s website and find the Downloads or Support page for your specific model of motherboard. You should see a list of available BIOS versions, along with any changes/bug fixes in each and the dates they were released. Download the version to which you want to update. You’ll probably want to grab the newest BIOS version — unless you have a specific need for an older one.

If you purchased a pre-built computer instead of building your own, head to the computer manufacturer’s website, look up the computer model, and look at its downloads page. You’ll find any available BIOS updates there.

Your BIOS download probably comes in an archive — usually a ZIP file. Extract the contents of that file. Inside, you’ll find some sort of BIOS file — in the screenshot below, it’s the E7D14AMS.291 file.

The archive may also contain a README or other text file that will walk you through updating to the new BIOS. You should check out this file for instructions that apply specifically to your hardware, but we’ll try to cover the basics that work across all hardware here.

You’ll need to choose one of several different types of BIOS-flashing tools, depending on your motherboard and what it supports. The BIOS update’s included README file should recommend the ideal option for your hardware.

Some manufacturers offer a BIOS-flashing option directly in their BIOS, or as a special key-press option when you boot the computer. You copy the BIOS file to a USB drive, reboot your computer, and then enter the BIOS or UEFI screen. From there, you choose the BIOS-updating option, select the BIOS file you placed on the USB drive, and the BIOS updates to the new version.

You generally access the BIOS screen by pressing the appropriate key while your computer boots—it’s often displayed on the screen during the boot process and will be noted in your motherboard or PC’s manual. Common BIOS keys include Delete and F2. The process for entering a UEFI setup screen can be a bit different.

Asus

There are also more traditional DOS-based BIOS-flashing tools. When using those tools, you create a DOS live USB drive, and then copy the BIOS-flashing utility and BIOS file to that USB drive. You then restart your computer and boot from the USB drive. In the minimal DOS environment that appears after the reboot, you run the appropriate command — often something like flash.bat BIOS3245.bin — and the tool flashes the new version of the BIOS onto the firmware.

In the past, this process was performed with bootable floppy disks and CDs. We recommend a USB drive because it’s the easiest method on modern hardware — a ton of modern computers don’t even have CD or DVD drives anymore.

Some manufacturers provide Windows-based flashing tools, which you run on the Windows desktop to flash your BIOS and then reboot. We don’t recommend using these, and even many manufacturers who provide these tools caution against using them. For example, MSI “strongly recommends” using their BIOS-based menu option instead of their Windows-based utility in the README file of the sample BIOS update we downloaded.

Flashing your BIOS from within Windows can result in more problems. All that software running in the background — including security programs that may interfere with writing to the computer’s BIOS — can cause the process to fail and corrupt your BIOS. Any system crashes or freezes might also result in a corrupted BIOS. It’s better to be safe than sorry, so we recommend using a BIOS-based flashing tool or booting to a minimal DOS environment to flash your BIOS.

That’s it — after you run the BIOS-flashing utility, reboot your computer, and the new BIOS or UEFI firmware version loads. If there’s a problem with the new BIOS version, you may be able to downgrade it by downloading an older version from the manufacturer’s website and repeating the flashing process.

How to check BIOS version in Windows 11/10

This post shows you how to check the current BIOS version in a Windows 11/10/8/7 computer, using Windows Registry, WMI Command, System Information Tool (MSINFO32.exe) or DirectX Diagnostic Tool (DXDiag). BIOS stands for Basic Input/Output System and is a type of firmware that is built into the hardware, used during and for the booting process of a computer.

Check BIOS version in Windows 11

You may need to check your BIOS version if you plan to update the BIOS. Of course, whether you want to do it or whether you should do it is another question. Anyway, there are several ways you can do this. Lets us have a look at them.

1] Using WMI Commands

You can use Windows Management Instrumentation to find out the details of your BIOS. To do so, open an elevated command prompt windows, type the following and hit Enter:

2] Using MSINFO32

The built-in MSINFO32 or System Information Tool displays this information under System Summary. To open this tool, Run msinfo32 and hit Enter.

3] Using Registry Editor

When Windows loads, it stores the BIOS information and other details under the following registry key:

To see the BIOS version Run regedit and navigate to the mentioned registry key.

4] Using DXDiag

DirectX Diagnostic Tool or DXDiag.exe is basically meant to help you troubleshoot DirectX issues. But if you Run dxdiag to open it, you will see the BIOS version mentioned under the System tab.

Of course, apart from this, you can also use some 3rd-party system information tool like Speccy to see your BIOD version or see it when you enter your machine’s BIOS setup by pressing F10/F12 keys during boot-time.

Check this post if you want to find out Computer RAM, Graphics Card / Video memory of your Windows PC.

How to Find BIOS Version on Computer

So you can figure out whether you need to update it or not

Need to find or check the current BIOS version on your laptop or desktop computer? The BIOS or UEFI firmware is the software that comes installed on your PC motherboard by default and that detects and controls the built-in hardware including hard drives, video cards, USB ports, memory, etc.

Whether you need to update the BIOS or not is something I’ve written about previously and the basic premise of that article was not to update unless you really have a specific need to.

So how do you go about figuring out if you need to update the BIOS on your computer? Well first you’ll need to figure out the current version of the BIOS. In this article, I’ll explain multiple ways you can determine the BIOS version. Once you have the current version, you can visit the manufacturer’s website to see what the latest version is.

System Information

Click on Start, choose Run and type in msinfo32. This will bring up the Windows System information dialog box.

In the System Summary section, you should see an item called BIOS Version/Date. Now you know the current version of your BIOS.

Command Line

Another easy way to determine your BIOS version without rebooting the machine is to open a command prompt and type in the following command:

wmic bios get smbiosbiosversion

The command line will just give you the version number of the BIOS and that’s pretty much it. However, there are more commands that will get you a bit more info.

wmic bios get biosversion

wmic bios get version

Windows Registry

Just about everything in Windows is stored in the Registry and the version of the BIOS is no exception! Go to the following key:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\HARDWARE\DESCRIPTION\System

And you’ll see several keys related to the BIOS, including SystemBiosDate, SystemBiosVersion, VideoBiosDate, and VideoBiosVersion.

Windows Startup

Another method to determine the BIOS version on your computer is to simply restart the computer. Some computers, including Dell, show you the BIOS version number when the computer first boots up.

If not, you can enter the BIOS setup by pressing F12, DEL, F10 or F12 when it shows up during startup. Other computer manufacturers may have a different key to enter setup, but it will usually tell you which key to press.

Since the BIOS interface is different for just about every computer manufacturer, you will have to navigate around until you see BIOS Revision or BIOS Version.

If you are using a newer computer running Windows 8 with UEFI instead of the traditional BIOS, you won’t be able to press any key during startup. In those cases, you have to boot to the System Recovery Options screen. Once there, you have to click on Troubleshoot and then Advanced Options.

This is the same method for getting Windows 8 into Safe Mode, but instead of clicking on Startup Settings, you should click on UEFI Firmware Settings. Note that you won’t see this option if your BIOS isn’t UEFI.

Third Party Software

If you’d prefer to use a third-party utility that can give you other information about your computer too, then a good option is Speccy. It’s from the same company that created CCleaner, one of the best maintenance tools for Windows PCs.

Click on Motherboard and then you’ll see a section called BIOS that gives you the Brand, Version and Date of the BIOS. The program also gives you a lot of other system info on CPU, RAM, Storage, etc.

Conclusion

So those are pretty much all the different ways you can determine your BIOS version. Updating your BIOS is something you should only do if needed and with great caution. A failed BIOS update can brick your entire computer and force you to spend a lot of money getting it repaired.

When updating the BIOS, there is no single way to go about it. Each motherboard manufacturer has their own set of tools for updating the BIOS. Some have the options in the BIOS itself to update, others require you to boot from a USB drive and flash the BIOS that way.

Each BIOS file will usually come in a compressed archive package that includes a ReadMe text file. It’s essential you read that file because it will have exact instructions for updating the BIOS.

The only method of updating the BIOS that you should avoid is the Windows option. This is usually a Windows application you can download and run from within Windows to flash the BIOS. The problem is that it can fail since Windows is still running and it’s usually not even recommended by the manufacturers themselves. It is the easiest way, but it carries the most risk of failure.

Founder of Online Tech Tips and managing editor. He began blogging in 2007 and quit his job in 2010 to blog full-time. He has over 15 years of industry experience in IT and holds several technical certifications. Read Aseem’s Full Bio

How to check the BIOS version on Windows 10

Our comprehensive guide covers all methods for this procedure

Every PC has a BIOS chip on its motherboard, and you can access BIOS and change certain hardware settings with ease.

BIOS is a crucial part of every PC, but sometimes you need to check which version of BIOS are you currently using, and today we’re going to show you how to do that on Windows 10.

You usually need to check your version of BIOS if you’re planning to update it with a newer version.

If you’re an advanced user, it’s always good to know which version of BIOS are you using in order to keep track of potential issues related to that version.

Finding the version of BIOS that you’re currently using isn’t that hard on Windows 10, and you can do that by using one of our solutions.

How can I check the BIOS version on Windows 10?

Use Command Prompt

Some users recommend to use systeminfo command. To do that, just start Command Prompt as administrator, type systeminfo, and press Enter.

You should now see all sorts of system information. Look for BIOS Version value to see the version of your BIOS.

As you can see, checking your BIOS version with Command Prompt is relatively simple, and you can do that simply by entering one command.

Command Prompt is an extremely powerful tool that allows you to make all sorts of changes to your system by using the command line.

In addition to making changes, you can also use Command Prompt to view important system information, such as BIOS version for example.

Use System Information tool

System Information tool contains all sorts of useful information regarding your PC. Using this tool you can see information related to both your hardware and software.

This method might be simpler for some users, and it also shows additional information regarding your BIOS such as the type of BIOS that you’re using along with its version.

Using System Information tool you’ll get access to more information regarding your system and BIOS, so be sure to try it out.

Enter BIOS

You can check your version of BIOS simply by accessing BIOS itself. Accessing BIOS is simple and you just need to keep pressing Del, F2, F10 or F12 keys on your keyboard while your system boots.

To see which key you need to press in order to access BIOS we advise you to check your motherboard manual.

Your PC might also tell you to press a specific key in order to access SETUP during the boot sequence, so keep an eye for that message.

After you manage to enter BIOS, you need to check its version. To do that, simply navigate to the Main tab and look for BIOS Version value.

This value can sometimes be hidden depending on your type of BIOS, so you’ll have to look for it a bit.

Use the Registry Editor

When Windows 10 starts, information regarding BIOS is stored in your registry and you can easily access it by opening Registry Editor.

This is a powerful tool that can be used to change your system configuration, but today we’re going to use it just to view information.

Use DXDiag

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DXDiag is DirectX Diagnostic tool, and this tool is designed to help you fix DirectX issues. In addition, this tool will collect information regarding your hardware, display, and audio drivers.

Check the POST screen

When you turn on your PC, your computer performs a hardware scan. During that process, certain computer information will appear on the screen.

In addition, there might some information regarding your BIOS version on the top of the screen, so keep an open eye.

Depending on your settings, this information might be on the screen for a second or two, so you’ll need to look closely and write down your BIOS version.

Few users suggest that you can keep the system information visible simply by pressing the Esc or Tab keys while your system boots.

In addition, you might be able to pause POST process simply by pressing the Pause key on your keyboard, so be sure to try that as well.

Use BIOS update tool

If you’re looking for the version of your BIOS, you’re most likely planning to update it.

Updating BIOS is an advanced procedure, but many motherboard manufacturers provide a special tool that you can use to update your BIOS easily.

Many of these tools will show you the current version of BIOS, so you can easily know which version you need to install.

If you don’t plan to update your BIOS, be sure to avoid any BIOS update tools and use any other solution to find out your BIOS version.

Check BIOS version in PowerShell

You can use PowerShell to check your BIOS version. PowerShell is a command-line tool similar to Command Prompt, but it has more power than Command Prompt. This is an extremely powerful tool that can do all sorts of things. You can create automated scripts with it or remove core Windows 10 components.

1. Press the Windows key and the X key at the same time to open the Power Menu.

2. S elect Windows PowerShell (Admin) from the list.

3. When PowerShell starts, type Get-WmiObject win32_bios.

4. Press Enter to execute the command.

Use third-party tools

According to users, you can easily find your version of BIOS by using third-party tools such as Speccy or CPU-Z.

Both of these apps have BIOS section and in there you can see all the necessary information regarding your BIOS, including the version of BIOS.

Now that you know how to find out your BIOS version, you can update bios on Windows 10 using different methods.

Checking your version of BIOS on Windows 10 is relatively easy, and you can do that simply by using any of the methods that we showed you in this article.

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