As you know, the primary BIOS I / O system, which is responsible for controlling and storing information about all the hardware components of a computer or laptop, is one of the main components of a PC. But sometimes it is extremely necessary to solve the problem of how to find out the BIOS version. What is it for? Yes, take at least a situation where a firmware update is required, which may be due to the inoperability of the newly installed equipment or even critical operating system errors. It’s worth immediately warning all novice users that installing a new firmware of the primary system is not safe, therefore, all issues related to such actions will not be considered in detail.
How to find out the BIOS version of the motherboard through the settings of the primary system?
For starters, you can offer the simplest and most effective way to get the information of interest to the user on the primary system, which many users who are not familiar with the specifics of Windows operating systems, successfully apply.
When you turn on your computer or laptop, you need to use the keys or their combinations designed to enter the BIOS settings, after which you need to find an information block with the name like BIOS Information in the parameters (usually on the Main tab) (sometimes it can be System Information). Here the current firmware version and release date will be indicated.
How to find out BIOS version in Windows: system information
But it was, so to speak, a classical method, and not the most convenient one. Agree that few people want to reboot the system with running programs or open documents. The problem of how to find out which version of BIOS is installed in a computer system can be solved in Windows itself, as they say, without leaving the cash register.
To do this, call the "Run" console and enter the msinfo32 command in it, after which the information section will open, where the version of the current firmware with the release date will be indicated in the information window on the right.
Command line usage
Another solution to the question of how to find out the BIOS version is to use the most ordinary command line, which can be launched from the same run console by writing cmd in the command field.
In the window that appears, enter the wmic bios get smbiosbiosversion command and press the enter key, after which the firmware version will be displayed on the screen. And do not be surprised if the value will consist of only one letter and numbers. This is the same version.
ASUS: subtleties of obtaining information for devices
You can also find out the ASUS BIOS version via the command line in the same way. However, it is precisely for the systems of this developer that you can apply the command specially provided for this, so to speak, “sewn” into the primary input / output system itself.
In the console, you need to enter the abbreviation SYSTEMINFO and press the enter key, after which detailed information on the device will be displayed on the screen, including the BIOS information of interest to us.
Actions in the registry
Now let's see how to find out the BIOS version using another method. This can be done through the Windows registry. First you need to call the editor (regedit command in the "Run" menu).
Here, in the HKLM branch, through the HARDWARE and DESCRIPTION sections, you need to find the BIOS directory, and in the window on the right look at the value assigned to the BIOSVersion parameter. But this is only a version. The manufacturer will not be specified (to determine the manufacturer, you must use the above system information section ).
Third Party Utilities
Finally, the problem of how to find out the BIOS version can be solved by using third-party information utilities. One of the most interesting programs can be called Piriform Speecy, which is portable and does not require installation on a computer.
It is enough to simply launch the application and go to the tab of the motherboard (Motherboard), where it will provide comprehensive information about the board and its main characteristics, including version data and the manufacturer of the primary input / output system.
Actually, using only this application should not be limited. Equally successful, you can use such popular programs as CPU-Z or AIDA64. They will provide exactly the same information on all components of the motherboard, as in the utility described above.
What is not worth doing?
In principle, any of the proposed solutions is completely simple and provides almost the same information. The most complete information block is contained in the information about the system and in third-party programs that are specifically focused on this, and therefore it is recommended to use just such methods of obtaining the necessary information. But after all, some, with the permission to say “minds”, begin to unscrew the system unit or, worse, a laptop, trying to see the version of the primary system on the chip marking. Here it should be clearly understood that it is simply impossible to find any information on the version of the firmware itself.
In the end, although it was said that such issues would not be considered, a few recommendations regarding updating the firmware. We will not describe the process itself, but as a good advice, we can recommend downloading the firmware exclusively from the manufacturer's official website. In the case of laptops, you can conduct online testing on the official resource and download the firmware (firmware) specifically for your device, and then make a replacement. And during the installation process you need to be extremely careful, because if the power is suddenly turned off or the installation is incomplete, the entire primary system can, so-called “fly,” which will only lead to the fact that then you will have to change not only the BIOS chip, but the entire motherboard. So keep that in mind.