Be 100 percent sure that the BIOS update will fix any issues that you may be having before flashing the BIOS. If you are unsure if a BIOS update will fix a problem that you are having with your PC, you can ask for more information from the manufacturer. As a rule of thumb if your computer is operating normally, leave it alone. It is equally difficult for the average PC user to determine if any of the hardware in their system is included in the fix. Flashing your BIOS for a fix that is not neededĪs you can see from the example above, it is often difficult to understand exactly what fix was implemented with a BIOS upgrade.
You will need to review all of the BIOS update notes after your current BIOS version in order to know all of the changes made with the latest upgrade version.ģ. Perhaps if more people requested this, more detailed information might be included in the BIOS update notes in the future. You can't expect your motherboard manufacturer to explain what E6400 and S3 mean, but they should be able to explain what the problem was that was fixed. If you do, are you using the S3 STR (Suspend To RAM) Sleep option in Windows and having problems with it? Even after learning that an E6400 is an Intel Core 2 Duo CPU and S3 is one of four sleep functions in the PC's power settings, you then need to know if you have an E6400 CPU. It is not uncommon to find something similar to this. Often these BIOS upgrade notes are written by techs with little or poor knowledge of English and rarely are the details noted in full. Failing to research or understand the BIOS update detailsĮven properly researching the changes in the BIOS upgrades may not be enough to completely understand exactly what was changed. There is, however, a 975X7AB-2.0-8EKRS2H version of my motherboard, which makes the correct identification of my motherboard very important when it comes to finding and downloading the correct BIOS update file.Ģ.
The full model name of my board is 975X7AB-8EKRS2H. The initial POST screen and BIOS scan makes no mention of one either. I could not find a revision number on my motherboard.
Look for the manufacturer, model number and a revision number.Ī screenshot of the results of the free BIOS Device Driver Update Inquiry
The only way to know for sure your motherboard make is to pop off the side panel or open the case and take a peek.
You might be able to get the information by entering the serial number of the PC on a Web site, but when it comes to flashing your BIOS you need to be 100 percent accurate and the information on the Web site could be incorrect. If you purchased your computer prebuilt, as most people do, then you probably don't know what is under the hood. The revision number may be less well known to you. If you built your computer then you know the brand of the motherboard that you purchased and you will also likely know the model number. Misidentification of your motherboard make/model/revision number
I have detailed ten common mistakes that are made during a BIOS upgrade listed in order from the beginning to the end of the BIOS flashing process.ġ. If are not familiar with the basics of flashing the BIOS or if you are not 100 percent sure that flashing your BIOS is the right thing to do then please read the companion article Three Good Reasons for Flashing Your BIOS.ĭisclaimer: Flashing the BIOS incorrectly can lead to an unusable system. It is essential that you do it mistake free if you still want to be able to use your computer.įor the purposes of this article I am going to assume that you understand the risks of flashing your BIOS and have a good reason for upgrading your existing BIOS. The decision to flash your BIOS should not be taken lightly. It is the first code that is executed at start-up and defines the way your motherboard will communicate with the system hardware components. The BIOS (Basic Input/Output System) is critical to the proper operation of your computer.