Should I upgrade my Bios?

Helpline Q&A Directory

My PC is over two years old. Would upgrading my Bios make it more compatible with newer programs? Is flashing my Bios worth the risk?

Taking the steps you ask about makes sense only if you have something to gain. If you can't get a piece of hardware to work - especially one that's newer than your PC - carefully upgrading your Bios may be worthwhile.

The Bios chip on your PC's motherboard has a program code necessary to run your computer. The Bios chip is almost always flash RAM, so it is simple to upgrade using a program that 'flashes' it with new code. Things can go wrong during the upgrade process, however, and the new version may introduce incompatibilities.

Before you decide on an upgrade, weigh the benefits against the effort involved and the risk entailed. The first step is to determine the manufacturer, number and date of your Bios. You can find this information in Windows by clicking Start, Programs, Accessories, System Tools, System Information. Then click the plus sign next to Components and select System. Select Advanced Information in the top righthand window, scroll down to System board, and look for BiosDate and BiosVersion.

Alternatively, you may obtain the Bios information when you boot your computer. Press Pause as soon as text appears on the screen; on most computers you'll see the Bios manufacturer, number and date. Write down the information and then press any key to resume booting.

Your next step is to go to your system vendor's website and look for Bios information for your PC model. (If you have a no-name clone, go to the motherboard manufacturer's website.) The information usually appears on the site labelled Technical Support, Free Downloads or something similar. If a Bios upgrade is available for your system, read the description provided.

The upgrade file is usually a ZIP or self-extracting EXE file. Instructions for the upgrade are probably stored in a Read Me file or somewhere on the website. Follow the instructions very carefully. You'll probably have to put all the files required for the upgrade on to a bootable floppy disk. Then reboot, follow the vendor instructions for backing up your existing Bios, and run the program that does the actual upgrade.

A power outage or other unexpected interruption in the flash process can corrupt the Bios code. If you end up with a half-written Bios, you'll have to use the backup copy you just made to reinstall the original. If your system won't boot, you'll need a Bios-flashing machine or a new Bios.