Sometimes, you will be required to check BIOS version on your computer. When that time comes, you can count on the methods and steps below to get it done. In this post, we’ll walk you through how to get this done in Windows 10. Keep reading for the details….
BIOS stands for Basic Input Output System. It serves as a firmware interface between your PC’s hardware components and the operating system. Its main role is to undertake hardware component checks during startup while also launching the default operating system.
By checking your PC’s BIOS version, you will be able to tell whether or not it needs an update. With that background, let’s now delve more into how to check the BIOS version in Windows 10.
The real reason many people choose to check or find out the BIOS version on their PC is to determine if there’s a need for an update. There are different methods for checking the BIOS version on your computer. The most common ones include:
1. Using System information
To check the BIOS version on your PC via system info, proceed as follows:
Step 1: Press Window + R keys to launch the Run dialog box.
Step 2: On the Run window, type msinfo32 and hit.
Step 3: On the system information window, click on BIOS Version/Date.
Step 4: You will see the current BIOS version on your computer.
2. Using the command line
Besides System Information, you can also use the command line to check the BIOS version on your Windows 10 PC. Here is how to do it:
Step 1: On the Windows search bar, type cmd, and then, on the right pane, click on Run as administrator.
Step 2: To see the BIOS version number, type the following command on your command prompt console wmic bios get smbiosbioversion and then hit
Step 3: To get a little bit more info about the BIOS version, the following commands are necessary: wmic bios get bios version, and wmic bios get version
That is all it takes to check the BIOS version on your PC via command prompt.
3. Using Windows Registry
The Registry is a repository for just about everything in Windows. That also includes details about the systems BIOS version. Here is how to locate it from your Windows Registry:
Step 1: On the windows search bar, search for and open the Registry Editor app
Step 2: Locate the Registry Hive list and then expand on HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE
Step 3: Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\HARDWARE\DESCRIPTION\System
That will give you access to several BIOS related keys, some of which include SystemBiosDate, SystemBiosVersion, VideoBiosDate, as well as VideoBiosVersion
4. Checking during Windows Startup
The simplest way to check the BIOS version is when your PC powers on. On most, if not all PCs, you have the option to open the BIOS setup during startup by simply pressing certain keys; F12, Del, or F10. The choice of keys depends on the model or brand of PC.
On some computers, such as Dell, you don’t have to press any keys to see the BIOS version number during startup. You can easily see it displayed on the screen at some point during the boot process.
It is important to note that the BIOS interface varies with the PC brand. Even so, in all cases, you should be looking for BIOS Version or BIOS Revision.
For PCs running UEFI instead of BIOS, you need to boot to system recovery during startup and click on Troubleshoot > Advanced Options.
5. Using a Third Party software
If you don’t want to stress yourself clicking on keys during startup, you have the option of using third-party software to check the BIOS version on your PC. A major tool often used to display system info is called Speccy. Speccy is straightforward to use and displays, among other system information, the BIOS version.
Once you have launched the tool on your PC, head over to Motherboard, you should be able to see a section called BIOS that contains info about the Brand, version, and Date of the BIOS on your computer.
FAQs
Q. Can I update the BIOS firmware version on my Windows PC?
Yes. You can update the BIOS firmware version on your PC, but it's advisable to seek guidance from a professional first. Updating your PC with the wrong BIOS firmware version can render your PC inoperable (bricked).
Q. Do Mac computers use BIOS firmware to run macOS?
No. Mac computers are not embedded with BIOS firmware to run macOS. Mac computers have Open Firmware (the equivalent of BIOS) for running the macOS and supporting Apple services.
Q. How do I know if my BIOS is updated
You can easily know if your BIOS version is up to date by pressing Win + R keys, and then in the Run window, type msinfo32 and press Enter. Your PC system info window will appear. Check for your current BIOS version under BIOS Version/ Date.
Conclusion
With that, we come to the end of this post on how to check the BIOS version on Windows 10. I hope you found it very useful. If you have any questions or suggestions, drop them in the comments section down below.
