Obtaining The BIOS Update

Now that you know your BIOS ID, it’s time to check if your motherboard manufacturer has a BIOS update for you.

BIOS updates are best obtained directly from the manufacturer’s website, instead of other distribution points like hardware sites and unofficial mirrors. This ensures that you have the very latest BIOS update available as well as reduces the risk of downloading a virus-infected copy.

So, head over to your motherboard manufacturer’s website. BIOS updates are usually listed in the Downloads or Support section of the website.

Please note that while different motherboard models may appear to have the same BIOS ID, you must download only the BIOS that is specifically meant for your motherboard. Flashing a BIOS update that was meant for another motherboard will likely cause your motherboard to fail.

Once you are in the page listing the BIOS updates for your motherboard, there may be a long list of BIOS updates. For example, the picture below shows a few of the BIOS updates for the ABIT KT7A-RAID motherboard.

List of BIOS updates for the ABIT KT7A-RAID motherboard.

While the number of BIOS updates may be confusing, don’t worry! You don’t have to download and flash all of them. All you need to do is download and flash the latest version.

But first, you have to determine if there is an update for your BIOS. Remember the BIOS ID? Compare it against the list of BIOS IDs.

Irrespective of how the BIOS ID appears, motherboard manufacturers always progressively label BIOS updates.

If your BIOS ID is a number, larger numbers always denote a newer BIOS. For example, a BIOS with an ID of 01 is newer than a BIOS with an ID of 00 but older than a BIOS with an ID of 02.

If the BIOS ID is made up of letters, letters lower in the alphabetical order always denote a newer BIOS. For example, a BIOS with an ID of AB is newer than a BIOS with an ID of AA but older than a BIOS with an ID of AC.

The same goes even if your BIOS ID is a mix of letters and numbers, just like in the KT7A-RAID example above.

If your BIOS ID is the latest BIOS ID, then there’s no need to proceed further with the BIOS flash. You already have the latest version! Just make sure you check back once in a while.

If there’s a newer BIOS ID than your current BIOS ID, download the new BIOS image. It usually comes prepackaged with the flash utility in the form of a compressed ZIP file or a self-extracting compressed file.