How to Check Your BIOS Version on Windows 10?

BIOS is one of the most important in any system. You have accessed your BIOS many times to change different options or to change the boot sequence. However; you want to check your BIOS version on Windows 10 and that is what we will do. But before that, why is BIOS so important?

Careful with BIOS

The BIOS aka Basic input/output System is used to control all the system functions. It gives instructions to the system on starting up, hardware configuration, or performing other basic tasks.

Most of the users update their BIOS, when they experience crashing, loss of power, RAM, or CPU-related issues. However; updating BIOS is not like updating any other hardware on your system. Nor it is like updating any driver; if anything goes wrong while you are updating your BIOS and your system will be bricked.

Update BIOS on Windows

For those who want to update their BIOS, they will need to make sure of a few things.

  • First, check out the System Manufacturer and System Model. This will be later used to determine which version is suitable for you to use.
  • Make sure your system has 100% charge (laptop users) and also has a backup of an hour.
  • Even though the internet is not necessary, still having it won’t hurt anyone.

Now you will visit the official site of your System Manufacturer. There you will type the System Model and find the correct version of BIOS for your system.

Select the BIOS version and download it. Once the file is downloaded then you will double-click on the “.exe” file. This will run the installation, now you will follow the instructions given. Soon, you will have an updated BIOS.

BIOS vs UEFI: What are the differences?

While you understand the BIOS, you might have also heard about UEFI (Unified Extensible Firmware Interface). UEFI is getting more and more popular, as the latest one used in computers.

Unlike BIOS which is present in earlier versions of computers, UEFI is the latest one. Where BIOS had limitations, UEFI has solved most of them.

Instead of updating the BIOS while stopping other programs, you will find UEFI much easier. As UEFI uses Windows Update to update itself. There is no need for manual updates like BIOS, as the UEFI can update itself automatically.

Related: How to Enable VT-x or AMD-v in BIOS or UEFI Firmware

How to check the BIOS version in Windows 10?

check BIOS version on Windows 10
How to check BIOS on Windows 10

So, here are some of the easiest ways to check the BIOS version on Windows 10.

1- Use CMD

The first method to check BIOS is to use CMD. For this, you are going to open CMD from the Start menu. Then you will right-click on it and select the Run as administrator option.

Now you are going to use the command below on CMD and press Enter.

wmic bios get smbiosbiosversion

All the details required will be displayed on your screen. Navigate down and check the version of your BIOS.

2- Use System Information

Another method to check BIOS is to use the System Information feature. You are going to open RUN from the Start menu or use the Windows+R keys.

Type “msinfo32” on RUN and press Enter.  

system information on Windows
system information on Windows

Soon a new window will appear on your screen. Here you will scroll down and find BIOS Version/Date. Right beside the BIOS Version/Date, you will find all the detail about your BIOS.

3- Use DirectX Diagnostic Tools

Using DirectX Diagnostic Tools is another way to find out more about your BIOS. For this, you are open RUN from Start menu. Then you will type “dxdiag” and press Enter.

DirectX Diagnostic Tools
DirectX Diagnostic Tools

A prompt will appear on your screen, click on Yes. In the new window, you will find all the details of your computer including BIOS.

4- Check UEFI Settings

If you find the methods above challenging and want to use the built-in option, this will be helpful. For this method, you are going to open Settings.

Inside the Settings, you will find Update & Security.

Select Update & Security and then select the Recovery tab. In Recovery, you will find Restart now, click on it.  

You are now placed in Choose an option, select Continue option. Then you will select Troubleshoot option.

In Troubleshoot, you will select Advanced options.

UEFI Firmware Settings
UEFI Firmware Settings

Now you will select UEFI Firmware Settings. That is it, you are now in UEFI Settings. If you are using BIOS then you will be placed in BIOS.

NOTE: most Windows 8 users can’t find the UEFI Firmware option. Instead of using UEFI Firmware Settings, they will need to select the CMD option. Now use the command given above.

Alternative Method

Your system will restart and while it starts you will press the F2 key to get inside the BIOS.

The keys can differ in different systems. It is DEL, F2, F10, or F12 in some systems. While the system starts, press one of the keys and you are inside the BIOS.

5- Third-party applications

In this method, you are going to use third-party applications. Out of all those applications, Speccy is one of the most popular ones. Download the Speccy for your Windows and install it. The installation is straightforward, you will install it.

Once installed, you will run the application. Now, you have all the details required on your screen about your screen. Find the BIOS section and check your BIOS version.

Related: Fix “Hardware assisted virtualization and data execution protection must be enabled in the bios”


How to check what BIOS version I have in Windows 10?

To check your BIOS version on any Windows, you can use both built-in options or third-party applications. Inside Windows, you will find CMD, System Information, DirectX Diagnostic Tools, and UEFI Firmware Settings to check the BIOS version. Else you can download a third-party application to check the version of your BIOS.

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