How to Update Your BIOS Safely

A BIOS update is the one piece of PC maintenance that can leave a board unable to boot. Treat it as a fix for a specific problem, not routine housekeeping. Update when you have a reason, use the safest method your board offers, and don't interrupt it once it starts.

When to update and when to leave it alone

Update when:

• You're installing a CPU the board wasn't built for. AMD notes that Ryzen 8000 and 9000 chips may need a BIOS update on 600-series AM5 boards.
• The release notes fix a problem you have, such as a memory compatibility bug or an instability you've been chasing.
• The CPU or board maker has flagged a serious fix. Two examples: AMD's 2023 AM5 updates that capped SoC voltage at 1.3 V after some chips burned out, and Intel's 0x12F microcode update for Vmin instability on 13th and 14th Gen chips.

Leave it alone when the PC is stable, you have no pending CPU upgrade, and nothing in the notes applies to you. Updates can bundle new CPU microcode and memory code, so they can change how a stable system behaves as well as fix bugs. A newer version number isn't a reason on its own. Skip beta releases unless the beta contains the exact fix you need.

To see what you're running now, open the Start menu, search for System Information and read the BIOS Version/Date line. Compare it with the list on your board's support page, and read every entry between your version and the newest one. That's where you'll find out if a release adds support you need, changes memory behavior or warns against skipping versions.

Prepare first

1. Identify the exact board. Use the model name printed on the board, including any revision number. A file for a similar model can leave you with a board that won't boot.
2. Download from the maker's support page. Don't take firmware from anywhere else. Read the notes, and check whether the update can't be rolled back or needs to be applied in a sequence.
3. Format a USB stick as FAT32. ASUS asks for at least 1 GB. Copy the file to the root of the stick.
4. Note your settings. An update usually resets the BIOS, so write down fan curves, boot order and any manual memory settings.
5. Check BitLocker. Microsoft lists a BIOS or UEFI upgrade among the events that can trigger BitLocker recovery, and Windows turns on Device Encryption automatically on many PCs when you sign in with a Microsoft account. Confirm you can find your recovery key, then suspend BitLocker before you flash.
6. Return to stock. Turn off EXPO, XMP and any overclock before an in-BIOS flash, so an unstable setting can't crash it partway through.
7. Secure the power. Don't start during a storm. Use a UPS if you have one.

USB flashback, the safest route

Flashback is a dedicated port and button on the rear panel that lets the board flash itself from a USB stick using standby power. It doesn't need a working BIOS, and MSI says its version works without a CPU or RAM. ASUS calls it USB BIOS FlashBack, MSI calls it the Flash BIOS Button, and Gigabyte and ASRock have their own versions. Check for it on your board's spec page: it's what you want when you're putting a new CPU on an older board, and our motherboard guide treats it as a feature worth paying a little for.

1. Download and extract the BIOS file.
2. Rename it the way your maker requires. ASUS includes a BIOSRenamer tool in the download, and MSI asks for the name MSI.ROM.
3. Copy it to the root of the USB stick.
4. Shut the PC down, but leave the power supply on and plugged in.
5. Put the stick in the port marked for flashback.
6. Press and hold the button for about three seconds, until the LED starts blinking.
7. Wait until the light goes out. ASUS says it can finish in about eight minutes, depending on the file size.

Warning: During a flash, don't remove the USB stick, cut power, press the power button or press Clear CMOS. ASUS warns that any of these can interrupt the update and leave the system unable to boot.

In-BIOS tools

If your board doesn't have a flashback button and the PC boots, use the built-in utility: M-Flash on MSI, EZ Flash on ASUS, Q-Flash on Gigabyte, Instant Flash on ASRock. Enter the BIOS, launch the tool, pick the file from your USB stick and confirm. Keep your hands off the machine until it finishes and restarts.

Skip Windows-based flash utilities on a desktop. A crash or forced restart during the flash is a risk you don't need to take, and the two methods above avoid it.

Afterward

The board may restart more than once, and the first boot will be slow because the memory has to retrain.

1. Enter the BIOS and load the default settings, if your notes say to.
2. Re-enable EXPO or XMP, restore your fan curves and check the boot order.
3. Confirm the TPM and Secure Boot are still on, then resume BitLocker in Windows if you suspended it.
4. Test for a few days. On ASUS Intel 800-series boards, ASUS notes that USB BIOS FlashBack doesn't update the Intel Management Engine firmware, so that's a separate download if the notes call for it.

If it goes wrong

A failed flash usually shows up as a black screen, or a board that powers on and restarts over and over. If you have a flashback port, retry with the correct file, ideally on a different, smaller USB stick. Some high-end boards have a second BIOS chip that can take over. If neither option exists, contact the board maker, because recovery usually requires a service repair.

Remember that an update is only reversible when the maker allows it. ASUS says its laptops and compact PCs can't be downgraded, and desktop release notes sometimes carry similar warnings, so read before you click.