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Steps for updating your PC’s BIOS

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Steps for updating your PC’s BIOS

BIOS stands for Basic Input-Output system. The BIOS plays an important role in the functioning of the computer. When you switch on the computer, it is the function of the BIOS to activate various computer components and ensure they are functioning properly. It then passes the functionality to the bootloader or the operating system.

With the advancement of technology, the older version of BIOS is replaced by UEFI which stands for Unified Extensible Firmware Interface.  If your motherboard has an older BIOS version, you may be required to upgrade the BIOS to UEFI in order to enjoy the benefits of GPT disks or fix any bugs in the BIOS. Generally, motherboard manufacturers offer BIOS upgrades to fix any bug that hampers the performance of the system.

Things to remember before updating your PC’s BIOS

Updating your PC’s BIOS might seem straightforward enough but experts advise to do so only when absolutely necessary. For example, you have a hard disk of more than 2TB capacity and you want to take advantage of GPT partitioning offered by Microsoft. You can also consider updating BIOS to fix any bugs. Here are some precautionary measures you need to take before updating your PC’s BIOS.

  1. Back up your BIOS. Many motherboard manufacturers allow you to back up your current BIOS code which can be used to revert back to if the BIOS upgrade is unsuccessful for any reason. Since the BIOS backup instructions differ with motherboard manufacturers, check the information booklet provided with the motherboard for detailed instructions
  2. Record your BIOS settings
  3. Read the instructions carefully related to flashing BIOS
  4. Make sure the computer is connected to an uninterrupted power supply while updating the BIOS. If you are upgrading the BIOS on your laptop, make sure it is fully or has sufficient charge left for the BIOS upgrade task

Note – Be careful while updating your PC’s BIOS. If the system freezes or loses power, the BIOS will become corrupted and your system will become unbootable.

Now that you know the precautionary steps, here are the steps to follow to upgrade your PC’s BIOS.

Steps to upgrade BIOS

Step 1 – Find the BIOS version of your motherboard

Before updating your BIOS, you need to know the BIOS version of your motherboard. This information will be useful when you go to download the BIOS update for your PC. There are different ways to find out the BIOS version which may differ between motherboard manufacturers.

You can see the BIOS version in the BIOS setup itself. Press Delete during startup to enter BIOS setup.

Windows 7 users follow these steps to find the BIOS version

  1. Click Start Menu
  2. Type System information in the search box and select System Information from the results
  3. In the System Summary, look for the BIOS version

Windows 8 users can find the BIOS version by following the steps given below

  • On the Windows 8 and 8.1 Metro screen, type run, and press Return
  • In the Run box, type msinfo32 and click OK

Windows 10 users can find the BIOS version by following the steps given below

  • Type msinfo32 in search box
  • Press Return

Windows users can find the BIOS version from the command prompt. Here are the steps to follow:

  • Click Start menu and type cmd to launch the Command prompt
  • In the command prompt window, type wmic bios get smbiosbiosversion
  • In the results, you will see the BIOS version which you will need to take a note of

Step 2 – check whether any BIOS updates are available

  • Once you have the BIOS version, you can go to the motherboard manufacturer’s website to see if any BIOS update is available. If you have a branded PC or laptop, you need to check the PC/laptop manufacturer website for the BIOS update.
  • Once you have opened the manufacturer’s website, go to Drivers and Downloads section. Since the BIOS update is specific to the motherboard model or laptop/PC model, you need to select the right product to visit the right Drivers and Downloads section. The manufacturer might be offering the search or filter option to find the BIOS update for your motherboard or laptop model
  • In the Drivers and Downloads section, look for a section like BIOS update, utilities, and firmware. On the BIOS update page, you might find more than one BIOS update version. The BIOS update version might be available in different formats – exe or zip file.
  • Select the right BIOS update version and download the correct format of the file which you plan to use it

Step 3- updating BIOS from Windows

  • If you have downloaded an exe file, you can update the BIOS from Windows. Disable Antivirus and close all applications before you begin the process
  • Click on the executable file and wait untill the process is completed

Step 4- updating BIOS from BIOS setup

If you have downloaded the zip file, you need to copy it to a USB drive and unzip the contents. Many motherboard manufacturers offer an option to flash BIOS in the BIOS setup. To update the BIOS you need to enter the BIOS setup mode and select the right option to update the BIOS. For example, the ASUS motherboards have EZ Flash utility to update BIOS, ASRock motherboard have Instant Flash utility and Gigabyte motherboards have Q-flash utility. Refer to the motherboard instruction booklet to find more about updating the BIOS using this utility.

Conclusion

Updating the BIOS is not difficult but you need to be attentive and careful while doing it. If you make a mistake, you will face into more issues than you started out with so be sure to read this article thoroughly before attempting a BIOS update.

Laptop Touchpad Not Working?

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Laptop Touchpad Not Working?

The laptop’s Touchpad is an important input device allowing users to navigate their screen and if it stops working it can present a big problem. Below are some quick solutions that might help you resolve Touchpad issues.

Reboot your laptop

You might be surprised that a simple reboot can fix the touchpad problem. In many cases, the operating system freezes, and this means it stops responding to commands, making the touchpad unresponsive. Rebooting your laptop allows the operating system to start afresh and allowing your touchpad to work as normal.

Make sure the Touchpad is not disabled

Unlike desktop keypads, the function keys on the laptop’s keypad serve a dual purpose. In all likelihood, there would be a combination key that would toggle the Touchpad on or off. Take a closer look at the keypad and find the function key with the Touchpad icon.  You can find the Touchpad key combination by searching on the Internet with the model name + number + “disable touchpad”. If that doesn’t solve the problem, you need to check the Touchpad settings.

Touchpad settings for Windows 7 and Windows 8

  1. Go to the Start Menu
  2. Type mouse settings in the Search box
  3. Select Change mouse settings
  4. On the Device settings tab of the mouse properties screen, click the Enable button to enable the Touchpad

Touchpad settings for Windows 10

  1. Open the Settings menu (Start > Settings)
  2. Go to Devices > Mouse > Touchpad
  3. Scroll down to the bottom of the screen and click Additional mouse option
  4. The Mouse properties window will open. Look for the tab named Device Settings or ELAN where you will see the Touchpad listed under Devices
  5. Click on the Touchpad to select it
  6. Move the Touchpad toggle switch to the On position

Download the latest Touchpad Drivers

If none of the above solutions work for you, your system may need new Drivers. Below are the steps to update Touchpad Drivers.

  1. Type Device Manager in the Search box
  2. Select Device Manager from the list of results
  3. In the Device Manager window, go to Mice and other pointing devices
  4. Your Touchpad might be labeled as HID-Compliant mouse, right-click on it and click Update Driver Software
  5. This will check the Internet for updated drivers and software and hopefully install them

If your laptop cannot find the latest Drivers, you need to update drivers manually. Go to your laptop manufacturer’s website and search for updated drivers for your model number. Download the drivers and install them. Alternatively you can use a reliable driver update tool to do this for you.

Updating Drivers Automatically

Automatic driver update tools offer many benefits, the most important ones being:

  • You can update device drivers automatically
  • The software scans and updates all outdated or missing drivers at one go
  • The tool picks the right drivers for your device and operating system, so you won’t have to worry about installing an incorrect driver by mistake
  • Automatic driver updates are 100% safe

Driver Updater is one of the best driver update tools out there. Outbyte Driver Updater will give you access to a database of over 1 million drivers. It will regularly scan your PC, suggesting new driver versions to install. Driver Updater contains drivers for a variety of Windows devices. With just one click, you can update drivers in your system.

Step 1
Click here to Install and launch the app

Step 2
Scan all devices

Step 3
Install or update drivers automatically

 

Start Download

 

The Lenovo Yoga 920 – What to Expect?

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Thanks to its marvelous 360-degree-hinge, the Yoga 900 series has become one of the most popular reversible laptops on the market and Lenovo’s flagship laptops are only going to get better.

Recently Lenovo announced that the new Yoga 920 will have numerous premium features, the most notable of these being Intel’s 8th gen core CPU, which will make the notebook 40% more powerful.

The new CPU will allow users to enjoy a portable computing experience similar to that of a desktop. It’s not just Yoga 920, but many other laptops are opting for newer, better chips to enhance the user experience.

Thanks to the quad-core CPU, using Yoga 920 would certainly be more enjoyable, even when it features integrated graphics only.

If you need a notebook with significant power, Yoga 920 could be a good fit for you. And indications are that you won’t have to wait for it long.

The news is that the Yoga 920 is set for an October 2017 release. The new reversible will come with may features, although at the starting price of $1,330, you won’t get all.

Apart from quad-core CPU, there are many other useful new features in Lenovo’s Yoga 920. It features some new ways for interacting with the computer. For instance, a nice feature is the fingerprint scanner reader for logging into your laptop with Windows Hello.

The laptop also offers pen support, in the form of Lenovo’s Active Pen 2. However, this feature will cost extra. Finally, thanks to Far Field microphone array, you will be able to use Cortana (included in Windows 10) from up to 13 ft away, even when Yoga 920 is in sleep mode.

All in all, on the basis of the information released about Yoga 920, it appears to be an impressive reversible laptop. It appears to have everything to provide users with a better user experience.

Key features of the Yoga 920 include:

  • CPU – up to 8th gen Core i7
  • RAM – maximum 16 GB (DDR4)
  • Storage – maximum 1TB
  • Weight – Starts at 3.02 lbs (this will depend on configuration)
  • Graphics – Integrated
  • Display – 13.9 inch touch screen (IPS), either UHD or FHD
  • Battery – 70WH (expected to last up to 15.5 hrs with FHD display and 10.8 with UHD display)
  • Colors – Copper and Bronze metal finishes (for the first time in Yoga 920), as well as grayish Platinum