A BIOS is responsible for the communications between your operating system and your computer hardware. Without an updated BIOS, some of your hardware may not work correctly with your operating system. Flash drives are one of the many ways you can update your BIOS. You can use a flash drive of any capacity as long as the drive is completely empty of all non-BIOS-related files. The entire process of downloading and updating your BIOS takes 10-15 minutes.
Instructions
1. Format a flash drive. Insert the flash drive into any available USB port. Go to "My Computer" and right click flash drive. The name will vary based on your model. Select "Format" and press "Start." Don't remove the flash drive after formatting.
2. Reboot your computer and enter your BIOS doing the boot process. The BIOS entry key depends on your computer manufacturer. The key typically is "F2", "Esc", or "Del."
Write down your BIOS version number and the motherboard manufacturer. These will be displayed on the first page of your BIOS. Exit the BIOS. See the bottom of the BIOS screen for exit instructions.
3. Open an Internet browser window and visit the motherboard manufacturer's website or the website listed in the Resources section.
For the manufacturer's website, look for a Help, Support or Downloads section for the BIOS update.
For the website in the Resources section, select your manufacturer from the alphabetical list, click the link and view available downloads.
4. Download your BIOS update file. Be sure to select one that is compatible with flash drives. If no specific information is given, the file can be used by with any removable media, including flash drives.
Other types you may see include floppy disk only and executables you can run straight from your desktop.
5. Open the folder you downloaded, if one exists. If there is only a single executable file, copy the file straight to your flash drive. View any text files as they may include manufacturer-specific instructions. Follow any instructions to copy the file to your flash drive. If none exist, copy the entire downloaded file or folder to your flash drive.
6. Reboot your computer with the flash drive still inserted. Boot from the flash drive. If it doesn't boot from the drive automatically, press "F12" during the boot process for boot options. Choose "USB Drive." Allow the BIOS update to run. Your computer will reboot once the process is complete.
Tags: flash drive, your BIOS, BIOS update, your flash, your flash drive