3.8.6 Flash the BIOS.txt

Current Segment IndicatorFlash the BIOS 0:04-0:09 In this demonstration, we’re going to flash a laptop’s BIOS. Flashing the BIOS means updating the firmware on the BIOS hardware. Risks of Flashing the BIOS 0:10-0:44 An important note when flashing the BIOS is to understand that it’s a potentially ca...

Current Segment IndicatorFlash the BIOS 0:04-0:09 In this demonstration, we’re going to flash a laptop’s BIOS. Flashing the BIOS means updating the firmware on the BIOS hardware. Risks of Flashing the BIOS 0:10-0:44 An important note when flashing the BIOS is to understand that it’s a potentially catastrophic operation. It’s possible to take a running system and have an error occur during the update process. This could render the hardware inoperable, sometimes referred to as being “bricked”. Although rare, bricking does happen. Now that we understand the risks, let’s talk about how to flash the BIOS. The laptop I’m currently running has been maintained rather well, but recently, a new BIOS version was released by the manufacturer. Because a BIOS update is specific to a set of hardware, I’ll need to confirm that I downloaded the correct update to avoid bricking the device. Gather System Information 0:45-1:22 Let’s look at the system information to see which version this laptop is running. I’ll search for msinfo and press Enter to open the System Information app. Several things are listed here, including the manufacturer, which is Dell. Also listed is the model—Latitude E7470. I also need to know the current BIOS version. It’s listed as 1.32.4 with a date of 12/21/2021. With those three pieces of information, I can go to Dell’s website and find downloads for this specific laptop. I’ve already done that. I’ve also specified that I’m looking for a BIOS update, which I’ve downloaded. Perform the Update 1:23-2:08 Now I’m going to start the flashing process. Before I begin, I’ll close any applications that I’ve been using. I’ll launch the update and follow the prompts. Again, we don’t want to interrupt the process once it begins. The system will reboot-that’s normal. The system has rebooted now, and I’m logged back in. Before we continue, you should also know that manufacturers have different methods for flashing the BIOS. For example, some will have you download the update to a thumb drive and then boot into the BIOS to proceed. Confirm the Update 2:09-2:21 Let’s confirm that the update finished as expected by going back into the System Information app and checking the BIOS version. As you can see, the version is the same—1.32.4—but the date is now 1/14/2022. Summary 2:22-2:29 It worked! And that’s it for this demonstration. In this demo, we talked about how to flash the BIOS, including the process for finding which BIOS version we’re currently on and how to perform the actual BIOS update.