Your BIOS version number isn’t something you need to keep tabs on at all times. The main reason you’d want to check what version it’s at is if you’re curious if there’s a BIOS update available.

Like most things in the technology world, your motherboard software (BIOS) occasionally gets updated, sometimes to fix bugs and other times to add new features.

As part of some hardware troubleshooting processes, especially those that involve new RAM or a new CPU that won’t work correctly, updating BIOS to the latest version is a good thing to try.

Below are six different methods for checking the BIOS version installed on your motherboard:

There are basically 5 ways by which you can find:

1) Reboot Your Computer

2) Use the BIOS Update Tool

3) Use Microsoft System Information

4) Run a Command

5) Search the Windows Registry

Source: The Windows Club

Method 1: Reboot Your Computer & Pay Attention

The “traditional” way to check the BIOS version on a computer is to watch for the version notation that appears on the screen during the POST as your computer starts to boot.

1) Restart your computer normally, assuming it’s working well enough to do that. If not, kill the power manually and then start the computer back up.

2) Carefully watch as your computer first starts and note the BIOS version that’s shown on screen.

Some computers, especially those made by major manufacturers, show a computer logo screen in place of the POST results, which is what contains the BIOS version number. Pressing Esc or Tab usually removes the logo screen and shows the POST information behind it.

If the POST results screen disappears too quickly, try pressing the Pause key on your keyboard. Most motherboards will pause the boot process, allowing ample time to read the BIOS version number.

 3) Write down the BIOS version number as shown on screen. It’s not always 100 percent clear which of the cryptic lines of letters and numbers on the screen is the version number, so log everything that might be.

4) You should now have your BIOS version number.

The reboot method is great when you don’t have the benefit of a working computer and can’t try one of the more convenient methods below.

However, it can get really frustrating restarting your computer over and over if you keep missing the BIOS version notation. The POST results screen is usually really fast, especially as computers get faster and decrease boot time.

Method 2: Let the BIOS Update Tool Tell You

Updating BIOS isn’t something you do manually, not completely anyway. In most cases, you’ll use a special BIOS update tool supplied by your computer or motherboard manufacturer to do the job.

More often than not, this tool will clearly show the current BIOS version that’s installed, so even if you’re not quite ready to update BIOS, or not sure you need to, the BIOS update tool can be used just to check the current version.

You’ll first need to locate the online support for your computer or motherboard maker and then download and run the tool. No need to actually update anything, so skip those later steps in whatever instructions are provided.

This method works when your computer isn’t starting properly only if the BIOS update tool for your motherboard is bootable. In other words, if the BIOS update program supplied only works from within Windows, you’ll have to stick to Method 1.

Method 3: Use Microsoft System Information (MSINFO32)

A much easier way to check the BIOS version running on your computer’s motherboard is via a program called Microsoft System Information.

Not only does this method not require any restarting of your computer, it’s already included in Windows, meaning there’s nothing to download and install.

Here’s how to check the BIOS version with Microsoft System Information:

1) In Windows 10 and Windows 8.1, right-click or tap-and-hold the Start button and then choose Run.

In Windows 8, access Run from the Apps screen. In Windows 7 and earlier versions of Windows, select Run from the Start menu.

2) In the Run or search box, enter the msinfo32

3) Select System Summary if it’s not already highlighted.

4) On the right, under the Item column, locate the entry titled BIOS Version/Date.

5) Jot down the BIOS version as reported here. You can also export the results of this report to a TXT file via File > Export in the System Information menu.

Microsoft System Information is a great tool but it doesn’t always report a BIOS version number. If it didn’t for your computer, a similar program not made by Microsoft should be the next thing you try.

Method 4: Run a Command Prompt Command

A simple command can be used to print the BIOS version in Command Prompt. You might try this before the slightly more advanced method below, but only after trying the graphical programs above.

1) Open Command Prompt.

2) There are multiple ways to open Command Prompt, but in most versions of Windows, you can type cmd in the search bar or Start menu to find it. In all versions of Windows, executing the same command in the Run dialog box (WIN+R) works, too.

3) Type this command wmic bios get smbiosbiosversion, followed by Enter:

4) You should see the BIOS version appear just below the command you entered.

NOTE: You can also enter the systeminfo | findstr “BIOS Version” command into Command Prompt to find the BIOS version information as its reported in the System Information tool explained above.

Method 5: Dig It up in the Windows Registry

Last but not least, and probably not that surprising to those of you in the know, a lot of information about BIOS can be found logged in the Windows Registry.

Not only is the BIOS version usually clearly listed in the registry, so is often your motherboard’s maker and your motherboard model number.

Here’s where to find it:

1) Open Registry Editor.

2) From the registry hive list on the left, expand HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE.

3) Continue to drill deeper inside of HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE, first with HARDWARE, then DESCRIPTION, then System.

4) With System expanded, select BIOS.

5) On the right, in the list of registry values, locate the one named BIOSVersion. Surprise…the value on the right is the BIOS version that’s installed right now.

6) Write down the BIOS version somewhere, as well as the BaseBoardManufacturer and BaseBoardProduct values, if you need them.

Update the BIOS version

1. When Windows 10 starts, open the Start Menu and click the Power button.
2. Hold the Shift key and choose the Restart option.
3. You should see several options available. Choose Troubleshoot.
4. Now select Advanced options and select UEFI Firmware Settings.
5. Click the Restart button and your computer should now boot to BIOS.

Some motherboard manufacturers allow you to flash your BIOS simply by accessing it and choosing the update option.

This is relatively simple and in order to do that you need to move the downloaded BIOS update to a USB flash drive.

Before moving the update to the USB drive, be sure that there aren’t any other files available on the drive. Now you need to connect the USB flash drive to your PC and access BIOS.

You can access BIOS during the boot sequence by pressing the appropriate key. In most cases that’s Del or some other F key, so keep an eye for a message that tells you to press a certain key to enter SETUP.

In addition, you can always check your motherboard manual to see which key you need to press in order to access BIOS.

Once you enter BIOS, look for BIOS update option and select it. Now you need to choose the BIOS update file from your USB flash drive and wait while your BIOS updates.

Some manufacturers offer tools that will create a USB flash drive with all the necessary files, so you won’t have to transfer them manually.

Keep in mind that update process is a bit different for each motherboard model, so be sure to check the instruction manual for details on how to update your BIOS.