In this post, I’m going to explain why BIOS and firmware updates are important. I often find that customers who log in to Remote Technical Support ignore these kinds of updates. If you want to keep your computing devices secure and working properly, these updates should be installed.

Definitions

Before I delve into the heart of this post’s subject, it’s always a good idea to understand the terms I’m using.

BIOS

BIOS is an acronym for Basic Input Output System. Merriam-Webster defines it as “a software element of a computer operating system that allows the CPU to communicate with connected input and output devices (such as a keyboard or a monitor)” (Note: if you click or tap on the underlined items in the quote, you’ll get the definition of them, as well.)

Firmware

Firmware is a piece of software or set of instructions programmed into a piece of read-only hardware. Common examples of devices needing firmware updates include printers and home devices such as cameras and virtual assistants. Strictly speaking BIOS is a form of firmware but, in practice, we generally think of them as two separate items.

Examples Of Why BIOS And Firmware Updates Are Important

As I often preach, updates aren’t issued because companies have nothing better to do. There are two basic reasons for updates: 1) to fix security or hardware issues; 2) to add or remove features in a product.

Here’s a BIOS example that fits reason #1: One of our customers logged in to Remote Technical Support because their laptop’s battery stopped charging. Generally, when this issue happens the cause is: the battery has reached the end of its lifetime; the power cord unit has become defective; or, worse-case, the charging components on the motherboard have gone bad. The solutions include replacing the battery, replacing the power cord or replacing the motherboard.

There is another possible solution, though. In reality, this is the initial solution to try. When my customer logged in, the first thing I did was check to see if there was a BIOS update. There was and I installed it. After the computer restarted from the BIOS update, the battery started to charge again.

In this case, the manufacturer issued a BIOS update to fix a hardware issue. The good news for my customer was that it worked!

Here’s a firmware example that fits reason #1 and #2: all of my cameras recently had a firmware update. The update added a feature that forced me to change the default password on the cameras. (The default password is “password.”)

A BIOS And Firmware Update Warning

If your printer tells you there’s a firmware update, you should install it. The same is true of other devices in your home such as Google Home, Amazon Alexa or cameras. Of course, if your computer tells you there’s a BIOS update, that should be installed, too. However, there’s one major warning I need to share: make sure that the power is not turned off during the updates.

Since BIOS and firmware programming affects read-only hardware, if the power goes off in the middle of updating, the computing device itself could be permanently crippled or crashed. You might never get it to work again, if the power is removed during these types of updates. This means your computing devices should be able to run on a battery in case the electricity goes out. If your computing device doesn’t have a built-in battery, it should be plugged into a UPS battery backup.

Where Do You Find BIOS And Firmware Updates?

My sister, after reading this post initially, asked this question. BIOS updates are sometimes difficult to find but on Windows 10 and 11, they often show up under “Optional Updates” which is part of Windows Updates. However, that’s not always the case. Some computer manufacturers have their own software which will tell you if there’s a BIOS update available.

As for firmware, those updates almost always pop-up in a window. This can happen on printers, cameras or in the software for home assistants. The problem we often find is people ignore the firmware updates because they’re not sure the update is legitimate.

Of course, the easiest way to be certain computer BIOS and updates are current is to log in to our Remote Technical Support. (If you’re not a subscriber, you might want to sign up!)