Update from BIOS to UEFI?

4743hudsonj

Is the above possible or will UEFI be for machines built with it? Roughly how much of an boot time improvement would the average pc be looking at, 50% reduction?

[Deleted User]

New PCs could start in just seconds, thanks to an update to one of the oldest parts of desktop computers.
The upgrade will spell the end for the 25-year-old PC start-up software known as Bios that initialises a machine so its operating system can get going.
The code was not intended to live nearly this long, and adapting it to modern PCs is one reason they take as long as they do to warm up.
Bios' replacement, known as UEFI, will predominate in new PCs by 2011.

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-11430069

Worth delaying to 2011 then for a new laptop!

Whether you'll be able to upgrade or flash it I've no idea. Wouldn't be surprised, it'd take balls of steel though if you ask me!

4743hudsonj

Deleted_User wrote: »

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-11430069

Worth delaying to 2011 then for a new laptop!

Whether you'll be able to upgrade or flash it I've no idea. Wouldn't be surprised, it'd take balls of steel though if you ask me!

Hmmm thats what im thinking. Im not sure if this will actually require a different non-compatible ROM chip to BIOS or not. If not then i cant see why this wouldnt be possible some way providing the rest of the hardware and OS is supported by UEFI.

I dont really know that much about it tbh.

[Deleted User]

4743hudsonj wrote: »

Hmmm thats what im thinking. Im not sure if this will actually require a different non-compatible ROM chip to BIOS or not. If not then i cant see why this wouldnt be possible some way providing the rest of the hardware and OS is supported by UEFI.

I dont really know that much about it tbh.

From the beeb article it does sound very promising indeed. Definately something to keep an eye on. Plus there's talk of Windows 8 next July - August, another reason to hold out on a new laptop...

23n1th

I might be wrong I generally am but as far as I'm aware all the BIOS does is check the hardware is there and initiate the OS to load into ram. Given enough space on the rom I can't see why it couldn't be replaced in the same way you can replace older firmware with new. Balls of steel though as you say.

Mista_C

UEFI won't completely replace BIOS as a minimal BIOS will still be required to before some basic platform level functions for system configuration, POST (Power On Self Test) for example.

What UEFI will do is take over some of the additional functionality that has been tacked onto BIOS over the years but will be achitecture independent allowing it to be used on a myriad of devices. UEFI will allow the BIOS do what it is designed to do, BASIC Input/Output, while UEFI deals with boot and runtime services.

At least that's how I understand it.

4743hudsonj

Mista_C wrote: »

UEFI won't completely replace BIOS as a minimal BIOS will still be required to before some basic platform level functions for system configuration, POST (Power On Self Test) for example.

What UEFI will do is take over some of the additional functionality that has been tacked onto BIOS over the years but will be achitecture independent allowing it to be used on a myriad of devices. UEFI will allow the BIOS do what it is designed to do, BASIC Input/Output, while UEFI deals with boot and runtime services.

At least that's how I understand it.

Nice info, do we know if UEFI will be usable on machines not built with it, ie can it be done as an upgrade?

John_Gray

4743hudsonj wrote: »

Nice info, do we know if UEFI will be usable on machines not built with it, ie can it be done as an upgrade?

Simple answer is no. Why would a manufacturer completely change the way a computer starts up, to no benefit for them or the user? UEFI will be for new machines only.

As often is the case, it's worth a read through the Wikipedia article.

Just for interest, one of our big Dell servers has a BIOS, which I update every few months, and, lurking unseen unless you press F10 at boot time, a UEFI! Only found this about a fortnight back.

4743hudsonj

John_Gray wrote: »

Simple answer is no. Why would a manufacturer completely change the way a computer starts up, to no benefit for them or the user? UEFI will be for new machines only.

As often is the case, it's worth a read through the Wikipedia article.

Just for interest, one of our big Dell servers has a BIOS, which I update every few months, and, lurking unseen unless you press F10 at boot time, a UEFI! Only found this about a fortnight back.

I was thinking more along the lines of a hack than an official upgrade as I realise that would never happen. So hacked uefi running on a flashed BIOS Rom chip.

Richie-from-the-Boro

If UEFI was worth coding [ generic hack ] for the average user across the whole range of home based puters the Russian underground would have done it a year ago.