How to Find Your BIOS Version (Windows, Mac & More)

Your BIOS — or its modern successor, UEFI — is the firmware that wakes your computer up before the operating system even loads. Knowing which version you have matters more than most people realize: it affects hardware compatibility, security patches, and whether certain features like virtualization or Secure Boot are available to you.

The good news is that finding your BIOS version takes less than a minute on most systems. The method you use depends on your operating system, your hardware, and how comfortable you are with command-line tools.

What Is a BIOS Version, Exactly?

BIOS stands for Basic Input/Output System. It's firmware stored on a chip on your motherboard, and it handles the earliest stages of booting — checking hardware, initializing components, and handing control to your OS.

Modern systems use UEFI (Unified Extensible Firmware Interface) instead of traditional BIOS, though most people still use "BIOS" as a catch-all term. UEFI versions are tracked the same way: by a version string tied to your specific motherboard or device model.

BIOS versions are typically formatted as a combination of letters, numbers, and dates — for example, F.70 or 1.5.0 or something like AMI BIOS 2023-04-11. That version string tells you exactly which firmware build is running on your hardware.

How to Find Your BIOS Version on Windows 🖥️

Windows gives you several paths to this information, ranging from beginner-friendly to more technical.

Method 1: System Information Tool (Easiest)

1. Press Windows + R to open the Run dialog
2. Type msinfo32 and press Enter
3. In the System Information window, look for BIOS Version/Date in the right-hand panel

This single line shows you the manufacturer name, version number, and release date — all at once, no commands required.

Method 2: Command Prompt (Fast and Scriptable)

1. Open Command Prompt (search "cmd" in the Start menu)
2. Type the following and press Enter:

wmic bios get smbiosbiosversion 

You'll get a clean output showing just the version string. Some users prefer this method because it's quick to copy and paste when troubleshooting.

Method 3: PowerShell

1. Open PowerShell (right-click the Start button → Windows PowerShell)
2. Run:

Get-WmiObject -Class Win32_BIOS | Select-Object SMBIOSBIOSVersion, Manufacturer, ReleaseDate 

This returns the version, manufacturer, and release date together — useful if you're gathering system info for documentation or support tickets.

Method 4: Registry Editor (Advanced)

For users comfortable navigating the registry:

1. Press Windows + R, type regedit, press Enter
2. Navigate to: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINEHARDWAREDESCRIPTIONSystemBIOS

Here you'll find detailed fields including BIOSVersion, BIOSVendor, and BIOSReleaseDate. This path is read-only browsing — no risk of changing anything if you're just looking.

How to Find Your BIOS Version on macOS 🍎

Macs don't use a traditional BIOS or UEFI in the same way — Apple Silicon and Intel Macs use different firmware architectures. What you're looking for is the firmware version.

1. Click the Apple menu (top-left corner)
2. Select About This Mac
3. Click System Report...
4. In the left panel, select Hardware Overview
5. Look for Boot ROM Version or SMC Version

The Boot ROM version is the equivalent of a BIOS version on a Mac. It's tied to macOS updates, so it changes automatically when you update your operating system — unlike Windows, where BIOS updates are a separate process.

Checking Your BIOS Version During Boot

On any system, you can also view BIOS information before the OS loads:

• Restart your computer
• Watch for a brief splash screen showing your motherboard manufacturer logo
• The BIOS version is often displayed on this screen, or accessible by pressing a key like Delete, F2, F10, or Esc to enter the BIOS setup menu

The key to press varies by manufacturer:

Once inside the BIOS/UEFI menu, the version is usually displayed on the main or home screen.

Why Your Specific Setup Changes Everything

Finding the version is the easy part. What you do with that information depends on factors specific to your machine and situation.

Hardware age and manufacturer support vary significantly. A BIOS update that fixes a critical security vulnerability on one chipset may not exist for an older board from the same brand. Support windows differ by model, sometimes by just a few years.

Stability vs. new features is a real tradeoff. Newer BIOS versions may add support for faster RAM speeds, new CPUs, or improved power management — but they can also introduce instability if your hardware combination isn't fully tested. Some users intentionally stay on older, proven versions.

Pre-built vs. custom-built systems follow different update paths. A Dell or HP laptop updates BIOS through manufacturer software (or Windows Update). A custom desktop with an aftermarket motherboard requires visiting the board manufacturer's site directly, and update methods vary from USB flashing to built-in update utilities.

Security context matters too. If you're running a machine in a sensitive environment, knowing your BIOS version is the first step toward checking whether any known vulnerabilities have been patched — but whether you need that level of scrutiny depends entirely on how the machine is used.

How your BIOS version fits into your next steps — whether that's leaving it alone, updating it, or troubleshooting a hardware issue — comes down to the specifics of your system, your use case, and your risk tolerance.