BIOS Update with Windows 10 Update?

When Windows 10 does its automatic updates to the latest version, does it include any needed changes to my Dell PC BIOS?  Or should I go to the Dell website separately after the Windows 10 update and see if their SupportAssist detects that my PC has a BIOS update and then install it?

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Hi ChrisGAngel,

             Your best bet is to get the Del "SupportAssistant" utility from the Dell support site. That is if you don't already have it installed from Dell when you purchased your unit. Then it will run from time to time and check for Needed drivers/files and of course the latest Bio's update for your particular  model of Del.  

I Hope This Helps You...

Windows and the BIOS are two separate things. Windows comes from Microsoft, while the BIOS comes from the manufacturer of your motherboard. Practically speaking, since almost everyone buys a pre-assembled computer with a customized motherboard, the BIOS comes from the computer manufacturer.

In your case, BIOS updates come from Dell and you get them from Dell's website. They aren't included in updates from Microsoft.

You can go directly to the software download page for your model or you can use the Dell Support Assistant. Both ways are fine.

Two points:

1. Windows and your computer's BIOS are two very different things; updates to one don't come with the other.. If you want a BIOS update, look for it on the Dell web site.

Hi Chris

Sometimes, if there is a change to Windows Security, an update can contain a BIOS update, but this is not guaranteed to happen . . .

You should always check the support page for your device on the Dell website for available BIOS updates

Thanks!  The other replies I received all agree.  I checked it out on Dell and there is a BIOS update available. Now the question is whether I should do a BIOS update or not. I understand that there are some risks with doing it, unless it needs to be done to address some issue I am having; so I will check the Dell website and SupportAssist and find out what the latest BIOS addresses to make the decision. I did have some issues a few days ago but reinstalled Windows 10 through the repair process and everything seems to be working fine now. 

When Windows 10 does its automatic updates to the latest version, does it include any needed changes to my Dell PC BIOS?  Or should I go to the Dell website separately after the Windows 10 update and see if their SupportAssist detects that my PC has a BIOS update and then install it?

__________________________________________________________

Hi ChrisGAngel,

             Your best bet is to get the Del "SupportAssistant" utility from the Dell support site. That is if you don't already have it installed from Dell when you purchased your unit. Then it will run from time to time and check for Needed drivers/files and of course the latest Bio's update for your particular  model of Del.  

I Hope This Helps You...

Thanks!  The other replies I received all agree.  I checked it out on Dell and there is a BIOS update available. Now the question is whether I should do a BIOS update or not. I understand that there are some risks with doing it, unless it needs to be done to address some issue I am having; so I will check the Dell website and SupportAssist and find out what the latest BIOS addresses to make the decision. I did have some issues a few days ago but reinstalled Windows 10 through the repair process and everything seems to be working fine now. 

Windows and the BIOS are two separate things. Windows comes from Microsoft, while the BIOS comes from the manufacturer of your motherboard. Practically speaking, since almost everyone buys a pre-assembled computer with a customized motherboard, the BIOS comes from the computer manufacturer.

In your case, BIOS updates come from Dell and you get them from Dell's website. They aren't included in updates from Microsoft.

You can go directly to the software download page for your model or you can use the Dell Support Assistant. Both ways are fine.

Thanks!  The other replies I received all agree.  I checked it out on Dell and there is a BIOS update available. Now the question is whether I should do a BIOS update or not. I understand that there are some risks with doing it, unless it needs to be done to address some issue I am having; so I will check the Dell website and SupportAssist and find out what the latest BIOS addresses to make the decision. I did have some issues a few days ago but reinstalled Windows 10 through the repair process and everything seems to be working fine now. 

Two points:

1. Windows and your computer's BIOS are two very different things; updates to one don't come with the other.. If you want a BIOS update, look for it on the Dell web site.

2. Why do you think you need to upgrade your BIOS?

Certainly don't do it just because it's X years old and there are upgrades available. Although a BIOS upgrade normally goes well, it is not without danger. If something goes wrong while the upgrade is an progress (for example, a lapse in power) you can be left with no BIOS at all, and an unbootable computer.

Do a BIOS upgrade if you need to--because you are having a problem that the new version is known to fix--not just because one is available.

Thanks, Ken. I had a problem a few days ago with the display going black (except for the cursor) after the Windows sign-in screen. I tried all sorts of things that I found in the Microsoft but in the end what worked was the repair function from safe mode where it reinstalls Windows. Things are working fine now. But when I compared the BIOS on the "repaired" system with the BIOS on another PC I have (which did not have these display problems), I noticed that the BIOS on the "repaired" PC is one version older (A08 from 2015) than the other PC (A10 from 2018). So I think I will look at the Dell website again and find out what exactly A10 addresses before deciding to update the BIOS. 

A BIOS update is different from a driver update.

For a driver, the rule of thumb is 'if it ain't broke don't fix it.' Which is to say, if an updated driver does not address a specific issue that you are facing, don't update the driver.

The BIOS affects the essential functioning of your computer, so when Dell issues a BIOS update, you should install it. The scary thing about updating the BIOS is: if you make a mistake, it's hard to fix it. So you must be sure to follow Dell's instructions very carefully.