What is the Unified Extensible Firmware Interface and what role does UEFI play in Windows? On this page, we will clearly explain to you what UEFI is, what is the difference between UEFI and BIOS boot modes, and how to set up a computer and enable UEFI mode on your own on Windows computers. Don’t worry about having UEFI boot problems, and you can also follow the troubleshooting tutorials to fix UEFI errors like an expert.
Go ahead and follow to set up UEFI on your PC now.
What is UEFI?
Definition of
UEFI
According to Wikipedia, UEFI is a specification that connects computer firmware to your operating system. And UEFI is considered as a successor to replace the traditional Legacy BIOS. UEFI works on the computer’s motherboard through specific firmware, and is pre-installed during manufacturing.
Why it’s important
UEFI and how it works In a word, UEFI runs first when you try to boot the computer, and connects the hardware with the operating system
to allow your operating system to boot and load the hard drive information successfully
. Here is a
list that explains how the operating system processes UEFI: UEFI
- is the first program that runs when a computer boots
- checks whether hardware components are connected
- UEFI activates the components and connects them to the operating system.
. UEFI
.
UEFI
supported operating systems
: Windows 11 (requires UEFI and Secure Boot only) Windows 10 (x64) Windows 8.1 (x64) Windows 7 (x64) Windows Vista SP1 (x64) Windows Server 2022 (x64) Windows Server 2019 (x64) Windows Server 2016 (x64)
- Windows Server 2012
- (
- x64
- Server 2008 (
- )
) Windows Server 2008 R2 (x64) Windows
x64
Note: Microsoft introduced UEFI for Windows x64 operating systems. So, if your computer’s operating system is x86 or 32-bit, you will need to set the BIOS Legacy boot mode on your computer instead of using UEFI.
UEFI History: Mid-1990s:
- The original EFI came out. 1998: EFI
- contributed to the United EFI Forum, then developed as the Unified Extensible Firmware Interface
- March 2021: UEFI 2.9 (Latest Version)
was renamed Extensible Firmware Interface. July 2005: EFI version 1.10 was
(UEFI). January 31, 2006: UEFI 2.0 January 7, 2007: UEFI 2.1
How do I access the UEFI firmware settings
? Note that UEFI firmware settings are only available on computers with motherboards that support UEFI boot. So how do you access the UEFI firmware settings?
Here you have two options
:
Option 1: Use
F2/F10 or F12 keys to access UEFI settings
- Turn on the computer, press the F2/
- F10/F12 or Delete/Esc key when the Windows logo appears
- Let the computer enter the BIOS settings and then go to the Boot tab.
.
There you will get a clear view of the UEFI firmware settings on your PC. Note that hotkeys may be different in computer brands. Here’s a list of hotkeys you can apply to quickly enter UEFI settings
: Dell: F2 or F12. HP: ESC or F10. Acer: F2 or Delete. ASUS: F2 or Delete.
- Lenovo: F1 or F2
- MSI: Delete
- Toshiba
- Samsung
- F2
- Surface: Press and hold the volume
.
.
: F2.
:
.
up button. Option 2.
Access
UEFI from Settings Open Settings, click “
- Update & Security > Recovery > Advanced Startup” and click “Restart Now”. Click “
- Troubleshoot firmware > UEFI configuration >Reboot”.
<img src="https://www.easeus.com/images/en/screenshot/partition-manager/enable-secure-boot-mode-6.png" alt="Reset
UEFI firmware settings” />
From the UEFI firmware settings, you can change the UEFI boot mode to legacy BIOS or configure the computer to support UEFI. But what is the difference between UEFI and BIOS, and which one is better for you?
Move on to the next part and you’ll get the answers
. UEFI vs. legacy BIOS, which is
better and what’s the difference?
As you know, the BIOS is also called legacy BIOS, which was older than UEFI, and now UEFI has surpassed the BIOS in many aspects. In this part, we will show you the difference between these two firmware settings and which one is best for you. In addition, you will learn when to use UEFI and when to use legacy BIOS on your PC.
UEFI
VS BIOS, What’s
the
difference Similarity:
UEFI does the same job as BIOS? Both boot first and connect the operating systems and firmware hardware before loading the operating system.
Differences
:
From this comparison table, you will learn the main differences between
UEFI and BIOS:
Video Comparison: UEFI VS BIOS
When to use UEFI?
And when to use BIOS?
Some of you may have a basic idea about whether your computer is suitable for using UEFI boot. Also, it doesn’t matter if you don’t know when to use UEFI. Here are two lists of situations that help you understand when to use UEFI and when to use BIOS: UEFI
or Legacy
, which is suitable for SSD? When you need to install the latest Windows OS on SSD, use UEFI.
- If SSD is less than 2TB and does not do so for the installation of a new operating system, use BIOS for older operating systems. How to
- up UEFI
set
and
use it on Windows 10/11? [Complete Guide]
So how do I set up my computer with UEFI to
install Windows 11? Or can I set my computer to UEFI mode? Follow the full guide here, and you will be able to set up UEFI and configure your computer ready to install the latest Windows operating system or specific purposes:
Guide 1. Confirm if I need UEFI for Windows 10/11
Before you start setting up UEFI, it is essential to confirm that you need UEFI for your PC. Let’s start here:
First, confirm if I need
UEFI
Note that UEFI only supports 64-bit operating systems. So make sure your computer is 64-bit. And if you’re trying to install the latest version of Windows 11, you’ll need to enable UEFI.
Secondly, know if Windows
is using UEFI
You can follow the guide above to access UEFI settings or check system information as shown here to confirm if your computer is using UEFI or BIOS:
Step 1. Press the Windows + R keys, type MSInfo32 and click “OK”.
Step 2. Look for BIOS mode and you’ll see if your operating system uses Legacy or UEFI.
Guide 2. Convert OS Disk to GPT for UEFI Boot
After knowing your boot mode in Windows, it is time for you to take steps to check the disk type in Windows. Note that UEFI boot mode only supports the GPT disk type.
You need to check and configure your operating system disk to GPT. Here’s how to do it
: First, confirm if Windows is MBR or GPT
You can simply go to Windows Disk Management, right-click on the operating system disk and select “Properties”, then go to the Volumes tab and check the disk type at
:
You May Also Like:
Apart from checking the disk type in Disk Management, you can also apply EaseUS Partition Master or CMD for help. Follow to learn how to tell if Windows is MBR or GPT with the other two ways.
If your Windows disk is with MBR, you will need to convert it to GPT with the following guide here. Next, convert MBR disk to GPT with third-party disk conversion software, without data loss Experienced Windows users can know how to convert a
disk from MBR to GPT
by
using Disk
Management or CMD command. Although feasible, these two methods require deleting all partitions, which will cause severe data loss.
To take care of all the data on your disk, you can apply a third-party disk conversion software – EaseUS Partition Master for help.
Guide 3. Change BIOS Mode from Legacy to UEFI Windows 10/11
After setting your OS disk to GPT, it’s time for you to change BIOS mode from Legacy to UEFI. Here are the steps:
Step 1. Restart the PC and press the F2 key to enter the BIOS setup utility.
Step 2. Go to the Boot Settings or System tab and click “Boot”.
Step 3. On the Boot tab, select “UEFI / BIOS Boot Mode” and press Enter.
Step 4. Use the up or down arrow to change the boot mode from Legacy to “UEFI”.
Step 5. Save the changes by pressing F10 and closing BIOS setup.
Note that if you are about to install Windows 11 on your disk, you also need to turn on Secure Boot for UEFI boot mode. Step-by-Step Guide
: Bonus Tip: Install
Windows 11 on GPT with UEFI Suppose you have followed the above 3 guides to complete
UEFI mode setup, it’s time for you to start installing Windows 11 on your
PC. Here are the steps:
Step 1. Download Windows 11 ISO and create Windows installation media on an empty USB.
Step 2. Restart the PC and, press F2 to enter the BIOS setup, set the computer to boot from the installation USB.
Step 3. Set the language, time and currency format, keyboard or input method, and click “Next”.
Step 4. Click “Install Now” and select “I don’t have a product key” to continue.
Step 5. Select the edition of Windows 11 and click “Next”.
Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the
process.
Troubleshooting: Fixing and Getting Rid
of UEFI Errors
During the process of setting up UEFI for new Windows operating systems, you may encounter various types of UEFI errors on your computer. If you have one of the following errors listed, follow the respective solution to fix them now
: Error 1: Unable to delete EFI partition
Cause: The “Delete Volume” option is grayed out due to the Windows protection mechanism
. Fix:
Complete Guide to Delete NTFS UEFI Partition (
EFI Partition)
Error 2: Windows 11/10
won’t start because there is a problem with
master boot record
Cause: Corrupted MBR, UEFI boot mode is not enabled, more
.
Fix: See How to Fix UEFI Boot in Windows 11/10.
Error 3: UEFI bootloader gets corrupted, Windows
won’t be able to boot
Cause:
EFI/UEFI bootloader gets corrupted or damaged
. Fix: Repair UEFI bootloader for Windows 11
Error 4: You want to restart computer that won’t boot or is dead with
UEFI boot disk
Cause: The computer cannot boot due to virus attack, MBR damage, bad sector or corrupted system files.
Fix:
Create a bootable UEFI USB and fix
PC
boot error If you have more computer boot problems caused by UEFI or other reasons, relax. You can directly customize the technical support service to help you fix computer not booting or computer not turning on problems successfully.