What You Need to Know About Using UEFI Instead of the BIOS

New Windows 8 PCs don’t include the traditional BIOS. They use UEFI firmware instead, just as Macs have for years. How you go about doing common system tasks has changed.

If you’re interested in why UEFI is replacing the BIOS, take a look at our overview of UEFI and how it’s different from the traditional BIOS.

UEFI applies to new computers. You won’t see the UEFI Firmware Settings option here if you installed Windows 8 on an older computer that came with a BIOS instead of UEFI — you’ll just have to access the BIOS in the same way you always have.

Note that this boot menu option option may not be present on all UEFI PCs. On some UEFI PCs, you may have to access the UEFI settings screen in a different way — check your PC’s documentation for instructions if you don’t see the button here.