Keep an eye on your PC when you’ve just switched it on. Usually, a screen flashes by before Windows (or Linux, for that matter) starts to boot up. This is a glimpse of the computer’s basic firmware, ...

The BIOS (basic input/output system) firmware is being replaced by the UEFI (Unified Extensible Firmware Interface) standard interface for PCs – designed to improve software interoperability and ...

Every Windows PC usually starts from the built-in hard drive, as the term “Windows PC” implies. This is because the Microsoft operating system is not anchored in or with the hardware, but is installed ...

PCWorld explains Windows Secure Boot as a critical security feature that acts like a checkpoint, verifying software before Windows loads to prevent bootkit malware infections. The 2011 Secure Boot ...

David Nield is a technology journalist from Manchester in the U.K. who has been writing about gadgets and apps for more than 20 years. He has a bachelor's degree in English Literature from Durham ...

Of all things related to PCs, the BIOS/UEFI seems to be the one that most people would rather steer clear of. Most PC users only venture into the BIOS when something has gone terribly wrong, and even ...

The clock is ticking for Windows and Linux users to update cryptographic keys that protect their systems against firmware-based UEFI infections, a pernicious form of malware that loads before ...

Rufus is a free, portable utility that creates bootable USB flash drives from ISO files. As of 2026, the latest version is Rufus 4.13 — and it’s faster and more capable than ever, with built-in ...