1 Rookie
•
32 Posts
0
1041
October 4th, 2022 23:00
17 R1, UEFI bios
G'day All,
I have noticed that I have a UEFI bios option on my 17 R1 (2014). Does this mean that a full UEFIbios can be installed on this laptop?
TIA,
Mark
No Events found!
1 Rookie
•
32 Posts
0
1041
October 4th, 2022 23:00
G'day All,
I have noticed that I have a UEFI bios option on my 17 R1 (2014). Does this mean that a full UEFIbios can be installed on this laptop?
TIA,
Mark
Top
mattyb3
5 Practitioner
•
1.6K Posts
1
October 11th, 2022 22:00
@m_fry as far as I know, it just gives UEFI support for things like GPT SSD partitions and certain GPU's that require UEFI and other UEFI security benefits.
crimsom
7 Technologist
•
6.1K Posts
0
October 5th, 2022 01:00
Hi @m_fry welcome to this free user-to-user Alienware laptop discussion forum.
Please ensure that copy of all personal and other information is created before making any change. If possible, create clone (copy) using Macrium Software | Reflect Free Edition.
Support for Alienware m17 (R1) Storage says that it is possible for your singleton OS (C:) boot drive to be a M.2 PCIe Gen3x4 NVMe. If yes, the (C:) partition format can be changed from the old MBR to the modern GPT so that the BIOS boot list option UEFI can be enabled. How to convert MBR to GPT drive to switch BIOS to UEFI on Windows 10 | Windows Central. If your system has two M.2 SSDs in RAID 0 configuration, the upgrade will be more difficult.
Please check your Alienware m17 (R1) to see what M.2 SSD cards and if 2.5-inch SATA HDD is installed within your system. Removing the base cover | Dell US.
crimsom
7 Technologist
•
6.1K Posts
0
October 5th, 2022 22:00
Hi @m_fry forum moderator has changed your opening post system's identity from Alienware m17 (R1) to Alienware 17 (R1). Please click on Product Support to have your system Model and Revision number identified. Thank you.
m_fry
1 Rookie
•
32 Posts
0
October 11th, 2022 19:00
Hi Crimsom,
My laptop is a 2014 Alienware 17. Sorry for any confusion.
crimsom
7 Technologist
•
6.1K Posts
0
October 12th, 2022 02:00
Hi @m_fry the UEFI boot list option in BIOS (Basic Input Output System) allows the PC to replace the old BIOS with the modern UEFI (Unified Extensible Firmware Interface) firmware.
Both UEFI and BIOS are low-level software that starts when you boot your PC before booting into the operating system, but UEFI is a more modern solution, supporting larger hard drives, faster boot times, more security features, and improved graphics and mouse cursors. Even if your PC uses the term “BIOS”, modern PCs purchased today almost certainly ship with UEFI firmware instead of a BIOS.
The UEFI firmware avoids the limitations of the BIOS firmware. The UEFI firmware can boot from drives of 2.2 TB or larger. That’s because UEFI uses the GPT partitioning format instead of MBR. It also boots in a more standardized way, launching EFI executables rather than running code from a drive’s master boot record.
UEFI can run in 32-bit or 64-bit mode and has more addressable address space than BIOS, which means your boot process is faster. It also means that UEFI setup screens can be slicker than BIOS settings screens, including graphics and mouse cursor support. Many PCs still ship with text-mode UEFI settings interfaces that look and work like an old BIOS setup screen.
UEFI is packed with other features. It supports Secure Boot, which means the operating system can be checked for validity to ensure no malware has tampered with the boot process. It can support networking features right in the UEFI firmware itself, which can aid in remote troubleshooting and configuration. With a traditional BIOS, you have to be sitting in front of a physical computer to configure it.
UEFI is not just a BIOS replacement. UEFI is essentially a tiny operating system that runs on top of the PC’s firmware, and it can do a lot more than a BIOS. It may be stored in flash memory on the motherboard, or it may be loaded from a hard drive or network share at boot.
Different PCs with UEFI will have different interfaces and features. It’s all up to the PC manufacturer, but the basics will be the same on each PC.
Thanks for your clarification. The text in my earlier post on 10-04-2022 08:48 PM is essentially valid for the Alienware 17 (R1) laptop.