3. Is your system UEFI or BIOS?

⁠3. Is your system UEFI or BIOS?

Because commands and file locations differ between BIOS and UEFI systems, it is important to identify which you have before attempting advanced boot configuration.

Identifying a BIOS system

Older computers are more likely to use BIOS. UEFI systems did not become commonplace until after 2010.
32 bit systems are almost always BIOS. ( UEFI booting of 32 bit systems is not supported by Fedora )
Your computer originally shipped with Windows Vista or XP.
The computer's manual and the system setup menu do not mention UEFI, EFI, or SecureBoot.

The term BIOS is still used with UEFI systems

Because BIOS systems have been around for so long, the term BIOS is often used to describe UEFI systems as well. Manufacturers might list system firmware updates as BIOS updates or provide directions to enter the BIOS setup menu. The word has come to represent the pre-OS menu on your computer as much as the actual software, but your system may still be UEFI capable.

Identifying a UEFI system

Newer systems are more likely to use UEFI. If you bought your computer new in 2013 or after, it probably has UEFI.
Your computer shipped with Windows 8. The terms of service for Windows 8 require SecureBoot, a UEFI feature.
Your system setup menu has a graphical interface or mouse support. UEFI menus can be more elaborate.
The system's boot menu gives you the option of booting media via UEFI, or has boot options describing operating systems instead of just physical drives. The boot order menu might look like this:
```
          UEFI: Generic USB Stick
          Generic USB Stick
          UEFI: DVD-RW Drive
          DVD-RW Drive
          Fedora
          Windows
```