What Is UEFI?
When you first turn on a computer, it doesn’t immediately load the operating system. Once the Power On Self Test (POST) is completed on older PCs, the BIOS initiates the operating system’s bootloader. This procedure allows the computer’s hardware components to communicate properly with one another. The UEFI is a newer specification that defines how the hardware and software communicate within a computer system. The specification involves two aspects of this process:
Boot services: Boot services define how the hardware initiates the software or operating system for loading. Runtime services: Runtime services skip the boot processor and load applications directly from the UEFI. This approach makes it act somewhat like a stripped-down operating system by launching a browser.
UEFI hasn’t completely replaced BIOS. The early specifications lacked POST or configuration options. Newer systems require the BIOS for these purposes but don’t offer the level of customization possible in BIOS-only systems.
Advantages of UEFI
The most significant benefit of UEFI is the lack of specific hardware dependence. BIOS is specific to the x86 architecture. UEFI allows PCs to use a processor from a different vendor even if it doesn’t have the legacy x86 coding. The other major benefit of using UEFI is that it supports several operating systems without the need for a bootloader such as LILO or GRUB. Instead, the UEFI can automatically select the appropriate partition with the operating system and load from it, resulting in faster boot times. The UEFI also offers more user-friendly interfaces than the old text menus of the BIOS, making it easier to adjust the system. The interface also allows you to run limited-use web browsers and mail clients without launching a full OS.
Disadvantages of UEFI
The biggest problem with UEFI is hardware and software support. For it to work properly, the hardware and operating system must support the appropriate specification. This isn’t as much of a challenge with the current versions of Windows and macOS. However, older operating systems such as Windows XP do not support it.
History of UEFI
UEFI is an extension of the original Extensible Firmware Interface developed by Intel. Intel debuted this hardware and software interface system when the company launched its Itanium server-processor lineup. Because of its advanced architecture and the limitations of the existing BIOS systems, engineers developed a new method for handing off the hardware to the operating system that allowed for greater flexibility. Because the Itanium wasn’t a huge success, the EFI standards also languished for many years. In 2005, the Unified EFI Forum expanded the original specifications developed by Intel to produce a new standard for updating the hardware and software interface. This consortium includes companies such as AMD, Apple, Dell, HP, IBM, Intel, Lenovo, and Microsoft. Two of the largest BIOS makers, American Megatrends and Pheonix Technologies, are also members.
