Windows 10: Has Windows Update Taken Control Of My BIOS/UEFI?

My laptop (Gigabyte Aorus 7 SB) had been working fine until it took some updates earlier this week. I bought it new just over a year ago and it's been working perfectly until Wednesday after it took the updates

Sometimes I boot the laptop into various versions of Linux, using a bootable USB stick. I'd usually just go into the BIOS and choose the item to boot from and off it would go.

After receving the updates KB5016616, KB5012170 and 'Servicing Stack 10.0.190411.1852' my laptop's BIOS will no longer let me select the UBS stick's bootloader and I'm only able to boot into Windows 10. When I try to select the bootloader for the USB stick I get a prompt box I've never seen before telling me I can't select that bootloader because of security somethingorother

I also tried booting from a USB DVD drive which had previously worked every time but I can't do that now either, in fact the BIOS doesn't even recognise the USB DVD Drive, it wasn't even there to select.

I tried manually uninstalliing the updates, no result.

I tried a system restore using a restore point from before the latest updates went in, no result, except for within the hour Automatic Updates has downloaded the same updates along with one dated today and has re-installed them.

It feels like my computer has somehow been taken control of by Windows.

I could flash to the latest BIOS version but I'm a bit leary of that if something in Windows is getting through to it. Things may go awry when the new BIOS is flashing then I'll have no laptop

Any ideas, anyone?

submitted by /u/Old_Fart52
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:)

 

UEFI / Legacy BIOS Mess and Windows Update

And I suggested another way that can be much faster.

 

UEFI Forum Releases UEFI 2.3.1 Specification Update

The UEFI Forum has ratified an update to the UEFI 2.3.1 Specification that adds important firmware considerations and addresses numerous engineering change requests. The updated Specification will be referred to as “UEFI 2.3.1C”.

• UEFI 2.3.1C adds: An OS Indications Variable - OS/FW feature & capability communication – when implemented, allows end-users to make an OS menu request to enter BIOS setup after next reboot.
• UEFI 2.3.1C adds: A mechanism which, when implemented, facilitates Open Source Operating System installations and OS- agnostic end-user configurations of retaining the factory default keys while in Setup Mode (see Specification for full technical detail of Setup Mode).
• UEFI 2.3.1C removes: Runtime driver requirement on Network UNDI drivers - this allows UNDI drivers to be delivered in EFI Byte Code (EBC) Virtual Machine format supporting systems based on different processor architectures.

Complete details on UEFI 2.3.1C are available here.

The UEFI Forum’s UTWG (UEFI Test Working Group) is currently working on updating the SCT (Self-Certification Tests) to align with the latest spec changes. Please see www.uefi.org for more updates.

UEFI Summer Summit Interoperability & Education Event:
Specification Update Benefits Windows 8 & Open Source OS Implementations Microsoft to Host UEFI Summer Summit, July 16-20, 2012 in Redmond, WA

The UEFI Testing Work Group (UTWG) and the UEFI Industry Communications Work Group (ICWG) from the Unified EFI (UEFI) Forum invite you to register for the upcoming UEFI Summer Summit: An Interoperability and Education Workshop being held this July at the Microsoft Campus in Redmond, WA.

• Hosted by Microsoft, the event is sponsored by AMD, AMI, HP, Insyde, Intel, Microsoft & Phoenix.
• Online registration for the UEFI Summer Summit can be found at here and here. Please note registration is scheduled to close on July 9th.

The organizers specifically wish to encourage add-in card vendors to attend the Summit. This is the last planned Forum-sponsored opportunity to test Secure Boot functionality and the interoperability of cards with UEFI-compliant systems for 2012. With the serious industry interest in Secure Boot functionality, this Summit is an excellent opportunity to test interoperability, as well as discuss the technology with other industry members.

 

GTX 670 Update bios with UEFI support or not?

Windows 7 does support it but, more importantly, your mobo BIOS has to support it. So, update your BIOS to the very latest and you should be good to go. Your mobo BIOS is UEFI, right?