I'm gearing up to upgrade to Windows 11 and I have a few concerns. My current setup includes an MSI B360M motherboard that I haven't changed much since I got it in 2019, except for the GPU. I noticed that there's a BIOS update from 2022 stating it supports Windows 11. My question is—do I need to update the BIOS before making the jump to Windows 11? If my BIOS isn't updated, will my PC just not boot? I'm worried about potential risks of a BIOS update, like power outages and messing up the model, especially since I've heard some horror stories about people bricking their systems. Ideally, I'd like to avoid a BIOS update if possible while still upgrading to Windows. Should I just go ahead with the Windows upgrade and keep the BIOS update handy in case things go south? Or is it safer to do the BIOS update first, even though that makes me nervous?
1 Answer
If you've got a UPS, you should be fine during the update! The latest BIOS (like the 7B23v1D from 2024) has fixes and includes the one from 2022, so it's worth looking into. I'd also grab the latest chipset drivers for Windows 11 and stick them on a USB alongside the installer—it's a good backup plan.
Just a heads up, if you’re planning to upgrade Windows, having a USB installer is a smart move. That way you have a backup if anything goes wrong during the upgrade!