UEFI

Unified Extensible Firmware Interface
AbbreviationUEFI
StatusPublished
Year started2006
Latest version2.11
16 December 2024
OrganizationUEFI Forum
Related standards
PredecessorBIOS on IBM PC compatible computers
DomainFirmware
Websiteuefi.org Edit this at Wikidata
Boot order selection menu on a Lenovo ThinkPad T470 with both UEFI and BIOS support
The UEFI implementation is usually stored on NOR-based flash memory located on the motherboard. Various I/O protocols can be used, SPI being the most common.

Unified Extensible Firmware Interface or UEFI is a specification for the firmware architecture of a computing platform. When a computer is powered on, the UEFI implementation typically runs first, before the operating system or any other program is loaded. Examples include AMI Aptio, Phoenix SecureCore, TianoCore EDK II, and InsydeH2O.

UEFI replaces the BIOS that was present in the boot ROM of all personal computers that are IBM PC compatible, although it can provide backwards compatibility with the BIOS using CSM booting. Unlike the BIOS, which was originally developed by IBM as a proprietary architecture, the UEFI specification is managed by an industry consortium. Most production firmware implementations for both remain proprietary.

Intel developed the original Extensible Firmware Interface (EFI) specification. The last Intel version of EFI was 1.10 released in 2005. Subsequent versions have been developed as UEFI by the UEFI Forum.

UEFI is independent of platform and programming language, but C is used for the reference implementation TianoCore EDKII.

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