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Unified Extensible Firmware Interface

File:Logo_of_the_UEFI_Forum.svg · Wikimedia Commons · See Wikimedia Commons

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Unified Extensible Firmware Interface

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Also known as Intel Boot Initiative, Extensible Firmware Interface, EFI, Unified EFI, UEFI, uefi-firmware

thumb|Boot order selection menu on a ThinkPad T470|Lenovo ThinkPad T470 with both UEFI and [[BIOS support]] thumb|The UEFI implementation is usually stored on NOR flash|NOR-based [[flash memory located on the motherboard. Various I/O protocols can be used, SPI being the most common.]]

Key facts

Technology standard.title
Unified Extensible Firmware Interface
Technology standard.image
Logo of the UEFI Forum.svg
Technology standard.image_size
100px
Technology standard.abbreviation
UEFI
Technology standard.status
Published
Technology standard.year_started
2006
Technology standard.version
2.11
Technology standard.version_date
16 December 2024
Technology standard.organization
UEFI Forum
Technology standard.predecessor
BIOS on IBM PC compatible computers
Technology standard.domain
Firmware

via Wikipedia infobox

Wikidata facts

Official website
uefi.org
Image
UEFI shell 2.2 screenshot.png
Show 4 more facts
replaces
BIOS
Commons category
Extensible Firmware Interface
Sources (2)

via Wikidata · CC0

~48 min read

Encyclopedic overview

51 sections
Contents
  • History
  • Compatibility
  • Processor compatibility<span class="anchor" id="HANDOVER"></span><span class="anchor" id="BOOT-STUB"></span>
  • Disk device compatibility<span class="anchor" id="DISKDEVCOMPAT"></span>
  • Linux
  • Microsoft Windows
  • Features
  • Services<span class="anchor" id="GOP"></span><span class="anchor" id="MM"></span><span class="anchor" id="VARIABLE"></span><span class="anchor" id="TIME"></span>
  • Applications
  • Protocols
  • Device drivers<span class="anchor" id="EBC"></span>
  • Graphics features
  • EFI system partition
  • Booting
  • UEFI booting<span class="anchor" id="UEFIBOOT"></span><span class="anchor" id="BOOT-MANAGER"></span>
  • CSM booting<span class="anchor" id="CSMBOOT"></span>
  • Network booting
  • Secure Boot<span class="anchor" id="SECURE-BOOT"></span>
  • UEFI shell<span class="anchor" id="SHELL"></span>
  • Commands
  • Extensions
  • UEFI Capsule
  • Hardware
  • Classes
  • Boot stages
  • SEC – Security Phase
  • Responsibilities
  • PEI – Pre-EFI Initialization
  • PEI Foundation
  • PEI Dispatcher
  • Pre-EFI Initialization Modules
  • PEIMs-to-PEIMs Interfaces
  • DXE – Driver Execution Environment
  • BDS – Boot Device Select (Boot Manager)
  • TSL – Transient System Load
  • RT – Runtime
  • Usage
  • Implementations
  • Platforms
  • Operating systems
  • With virtualization
  • Vulnerabilities
  • Applications development<span class="anchor" id="EADK"></span>
  • Criticism
  • Secure Boot<span class="anchor" id="Secure Boot criticism"></span>
  • Firmware problems
  • See also
  • Notes
  • References
  • Further reading
  • External links

thumb|Boot order selection menu on a ThinkPad T470|Lenovo ThinkPad T470 with both UEFI and [[BIOS support]] thumb|The UEFI implementation is usually stored on NOR flash|NOR-based [[flash memory located on the motherboard. Various I/O protocols can be used, SPI being the most common.]]

Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI, as an initial) is a specification for the firmware architecture of a computing platform. When a computer is powered on, the UEFI implementation is typically the first that runs, before starting the operating system. Examples include AMI Aptio, Phoenix SecureCore, TianoCore EDK II, and InsydeH2O.

Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “Unified Extensible Firmware Interface” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.

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