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DifferencesbetweenBIOSandUEFIBootModes
Thefollowingtablehighlightsthedifferencesbetweenthebootmodes.
Feature
BootMode
BIOS UEFI
OperatingSystemSupport Compatiblewithoperatingsystems
thatdonotsupportUEFI.Allthe
currentandlegacyoperationsystems
canbeinstalledinthisbootmode.
MustsupportUEFI
BIOSPOST<F11>Boot
ManagerHotKey
EntersBIOSBootManager EntersUEFIBootManager
BootOrderControl ViaBIOSSetupUtility ViaUEFIBootManager
USBEmulation SupportedviaBIOSSetupUtility Notneeded
DefaultBootOrder TraditionalDellBIOSdefaultboot
order
None
BootOptions LegacyBIOSbootstoadrive.Support
formulti‐bootdriverequiresaboot
loader.
InUEFImode,thereisaconceptofa
bootfile.Thisallowsmultiplefilestobe
addedasabootoptiononasingledrive.
UEFIBootOptions
ThewaybootoptionsworkinUEFImodediffersfromthatofthelegacyBIOS.TheUEFIbootoption:
• Specifiesafileonadriveasaboottarget(vs.adriveasinlegacyBIOS).
• Isautomaticallycreatedbytheoperatingsystemduringinstallationandpointstoits
bootfile.
• Providesapredeterminedbootpathforremovablemedia.
• CanbemanuallyaddedbytheuserviatheUEFIBootManager.
• Pointstoaspecificbootfile;henceasystemformatisnotnecessarytomakeadevicebootable.
AutomaticandManualBootOptions
InUEFI
mode,bootoptionsareautomaticallyaddedforremovabledevices.Theseautomaticallyaddedboot
optionscannotbedeleted.OperatingSysteminstallationautomaticallyaddsabootoptionthatpointstothe
OperatingSystemBootloader.BootoptionscanalsobeaddedmanuallybyusingtheUEFIBootManager.Whether
optionsareaddedmanually
orbytheoperatingsystem,theycanbedeletedusingUEFIBootManager.
Multiplebootoptionsperdevice,orperfile,areallowed.Youmaywanttohavetwobootoptionsforthesame
filewithdifferentinputparameters,suchasadebugparameter.WheninstallingaUEFI‐awareoperating
system,
theinstallationprocesswilladdacorrespondingbootoption.
BootingtoaRemovableMediaDevice
Tomakearemovabledevicebootable,theUEFIapplicationsimplyneedstoberenamedtoBOOTx64.EFI(case
insensitive)andplacedinthe\EFI\BOOTdirectory.
Whenaremovabledevice,suchasaUSBkey,isdetectedinUEFIBootMode,abootoptionisautomaticallyadded
topointtothefollowinglocation:
\EFI\BOOT\BOOTx64.EFI