How to Check if Windows is Using UEFI or Legacy Mode (1-Minute Check)

The Windows 11 upgrade requires UEFI and Secure Boot to boot, but how do you know if your current Windows is using UEFI or Legacy boot mode? Does this mean that computers running Legacy can't get the free Windows 11 upgrade? Read on for the right answers.

*** The Windows 11 Upgrade Checker tool is now available for free download! Have you checked if your PC can run Windows 11 yet?

Some knowledge about UEFI

UEFI and Legacy BIOS are two types of firmware settings used by Microsoft Windows. UEFI is a newer concept in comparison to Legacy BIOS and is gradually replacing it in modern computers.

Specifically, UEFI addresses many of Legacy's shortcomings. It can handle disks larger than 2 TB, support more than four primary partitions, enable faster booting, and ensure more secure booting.

In the minimum system requirements for Windows 11, Microsoft emphasizes security enhancements through the use of TPM 2.0 and UEFI Secure Boot. Devices that fail the Windows 11 compatibility check due to the lack of UEFI Secure Boot will not qualify for the free upgrade from Windows 10 to Windows 11.

UEFI vs BIOS: What's the Difference?

When changing boot order or deciding whether to install an OS on a GPT or MBR disk, you need to know the terms UEFI and Legacy BIOS...

A Deeper Dive: The Difference Between BIOS and UEFI

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How to Check BIOS Mode Without Entering BIOS

As you know, UEFI and Legacy are two BIOS modes that manage how Windows boots up. In most cases, we don't need to know which BIOS mode our Windows operating system is running on. But this time, with the upcoming Windows 11 that only accepts UEFI, we need to figure out which boot mode our computer is using.

Method 1: Check System Information

The easiest way to check your BIOS mode without entering the BIOS firmware is through the System Information window.

Step 1: Press ⊞ Win+R to open the "Run" box. Type in msinfo32, then press ↵ Enter. This will open the "System Information" window.

Step 2. On the right, look for "BIOS Mode." If your computer uses BIOS, it will say "Legacy." If it uses UEFI, it will say "UEFI."

Method 2: Check the Setupact.log file

Furthermore, you can check the setupact.log file in the File Explorer to help determine which BIOS mode your computer is using. Here's how:

Step 1: Press the Windows+E keys to open File Explorer, and then navigate to the C:\Windows\Panther folder.

Step 2: Scroll down and look for a text file named setupact.log. Open it with Notepad.

Step 3: Press Ctrl+F to open the “Find” dialog in Notepad, type Detected Boot Environment, and then click Find Next.

Step 4: You should see the results display either UEFI or BIOS, as shown below:

• Callback_BootEnvironmentDetect: Detected boot environment: BIOS
• Callback_BootEnvironmentDetect: Detected boot environment: UEFI

Can you change the traditional boot mode to UEFI boot mode to support Windows 11?

Your device might support UEFI, but it could be using Legacy BIOS. If you've decided to upgrade your computer or laptop to Windows 11, you'll need to change the BIOS mode from Legacy to UEFI.

The conversion method provided by Windows is through the MBR2GPT command-line tool. To use UEFI instead of legacy BIOS, you must convert your disk from MBR to GPT, which usually involves deleting existing partitions and reinstalling Windows. Otherwise, the operating system will fail to boot after legacy BIOS is disabled.

The MBR2GPT tool makes the process tedious, complicated, and, more importantly, risky. This is why third-party MBR to GPT conversion tools have emerged to alleviate your concerns and improve the user experience when changing from BIOS mode to support modern computers and the new Windows 11.

To accomplish the transition from Legacy to UEFI, we will use the Partition Master Tool to carry out the first step of converting MBR to GPT. This method will not erase any data on the disk or delete any partitions.

Step 1: Download and run the Partition Master tool on your computer.

Step 2: Launch the disk converter and select “Convert MBR to GPT,” then click “Next” to proceed.

Step 3: Select the MBR disk that you want to convert to GPT and click "Convert" to start the conversion.

Then, you need to enter the BIOS settings and disable Legacy, setting the Boot Mode to UEFI.

Step 1: Restart your computer.

Step 2: Tap the F2 key repeatedly until the BIOS Setup Utility screen appears. (Different computers use different keys to access the BIOS. Desktops usually use Del, while laptops use F2. If you're unsure, try pressing Esc.)

Step 3. Under the Boot tab, use the up and down arrows to select UEFI Mode, then press Enter.

Step 4. Press F10 to save changes and exit.

By the way, Windows 11 also requires Secure Boot, which can only be enabled in the UEFI firmware settings. Check out how to enable Secure Boot after switching to UEFI.