What is BIOS CSM?

CSM, also known as Compatibility Support Module, is a component of the UEFI firmware, which provides legacy BIOS compatibility by emulating a BIOS environment, allowing legacy operating systems and some option ROMs that do not support UEFI to still be used.

Should I enable CSM support in BIOS?

To put it in a nutshell, CSM exists to provide compatibility with systems that support or do not support UEFI completely, as well as systems that must be installed in Legacy. Therefore, if you need to boot a traditional MBR device, you need to enable the CSM.

Should BIOS be UEFI or CSM?

UEFI and BIOS are used interchangeably nowadays, but your motherboard most likely uses UEFI. Enabling CSM allows for legacy BIOS features that aren't supported in normal UEFI mode. CSM uses an MBR (master boot record) to boot the operating system. UEFI uses files within a larger partition to boot the OS.

Should I disable CSM for Windows 11?

This component provides legacy hardware compatibility by imitating a BIOS environment. It results in losing certain UEFI features essential for the Windows 11 update. Hence, you'll need to disable CSM to run the latest compatible operating system.

Is it safe to disable CSM support?

Hence, CSM helps emulate a BIOS environment that is compatible with your current OS. Disabling CSM will allow you to enable UEFI on your system which is needed to install the most modern compatible Operating Systems.

Common BIOS Settings Explained

What happens if u disable CSM?

For example, if you set the CSM disabled, it means that UEFI supports will be enabled on your motherboard. However, the UEFI boot mode is only compatible with GPT partition tables. That's to say, you need to convert your hard drive to GPT if you want to disable CSM.

Which boot mode should I use?

In general, install Windows using the newer UEFI mode, as it includes more security features than the legacy BIOS mode. If you're booting from a network that only supports BIOS, you'll need to boot to legacy BIOS mode.

Does Windows 11 require CSM?

Currently, a workaround to their issue is to enable CSM in the BIOS. However, now that Win 11 is released, I was curious whether computer manufacturers would get rid of CSM altogether since a Windows 11 requirement is UEFI and CSM / legacy mode would no longer be needed.

What is UEFI CSM mode?

The Compatibility Support Module (CSM) is a component of the UEFI firmware that provides legacy BIOS compatibility by emulating a BIOS environment, allowing legacy operating systems and some option ROMs that do not support UEFI to still be used.

How do I change CSM to UEFI?

What does changing from CSM to UEFI do?

UEFI is basically the new BIOS, performing the same job but better. With UEFI, you get faster boot times (ostensibly), higher drive capacities, better update methods and driver support, and a 64-bit mode (where BIOS is only 16-bit). In other words, switching to UEFI is a bit of an upgrade and worth doing.

Is UEFI faster than legacy?

Nowadays, UEFI gradually replaces the traditional BIOS on most modern PCs as it includes more security features than the legacy BIOS mode and also boots faster than Legacy systems.

What happens if I enable UEFI boot?

Enabled—When set to UEFI Mode, configures the system BIOS to boot using native UEFI graphic drivers. Disabled—Configures the system BIOS to boot using INT10 legacy video expansion ROM. This setting is required if you are using Windows Server 2008, Windows Server 2008 R2, or Windows 7 as your operating system.

Is CSM secure boot?

CSM Support is used for booting from legacy devices, which is the exact opposite goal of Secure Boot. Custom would allow us to set the keys used for attestation for Secure Boot. But for our purposes, Standard solves the problem.

Should I enable fast boot?

Leaving fast startup enabled shouldn't harm anything on your PC — it's a feature built into Windows — but there are a few reasons why you might want to nevertheless disable it. One of the major reasons is if you're using Wake-on-LAN, which will likely have problems when your PC is shut down with fast startup enabled.

What is UEFI and Legacy?

UEFI runs in 32-bit and 64-bit, allowing support for mouse and touch navigation. Legacy runs in 16-bit mode that only supports keyboard navigation. It allows a secure boot that prevents the loading of unauthorized applications. It may also hinder dual boot because it treats operating systems (OS) as applications.

Should I enable UEFI mode?

The short answer is no. You don't need to enable UEFI to run Windows 10. It is entirely compatible with both BIOS and UEFI However, it's the storage device that might require UEFI.

What is the difference between UEFI and CSM boot?

Legacy (CSM) and UEFI are different ways to boot from storage disks (which often take the form of SSD these days). CSM uses an MBR (Master Boot Record) in a specific format of 512 Bytes to boot the operating system. UEFI uses files within a large partition (typically 100 MB) to boot the operating system.

Why is UEFI faster?

UEFI can run in 32-bit or 64-bit mode and has more addressable address space than BIOS, which means your boot process is faster.

How do I enable all factory keys?

Go to Win 8 Configuration>Secure Boot Support>Secure Boot Mode, then set to Custom. Open Key Management. Select Enroll All Factory Default Keys and select Yes. Once the keys are enrolled, the keys will show up as INSTALLED.

Should I enable secure boot Windows 11?

Secure Boot is an important security feature designed to prevent malicious software from loading when your PC starts up (boots). Most modern PCs are capable of Secure Boot, but in some instances, there may be settings that cause the PC to appear to not be capable of Secure Boot.

How do I know if secure boot is enabled?

Is Windows 10 UEFI or legacy?

Click the Search icon on the Taskbar and type in msinfo32 , then press Enter. System Information window will open. Click on the System Summary item. Then locate BIOS Mode and check the type of BIOS, Legacy or UEFI.

What's the difference between BIOS and UEFI?

UEFI provides faster boot time. UEFI has discrete driver support, while BIOS has drive support stored in its ROM, so updating BIOS firmware is a bit difficult. UEFI offers security like "Secure Boot", which prevents the computer from booting from unauthorized/unsigned applications.

Is SSD legacy or UEFI?

It will depend on the SSD you install. If you install an M. 2 SSD (assuming the laptop has an M. 2 connector) you'll probably need to use UEFI to get it to boot.