UEFI
Technology & Computing abbreviation · Computer
| Stands for | Unified Extensible Firmware Interface |
|---|---|
| Categories | Technology & Computing |
UEFI stands for Unified Extensible Firmware Interface, a computer abbreviation.
Firmware standard that replaced the legacy PC BIOS, adding graphical setup screens, mouse support, network booting, Secure Boot and support for GPT disks larger than 2 TB. Virtually every PC sold since the early 2010s uses it.
Example: Switch the boot mode from Legacy to UEFI, then convert the system disk to GPT.
Usage notes
It grew out of Intel's EFI, created in the late 1990s for Itanium servers; the industry UEFI Forum took over the specification in 2005. Windows 11 requires UEFI firmware capable of Secure Boot. Pronounced as letters. Motherboard menus and consumer guides still use "BIOS" and "UEFI" interchangeably for the same settings screen.
Related abbreviations
More computer abbreviations
- SFC – System File Checker
- SOHO – Small office/home office
- sudo – Superuser do
- TTY – Teletypewriter (Unix terminal)
- TUI – Text-based user interface
- UAC – User Account Control
- UI – User interface
- UTF-16 – Unicode Transformation Format, 16-bit
- UTF-8 – Unicode Transformation Format, 8-bit
- UX – User experience
- WIMP – Windows, icons, menus, pointer
- WinPE – Windows Preinstallation Environment