extensible firmware interface (BIOS) (EFI)

The Extensible Firmware Interface(EFI) serves to simplify the partly manufacturer-specific BIOS procedures. The EFI interface forms an extensible interface between the firmware and the operating system. It supports all existing hardware components via the firmware, including graphics cards and network adapters.

The Extensible Firmware Interface runs like a simple operating system and can boot the program without a boot sector. The standard operating systems mainly work with this method. Like the BIOS, Basic Input/Output System, the Extensible Firmware Interface, which is to replace the BIOS, is a functional unit between the motherboard hardware and the operating system. The evolution of the Extensible Firmware Interface into a unified extensible interface, is the Unified Extensible Firmware Interface( UEFI).

The Extensible Firmware Interface is only supported to a limited extent by 32-bit computers, but fully by 64-bit architectures.