1909 has a BIOS firmware update feature built into the Device Manager

Berton said:

Like @Bree I have a Dell Latitude E7240 12" and it does not have the Firmware entry....

Not quite like mine, I have an E7270.

I've long struggled to decipher Dell's numbering system for the Latitude Ennnn range. The first digit represents the generation of the model range, the second seems to be the last digit of the screen size (I also have an E7440 which is basically the same as your E7240 but with a 14" screen). I've not found a pattern for the last two digits, but higher numbers seem to be more recent models.

My E7440 is a 2014 model and doesn't have the Firmware entry either, my E7270 is a 2016 model and does have one.

Well, to complete the set my last Dell Latitude is an E4310. I like the Latitude range, the seem to be well built and (an important consideration when buying older machines) Dell's service manuals provide full dismantling instructions.

I know this is an old thread, but is the best discussion I've seen on this topic so far.

System: Dell Inspiron 3580, Win10 20H2 (BIOS updated to 1.12.0 in January 2021)

Currently (since updating to 20H2 a few days ago) Windows Update shows an Optional Update “Dell, Inc. - Firmware 0.1.12.0.“

My immediate reaction was is this the BIOS update (that I've already installed using a .EXE downloaded from Dell) being offered to me again, via Windows Update? If so it would be the first time I've seen a BIOS update optionally offered via Windows Update (and why would it be offering me something that I've already installed anyhow?).

However, I see that in Device Manager, under Firmware there is a Device “System Firmware 01.08.00” wiith details including Device Type: Firmware, Manufacturer: Dell, Inc., Driver Provider: Dell, Inc., Driver Date: 12/02/2020 [that's 12-Feb-20], Driver Version: 0.1.8.0. Having looked around the system I can see that the firmware.bin file associated with this is nearly 13MB and is dated 12/02/2020. It's also worth noting that I can also see (from old Macrium Reflect images) that there was a previous version (01.04.01 dated 20/03/2019). Plus I must say that I do recall seeing at least one Dell Firmware update listed as installed (automatically) in Windows Update (whilst on 1809/1909) and being a tad bewildered by these at the time.

It's worth noting that I have periodically installed BIOS updates by downloading .EXEs from Dell

13-04-19 1.4.1
28-06-19 1.5.1
21-10-19 1.6.0
18-01-20 1.7.0
06-04-20 1.8.0
23-07-20 1.11.0
12-01-21 1.12.0

To my knowledge all but one of these were installed as they were deemed Urgent due to fixing security flaws.

So currently, Speccy also shows, under Microsoft UEFI-Compliant System, “System Firmware 01:08:00”, whereas the Windows System Information shows BIOS Version/Date as “Dell Inc. 1.12.0, 28/10/2020”

So as the Dell Support site does not list any Firmware update such as the afore-mentioned one offered by Windows Update (which, to me, seemed very odd indeed), I have to say that my reaction was to be extremely reluctant to accept this update without more information.

So my primary concern was (and still is) the fundamental question that has been discussed at some length here and elsewhere: Is the update being offered by Windows Update anything to do with BIOS or is it something separate?

Having done a bit of research, I came across this: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/win...pdate-platform (worth following the links at the end of the first page of that).

The above provides fuller information akin to Bree's link in #57

I'd bear in mind that when UEFI is mentioned in much of the material linked to it is (probably) being used as a direct successor to BIOS, with the term BIOS deprecated (see What Is UEFI, and How Is It Different from BIOS? )

From all of this I conclude that UEFI (aka BIOS) updates can be downloaded as a pseudo-driver packages via Windows Update and that the image gets flashed on re-boot. However, that is not to say that the Firmware update that I am currently being presented with is or is not a UEFI/BIOS update. I just can't tell. All I can say at this stage is that I find it confusing / suspicious to have a Firmware update of 0.1.12.0, given that I've already installed BIOS 1.12.0 using a .EXE downloaded from Dell.

I shall be pursuing this further down other available avenues, but any further input here would be welcome.