UEFI Forum Releases UEFI 2.3.1 Specification Update

[btarunr]

The UEFI Forum has ratified an update to the UEFI 2.3.1 Specification that adds important firmware considerations and addresses numerous engineering change requests. The updated Specification will be referred to as “UEFI 2.3.1C”.

• UEFI 2.3.1C adds: An OS Indications Variable - OS/FW feature & capability communication – when implemented, allows end-users to make an OS menu request to enter BIOS setup after next reboot.
• UEFI 2.3.1C adds: A mechanism which, when implemented, facilitates Open Source Operating System installations and OS- agnostic end-user configurations of retaining the factory default keys while in Setup Mode (see Specification for full technical detail of Setup Mode).
• UEFI 2.3.1C removes: Runtime driver requirement on Network UNDI drivers - this allows UNDI drivers to be delivered in EFI Byte Code (EBC) Virtual Machine format supporting systems based on different processor architectures.

Complete details on UEFI 2.3.1C are available here.

The UEFI Forum’s UTWG (UEFI Test Working Group) is currently working on updating the SCT (Self-Certification Tests) to align with the latest spec changes. Please see www.uefi.org for more updates.

UEFI Summer Summit Interoperability & Education Event:
Specification Update Benefits Windows 8 & Open Source OS Implementations Microsoft to Host UEFI Summer Summit, July 16-20, 2012 in Redmond, WA

The UEFI Testing Work Group (UTWG) and the UEFI Industry Communications Work Group (ICWG) from the Unified EFI (UEFI) Forum invite you to register for the upcoming UEFI Summer Summit: An Interoperability and Education Workshop being held this July at the Microsoft Campus in Redmond, WA.

• Hosted by Microsoft, the event is sponsored by AMD, AMI, HP, Insyde, Intel, Microsoft & Phoenix.
• Online registration for the UEFI Summer Summit can be found at here and here. Please note registration is scheduled to close on July 9th.

The organizers specifically wish to encourage add-in card vendors to attend the Summit. This is the last planned Forum-sponsored opportunity to test Secure Boot functionality and the interoperability of cards with UEFI-compliant systems for 2012. With the serious industry interest in Secure Boot functionality, this Summit is an excellent opportunity to test interoperability, as well as discuss the technology with other industry members.

[RejZoR]

So, does UEFI + Win8 now support drives bigger than 3GB ? It seems like the whole thing has just stopped and hasn't moved anywhere for ages. We should have 4TB drives available now but you can hardly see any 3GB drives...

[1c3d0g]

Maybe you heard about the flooding in Thailand, where most of the hard drive manufacturers have their plants operating below capacity...

[Abdo shniba]

it will be great if it support HDDs more than 3TBs in size , but just want to ask, will the current line of motherboards be updated to the new version? or it will come in new\upcoming motherboards?

[Solidstate89]

Originally Posted by RejZoR

So, does UEFI + Win8 now support drives bigger than 3GB ? It seems like the whole thing has just stopped and hasn't moved anywhere for ages. We should have 4TB drives available now but you can hardly see any 3GB drives...

What? 3TB drives have been supported since at least Windows 7 if not Windows Vista. What was always holding it back was the BIOS; which yes has been rectified for at least a year now. Gigabyte even managed to backport the UEFI feature into a conventional BIOS using god knows what black magic.

[TheLostSwede]

Try using GPT instead of MBR and you'll see it'll work just fine on most recent motherboards from the 6-series an onwards.

[RejZoR]

Still, choice of internal 4TB drives is nearly non existent. Where is a WD Caviar Black 4TB, a 1TB per platter, 4 platters monstrosity? I have the 500GB per platter, 2TB Caviar Black and it's a great drive. But since it's like 2 years old already one would expect they'd release double capacity by now...