How to Use PowerShell to Extract Device BIOS & Firmware Versions for Inventory Compliance. Manual tracking is an error-prone nightmare that leaves your fleet vulnerable to security gaps. Today, we’re showing you how to automate your inventory using a PowerShell BIOS version script to ensure total compliance. Before we begin, be sure to subscribe to NinjaOne’s IT video hub and our YouTube channel for more tech content like this. Overcoming the Challenges of Manual Firmware Tracking. Relying on manual audits is unsustainable for modern IT environments. Outdated firmware can contribute to hardware instability, support issues, and unpatched vulnerabilities, making BIOS and firmware inventory audits essential. Automating this process provides real-time visibility, allowing you to prioritize critical patches across your entire client environment without touching a single machine physically. Step-by-Step: Retrieving BIOS Versions and Serial Numbers. To extract your hardware data, follow these steps: First, launch PowerShell as an administrator to ensure you have full system access. Second, use the Get-CimInstance command to query the Win32_BIOS class for BIOS version, manufacturer, serial number, and SMBIOS firmware information. Third, convert the raw release date into a readable format using the ManagementDateTimeConverter. Finally, store the data in a PSCustomObject and export it to a CSV file for inventory reporting, compliance audits, and lifecycle tracking. Handling Modern UEFI Systems and Fallback Methods. For modern devices, verify UEFI compliance by checking the system firmware type and, where supported, querying the MSFT_FirmwareInformation class for firmware details. If the system reports Legacy BIOS mode instead of UEFI, modern security features such as Secure Boot and Device Guard may be unavailable, making the device a candidate for remediation. On systems where PowerShell access is restricted, WMIC can still be used to retrieve basic BIOS information, although Microsoft continues to recommend PowerShell and CIM-based queries for long-term administration. Troubleshooting Permissions, Null Values, and Registry Keys. To ensure your scripts run reliably across diverse environments, keep these critical troubleshooting factors in mind: Elevated Privileges: Run PowerShell as administrator when collecting system information, writing to HKLM, or creating scheduled tasks; otherwise, you may encounter access-denied errors or incomplete results. Registry Path Validation: Ensure parent keys exist before writing values to HKLM to prevent script failures during inventory tagging. Handling Null Returns: Implement conditional checks for virtual machines, older hardware, or firmware vendors that do not expose all BIOS or UEFI properties. Automation Scheduling: Use the SYSTEM account or your organization's endpoint-management platform to ensure consistent inventory collection and reporting. The transition from Legacy BIOS to modern UEFI is more than just a boot-mode change—it's an evolution in endpoint security. Using PowerShell-based BIOS and firmware inventory to identify legacy systems is an important step toward modern endpoint management, security compliance, and lifecycle planning. As you move toward modern management tools and zero-trust architectures, having a script-based foundation for your hardware inventory will be your greatest asset. Keep your scripts sharp, your firmware updated, and your fleet moving forward. For more information, check out our official blog post on How to Use PowerShell to Extract Device BIOS & Firmware Versions for Inventory Compliance linked in the description below.