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How Your Server Starts Up

Every time your VPS boots, something has to happen before the operating system loads. The server’s firmware needs to initialize the virtual hardware, find the disk, locate the bootloader, and hand off control to the OS. The boot type setting controls which firmware style handles this process: the older BIOS method or the modern UEFI method. For most people using FREAKHOSTING’s standard OS templates, you never need to touch this setting — the default works out of the box. But if you are installing a custom operating system from an ISO, troubleshooting boot issues, or working with large disks, understanding the difference can save you hours of frustration.

Difficulty

Intermediate

Time

3 Minutes

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BIOS vs UEFI: What is the Difference?

Here is the simplest way to think about it: BIOS is the old way of starting a computer, and UEFI is the new way. Both do the same job — get the hardware ready and boot the operating system — but they do it differently, and the difference matters when it comes to disk layout and OS compatibility.
BIOS (Basic Input/Output System) has been around since the early days of personal computers. It is simple, battle-tested, and compatible with almost everything.How it works: BIOS looks for a bootloader in the first sector of the disk (called the Master Boot Record). It reads 512 bytes, finds the bootloader code, and hands off control.Key characteristics:
  • Uses MBR (Master Boot Record) disk partitioning
  • Supports disks up to 2 TB in size
  • Maximum of 4 primary partitions (you can work around this with extended partitions, but it adds complexity)
  • Compatible with virtually every operating system ever made
  • Simpler boot process — fewer things can go wrong
Choose BIOS when:
  • You are installing an older Linux distribution that does not support UEFI well
  • You need maximum compatibility with a custom or niche operating system
  • Your disk is 2 TB or smaller and you do not need advanced partitioning
  • You are following an installation guide that assumes BIOS/MBR

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Quick Decision Guide

Not sure which to pick? Here is a simple rule of thumb:
SituationRecommended Boot Type
Using a FREAKHOSTING OS templateLeave the default (Auto Configuration handles it)
Installing a modern Linux distro from ISOUEFI
Installing Windows Server from ISOUEFI
Installing an older or niche OSBIOS
Disk larger than 2 TBUEFI (required)
Not sure / no special requirementsUEFI

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Changing the Boot Type

1

Navigate to Your Server

Log into the VPS Control Panel at cloud.freakhosting.com. Click on Servers in the top navigation bar, then click Manage next to the server you want to configure.
2

Open the Options Tab

Click on the Options tab in the server management navigation.
3

Select the Settings Sub-Tab

Click on the Settings sub-tab to see the boot type and other configuration options.
4

Choose Your Boot Type

Under the Boot Type section, you will see two buttons: BIOS and UEFI. The currently active boot type is highlighted. Click the one you want to switch to.
Do not change the boot type on a running, installed operating system unless you know what you are doing. The boot type must match the disk’s partition scheme: MBR partitions expect BIOS, and GPT partitions expect UEFI. Switching to the wrong one will prevent your server from booting. The safest time to change this is before rebuilding your server or before installing a new OS from an ISO.

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What Happens If You Pick the Wrong Boot Type?

If you switch to a boot type that does not match your disk layout, your server will fail to boot. Here is what that looks like and how to recover:
  • Switched from BIOS to UEFI on an MBR disk: The server will not find a bootloader (there is no EFI System Partition). You will likely see a “No bootable device” error or an EFI shell.
  • Switched from UEFI to BIOS on a GPT disk: BIOS cannot properly read the GPT partition table’s boot code, so the server may hang or show a GRUB rescue prompt.
To fix it: Go back to the Options > Settings tab and switch the boot type back to what it was. Then restart the server. If you cannot remember the original setting, try both — one of them will work. You can also boot into Rescue Mode to inspect the disk partition scheme: 
# In the rescue environment, check the partition table type
fdisk -l /dev/vda

# Look for "Disklabel type: gpt" (means UEFI) or "Disklabel type: dos" (means BIOS/MBR)

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The Auto Configuration Toggle

Below the Boot Type setting, you will also find the Auto Configuration toggle. This is a separate feature that controls whether FREAKHOSTING automatically applies system settings during the OS build process.
  • Enabled (green, default) — When you build or rebuild your server using one of FREAKHOSTING’s pre-built OS templates, Auto Configuration automatically sets up networking (IP address, gateway, DNS), hostname, and other essential settings. For most users, leave this on. It means your server is ready to connect to immediately after a build with zero manual configuration.
  • Disabled — Turn this off only if you are installing a completely custom operating system from an ISO and want to handle all configuration manually. With Auto Configuration disabled, you will need to set up networking, DNS, and other settings yourself after installation.
If you are using FREAKHOSTING’s standard OS templates, there is almost never a reason to disable Auto Configuration. It just ensures your server comes online with working network settings every time you build or rebuild.
For all modern operating systems (Ubuntu 20.04+, Debian 11+, CentOS Stream 9+, AlmaLinux 9+, Rocky Linux 9+, Windows Server 2016+), UEFI is recommended. It provides better performance, supports larger disks, and is the standard going forward. Use BIOS only if your operating system specifically requires it or does not support UEFI.
Technically yes, but it is risky. The boot type must match the partition scheme on the disk. If your disk uses MBR (common with BIOS), switching to UEFI without converting the partition table to GPT will prevent booting. Converting MBR to GPT on a live system is possible but advanced and error-prone. The safest approach is to set the correct boot type before building or rebuilding the server.
Switch it back. Go to Options > Settings and click the other boot type button, then restart the server. If you are not sure which one was correct, try BIOS first, then UEFI — one of them will match your disk layout. You can also use Rescue Mode to check with fdisk -l /dev/vda — look for “Disklabel type: gpt” (UEFI) or “Disklabel type: dos” (BIOS).
Auto Configuration is a convenience feature that automatically applies network settings (IP address, gateway, DNS) and other essential configuration when your server is built from a FREAKHOSTING template image. It eliminates the need to manually configure networking after a fresh install. Keep it enabled unless you are installing a custom OS from an ISO and want full manual control over the setup.
Changing the boot type setting itself does not erase or modify any data on your disk. It only changes how the firmware attempts to boot. However, if the new boot type does not match your disk’s partition scheme, the server will not boot — but your data is still intact on the disk. Switching back to the correct boot type will restore normal booting.

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Need Extra Help?

If you encounter any issues, our support team is ready to assist:

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Last Updated: March 2026 | VPS Support: Boot configuration simplified.