Looking for a little advice from the wise men on this site who have been very helpful in the past . Replaced computer with a Dell Inspiron 530 desktop a few months ago and whilst looking through Dell support centre site noticed a recommended update for the bios i.e present version 1.0 15 -new 1.0 16 . From what little I know about computers , I am sure I read/heard that this is something not to interfere with . Would I be advised to download this update or leave system as it is .What does this do ? and would it alter anything that I would be aware of . Glad of any help given .
You have to ask yourself: Do I need a new bios or not.
Look at the changelog and see if it fixes anything beeing a problem for you.
If not, leave it alone.
This is my take on it, because you can really screw up your PC eg by a power problem
in the middle of the process.
IMO, do not update your bios ‘just to have the latest version’.
HL
EDIT: I am not one of the wise men who have helped you before, but I hope this helps anyway. 
I’m of the school of (if it isn’t broken don’t fix it, philosophy) and leave well alone. Unless you are experiencing a problem that this BIOS update directly addresses.
You have to ask why it was recommended and exactly what difference it might make. People have systems that are years old and have never had a BIOS update in all that time and no problems.
Just to add to my first post:
I haven’t always followed that rule myself, and it has always gone well.
What you say and what you do is not always the same.
And even if the process goes well, you might have a less funcional bios
for your use than you had before updating.
All PC’s I have seen have had a possibility to take a copy of your old bios,
then you can hopefully revert to your original if you don’t like the results.
If you choose to update the bios, follow the instructions carefully.
The power must not be broken during the process, neither by you nor others.
Whatever your choice, good luck.
HL
My last (old system, still have it) system had a Gigabyte motherboard which featured a dual bios, so if one went down the other recovered the problem.
That saved me once when I had a bios error, but I never went looking for a bios update even with this feature and a software application to flash the bios.
I had little to do this evening, so I went to Dell support.
I found what I suppose you have found:
Dell Inspiron Desktop 530 System BIOS
Release Date: 12/29/2008
Version: 1.0.16
Download Type: BIOS
File Format: Windows/DOS
File Size: 692 KB
Level of Importance: Recommended
Compatibility
Fixes and Enhancements
Dell Inc.
Copyright (C) 2008, All Rights reserved.
www.dell.com
BIOS Release Notes
===================================================================
Systems: Dell Insprion 530/530s
Version: 1.0.16
Build Date: 12/12/2008
Fixes/Enhancements:
1.Enhanced SMBIOS checking rule for SMBIOS Type 2.
What we can read from this is that the update is of type RECOMMENDED
namely: Enhanced SMBIOS checking rule for SMBIOS Type 2.
This doesn’t help me very much, but recommended means recommended I suppose.
Nothing critical, so if your system is ok I think you can hold on.
It was just released (12/29/2008) so one (by now) solution is to hold back and wait for responses from others.
That’s as far as I get by now.
HL
Many thanks to both members for help and advice which I will heed and leave update to bios well alone ! Much appreciated .
No problem, glad I could help.