IMPORTANT WARNING: Selecting Partition 2 and pressing Enter to boot will automatically erase ALL partitions and data on the computer’s target drive, not just C:, and then reinstall Windows. Do not select this entry if your backup is incomplete or you do not need to reinstall Windows.

This guide explains how to identify the service USB drive, update BIOS and EC firmware, reinstall Windows, and install drivers. Check your computer model and read the safety instructions before choosing an operation.

1. Identify your service USB drive

The USB 3.0 drive has a nominal capacity of 32 GB and two connectors: USB-A at one end and USB-C at the other. Use either connector to connect it to your computer. The engraved name identifies the supported model.

X14 appearance	X16 appearance

Figure 1  X14 connected to a computer (left) and X16 appearance (right)

Check the table carefully: the drive engraved M14 is for GEEKOM M16. Do not mix firmware, system images, or driver files from different models.

Find the procedure you need

Safety instructions  |  Partitions and files

Disable Secure Boot  |  Update BIOS and EC

Reinstall Windows  |  Install drivers in Windows

2 Safety instructions

Check the partition before booting from the USB drive: Partition 1 updates firmware; booting from Partition 2 automatically erases all data on the target drive and reinstalls Windows. Do not rely on another confirmation prompt.

1. Back up important data before selecting a boot entry. Copy personal and work files to another reliable storage device and verify that the backup is readable. Reinstallation erases every partition on the target drive, not just C:. Existing files, applications, and settings will not be retained.

2. Match the USB drive to your computer. Use the model table in section 1. Do not copy BIOS, EC, system images, or drivers for another model onto this drive and run them.

3. Connect the power adapter and maintain a stable power supply. Do not rely solely on the laptop battery during an update or installation. Keep the lid open and ensure adequate cooling.

4. Do not interrupt an update or installation. Do not force a shutdown, disconnect power, or remove the USB drive. Wait if the screen briefly goes black, progress pauses, or the computer restarts automatically.

5. Disconnect unrelated external storage devices before reinstalling Windows. After backing up, disconnect the backup drive and other USB drives; leave only the service USB drive connected. If the computer has multiple internal drives, ask technical support which drive the installer will erase before proceeding.

6. If BitLocker or device encryption is enabled, save the recovery key first. When updating BIOS while retaining Windows, suspend BitLocker protection before the update and resume it after Windows starts normally. For managed devices, contact your administrator.

Microsoft guidance on suspending BitLocker before firmware updates

Useful keys

Note: Esc has different functions on different screens. At power-on, it opens BIOS Setup. During the UEFI Shell countdown, it skips the startup script and may prevent the update from starting automatically.

To install drivers only, open 03_Driver_Installation directly in Windows. You do not need to disable Secure Boot or use F7 to boot from the USB drive.

3 Partitions and files

After connecting the drive, three partitions appear in This PC in Windows. Identify them by their names. The drive letters I:, P:, and U: shown in the screenshot are examples only.

Figure 2  The three USB drive partitions in Windows

Files on partition 01

Contains the BIOS, EC, and EFI folders, the startup.nsh script, and the AutoUpdateInShell_CQ-SOP.docx instructions. To update with this USB drive, boot from Partition 1 to start the automatic procedure.

Files on partition 02

Contains folders such as Boot, EFI, images, logs, and sources, and files such as Autorun, bootmgr, and bootmgr.efi. Booting from Partition 2 automatically erases all partitions and data on the target drive before installing Windows. Do not delete, rename, or move these files.

01 Firmware update files	02 Windows installation files

Figure 3  Files on partition 01 (left) and partition 02 (right)

Partition 03 contains the driver folder for the supported model, including driver subfolders, Cfg.xml, and Setup.exe. See section 7 for installation instructions.

4 Disable Secure Boot

Disable Secure Boot before using this USB drive to update BIOS and EC or reinstall Windows.

1. Immediately after pressing the power button, press Esc repeatedly to enter BIOS Setup before the GEEKOM logo appears.

2. Use the arrow keys to open Security, select Secure Boot, and press Enter.

3. Set Secure Boot to Disabled. Press F4 to save and exit. Confirm saving if prompted; the computer will restart.

Figure 4  Open Security, set Secure Boot to Disabled, and press F4 to save

To confirm that Secure Boot is off, re-enter BIOS Setup and check that it shows Disabled. For the restart message and restoring protection afterward, see “Re-enable Secure Boot” in section 6.

5 Update BIOS and EC firmware

Partition: 01_BIOS_EC    Boot entry: Partition 1

WARNING BEFORE BOOTING: To update BIOS and EC, select Partition 1 only. Accidentally selecting and booting from Partition 2 automatically erases all partitions and data on the target drive.

1. Make sure your data is backed up, the power adapter is connected, and Secure Boot has been configured as described in section 4.

2. Connect the service USB drive for your computer model. Press F7 repeatedly as soon as you power on or restart the computer.

3. In the boot menu, use the arrow keys to select the USB entry containing Partition 1. Verify that the number is 1 before pressing Enter. Identify the entry by its name, not by its position in the menu.

Figure 5  Select Partition 1 for firmware updates; do not select Partition 2, which erases the drive

4. Once UEFI Shell opens, wait for the startup script to run automatically. Do not press Esc to skip the startup.nsh countdown.

Figure 6  UEFI Shell startup screen; wait for startup.nsh to run

5. The program updates EC and BIOS automatically. Keep power and the USB drive connected and wait for completion. Do not interrupt the update with keyboard input.

If the countdown ends at Shell> without any update progress, capture the screen and contact technical support. Reaching the Shell screen alone does not mean the firmware has been updated.

Confirm EC and BIOS update results

EC update result

In this example, EC erase, erase verification, programming, and programming verification all show OK. The program then continues with BIOS. Keep waiting; do not remove the USB drive or disconnect power.

Figure 7  EC stages show Erase OK, Verify OK, and Programming OK

BIOS update complete

The BIOS flashing process is complete when the update and verification stages show Done and these two messages appear at the bottom:

Process completed.
BIOS Flash completed.

Figure 8  BIOS update completion screen

Keep power connected and follow any subsequent program prompts. If the completion screen provides no next step, ask technical support before proceeding; do not disconnect power or force a shutdown. After a normal startup, confirm that Secure Boot is Enabled and resume BitLocker if you suspended it.

6 Reinstall Windows

Partition: 02_Windows_Installation    Boot entry: Partition 2

WARNING: Selecting Partition 2 and pressing Enter to boot automatically erases ALL partitions and data on the target drive before installing Windows. This affects more than C:; existing files, applications, and settings will not be retained. Back up your data and verify that the backup is readable first. Do not rely on another confirmation prompt.

1. Check that the USB drive matches your computer model, power is connected, and Secure Boot is disabled. Disconnect the backup drive and other unrelated external storage devices.

2. Connect the service USB drive and press F7 repeatedly during power-on or restart. Only after confirming that your backup is complete and you intend to erase the drive and reinstall Windows, select the entry containing Partition 2 and press Enter. Do not boot from this entry if your backup is incomplete.

3. The installer automatically erases and partitions the drive and deploys Windows. Wait for the percentage indicator at the bottom to finish. Do not shut down, disconnect power, or remove the USB drive.

4. Deployment is successful when progress reaches 100% and a green screen displays PASS in uppercase. If only 100% is shown, keep waiting for PASS.

Figure 9  Green PASS screen confirms deployment and asks you to remove the USB drive

5. When “OS has been deployed to your HDD, please remove USB disk.” appears, remove the service USB drive as instructed and wait for the computer to restart.

This message confirms that Windows has been deployed to the internal drive and that the USB drive should now be removed.

System image and drivers

The drive contains a system image adapted for the supported model, with the required drivers included. After installing this image, you do not need to run the separate driver installer on 03_Driver_Installation.

Finish Windows setup and re-enable Secure Boot

After restarting, the computer enters Windows initial setup (OOBE). The language selection screen marks the start of setup. Complete the setup and reach the desktop before using the computer normally.

Figure 10  Language selection during Windows initial setup

6. Choose your language and follow the on-screen instructions for region, keyboard, network, account, and other initial settings.

Re-enable Secure Boot

Windows reinstallation only: After installation, restart and immediately press Esc repeatedly. Open Security → Secure Boot, set it to Enabled, and press F4 to save and exit.

BIOS update: The supplied update procedure restores default settings, with Secure Boot enabled by default. Manual adjustment is normally unnecessary. Check it after a normal startup; if it is still Disabled, change it to Enabled and save.

Microsoft guidance on re-enabling Secure Boot afterward

Figure 11  Example of the Security Boot fail message

If this screen appears after restarting, re-enter BIOS Setup and check Secure Boot. The message alone does not prove that Secure Boot is disabled. If the setting is Disabled but the service USB drive still will not boot, contact technical support.

7 Install drivers in Windows

Partition: 03_Driver_Installation. Use this partition only within Windows. Even if Partition 3 appears in the boot menu, do not use it as the entry point for driver installation.

1. Start Windows normally, connect the USB drive, open 03_Driver_Installation in This PC, and open the driver folder for your computer model.

Figure 12  Example driver folder; check the model in its name before installing

2. Find Setup.exe in the driver folder, right-click it, and select Run as administrator. If User Account Control appears, check the program source before allowing it to run.

Figure 13  Run Setup.exe from the driver package

3. Click Install at the top right of the installer window. Ready means a driver is waiting to be installed, not that installation has succeeded.

Figure 14  Driver list and Install button; click Install to begin

4. Wait for the installer to finish and follow any restart instructions. Do not remove the USB drive or force the installer to close during installation.

The installer screen is an example only. Use the driver package for your model. The adapted system image on this service USB drive already includes drivers, so they do not need to be installed again.