How to Flash the BIOS on Elo X-Series Rev. A AiO Computers (H81 Motherboard)

Audience: Public / Elo Customers, Field Service Technicians & Integrators

Article Type: Firmware Flash & BIOS Maintenance Procedure

This procedure provides detailed, step-by-step instructions for creating a bootable FreeDOS flash drive and flashing the system BIOS on Elo X-Series Rev. A All-in-One (AiO) TouchComputers equipped with the Intel H81 motherboard chipset.

Phase 1: Create a Bootable FreeDOS USB Drive (Rufus)

1. Insert a USB flash drive (minimum 512 MB) into your Windows PC.
2. Download and launch the Rufus USB Formatting Tool.

3. Configure the following Rufus parameters:

   • Boot selection: FreeDOS
   • Partition scheme: MBR
   • Target system: BIOS (or UEFI-CSM)
   • File system: FAT / FAT32 (Default)
   • Format Options: Check Quick format and Create extended label and icon files

   

4. Click START and confirm the prompt by clicking OK.

   

5. When formatting completes and the status bar displays READY, click Close.

   

6. Open the root of the formatted USB drive in Windows Explorer to verify system file creation:

   

7. Download & Extract BIOS Files: Download the correct BIOS firmware archive for your model from the Elo Firmware Updates Portal (e.g., SA20V130H81.zip for 15X3 Rev. A models). Extract all contents directly into the root directory of the bootable USB drive. 

   

Phase 2: Configure System BIOS & Enable ME FW Re-Flash

1. Insert the prepared USB flash drive and connect a physical USB keyboard to the Elo X-Series unit.

2. Power on the computer and immediately press Ctrl + F2 during the boot splash screen to enter Admin BIOS. When prompted for password, enter: eloelo

   

3. Navigate to the Advanced tab and select PCH-FW Configuration.

   

4. Select Firmware Update Configuration and set Me FW Image Re-Flash to Enabled.

   

5. Navigate to the BOOT tab and set the USB Flash Drive as the 1st Boot Device.

   

6. Navigate to the Save & Exit tab and select Save Changes and Exit.

   

Phase 3: Execute BIOS Flash in FreeDOS

1. The system will reboot directly into the FreeDOS command shell:

   

2. At the C:\> prompt, type dir and hit Enter to verify the flash batch script is present:

   

3. Execute the flash batch file by typing FLASHH81.BAT (or the specific .BAT script included in your package) and press Enter:

   

4. The flashing utility will erase, program, and verify the BIOS and Intel ME regions. Allow the update to finish without interruption (typically 2–3 minutes):

   

5. When complete, the terminal will display: WARNING: System must power-off to have the changes take effect!

   

6. Power Cycle: Press and hold the power button to shut down the unit. Remove the USB flash drive. Disconnect the main AC power cord for 20 seconds to fully clear hardware standby power, then reconnect power and boot the system.

7. Verify Version: Enter BIOS (press Ctrl + F2) and check the Main page to confirm the updated Project Version number: