Invalid Flash ID

Yesterday I tried the Boot menu program (mentioned on the General board), and it didn't work, instead it gave an error (I think I didn't put something in the right place, I'll try again tonight)

Anyway, due to this error it wouldn't boot anymore and I couldn't get a shell. So I tried to reflash V1 developer, and got an Invalid Flash ID in stage something (sorry, can't remember the exact stage, but it was as soon as the power was plugged in).

This happened every single time, so my empeg was basically toasted... Except that I have a Linux proxy server, and was able to use the Linux upgclient program to fix it...

So there is either
a) Something screwy with my unit's flash id
b) Something screwy with the Windows Upgrader
c) both a) or b)
d) Other

Any ideas?

Jazz
(List 112, Mk2 12 gig #40. Mk1 4 gig #30. Mk3 1.6 16v)

One possibility is that the third-party software was compiled for the wrong player, i.e., a Mark1 rather than a Mark2, or vice-versa. Always make sure it's the right version before sending it to the player.

However, even in that situation, applying a standard ".upgrade" file should still fix the problem (assuming you had the correct Mk1/Mk2 version of the upgrade file). If it doesn't (as you suggested), then I need to add stronger warnings to my kernel-uploading FAQ.

___________
Tony Fabris

Erm, I didn't flash anything into the player when I broke it... I was using a new init script, (which I think needs modifying slightly to work on my mark2).

To fix it I was trying to upload the Car2 version 1 developer image, which should have worked (but didn't with the Win32 upgrader...)

Jazz
(List 112, Mk2 12 gig #40. Mk1 4 gig #30. Mk3 1.6 16v)

There's a timing problem with the Windows upgrader (we can't fix it - it's Windows latency problem), where it doesn't send the Ctrl+A to start the flash upgrade quickly enough before the player gives up waiting.

The upgrader then mistakes another message from the standard boot sequence as a flash ID. It doesn't know how to deal with it, so it fails. The Linux upgrader is a bit quicker off the mark, so it works more reliably.

It's a timing thing. It should resolve itself if you try it again (possibly on a less-loaded computer).



Roger - not necessarily speaking for empeg

That's strange, I've never heard of the upgrader not working like this. And I have my computers pretty loaded down.

Is it something as simple as he needs to set the COM port parameters properly?

___________
Tony Fabris

Greetings!

Can you directly connect with a terminal package, hit CTRL-A and then run the upload program???

Paul G.
Q# 15189
Status: In queue for a green 36GB Mk2

No.

Rob

The upgrader configures the COM port correctly when it's opened, so that wouldn't work.

It's happened a couple of times to me. Problem with my computer, however, is that the graphics card tends to leave the bus locked down for far too long, so nothing gets through.

Seems a lot better under W2K, though. Must have been a driver problem.



Roger - not necessarily speaking for empeg