WTF! It can't be this hard to install Firmware

[copyman]

I have never liked firmware and firmware has never liked me! Does anyone else have issues when installing firmware. Sometimes it works but most of the time it doesn't. I have tried different brands & size flash drives and followed instructions in service manual.

I have to be doing something wrong, here is the procedure I tried to update a C224.

I downloaded the latest F/W, extract to folder my desktop, I click on that folder and there are 3 things inside, another folder labeled with same F/W version but (00) at the end, a folder labeled "cw" and something labeled "mktar_Zeus.bat"
I click on the folder with (00) at end and there is a lot of bin files etc, I go to view and select all, then copy all those files on flash drive. I don't copy the other 2 things to flash drive.

Yes I'm using service port behind metal plate on copier. I have tried 1gb,2gb, 8gb, 32gb, all different brands and formatted FAT32. Also tried a different PC with same procedure.

It can't be this hard to do.

Really appreciate if someone can explain in detail exact procedure to download & update F/W using flash drive.

Thanks in advance

[Synthohol]

Re: WTF! It can't be this hard to install Firmware

what machine? nevermind.
yes c224 you do what you just said. all the files in the 00 folder go on the root of the drive.
make sure the drives are formatted fat32.

[blackcat4866]

Re: WTF! It can't be this hard to install Firmware

It sounds exactly like what I do. At what point is it failing? =^..^=

[Woxner]

Re: WTF! It can't be this hard to install Firmware

make sure nothing else is on the drive

[copyman]

Re: WTF! It can't be this hard to install Firmware

Thanks for the replies.

all flash drives formatted FAT 32 right before writing firmware to it. I thought maybe it was because I was using Win XP on my shop PC. But also tried Win 7 on my office PC.

After inserting flash drive into usb port behind metal plate and powering on a few different things have happend, display stays blank for a long time then basic screen appears and message something like media was detected, same message if you insert USB into a regular USB port. Another time with different flash drive pillars come up on screen and dot appears in upper right corner of display and just freezes.

By the way, nothing wrong with this C224. Just have a few in the shop and wanted to get this firmware problem taken care of once and for all!

Thanks again

[copyman]

Re: WTF! It can't be this hard to install Firmware

Thanks for the replies.

all flash drives formatted FAT 32 right before writing firmware to it. I thought maybe it was because I was using Win XP on my shop PC. But also tried Win 7 on my office PC.

After inserting flash drive into usb port behind metal plate and powering on a few different things have happend, display stays blank for a long time then basic screen appears and message something like media was detected, same message if you insert USB into a regular USB port. Another time with different flash drive pillars come up on screen and dot appears in upper right corner of display.

By the way, nothing wrong with this C224. Just have a few in the shop and wanted to get this firmware problem taken care of once and for all!

Thanks again

[blackcat4866]

Re: WTF! It can't be this hard to install Firmware

So it's not able to identify the firmware files on the drive.

I had something similar to this happen on a C368 with the intermittent CD011 errors. The previous tech had attempted to load firmware several times with no success. I was attempting to load the recovery firmware. It would get to two pillars and the black dot, then just sit there ... perhaps forever. I didn't have that much patience left after 15 minutes.

The bulletin for the Recovery Firmware suggests a few things:
1) Reforming HDD ground leaf spring
2) Reseat MFPB connectors.
3) Replace HDD.
4) Replace MFPB.

I did the first two. I bent the leaf spring for better contact. If I had been better prepared I would have added a HDD ground wire. I also re-seated the MFPB connectors.

Then the machine booted to the firmware screen and loaded the recovery firmware without a hitch.

So maybe you'd try improving the HDD ground, and re-seating the MFPB connectors. If that didn't work, then the HDD. =-^..^=

[cordless12]

Re: WTF! It can't be this hard to install Firmware

I had this problem on the C224 and it was the SSD board.
MThe manager had to order this from Konica parts as it does not have a specific part number.
Once once this is replaced you can reload the firmware...

So it's not able to identify the firmware files on the drive.

I had something similar to this happen on a C368 with the intermittent CD011 errors. The previous tech had attempted to load firmware several times with no success. I was attempting to load the recovery firmware. It would get to two pillars and the black dot, then just sit there ... perhaps forever. I didn't have that much patience left after 15 minutes.

The bulletin for the Recovery Firmware suggests a few things:
1) Reforming HDD ground leaf spring
2) Reseat MFPB connectors.
3) Replace HDD.
4) Replace MFPB.

I did the first two. I bent the leaf spring for better contact. If I had been better prepared I would have added a HDD ground wire. I also re-seated the MFPB connectors.

Then the machine booted to the firmware screen and loaded the recovery firmware without a hitch.

So maybe you'd try improving the HDD ground, and re-seating the MFPB connectors. If that didn't work, then the HDD. =-^..^=

[copyman]

Re: WTF! It can't be this hard to install Firmware

I have another C224 in the shop I'll try that. Both machines couldn't have an issue accepting firmware.

For the heck of it I updated the F/W on a C220 in my shop. No issues, used the same brand new 2gb flash drive. Formatted and put the one ".tar" file on it and everything went fine. Just seems like the "4" series I'm having trouble with. It has to be something with what I'm copying to the flash. Is the yellow folder labeled "msc" inside the C224 base firmware suppose to be copied onto flash?

[Woxner]

Re: WTF! It can't be this hard to install Firmware

when you open the folder that ends in (00) copy all files including the msc. no need to open the msc file. the file outside the (00) folder are not used. just make sure the usb is blank could take several minutes to come up. turn off main sw insert usb turn on main sw. leave panel sw alone. it ends up being about 436 files

[mx6turbo89]

Re: WTF! It can't be this hard to install Firmware

Is the yellow folder labeled "msc" inside the C224 base firmware suppose to be copied onto flash?

Yes, the 'msc' folder should be on the root of the flash drive, along with all the other individual files from within the 'A1610Y0-F000-G00-72(00)' folder.

[copyman]

Re: WTF! It can't be this hard to install Firmware

That is what I did, I included that msc folder. I copied & pasted everything in (00), tried "send to", "move files", etc.. All the ways I tried writing to flash were successful and the same files were on the flash drive when I checked.

Firmware and I go way back. Without sounding too stupid I always struggled with Kon/Min firmware for some reason. It all started with the C250, C253 and those damn compact flash cards. Got better with C220 now having trouble again. Mostly every machine I get from wholesaler needs the movie data put back in. Never had a problem with installing movie data.

Thanks again

[Synthohol]

Re: WTF! It can't be this hard to install Firmware

what brand stick are you using? the ones with the stupid hidden software are garbage, they try to push the autorun crap before the actual boot firmware.

[wseyller]

Re: WTF! It can't be this hard to install Firmware

Yeah it is more forgiving with the C220 and 223 series using the tar files. The 4 and 4e series are a bit more unforgiving. Some usb drive work better than others.

I have had some drives that would work perfectly for the 4 and 4e series but then it wouldn't after I used it for something else possibly. In those case I remember that I tried to reformat it with the quick format but that didn't help. In those cases I had to do a full format with fat32 to eventually make it work. But then with some usb sticks even that didn't work. Eventually you go through enough sticks that you just find some (and I have many sticks) that just work no matter what and you just always trust them for certain situations.

other than that, it sounds like you are doing everything correct.

Another option if you were desperate is to load the firmware via FTP. That is what the mktar_Zeus.bat file is for. You just drag the folder for example "A2X00Y0-F000-G00-72(00)" onto that .bat file and it will create a tar file. Of course you can't use that tar file on the usb stick like the C220 & 223 series but it can be used to load the firmware via FTP using ISW.

[copyman]

Re: WTF! It can't be this hard to install Firmware

I agree it has to be the Flash drives are the problem. The few I tried today were the cheap ones. I tried a full format on them and that didn't help. Think you are right about the crap loaded on the cheap flash drives. I guess formatting doesn't remove it?

What brand flash drives have you had success with? Now that I think of it the reason I got the cheap ones is I couldn't find 1 or 2gb brand name. The service manual says to use 2gb or less, how critical is the size?

Thanks