Ricoh Firmware Update Discussion

[luca72]

Hi there,

I'm wondering how you guys proceed in general when it comes to updating the firmware of a ricoh machine that is out in the field.
The reason I came up with this thread is because I always ask myself if there might be a better approach as I do it, because right now it's really time consuming.

- Question 1: Do you always update the firmware or just when there's a problem that can be fixed or a new function that will be added (e.g. smb)?

- Question 2: How do you prepare the files beforehand? Right now I download all the zip files from ricoh, name them accordingly, unzip and go through them and check if there's a newer firmware available. Then I check the text file that comes with it to see if there's a dependency noted, so that I do not oversee to update another firmware which is needed if I update it. Then I put it on the sd card in the romdata folder, name the folder e.g. Dxxx. With the newer machines there's a package, but I still check because a) I've heard sometimes there are older versions integrated, b) it does not contain all of the firmware as far as I know and c) because I still want to check each firmware if there's any dependency.

- Question 3: In what order do you update the firmware? Ricoh told me to do the system, then Networksupport and then Engine first and then all the other ones, each seperatly. Recently I've spend hours doing this on a 3003 machine because of the restart times of that machine and this doesn't even include the time preparing the files.

Thanks and happy updating!

Best regards,
Trommel

here there are different schools of thought.
I first look in the technical bulletins on the portal ricoh italia, if there are particular things, suggestions or contraindications (it can happen that a fw module of a version does not agree with another version of another module)
I also happened to have to disconnect the fax card because the boot didn't start from the SD card.
after I start with the system, then engine, and then everything else, ATTENTION, I would suggest you not to touch anything during the procedure, ex. open the rdf or various door ...
did this reboot and i do sp801 all except engine, and format the hd ..(this for new mf o rigenerated first of client installation) make a address book backup
the slowness at startup, which you say is most likely due to the java environment that needs to be loaded, you can turn it off from sp 5730> 0, you'll see a difference compared to before as a turbo car

[anothertech]

We have set up a lot of our copiers for this. Took a while to figure out all the subtle nuances (certain SP's/ customer network crap), and still on some machines it never seems to update, but for those copiers that are 50 - 80 miles away it's a nice feature when it works.

On the machines that don't seem to update with ARMS, update them with the SD card method the next time you are there, then going forward use ARMS to keep them up to date. It seems like the system and/or engine needs to be up to a certain level before it works well.

ARMS has been a great tool, not only for firmware, but to look at the recent jam and error codes, as well as the consumable parts status. I check those before I go on the call and load up with the parts I may need. It really helps with the first call completion rate.

One more thing that makes firmware updating fast and efficient is a fast laptop computer. Trying to build the update files on a slow computer is frustrating, so techs don't do it. A fast laptop with a solid state drive makes all the difference.

[Trommel]

Hi there,

picking this up again...

Had to update an 4055ASP and did the firmware update through the service menu. This updates the package firmware. It took a while but eventually finished.

Back at the office I made myself an table to verify, with the column "Firmware in Technical Website", "Firmware in Package" and "Firmware on Device after Package Install".

Now I'm even more confused. Sometimes the firmware from the website is newer, sometimes the package is newer (e.g. System/Copy is 1.20 in Web, and 1.22 in Package).

Some modules are not updated in the package at all (ok I knew that beforehand that stuff like SPDF isn't included...), I can't even find all of them in the SMC list to know which firmware I have. There's stuff in the package I can't find on the technical site...

...and then I still remember I actually have to check the update notes in each firmware that tell me which dependencies there are... ?

Who could afford spending a whole work day just to sort out firmware updates?? Why does this have to be so complicated or am I just making it complicated?

Thanks.

Best regards,

Trommel

[Mark Bbb]

Hi there,

picking this up again...

Had to update an 4055ASP and did the firmware update through the service menu. This updates the package firmware. It took a while but eventually finished.

Thanks.

Best regards,

Trommel

I just do an update without thinking. Thinking only starts when a problem occurs

[Gift]

One of my techs does a check for new firmware every week and download new files to our local file server. All tech notebooks are getting syncronized with that data once the guys comes around.

If the MFPs are new on the market we usually take care to keep them up to date at every service visit but later we doesn't bother every minor "0.1 version steps" if no specific/important issues are expected to be solved. If the version gap grows larger we are performing updates.

[Mark Bbb]

I will always update firmware on service contracts, and only sometimes on no-contracts when the problem is complex.
I'm not going to studie what has been updated, why and when,...
I think that must be the worries of the engineers. That's where we pay them for...

[mikadonovan]

I just do an update without thinking. Thinking only starts when a problem occurs

Lol. I'm just the opposite. I think before I work on a machine because problems start when not thinking occurs.

[slimslob]

Hi there,

picking this up again...

Had to update an 4055ASP and did the firmware update through the service menu. This updates the package firmware. It took a while but eventually finished.

Back at the office I made myself an table to verify, with the column "Firmware in Technical Website", "Firmware in Package" and "Firmware on Device after Package Install".

Now I'm even more confused. Sometimes the firmware from the website is newer, sometimes the package is newer (e.g. System/Copy is 1.20 in Web, and 1.22 in Package).

Some modules are not updated in the package at all (ok I knew that beforehand that stuff like SPDF isn't included...), I can't even find all of them in the SMC list to know which firmware I have. There's stuff in the package I can't find on the technical site...

...and then I still remember I actually have to check the update notes in each firmware that tell me which dependencies there are... ?

Who could afford spending a whole work day just to sort out firmware updates?? Why does this have to be so complicated or am I just making it complicated?

Thanks.

Best regards,

Trommel

New package firmware is not created every time a firmware module is updated. Here in the US the Package download zip file also contains a text document, Package All readme.txt, that lists all the modules and their versions in the package. That can be compared against the listed individual modules on the download site and this modules that are newer can be download and updated separate from the Package.

One other thing to remember, SD cards do go bad and formatting them can actually make them worse. The ability to retain the data stored more than a couple of hours is what goes bad. If you are going to reuse a card that is more than about 6 months old I prepare it right before I use it. T hat the data is still fresh.

[slimslob]

I will always update firmware on service contracts, and only sometimes on no-contracts when the problem is complex.
I'm not going to studie what has been updated, why and when,...
I think that must be the worries of the engineers. That's where we pay them for...

Many times problems are not because of out of date firmware. Many times they are because of corrupted firmware which unless, the corrupted module is also out of date, Package will not replace. That is why I normally re-flashed using individual modules and selected everything.

[Trommel]

...so I guess I'm putting too much thought in it... ? Meh! I just wish it would be easier, I don't see why it has to be this complicated. I mean shouldn't it be in the interest of ricoh to get the new software too all machines asap!?

New package firmware is not created every time a firmware module is updated.

That makes sense, but I've noticed the opposite as well... as said the package firmware was actually newer than what it offered on the support site.

Here in the US the Package download zip file also contains a text document, Package All readme.txt, that lists all the modules and their versions in the package. That can be compared against the listed individual modules on the download site and this modules that are newer can be download and updated separate from the Package.

After unzipping I had an PKG File, but I could unzip this one as well and had a compo.txt. That helped me a bit already these days.

One other thing to remember, SD cards do go bad and formatting them can actually make them worse. The ability to retain the data stored more than a couple of hours is what goes bad. If you are going to reuse a card that is more than about 6 months old I prepare it right before I use it. T hat the data is still fresh.

I haven't had such huge issues with SD cards so far (to be fair I'm not using them as much in my work apart from copiers) but I do prepare them before with the SD-formatter anyway.