Firmware downgrading and package firmware on the IM series

[zed255]

The recent issues related to the IM series with fax option are requiring us to temporarily downgrade firmware. Some have reported that the package, the primary delivery method on the latest machines, won't downgrade and the required System/Copy module is not posted seperately on the TSRC. There is however a way around this:

Download the package and perform the initial unzipping, rfgxxxxxx.zip > Package (folder)
Open the Package folder and use an archive tool like 7zip to decompress xxxxxxxxx.pkg > firm.tgz (a 'tarball' of the firmware)
Open firm.tgz using an archive tool like 7zip and decompress it to reveal all individual firmware files, firm.tgz > xxxxxxx.fwu (multiple files)
Copy the required firmware modules into the normal folder structure for module firmare romdata >model code > firmware files

This will contain all traditional modules as well as the SOP OS and Apps. Hope this helps anyone struggling with package firmware.

[Klydon]

Good info, but I would be really cautious doing this and not do it unless absolutely necessary.

One of the reasons they have come out with package firmware only for these is each firmware package is designed to not have conflicts between the various pieces of firmware it contains. By cutting and pasting different pieces in there, you are defeating that objective. More often than not it should not hurt, but I am also sure the engineers are not being nearly as cautious about compatibility from one version to the next with the various pieces as long as the overall update is good as a package.

[Oze]

Downgrading the package alone has fixed the issue for us.

[zed255]

I fully appreciate the potential for issues if meddling with the contents of a package. That wasn't really my point. We hadn't really looked closely at the packages until recently and discovered it is just archives within archives. All files within work as if you downloaded individual modules.

The official response from Ricoh concerning this significant bug is to downgrade to a specific package, which installs a specific System / Copy firmware level as a temporary solution. We have found units that will not downgrade via the package, I suspect others will too. Since the required System / Copy version is not posted as a stand alone module it was found that the package could be extracted to expose the individual modules. With this, we have been able to perform the downgrades where necessary. I thought this might be helpful. For full compatibility, like you caution, one should install all modules extracted as mentioned earlier as a set.

It is also possible to turn off tracking which circumvents the worst part of the firmware bug without really fixing anything.

[slimslob]

Often times Ricoh will release a "New" Package that although one or more of the modules is older than what is on the machine, those modules will be reflashed.

[Oze]

Ricoh originally supplied us a version of the package that was split into individual parts....it failed.
Downgraded using the Package Ver.2.20.04 and it fixed it.

[semi]

Why not use this??
Go to the download site on My-Ricoh and to the firmware for your device, next where the package firmware "destination" is click GEN_(ALL), then click "Modification History" and scroll to the bottom of the next window, there you can download any available older packages.

[illude2]

What issues are you guys experiencing? We just setup an IM C3500 yesterday with a fax option. We used the current package 2.23. Should we be worried?

Thanks

[slimslob]

What issues are you guys experiencing? We just setup an IM C3500 yesterday with a fax option. We used the current package 2.23. Should we be worried?

Thanks

Might be the issue discussed in this thread:
IMC 2500 Fax - Problem

[Oze]

What issues are you guys experiencing? We just setup an IM C3500 yesterday with a fax option. We used the current package 2.23. Should we be worried?

Thanks

The issue tends to occur if the machine also has embedded software...like Equitrac for example.
We tested all our affected machines at run up and prior to loading PCC and they all faxed just fine.
Once PCC was installed onsite you could no longer use the fax without copping a functional restart.