Bricked F200

[Gunsmoke1084]

I bricked my F200 trying to get it to work. I died mid-firmware upgrade and now when I turn it on all I get is a black screen and the blue LED light. Is anyone out there capable of unbricking an F200 yet? Maybe willing to try? It would be greatly appreciated.

 

[EvilDragon]

I bricked my F200 trying to get it to work. I died mid-firmware upgrade and now when I turn it on all I get is a black screen and the blue LED light. Is anyone out there capable of unbricking an F200 yet? Maybe willing to try? It would be greatly appreciated.

Works fine with a cradle, the JTAG Software and the FW 4.0.0.

 

[Gunsmoke1084]

I bricked my F200 trying to get it to work. It died mid-firmware upgrade and now when I turn it on all I get is a black screen and the blue LED light. Is anyone out there capable of unbricking an F200 yet? Maybe willing to try? It would be greatly appreciated.

Works fine with a cradle, the JTAG Software and the FW 4.0.0.


Yea, after a small panic attack and a lot of thought I have decided to do just that. Now it's just a matter of when the cradle and cable arrive. I bought it with the sole purpose and intent of playing MAME (like a lot of folks from what I read), however despite what seemed to be a simple function does not/had not worked. After getting rechargeable NiMH batteries and still not being able to use MAME I went into apparently bad territory, live and learn.

Speaking of the MAME vs. F200 issue... Is there maybe a problem with the firmware that comes with the latest release of the GP2X? (April/ May 08) The loading screen, before I bricked it, was saying " 4.0.2 " and I haven't seen anyone, any where mention anything other than 4.0.0.

Thanks for the reply.

I bricked my F200 trying to get it to work. It died mid-firmware upgrade and now when I turn it on all I get is a black screen and the blue LED light. Is anyone out there capable of unbricking an F200 yet? Maybe willing to try? It would be greatly appreciated.

Works fine with a cradle, the JTAG Software and the FW 4.0.0.


Yea, after a small panic attack and a lot of thought I have decided to do just that. Now it's just a matter of when the cradle and cable arrive. I bought it with the sole purpose and intent of playing MAME (like a lot of folks from what I read), however despite what seemed to be a simple function does not/had not worked. After getting rechargeable NiMH batteries and still not being able to use MAME I went into apparently bad territory, live and learn.

Speaking of the MAME vs. F200 issue... Is there maybe a problem with the firmware that comes with the latest release of the GP2X? (April/ May 08) The loading screen, before I bricked it, was saying " 4.0.2 " and I haven't seen anyone, any where mention anything other than 4.0.0.

Thanks for the reply.

 

[EvilDragon]

I know the latest beta release has a problem with MAME... so that might also be the case with 4.0.2, haven't checked any gp2xs with that firmware yet.

 

[Gunsmoke1084]

I know the latest beta release has a problem with MAME... so that might also be the case with 4.0.2, haven't checked any gp2xs with that firmware yet.

*sigh* Guess it's safe to say I guinea pigged that one. I'm thinking the fault is either with FW 4.0.2 or with the files coming off of this Windows Vista PC. Windows Vista has this nasty little habit of making EVERYTHING read-only, which doesn't normally cause problems... until you try to do something slightly dated. Like edit QUAKE 1 .cfg files for +mlook and Crosshair "1", afterall autoaim is for newbs, LOL! Windows Vista is about on it's way out the door for a reinstall of Win XP anyhow, tired of my DOS cracks not working anymore on my old games.

I got over anxious and didn't attempt to use the Win XP machine, I'll guinea pig that once I get this thing running again. Although I suppose I won't have 4.0.2 anymore, not that it did me a lot of good anyhow.

gp32_console <_<

 

[Kiname]

Frist of all apologies about my bad english, i write from Spain, and i think that the same happen, firmware 4.0.2 MAME don´t work and i try downgrade to 4.0.0 with brick result, black screen, i have cardle and i try recover with GP2XRECOVERY but without result, reflash was OK but the GP2X don't start, still black screen.

Someone has idea that i can try?

Thx.

 

[EvilDragon]

Frist of all apologies about my bad english, i write from Spain, and i think that the same happen, firmware 4.0.2 MAME don´t work and i try downgrade to 4.0.0 with brick result, black screen, i have cardle and i try recover with GP2XRECOVERY but without result, reflash was OK but the GP2X don't start, still black screen.

Someone has idea that i can try?

Thx.

Well, gp2xrecovery didn't work, I guess - since you can even recover a gp2x which has absolutely nothing on the NAND with it (I flashed quite a few gp2x F200 already).

Okay, make sure you:

a) Have an empty SD Card supported by the old F100 bootloader (i.e. no SDHC, etc.). I use an old 512MB SanDisk for this purpose.
B) Have extracted the full F200 4.0.0 firmware on this.
c) Then switch on the gp2x, start gp2xrecovery. Either wait until the serial output says it's finished or (if you don't have serial output) wait for about a minute after gp2xrecovery has finished uploading.
d) Remove the gp2x from the cradle, press and hold HOME and SELECT and switch it on until "Upgrading Firmware" appears

 

[Gunsmoke1084]

Frist of all apologies about my bad english, i write from Spain, and i think that the same happen, firmware 4.0.2 MAME don´t work and i try downgrade to 4.0.0 with brick result, black screen, i have cardle and i try recover with GP2XRECOVERY but without result, reflash was OK but the GP2X don't start, still black screen.

Someone has idea that i can try?

Thx.

Well, gp2xrecovery didn't work, I guess - since you can even recover a gp2x which has absolutely nothing on the NAND with it (I flashed quite a few gp2x F200 already).

Okay, make sure you:

a) Have an empty SD Card supported by the old F100 bootloader (i.e. no SDHC, etc.). I use an old 512MB SanDisk for this purpose.
B) Have extracted the full F200 4.0.0 firmware on this.
c) Then switch on the gp2x, start gp2xrecovery. Either wait until the serial output says it's finished or (if you don't have serial output) wait for about a minute after gp2xrecovery has finished uploading.
d) Remove the gp2x from the cradle, press and hold HOME and SELECT and switch it on until "Upgrading Firmware" appears



Well, bad news to report it seems. I received my parallel cable and attempted to recover my GP2X. I am having similar results as Kiname did. It appears to flash successfully, but when I get to the step of holding SELECT + HOME and turning it back on, it does nothing... black screen, blue light. *shrug*

I was worried about the problem being the SD Card, but I dont think its even making it that far. I have yet to see any screen other than black. I have done the process a few times, allowing various time increments from 20 seconds to 2 minutes between steps. Here is the DOS screen...

 

[Gunsmoke1084]

Well, I tried a vanilla sandisk 512MB card. Chalk that up as yet another $10 down the drain. Same DOS screen, same result... nothing but a black screen and a blue light.

 

[Kiname]

Could be some diferent hardware in our units FW 4.0.2? diferent u-boot? , is posible read u-boot from jtag for a working unit FW4.0.2 ? or we have a beatifull brick? snifff ..

My screen for GP2Xrecovery is the same than Gunsmoke, it's the same for the res of the people?

 

[rokdcasbah]

all i can add is that, yes, you're not yet at the point where the sd card would make a difference.
edit: whoops...i guess you are. it looks like gp2xrecovery is exiting successfully. but TBH i've never run into the SD card incompatibility issues others have..i've flashed my f100 with quite a few different ones.

also, from what i have read, the jtag flash is not a "perfect" fix, sometimes you have to do it a few times before it takes.

that said, it's not a good idea to do it a whole lot of times as you can wear out the nand. i suppose upwards of 20 would be pushing it, but i dunno

anyway, i wish you luck. depending on where you got it, you might be able to swap it for a replacement. the fact that gph is shipping buggy cradles now...well there's a point where it's frustrating but then there's a point where it just gets so absurd that you have to laugh, and wonder if maybe the universe isn't actually out to get you...

 

[yodaofborg]

20 times? Wow, my GP2X really should be a brick by now It is not true that re-flashing via JTAG wears out the NAND. What actually happens is *yet another feature* that GPH still have not yet fixed, the NAND gets all messed up due to blocks being marked as bad, that are in-fact fine.

This actually happens while flashing via SD, or just by formatting/copying stuff to the NAND. And yet again, JTAG can fix this, its just beyond the scope of this document.

Sounds to me like the above problem is either caused by a change in hardware, or bad hardware.

 

[Gunsmoke1084]

Yea, I had to fix my cradle when it arrived. Oddly enough after spending upwards of $400+ now for something that stares at me omniously with it's cycloptic blue eye of doom, I dont find any of this remotely amusing.

I dont know what F200( B ) entails as far as functionality goes, but I can tell you out of the box, it isnt emulation and as for flashing to FW 4.0.0 (which does work for emulators) it didnt do that so well either. I have seen at least 2 others with the same problem, and have yet to find a fix other than returning it for repairs or exchange. I would return it for an F100 at this point, at least that would run the damn Emulators and give me my moneys worth.

I bought mine from GP2Xstore.com. I have contacted them with intent of repair or exchange. I have yet to receive a reply due to the 36 hour turn-around on their customer service. Fortunately I guess they anticpate the world of idiots (like me) and have a 12 month warranty on parts and labor. Of course I pay shipping to return it, but hell, whats another $15-20, right? *shrug* Yea, Im slightly unhappy with whatever the NEW upgrades were to this system that renders it a useless brick without hope of recovery. In the MMO world (World of Warcraft, City of Heroes, etc.) we would affectionately call this F200( B ) a Stealth-Nerf. But thats just me, I spent the extra $110 and tried fixing it, Im at wits end and very unhappy with it so please pardon me if this is very rant-like.

 

[Gunsmoke1084]

Yea, I had to fix my cradle when it arrived. Oddly enough after spending upwards of $400+ now for something that stares at me omniously with it's cycloptic blue eye of doom, I dont find any of this remotely amusing.

I dont know what F200( B ) entails as far as functionality goes, but I can tell you out of the box, it isnt emulation and as for flashing to FW 4.0.0 (which does work for emulators) it didnt do that so well either. I have seen at least 2 others with the same problem, and have yet to find a fix other than returning it for repairs or exchange. I would return it for an F100 at this point, at least that would run the damn Emulators and give me my moneys worth.

I bought mine from GP2Xstore.com. I have contacted them with intent of repair or exchange. I have yet to receive a reply due to the 36 hour turn-around on their customer service. Fortunately I guess they anticpate the world of idiots (like me) and have a 12 month warranty on parts and labor. Of course I pay shipping to return it, but hell, whats another $15-20, right? *shrug* Yea, Im slightly unhappy with whatever the NEW upgrades were to this system that renders it a useless brick without hope of recovery. In the MMO world (World of Warcraft, City of Heroes, etc.) we would affectionately call this F200( B ) a Stealth-Nerf. But thats just me, I spent the extra $110 and tried fixing it, Im at wits end and very unhappy with it so please pardon me if this is very rant-like.

This topic is being addressed in a new thread...
http://www.gp32x.de/board/index.php?showt...mp;#entry610680

 

[AMFGrunt]

Wah! quit yer whining! Your a rat fink snitch that never figgered that what comes around goes around. What the hell is a pgx2 anyway?

 

[retroredge]

Hi Gunsmoke

Did you ever get your GP2X to work again? I've bricked my F200(B) and wondered if it worth getting a cradle off eBay?

Thanks

 

[retroredge]

* Bump *

 

[retroredge]

OK so it's working now. Had to get a cradle and use GP2XRecovrey.exe and then flash it with 4.0.0 -> 4.1.0 -> 4.1.1.

Note that although mine is an F200(B) it needed 4.0.0 not the 4.0.2 version.