Gp2x F100 Stuck On Load Up Screan

[badtoyz]

I just got my gp2x f100 with firmware 2.1.0 and tryed to flash it to 4.1.0 and it gets stuck on the loading screen.
any advice ?

 

[MrHillBilly]

It sounds like you did not fully brick yours. I would try to reflash to FW 2.0 again. If you can not get it to upgrade back to 2.0 you will need to get a cradel or jtag board. If you have a cradel send me a PM and I will set you up with the software you need. If you are in the USA and can not get it going send me a PM I was able to unbrick mine and I would be willing to give it a shot on yours.

 

[___]

biggest problem of the scene in my eyes. everyone jumps at the new firmware release but noone reads the board, thus they are totally baffled that their unit is bricked. This is not the fault of the people though, normally you'd expect a firmware release to be well tested, safe and most likely an improvement over the former version. Not with gph firmware though... damn you gph!!!

 

[badtoyz]

Yes it is quite frustrating that the firmware is not well tested, any other of my handhelds i just
update the firmware right away with out thinking about it.

How would i go about reflashing with out it booting up all the way

 

[computarman]

It's no big deal as long as you are still getting the boot screen. firmware 4.0.0 can take several minutes on the patching screen. Just be patient and if it does'nt patch successfully it's usually not bricked. You can always keep trying as long as you got the boot screen. If 4.0.0 fails then you can keep trying it by restarting while holding start and select or you can go back to 2.0.0 which is a full flash. Just make sure you don't try to go from say 2.1.2 strait to 4.1.0 because 4.1.0 needs 4.0.0 first or it can easily brick your system or maybe is it more like surely it will brick your system. I think firmware like 4.1.0 either should not be able to brick your system or there should at least be a reminder that you should not proceed with 4.1.0 unless 4.0.0 is present. Ideally the firmware needs to be designed more intelligently on the 2X so that regardless of the flashing order the sytem will not be bricked.

 

[computarman]

Wait you did try to go strait to 4.1.0. from 2.1 something. I hope you never bricked it but I bricked my system this way and I had to buy the cradle to unbrick it. I wonder if this is Gamepark way of selling more cradles by putting out firmware that can brick if you don't follow the correct order. Anyway I love the cradle device it's very cool playing on a tv with a usb joystick and I never have to worry about bricking again not that I would ever do it on purpose because it is a lot of work at least it was for me. I would start an unbricking service but what would I do if I was unable to unbrick someone's system.

 

[EvilDragon]

You can NEVER go directly from a minor firmware version to a new firmware version higher than x.0.0.

If you download from the archive, it's clearly written there in the description of the firmware.

The solution: Flash a new x.0.0 version onto the gp2x and from there, update to the new x.x.x version.

 

[computarman]

So for instance if you have 2.1.2 which is just a few minor updates above 2.0.0 you shouldn't go to 3.0.0, but first go back to 2.0.0 and then go to 3.0.0 or if you like go to 4.0.0? IC so the minor updates are updates to a major firware and thus you can't use the wrong updates for a different major update is that correct?

 

[EvilDragon]

No, if you have 2.1.2 and want to go to 4.1.0, e.g., you first need to go to 4.0.0, as 2.1.2 is not a 4.x.x firmware.

 

[computarman]

Oh OK I get what you mean. Sorry It's early morning and my brain is partially asleep. I agree that the gp32 archive itself does a good job of documenting the different firmwares. There was certainly a warning regarding the requirement for having 4.0.0 before using 4.1.0 on the archive and also Gamepark's site and the forums here as well. I- like badtoyz did'nt read the instructions. I'm with xnopasaranx in that I think regardless of which firmware you choose that it should be ok. Brickings seem to be pretty common on the GP2X and if it is happening a lot then at some point the system needs to be improved IMHO. One little mistake and you get the nice vertical lines. Would it help if every flash was a full flash?

 

[badtoyz]

Thanks for the advice i will try reflashing back to 2.0.0 and i now understand how the gp2x firmware works.
After looking at the cradles i may pick one up

 

[Alex.]

Yes, flash to 2.0.0 and then patch it to 2.1.2. The boot time is the fastest in the 2.x.x firmwares, and the 2.1.x patches increase the SD reading/writing speed. Good luck sorting this out!

 

[EvilDragon]

Would it help if every flash was a full flash?

A full flash includes a new bootloader which may brick your gp2x so that you can only recover it with JTAG.
Also, thanks to GPHs crappy code, each full flash writes error on the NAND (where there are none) which means: with each full flash there's less space on the NAND and then the new firmware won't fit anymore.
Luckily, there's a tool from Orkie on the archive which resolves those errors so you can flash again.

 

[badtoyz]

Thank you all for the help i got my gp2x back up and running with a reflash of 2.0.0