Help Me, Bricked Unit!

[reallynotnick]

EDITED: dang I bricked my unit and need some help. When ever it boots up I just get a bunch of vertical lines of different colors.

I tried to update the fireware and something must of gone wrong I need some help REALLY bad, I am freaking out over here. What do I do?

 

[Minkoff]

I think someone mentioned similar symptoms that were battery-related. Are you using good, charged NiHMs?

 

[reallynotnick]

I will recharge them, but I don't think it is the batteries. They are pretty fresh (crosses fingers)

(takes me only 15 minutes to recharge them)

EDIT: nope not the batteries

 

[Empyre]

http://www.distant-earth.com/gp2x/

Might offer you some help

Thank DJWillis for the info

 

[reallynotnick]

Here is my problem, I don't have a serial cable (nor could I use one with my mac), so is it possible to do that without the serial cable?

EDIT: well it seems possible, but really dump to do it without a serial cable, plus I am afraid of breaking it further.

 

[Empyre]

As the guide says...

A serial adaptor for the GP2X is very desirable so you can monitor progress of the reflash – I would almost say essential unless you are particularly frivolous.

Note: If you have one, plug it in now and connect to your GP2X via whatever serial port you have it connected to. I use 115200, 8, n, 1, XON XOFF to connect. You will see output to your serial console as soon as your turn the unit on. If you have no serial port on your PC (should say OR MAC here really) anymore get a cheap USB<>Serial adaptor and use that with the serial lead.

That answers both your questions and is almost at the top of the guide. Turn your headless chicken mode off for a sec and take the time to read it.

You can do it without a serial cable (if you like to live life on the edge) and you can get a serial -> usb adaptor for your mac

Edit: you edited while i was replying lol

 

[reallynotnick]

Ok, *calms down*. Lets say I get this cable, how do I view what is hapening? I don't understand that part. I can't just plug it in and have it magically view all this crazy info. (God, I am such a newb).

 

[Gieese]

Hello,

During my try yesterday on Firmware Update, I'd had this problem too.
In most cases, what I've seen were:
a: After power on, the screen white outs, then verticle color bars appear -> hang.
b: After power on, normal boot message appear, but blurs -> hang.
c: After power on, green boot message appear, but blurs -> hang.
d: After power on, screen blurs -> hang.

In most cases the normal menu didn't come up after waiting 5min so I just turned GP2X off. But, it seems as if you on->off frequently without time in between this happened more often.

If you wait 5min or so inbetween hang->power on, it might go on.
But, since it was in the middle of the firmware update, probably the firmware you've flashed last was the problem.

What I'd did was after getting the above, bought a new 128MB SD Card,
flashed the firmware, gp2xkernel.img, booted up -> firm update -> power off
flashed the 2nd, gp2xboot.img -> firm update -> power off
to be sure, just powered on, and things came as normal. -> power off.
flashed the rest from Utility -> power off.
Power on -> normal.

From what I had experience, probably the problem would be the imcompatible SD used firmware update problem. (If the battery isn't the case).

It sure looks bricked, but no, with good battery and good SD card, it will boot up using the Firmwares.

Try getting a F/W upgrade workable SD Card. (Bought a 128MB IOData)

Hope this helps....

 

[rautiocination]

colored lines? I'm totally betting on dead batteries, don't do anything too rash till you try them. Its happened to me numerous times, it does some wack stuff when its powered on without enough juice.

On a side note, is there anything which can be done to avoid this? perhaps adding in a cutoff which won't let the unit power up when the batteries drop under x volts? I know my gba and old gameboy would do similar things when they ran out of juice, but there must be a better way of controlling this rather than just letting the power cut and screen scramble

EDIT: didn't read about the batteries, are you sure they are charged though? 15 mins is pretty damn fast for nimh, are they brand new? sometimes it takes a few cycles to "break them in" so to speak

 

[reallynotnick]

nope this are worn in and they are ic-3 batteries (whatever that means, they are still nihm) and can "turbo charge" within 15minutes.

I finally have got my cool about the situation, and hoping this fix will work, but is it even safe without a psu?

What seemed to happen was I tried to update (like everyone else) and it kept deleting those .img files. So I gave up and switched cards (to the one with the games on it) and then lord behold it started "firm ware update". This card had no firmware on it, so I knew it could not be good. Well I decided to flater it and wait a minute, ok I decided it must be doing nothing because there was no firmware on the card *turned it off*. So when I turned it back on, BANG ugly colored lines.

I am also 100% sure this is not a battery issue, tried a few different ones out.

So by using this guild http://www.distant-earth.com/gp2x/ but without a serial cable am I going to be safe? Is there anyway to return it if all else fails....?

Thanks for your help guys this is such a great community.

 

[Empyre]

What seemed to happen was I tried to update (like everyone else) and it kept deleting those .img files. So I gave up and switched cards (to the one with the games on it) and then lord behold it started "firm ware update". This card had no firmware on it, so I knew it could not be good. Well I decided to flater it and wait a minute, ok I decided it must be doing nothing because there was no firmware on the card *turned it off*. So when I turned it back on, BANG ugly colored lines.

Thats the second time ive read that in the last few days!

http://www.gp32x.de/board/index.php?showtopic=22484&st=0

Have you read the guide yet? Did you get to the part about "Firstly: Identity how seriously your GP2X is bricked"? That should give you a clear idea about what you can do to unbrick your 2x (though if you have the same problem as second exodus does, it looks like contacting DJWillis is your only hope!)

 

[gfxpulse]

(though if you have the same problem as second exodus does, it looks like contacting DJWillis is your only hope!)

or.. returning it?

 

[reallynotnick]

Do you get a black screen with a GP2X logo in the middle of it?
Yes: Good, your boot loader (U-Boot) is still intact. This guide may be able to help you.

No: Drop me an e-mail or pop into #GP2XDEV on EfNet IRC and I see if I can help you further.

I got NO, so whats his email? I can't find it anywhere on the site.

 

[WrongEyedJesus]

Send him a PM?

 

[Empyre]

(though if you have the same problem as second exodus does, it looks like contacting DJWillis is your only hope!)

or.. returning it?

​

I wouldnt have thought you could return it (at least not under warenty), it wasn't bricked because of a fault in the hardware it was bricked because you incorrectly flashed the rom. I cant imagine anyone taking a firmware upgradeable device back because of an incorrect flash. HP will fix a bad flash on an ipaq but not under warrenty the same is true of creative and thier mp3 players.

 

[yaustar]

http://www.gp32x.de/board/index.php?showuser=1026

Future reference, search on the members links, top right

 

[evening2005]

EDITED: dang I bricked my unit and need some help. When ever it boots up I just get a bunch of vertical lines of different colors.

I tried to update the fireware and something must of gone wrong I need some help REALLY bad, I am freaking out over here. What do I do?

​

Everything you say sounds like exactly what mine does when its batteries are failing. I would be a bit suspicious of your batteries and your "turbo" charger. Before spending a vast amount of time and cash on a serial lead etc, why not go out and buy a fresh set of rechargeables and take the time to charge them properly? Some of my batteries need to be charged twice in my turbo charger, then they work fine. Others work fine after only one charge. It *must* be worth investigating this fully before trying more complex solutions.

 

[lucoxade]

Do you get a black screen with a GP2X logo in the middle of it?
Yes: Good, your boot loader (U-Boot) is still intact. This guide may be able to help you.

No: Drop me an e-mail or pop into #GP2XDEV on EfNet IRC and I see if I can help you further.

I got NO, so whats his email? I can't find it anywhere on the site.

​

Yep so I guess mines bricked too, switch on and stripey lines. Bummer

The firmware update had been running for half an hour which I knew wasn't right so I powered down and now whenever I switch on I get stripey lines

Please help

 

[iignotus]

Stripey lines here too

 

[lucoxade]

Stripey lines here too

​

What do we do now? I'm trying to follow DJwillis' guide, but theres no mention of stripey lines, is it jtag time?