Not sure what to do next

[drifter2047]

Hi,
My daughters Gigabeat F20 started doing strange things like it would freeze and had trouble playing songs. Eventually it displayed system error 000010. Sometimes it would come up with different errors. I assumed that she had dropped it and damaged the hard drive and it could not load the system. I then  downloaded the Gigabeat Update from the Toshiba site and proceeded to load the new firmware version 3.0 (with gigabeat room 3.0), I followed the instructions and it all seemed to go quite smoothly.  When the Gigabeat was turned back on it came up with a few different errors to do with loading the system.. I assumed the hard drive was corrupt so I then formatted it using the tool Toshiba provided. Unfortunately I could not back up the existing GBSYTEM folder and or copy the GBSYTEM folder that gets put on your C:\ drive when using the gigabeat room software. Like an idiot I assumed there would be a copy on the CDROM that came with the Gigabeat F20... Anyway to cut a long story short...
I found out about your excellent open source code and thought I would solve all of my problems.
I formatted the HDD for FAT32 unzipped the files followed your proceedure and checked the file structure and it all appears to be correct.  When I turn on the Gigabeat the Gigabeat splash screen comes up the loading indicator moves across the screen than the Yellow RockBox logo flashes up pretty quickly and then I get "Rockbox error: -2"  I cannot power down the unit from the power button, I have to turn the battery swith off. I have removed the HDD from the gigabeat and put it in a 1.8" cradle and formatted it with windows XP and checked it with HDD mechanic and it appears to be o.k. I have also tried formatting it with the Toshiba Gigabeat tools.  I can get the computer to recognise it as a removable drive when I plug it into the USB when the "Rockbox error: -2 is displayed on the screen. I can see the file structure, etc and I have a .rockbox folder and also a GBSYSTEM folder with the correct file structure.. Not sure where to go to from here... Can someone give me some constructive help and or advice

[Domonoky]

I think error -2 is checksum error, so please try to redownload and install the rockbox zipfile.

And also, have you run a check on your harddrive ? like chkdisk, to see if there are errors on the drive..

[drifter2047]

Thanks I have run a chkdsk E: /F  and also unzipped the files to the gigabeat drive a several times. I still get Rockbox error: -2 I have none of the original files at all that came with the gigabeat only the stuff that I downloaded from this site. Any ideas? At least it isn't a brick!!

[drifter2047]

I forgot to mention that the HDD had no errors(bad sectors) the files unzipped o.k. and appear tobe the correct sizes.

[Mad Cow]

Could be the wrong build. Do you have the newest bootlader and gigabeat build?

[drifter2047]

Hi I downloaded and unzipped the files from this page.
http://www.rockbox.org/twiki/bin/view/Main/GigabeatFXPort
The initial startup procedure failed as I could not power off the unit from the power button, only the battery switch!

[AlexP]

So, just to be clear, you downloaded and installed both the bootloader and the build?  Clearly you have the bootloader as it is giving you the -2 error, try getting another current build from http://build.rockbox.org/

After unzipping you should have a .rockbox folder in the root of your gigabeat (note the full stop before rockbox, it is important) and inside that folder a rocbox.gigabeat file?

[drifter2047]

I have loaded the latest boot loader and the build from the URL you have indicated.
I have done this several times now over writing existing files on the Gigabeat.
Isn't there any erata information pertaining to what exactly error -2 is?
One thing is that the folders on the Gigabeat are not hidden. Do I need to make the GBSYSTEM folder and the .rockbox hidden files? The only way I can get the computer to recognise the drive in the gigabeat is to turn it on whilst the error -2 is on the screen plug in the USB and it successfully comes up as a removable disc. If I was to plug the USB in without the error on the screen nothing would happen. I have taken the disc out and put it in a cradle and have checked for file system errors, etc.. I am at witts end... I am about to trash it!!  

[markun]

The bootloader should no longer show "error -2" but give a normal textual error message. I'll try to figure out what's wrong with the bootloader when I get home.

Just to be sure, did you use:

http://download.rockbox.org/bootloader/gigabeat/FWIMG01.DAT

[drifter2047]

Yes I have used that bootloader. Cheers..

[drifter2047]

Hi So Far this Forum is good at stating the obvious. I have been trying to find out what error -2 is. Doesn't someone who knows the code know what error -2 is?
Can it not be debugged? Can I have a clue as to what is going on..  I know it isn't bricked yet..
I have formatted and re-loaded rockbox several times. The Hard drive seemed to be the problem initially when it was  a Toshiba Gigabeat, But after formatting and running chkdsk I am convinced the HDD is O.K. I can only assume there is something wrong with the gigabeat Hardware or IOS
What to Do???  CAN SOMEONE SHED SOME LIGHT ON IT!!! I am to the stage of teaching it to swim

[scharkalvin]

BigBambi has stated in a different thread that he was able to swap out a HD on a gigabeat and just put the required files on it to make it work.

So it would seem that if you can get usb to connect you should be able to run fdisk and re-partition the drive as one large FAT32 partition, run mkfs or format to create a FAT32 file system on the drive, and then just create the needed directories and put the required files on the disk, and it should boot?

I thought you had to put the MBR in place also, but he said no.

[AlexP]

Well, I said I didn't but the drive was a refurb, so maybe it depends on what state the drive starts in.

I really don't know for sure, it is just I didn't have to.

[scharkalvin]

Well after getting rockbox installed on my player I did use dd to back up my
MBR and boot sectors so I can always restore them on a new drive is needed.

[markun]

Doesn't someone who knows the code know what error -2 is?

I just checked again and "rockbox error: -2" really doesn't exist anymore. If .rockbox/rockbox.gigabeat would be corrupt you would get "Bad checksum" with this bootloader. Can you maybe upload your bootloader (FWIMG01.DAT) somewhere?