LOL another sansa e250r boot error thread!!!

[s14alex]

Ok

Ive read the manual, installed rockbox, everything worked fine. I was attempting to uninstall rockbox, and decided that it was a good idea to delete the OF.mi4 file . Now it errors when I try to boot to the sansa firmware, and obviously wont boot to rockbox.


I read here

http://forums.rockbox.org/index.php?topic=13566.0

That there should be a way to reformat/initialize the player, but I am unable to get the computer to recognize the player.

I booted in the manufacturer's mode, and ran e200rpatcher.exe and got the following error:

Rockbox e200R installer
Version: r15104M-071014
Sandisk Sansa e200

Unknown bootloader
Rockbox installer cannot
continue

Release Hold and
Press any key to shutdown



When I try to boot into the original firmware using the power+left button I get the following error:

Rockbox boot loader
Version 4.0
Sandisk Sansa e200
Partition 0: 0x06 1896 MB
Partition 1: 0x84 20 MB
Loading original firmware partition
BL mi4 size: EC00
Can't load from partition
Invalid file format
Trying /system/OF.mi4
Can't load /system/OF.mi4
File not found
Trying /system/OF.bin
Can't load /system/OF.bin
File not found

 How screwed am I?

prrly pretty screwed

[giri]

Oh man!  I feel your pain!  I stayed up ALL night last night with a similar issue.  I had just installed Rockbox and thinking that I would do a little bit of house-cleaning on my e270R, I deleted the OF.mi3 file from the System folder... I know!!!  :-P

The bottom line is that I am now sitting at my desk listening to my Sansa e270R on the original Sansa firmware.  Here is what I did to get it back, and I hope it helps you.

Note: I couldn't find any specific instructions on how to revive my device from Windows because apparently, most people can't use the etool that Daniel wrote from within Windows.

Step 1: I found the Windows etool!  Perhaps, someone is hurrying right now to delete the link!  I hope that they don't.  It was useful for me.  It's at the bottom of the page on the link in Step 2.

Step 2: I followed the directions on the rockbox.org page on patching the bootloader as if I hadn't already done so. http://www.rockbox.org/twiki/bin/view/Main/SansaE200RBootloaderPatching
(I don't know if this step is actually needed, but my thinking was that I was going to have to rebuild my entire device from scratch).  The thing is, this step helped me learn a valuable bit of information.  I needed specific drivers to connect to the device under certain modes.

Anyway, I was able to successfully execute both "recover" commands from a DOS prompt after a little bit of trial and error.  My solution was to save the 0781 & 0666 inf files in separate directories with copies of the libusb files in each of them.  You'll know what I mean after you read through the whole process on that page.  BTW, the manufacturer's drivers mentioned (are available through sourceforge.net or here: http://download.rockbox.org/bootloader/sandisk-sansa/e200r-patcher/e200-manufac-driver.zip.

OK, so at this point I thought I had replaced my bootloader and told it to point somewhere else other than the missing mi4 file... But no!  So that's why I don't know if this whole step was necessary.

I could turn on my device into Recovery and Manufacturing modes, but my computer would not see a drive even though the Sansa's screen showed "USB Cable Connected"

Step 3:  I connected the device using the Recovery method (holding the Record button). For more info on the types of connection methods read here: http://daniel.haxx.se/sansa/e200.html#usbmodes.

After getting the connected message on my Sansa's screen, I went to the Device Manager in Windows XP and found the device listed as a Manufacturer Device.  I double clicked it, and selected the option to Update Driver.  When the wizard came up, I selected manual install, and pointed it to where I had the 0666-E200.inf file.  I got a message that the device had been installed successfully and VOILA, suddenly, I had the 16MB partition visible through Windows Explorer.

Then I followed the instructions listed here http://www.rockbox.org/twiki/bin/view/Main/SansaE200Unbrick which basically say, DO NOT COPY ANYTHING ONTO THIS DRIVE THAT ISN'T an mi4 FILE!  I had gotten mine from SanDisk’s website so not only was I sure it was the correct one; it was also the latest firmware.

After I copied the file, I "safely removed" the device and unplugged it.  It went through a couple of reboots I think, and I'm back to the beginning.

I don't know if what the status is of my bootloader.  i.e. Is it the original unpatched?  Is it the vanilla (non R) bootloader, or is it the patched R version?  But I guess I'll find out when I go to reinstall rockbox.

Boy!  I hope this helps you.  I gotta go get some sleep now! :-)

[P.Opus]

Didn't quite do what you did but put the .rockbox folder in the wrong place and this is how I recovered.

Step 1.  Downloaded original Firmware from Sandisk.  Choose the manual installation link at www.sandisk.com  Unzip this file and it should be a pp5022.mi4 file

Step 2.  Boot in Recovery Mode.  ( Power off, Turn ON lock/hold, Hold down record, Hit Power/Menu Button)  

Step 3.  When it tells you to connect USB cable, connect the USB cable to the device

Step 4.  When the 16 MB partition opens, copy the pp5022.mi4 file you got from Sandisk into the recovery partition.

Step 5.  Disconnect USB and Turn Hold Off and repower device.

Step 6.  Device should now reboot with the 1.0.2.165 original rhapsody frmware.

Step 7.  Once the firmware is booted, download a rockbox build and extract it into the root directory of your device.  Also take the firmware you downloaded from Sandisk, rename the pp5022.mi4 file to OF.mi4 and place that in the system folder of your device. (NOTE:  The "system" folder on your device is hidden, make sure you have view hidden files and folders enabled on your computer's operating system, or you won't see a "system" file on your device)

Step 8  Download the "bootloader" (the modified pp5022.mi4) file and place in in the root of the device and then disconnect the device and it should update the device and reboot it.

Step 9.  If Step 8 doesn't work, the unit will still boot in original firmware.  If that happens, then enter recovery mode again and copy the modified pp5022.mi4 file into the 16MB recovery partition. the same way you did with Steps 3 through 5, but this time use the modified pp5022 file, not the original firmware file

10 . Once the unit has rebooted out of recovery mode, it should boot Rockbox natively.

Just be sure to always keep a copy of the original firmware from Sansa available in pp5022.mi4 format so that if push comes to shove, you can enter recovery mode and reboot into original firmware.

Hope this helps.

Will.

[s14alex]

OMG OMG OMG OMG

It works now. I'd be screwed without yous two.

[thelwcole]

Ok, I'm almost there.  I bought a refurb on woot and I'm not 100% sure what I did wrong.  I got the e250r, and it booted up beautifully.  I then tried to do the manual install of Rockbox and got as far as putting the OF.mi4 file into the "system" folder.  I didn't have a system folder in there and tried to abort.  In doing so, I managed to get Rockbox on as my startup program, but now my computer won't recognize the player, and I can't get the player to reboot in the Sansa software.

Basically everything described in this post has happening to my e250r.  But!  I cannot get it to default back to the manufacturer's software.  I did the repair to Rockbox by holding down record and with the Lock on.  But it won't revert to the rhapsody format when I boot it up while holding down the left button.

My computer also still does not recognize the player.

Help help!!!  This thing looks great and I am dying to use it.

Thanks

[zajacattack]

Make sure that your e200R is in Rhapsody mode, and that you can see hidden files and folders.

[dbguy4eva]

i tried doing what you guys said to put the file in recovery partition... now it says "Load main image failed Switch to Recovery mode"

[Bagder]

dbguy4eva, then put the original Rhapsody mi4 file there while in recovery and it should get restored back to how it was originally, and then you can restart the Rockbox install from scratch.

[wahan]

I got to step three. Then it says:
USB cable connected
Enter USB2.0 MSD mode
LUN0 locked

on my computer, it still doesn't show the Sansa. Any idea?

[wahan]

dbguy4eva, then put the original Rhapsody mi4 file there while in recovery and it should get restored back to how it was originally, and then you can restart the Rockbox install from scratch.

I got the same problem as dbguy4eva.

It says:
Load main image failed
Switch to Recovery mode

I try to plug the USB cord in again to copy the mi4 file again (like you said) while it said that, but then the computer don't detect the Sansa unless I shut it off, and go back to recovery mode by holding the Rec button. But if I do that and then copy the mi4 file to the 16MB-FORMAT, the same thing happens again, it go back to "Load main image failed..."

[P.Opus]

If you are trying to recover, make sure you use the orignial firmware from Sandisk by downloading the file from the following link.

http://www.sandisk.com/Retail/Default.aspx?CatID=1449

Click on the Manual installation link and extract the pp5022.mi4 file from that archive.  THAT is the firmware you put in the recovery partition to get back to original firmware.  (steps 1 through 6 listed in my procedure above)

Once you have done that.  Continue with steps 7 through 10 of the procedure I listed above.

That should get it working for you.