iRiver H120 - Can't boot to Rockbox or iRiver firmware successfully

[SundayDriver]

First of all, I've been using Rockbox since I first obtained my iRiver H120 in 2006 and I have nothing but good things to say about it. Rockbox completes the H120 IMO, as the original firmware wasn't very good.

All I did a few days ago was replace the battery. After letting the battery charge for several hours to completion, I turned it back on. Rockbox stopped booting at the boot screen and produced the error "result: -5". However, strangely enough, the error was not consistent. If I pressed the reset button to turn the unit off, and turned it back on the normal way using the play button, a few times it would load properly. However, after several correct boot-ups, the unit now only produces the "result: -5" error. I can also access all files on the hard disk via USB. There is nothing wrong with the hard drive.

I also can't get to the iRiver firmware. Pressing both the record button and play button at the same time just produces the Rockbox screen that hangs on "Starting original firmware." Once, after the -5 error, the unit did go into the iRiver firmware successfully, but after 15 seconds of using it (didn't look right to begin with), the whole unit just froze up.

I've tried to remove the Rockbox bootloader through the Rockbox program. This failed as well.

So first of all, what I really want to know is- what does the "result: -5" error mean?
Second, is there anything I can do from my end or do you think the internal flash memory is corrupted?

Thanks.

[Multiplex]

I tried searching and it is a bit difficult because you can't search for just '-5' but I found this; http://forums.rockbox.org/index.php?topic=6903.0 I'd completely forgotten that there are differrent builds for the H100/115 and the 120/140... maybe it's a clue?

EDIT: or this one http://forums.rockbox.org/index.php?topic=8560.msg66376#msg66376