C200 Died, Most Weird Problem Ever!

[sr00t]

Hey guys:

I was listening a song in my Sansa C200V1 2GB like everyday in my life since exactly one year, when it powered off without any warning (that used to happen ALWAYS, even with large battery energy ammounts). But this time it was different.

When I tried to power it again, the bootloader loaded perfectly, but.. The firmware was stuck.
It stucks at the lRockbox logo, displays the hour, etc, but shows the arrow icon that is loading/reading something.
Original firmware seems to be loaded correctly by bootloader, but doesn't start.
Linux/Windows cannot see the device connected. Not even the MicroSD.
I'm afraid the internal flash memory just died.



I just uploaded a video showing quickly my sansa (not) booting up the firmwares, just tought it would be useful because my english sucks:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a6xbhI_TD7A


Some ideas? Some way to hardware-reset it? Somethiiing  :'(?
Finding some rockbox-capable mp3 in my country is a pain in the ass!
I hope I can fix it with your help...


Thanks by advance,

[Chronon]

You can try this:
http://www.rockbox.org/wiki/SansaFAQ#Nothing_is_working_how_do_I_unbr

[sr00t]

Chronon, thanks for your quick answer.

Bad news here, I forgot to specify that my hold button doesn't work.
Any alternative?

Many thanks!

[Chronon]

I forgot to ask, can you boot the original firmware?  I watched the video, but I didn't see what happens at the end of it after the bootloader message saying it's trying the original firmware.

[sr00t]

Original firmware won't load
Bootloader says:

Code: [Select]

Model id: c200
Binary type: Rb0f
Calculated CRC32: 6842
Partition 0: 0x06 1939
Partition 1: 0x84 20 M
Loading original firmware
Trying firmware partition
BL m14 size: F800
OF m14 size: 2E1800
CRC32: 6842A027

Many thanks for your help

[yapper]

Code: [Select]

Model id: c200
Binary type: Rb0f
Calculated CRC32: 6842
Partition 0: 0x06 1939
Partition 1: 0x84 20 M
Loading original firmware
Trying firmware partition
BL m14 size: F800
OF m14 size: 2E1800
CRC32: 6842A027

I see exactly the same on a functioning c200. I think your best bet is to try to repair your Hold switch. I've never opened my c200's, but there is a tutorial on YouTube that shows how to open a c200: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qeOa35_XSVI
Edit:
another guide here: http://www.anythingbutipod.com/archives/2006/11/sandisk-sansa-c200-disassembled.php

[pixelma]

Do you have a microSDHC plugged while trying to start the OF?

I saw loading the OF hang exactly like that on my c200 because the OF can't read those cards - and you forget easily when using Rockbox all the time....

[sr00t]

Do you have a microSDHC plugged while trying to start the OF?

I saw loading the OF hang exactly like that on my c200 because the OF can't read those cards - and you forget easily when using Rockbox all the time....

Yeah, it's microSDHC but it taking it out won't make any changes. It stucks in that screen.

I just opened it out and "fixed" hold button temporarily.

I'll notice you what happens..


Thanks a lot guys!


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Ok, I tried entering Recovery Mode.
Now I see the 16MB partition.
Screen says

Code: [Select]

LUN0 locked

But partition is unwritable. Just tried using

Code: [Select]

cp firmware.mi4 /media/blahblahblah

and using Nautilus too.
The file copies instantly, no transfer progress bar, cp command runs instantly (without errors).
When I reboot the system, nothing happens, and the 16MB partition remains untouched, it only has VERSION.TXT.

What I'm doing wrong?

[sr00t]

When I finish doing the cp command to copy the firmware.mi4 file, and I take out the USB cable, the screen says its copying the new firmware, and it reboots.

When I reboot it,it says "Invalid Image".

I downloaded the firmware.mi4 file from http://daniel.haxx.se/sansa/mi4.html

What I'm doing wrong?

[Chronon]

Try formatting with Recovery Mode, according to the instructions I linked to previously.

http://www.rockbox.org/wiki/SansaE200Unbrick#Formatting_the_device

[sr00t]

Try formatting with Recovery Mode, according to the instructions I linked to previously.

http://www.rockbox.org/wiki/SansaE200Unbrick#Formatting_the_device

As the text says, trying to create the sansa.fmt file, does nothing.

Well, I tried to enter recovery mode with LOCK button on, and pressing the center button.
The only thing that it does is light up the blue led. My PC won't recognize it.
This is getting very frustrating :/

[Chronon]

You were able to enter Recover Mode previously.  Is your Hold switch still working?

If Recovery Mode cannot be reached now then I can only offer that it might be recoverable by following the instructions for Manufacturing Mode (same page as before) to install a new SanDisk bootloader.

[sr00t]

Well.
I copied these two files:

Code: [Select]

cp pribootLoader.rom firmware.mi4 /media/16MB-FORMAT/

They copied and installed succesfully. When it rebooted "Invalid Image" message was gone.
But now it hangs in Sandisk Sansa boot logo.
Nothing happens, absolutely nothing.

It's powered on now, after an hour being like that.

I still can't believe this thing happened suddendly like that. I didn't do anything, it just powered off alone. Then when I turned it on again, it was bricked like this  .

[Chronon]

You can get into Recovery Mode but the OF won't boot.  It could be caused by the problem described here:

Note: On c200, in some cases, the Sandisk firmware can get confused by a corrupted partition table or FAT bootsector. This can manifest itself in various ways, such as the OF freezing or not booting at all, showing weird free disk space estimates, or reporting bad information to the PC in MSC mode. In those cases, following the instructions at SansaC200Erase  may help.

Click on the wiki link and try following those instructions.

[sr00t]

 Manufacturing Mode

Code: [Select]

sudo ./e200tool recover c250erase.bin 
e200tool v0.2.3-alpha (c) by MrH 2006, 2007
Searching for device 0781:0720 ... found!
Initializing USB stub (4780 bytes) ... done!
Writing 'c250erase.bin' to address 0x10600000
Searching for device 6666:e200 ... 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 not found!

Recovery Mode

Code: [Select]

sudo ./e200tool recover c250erase.bin 
e200tool v0.2.3-alpha (c) by MrH 2006, 2007
Searching for device 0781:0720 ... 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 not found!
Searching for device 0b70:0003 ... 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 not found!

Neither of them work.

Thanks for your patience.


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Note that my Sansa was recognized by lsusb

Bus 003 Device 004: ID 0781:0720 SanDisk Corp. Sansa C200 series in recovery mode