iRiver H10 Rockbox upgrade = garbled screens

[RBTB]

I kept getting an error about accessing the playlist control file (I think; recalling from memory).  So I got the current installer and refreshed the install with the current stable version.  On restarting, just after the Rockbox boot screen flashes (6.0 I think): completely garbled screens.  It reminds me of an old CRT TV with bad horizontal hold, showing about four heavily slanted copies of the same screen.  In fact, sometimes the screens are even rotated 90 degrees!  Restarts, pulling the battery, re-install... no change. The only workaround to achieve even limited usability was to install the voice file (though it seems slightly garbled as well).

I've searched about and not found any other folks having this issue.  Might be a coincidental hardware failure, but not bloody likely, IMHO. About the only thing I can think of trying next is re-installing the factory software within Windows (I normally run LMDE).  This is a 20GB Red iRiver.

PS  I tried several times to uninstall / re-install the boot loader, but I ran into two different problems.  Trying to uninstall the bootloader, the utility claims "No Rockbox bootloader found".  Trying to install a new bootloader results in the error "Copying modified firmware file failed."

[gevaerts]

One thing you could try to rule out hardware is installing an older rockbox release (from http://download.rockbox.org/release/)

[RBTB]

I reread the manual option of installing and swapped names of the rockbox / original mi4 files and restarted.  That restored the player to the iriver firmware with no screen issues.  Upon reconnecting, a Nautilus (I'm using LMDE) browser pops up for the player, but no file structure is listed even though they are still on the player.  The Rockbox utility cannot find the player.  This is all starting to sound like when I installed Rockbox the first time, but I can't remember the fix.  The hold down the Select button while powering up trick doesn't change the connection result either.

[RBTB]

After several weeks up putting up with the crappy stock iRiver firmware, I decided to try the Rockbox Utility again today. Hey a new version is out!  Hey! It successfully installed the firmware and bootloader!  Time for a restart...

SYSTEM FILES MISSING.  To restore the system files, connect H10 to recovery tool.

SSDD.  The replaced H10.mi4 file is ignored so now I have to manually swap the real one back again just to get a functioning stock iRiver player.  Again.

Aces.

PS

WHY does the Rockbox Autodetect function ALWAYS claim my red 5GB H10 is a blue 20 GB H10?  I assume this is all part of the same issue...

[saratoga]

WHY does the Rockbox Autodetect function ALWAYS claim my red 5GB H10 is a blue 20 GB H10?  I assume this is all part of the same issue...

Thats odd, looking at the code, those players have different USB IDs, so I don't see why they'd be mixed up.

Do you already have a .rockbox folder on the player?  Is it for the 20GB?

[RBTB]

I think that folder was from a prior install so I removed it and re-ran the utility.  No change.

[RBTB]

UPDATE

I was finally able to get Rockbox re-installed, but I had to do it manually (upzip the .rockbox folder to drive root, rename original h10.mi4 file and replace with Rockbox version).

The key I missed several times was this: I had to use the MTP version of the Rockbox H10.mi4 file, not the (standard?) UMS H10.mi4 file.  The way the manual reads, it seems to imply (at least to me) that ONCE you have the player in UMS mode (holding select key whilst powering up), you would use the UMS H10.mi4.  I could be totally wrong about this, but that's what finally worked for me (also solving the initial garbled screen issue).  I also don't know how someone would know apriori that their player is a MTP version versus an UMS version unless you're running Windows.  I did finally give in and do the install in Windows versus LMDE though.