Creative ZEN X-Fi

[pamaury]

Hi again,
here is the linked to the prebuilt bootloader. It is version V1_RC:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/bjqfmgsg6w6014k/firmware_zenxfi_v1rc.nk?dl=0
To install it, follow the instruction from the wiki:
http://www.rockbox.org/wiki/CreativeZENPort#Manual_method
in a nutshell: enter recovery mode, reload firmware, plug device, use sendfirm to send the new firmware

As a side note, I tortured my ZEN X-Fi by rebooting many many times and I was indeed able to have a black screen on boot after 20 attempts or so. So the problem might still be there.

[RufusA]

Hi Amaury,

Thanks again, I tried this V1_RC bootloader and it seems on my limited test much more stable.
On a similar torture of my X-FI I managed 4 failed boots out of 20, with equal black and white screens. I'm more than happy to live with this

I'll report back in weeks time when I've given it some real world usage tests...

I may also look out for another X-FI just in case it's symptomatic of a latent hardware fault in mine!

Rufus.

[pamaury]

Hi all,
I manage to reproduce the LCD problem on my ZEN X-Fi and traced it back to a hardware bug. I have implement a tentative workaround in
http://gerrit.rockbox.org/r/#/c/1428/
which completely solves the problem on my device. I'd like to get the feedback of more testers. Here are builds with the patch, note that you need to install a new bootloader because this is where the problem usually happens. As usual follow the instruction from https://www.rockbox.org/wiki/CreativeZENXFiPort: download the firmware_zenxfi_lcd.nk file and upload it using sendfirm.

• new bootloader: https://www.dropbox.com/s/4pmqy6vb4yfsur5/firmware_zenxfi_lcd.nk?dl=0
• new build: https://www.dropbox.com/s/w0y9lk0xntibz3u/rockbox_zenxfi_lcd.zp?dl=0

NOTE: for size reasons, the bootloader is singleboot (ie you can't boot the OF), this should not be a problem since you can't really dualboot unless you reformat anyway.

[RufusA]

I've already posted in the Zen thread, but a resounding success with this latest bootloader for me - no boot hangs since installing!

Very happy!

Thanks for all you work Amaury.

[humei8]

Hi. If any one runs into error when trying to sendfirm to x fi in recovery mode under Windows 10, it is because of MTP driver issue. The solution is:

(1) Go to C:\Windows\INF
(2) Type "wpdmtp.inf" in search bar provided to the right of the address bar in Windows 10.
(3) Once you found it, just right click on it and select install. It will take a very few seconds.
(4) Connect your device to the pc.

Done.
After such procedure, the x fi will immediately be recognised. Then you can proceed with the steps listed out in the zen thread.

[schpeltiger]

I followed all of the steps for installing the Rockbox bootloader on my X-Fi and seemingly nothing happened, and now the X-Fi just loads into recovery with a firmware error.  The official firmware installer doesn't even detect that the X-Fi is connected, but Windows sees it just fine.  I wouldn't say it's completely bricked, but what can I do at this point?

[pamaury]

Hi, are you sure you uploaded the ZEN X-Fi firmware (and not the ZEN firmware for example?). If it indicates a firmware error, it suggest that either you uploaded the wrong file or the file was corrupted. If you want to reinstall the OF, select "Reload firmware", then the official installer should detect it.

[schpeltiger]

It was the prebuilt bootloader image provided on the Zen X-Fi port page.  I seemingly didn't have any issues pushing the firmware, but nothing changed on the device itself aside from getting the previously mentioned firmware error.

[RufusA]

I'm only suggesting this because I made this mistake when I first tried,

When you downloaded the pre-build image did you simply right click and save-as, or click on the the link which takes you to a dropbox page where you can download the actual file.

The file firmware-zenxfi.nk should be around 27MB if it's only a few hundred KB, then you may have downloaded the dropbox html page, rather than the actual file.

Rufus.

[schpeltiger]

I have the 27MB firmware-zenxfi.nk file.

[Gyuritzy]

Dear Community,
I need your help.
I have tried some time ago to install Rockbox on my mp3 Player (Creative ZEN X-Fi). at some point I have restarted the mp3 player, perhaps in the middle of the firmware update or something... I can't tell exactly any more. :-(
Right now I at this point:
the player does not start, Windows recognizes the player only as HID device.
I have found on the Internet a tool sbloader which "pamaury" has compiled (many thanks to him) and I am sending with this tool the file ZENXFI_PCFW_l22_1_04_08e_rk_fresc.nk to the Player. This is the only way to wake it up.
Then I wait for it to start (it only enters in recovery mode). Then I do a update Firmware on the mp3 player - which should erase the Firmware (it gives an error message at the end: "Media problem").
after that I try to send the OF (ZENXFI_PCFW_l22_1_04_08e_rk.nk)  to the Player with sendfirm (I also tried it under Linux - sendfirm32).
with the following results:
1. mostly I get an error message - not possible
2. under Linux I get a black Screen at the beginning and then some error Messages - the player does not react in any way...
The creative tool detects the firmware version tries to update but it gives an error message "Firmware update failed".
Thanks!

[chrisjj]

Can anyone clarify the status of this port?

Stable, says https://www.rockbox.org/
Unstable, says https://www.rockbox.org/wiki/CreativeZENXFiPort

[Bilgus]

the wiki has an edit data of 11 Nov 2013

https://www.rockbox.org/wiki/MajorChanges
2016-09-21: Promote ZEN X-Fi to stable

So I'd say someone forgot to update the wiki

[chrisjj]

If anyone knows what improvements were made to the port to justify the 2016 change to Stable, it would be great if they could update the feature status table https://www.rockbox.org/wiki/CreativeZENXFiPort accordingly.

[schpeltiger]

Hi again,
here is the linked to the prebuilt bootloader. It is version V1_RC:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/bjqfmgsg6w6014k/firmware_zenxfi_v1rc.nk?dl=0
To install it, follow the instruction from the wiki:
http://www.rockbox.org/wiki/CreativeZENPort#Manual_method
in a nutshell: enter recovery mode, reload firmware, plug device, use sendfirm to send the new firmware

As a side note, I tortured my ZEN X-Fi by rebooting many many times and I was indeed able to have a black screen on boot after 20 attempts or so. So the problem might still be there.

I apologize for resurrecting a dead thread, but after years of having what I thought was a bricked X-Fi, I managed to get this specific bootloader to work! I had to utilize the Linux sendfirm tools since sendfirm.exe didn't want to work with Windows 10, but I'm currently uploading music to the device to test it. I just want to give others hope that this does work.