iRiver H140/H320 - HDD-swap (PATA-CE/ZIF-mSATA and PATA-CF-mSD) not working

[linux4all]

Hi everyone!

I'm using rockbox for quite some time on my trusted SanDisk Sansa Clip Zip (great work btw!) but recently wanted to upgrade to something more powerful which is why I bought two iRiver-devices (H140 and H320).
Installing Rockbox was straight-forward and it worked flawlessly.
Next I wanted to upgrade the drives but unfortunately I wasn't successful with that.

My first approach was as follows:

1. using a 50pin-1.8" IDE (PATA) to ZIF converter (like the one shown [here](https://www.amazon.de/dp/B0014ZUA28))
2. using a CE/ZIF to mSATA converter (like the one [here](https://www.amazon.de/dp/B07XJ27F93))
3. using an mSATA SSD (like the one [here](https://transcend-info.com/product/internal-ssd/msa230s))

My second approach was the following:

1. using a 1.8" 50pin-IDE to CF adapter (like the one [here](https://www.amazon.de/dp/B00S6AK592))
2. using a CF- to SD-card adapter (like the one mentioned [here](https://www.amazon.de/dp/B09GG2959L))
3. using any microSD-card

Since I wanted to use the new drive in my devices, I formatted the new drive (SSD/mSD-card) the same way as it was the case with the old HDD.

The information from the old drives looked as follows (output from `parted`):

    ```
    Sector size (logical/physical): 512B/512B
    Partition Table: msdos

    Number  Start   End     Size    Type     File system  Flags
     1      32.3kB  40.0GB  40.0GB  primary  fat32        lba
    ```

(note: this is the output of drive of the H140 when being read on my PC; the output from the H320-drive is similar but with a size of only 20GB)

In both cases I formatted the new mSATA-SSD or microSD-card using the tool `parted` as follows:

- the disk label was `MSDOS` (using the `mklabel` command within `parted`).
- there was only a single `primary partition` containing all the space (from `0%` to `100%`; using the `mkpart` command within `parted`).
- the partition was created using the `fat32`-file system (using the command `sudo mkfs.vfat -F 32 -n DEVICENAME /dev/DEVICELOCATION`).

In both cases I wasn't successful in booting rockbox, I always got the error "check HDD".
When reinserting the old 40GB/20GB-disk, everything worked fine.

I'm not quite sure why it is not working, according to [other links](https://shred.zone/cilla/page/450/restauring-an-old-iriver-ihp-120-part-2.html) what I'd like to do should be possible.

Any ideas?

Thanks a lot!


---


Some additional clarification: after formatting the drive to FAT32, I copied the folder `.rockbox` and the file `ihp_120.hex` from the old HDD-drive to the root of the mSATA-SSD/mSD-card and then inserted it to the iRiver-device (but wasn't able to boot successfully).

[speachy]

Only the absolute latest iriver bootloader binaries will handle SSDs of any sort, and the OF will _not_ work.

So you didn't explicitly mention which bootloader you flashed, I'd double-check that first.

[linux4all]

@speachy: thanks for the fast reply and for the explanation, that makes sense.

Concerning your question: I used the firmware firmware-files `H120(EU)-v166.zip` and `H300(EU)-v129.zip` for the H140 and H320, respectively (the file `H300_V130(eu).zip` didn't work for me).
Generally I followed [this guide](https://www.rockbox.org/wiki/IriverBoot) and used the firmware files from [here](http://rasher.dk/rockbox/iriver-firmwares/).

It has been some weeks, so I'm not 100% sure how I did it. I think I used [the bootloader-files at the very end of the iRiverBoot-site](https://www.rockbox.org/wiki/IriverBoot.html#TODO_list_for_the_upcoming_bootloader_revision) in the step mentioned [in the manual](https://download.rockbox.org/daily/manual/rockbox-iriverh300/rockbox-buildch2.html#x4-90002.2.1), but probably the binaries and not the ones in the zip folder.

But maybe I didn't supply any files, since (maybe?) I don't need to download the bootloader manually since the Rockbox utility should manage that automatically (at least that's what I understood while reading [this](https://forums.rockbox.org/index.php/topic,48249.0.html) forum post)? Or is this information incorrect?

I'll try again with the new files inside the zip directory and use them instead. But which file should I use, the `bootloader.iriver` or `bootloader.bin` (there are two files in there)? If it is the `bootloader.bin`-file (since the name ending is similar to the non-zipped files): what is the other file for?

Concerning the tools/descramble-mkboot-scramble-thing when doing the [manual install](https://download.rockbox.org/daily/manual/rockbox-iriverh300/rockbox-buildch2.html#x4-110002.2.2): how can I use those commands when not having access to a Windows-system? Is there a Linux-alternative for that?

[linux4all]

I just rechecked and the bootloader is V8 (build 2020 according to the RockboxUtility when having my player attached). Is that a "sufficiently new" version?

If not: how can I upgrade the bootloader? Is this written somewhere in the manual and I overlooked it?

Thanks in advance.

[Talleyrand]

I just rechecked and the bootloader is V8 (build 2020 according to the RockboxUtility when having my player attached). Is that a "sufficiently new" version?

If not: how can I upgrade the bootloader? Is this written somewhere in the manual and I overlooked it?

Thanks in advance.

I just set up a H140 with CF-IDE/CF/SD and its working like my old H120.

You need the Bootloader 7pre4 and install it manually, i also flashed Rockbox to RAM and ROM overwritting the OEM Firmware.

So you are now on Bootloader 8 and Rockbox 3.15 installed via RB Utility?

[linux4all]

So you are now on Bootloader 8 and Rockbox 3.15 installed via RB Utility?

Exactly.

You need the Bootloader 7pre4 and install it manually, i also flashed Rockbox to RAM and ROM overwritting the OEM Firmware.

I need the older bootloader files? Not the v8 one?

That's in contrast to what @speachy wrote:

Only the absolute latest iriver bootloader binaries will handle SSDs of any sort, and the OF will _not_ work.

If that's correct: then I assume the files from [here](https://www.rockbox.org/wiki/IriverBoot) are the wrong ones (the ones in the zip files are v8 and the others are v5 or v6)...

But let's assume I'd like to do that - how would I be able to do so (from a Linux system)?

[Talleyrand]

Use this Link for the following instructions

1. Take the "bootloader.iriver" file from the 7pre4 (7pre5 is not working in my devices, so not recommended to try) and copy it in your ".rockbox" folder.
2. Follow the instructions under "Upgrading the bootloader"
3. Follow instructions under "Replacing the original firmware" (RAM+ROM)
4. Bootloader Config to "ROM" as default, instructions under "Bootloader configuration"
6. format CF/SD to FAT32
7. Copy your data from your old HDD to the freshly formatted FAT32 SD Card (".rockbox" and "ihp_1xx.hex"+ your files (music, ......)
8. swap HDD to SD Card
9. Enjoy

[speachy]

So you are now on Bootloader 8 and Rockbox 3.15 installed via RB Utility?

Exactly.

You will need a nightly build of rockbox as well; 3.15 predates the changes needed to make the iHP series happy with SSDs.

[Talleyrand]

So you are now on Bootloader 8 and Rockbox 3.15 installed via RB Utility?

Exactly.

You will need a nightly build of rockbox as well; 3.15 predates the changes needed to make the iHP series happy with SSDs.

But 3.15 is working with a SD card and the adapters hes mentioning under his second approach...

[linux4all]

Thanks to both of you for the hints - I have to admit that I didn't find [this page](https://www.rockbox.org/wiki/IriverFlashing.html).

I updated Rockbox to the daily build (20240108) and followed the instructions in [this section](https://www.rockbox.org/wiki/IriverFlashing.html#Upgrading_the_bootloader) but got the following error when trying to execute the `iriver_flash`-plugin on the file `bootloader.iriver`:

**Aborting: bootloader is invalid**.

This happend with both versions (7pre4 and 7pre5) of the bootloader.

Any ideas?

[Talleyrand]

i would clear my player and go from 3.15 (Bootloader stable the route to install the 7pre4 again. Definitely worked for me....

[linux4all]

i would clear my player and go from 3.15 (Bootloader 8 ) stable the route to install the 7pre4 again. Definitely worked for me....

True that... I just tried and the good news is that I was able to "downgrade" to stable 3.15 and to flash the bootloader 7pre4 as well as the rockbox.iriver- and rombox.iriver-files.
I got the `Success`-messages and was able to select the default boot option (disk, RAM, ROM or shutdown) and also boot into rockbox.
But unfortunately, I wasn't able to utilize my SD-card or the SSD-drive (getting a "No partition found. Insert USB cable and fix it."-message).

Any other ideas? How can I try this with the nightly/new version?

[Talleyrand]

You removed the little plastic knob on the CF/IDE adapter to fit in the iriver HDD stack?
The CF/IDE adapter needs to use the same pins as the OEM HDD.
Flashed to FAT32?

I wouldn´t flash anything, this combination (3.15 BTLD 7pre4) worked on 4 players of mine with SD cards + adapters.....

[Talleyrand]

So it seems u figured it out?

[linux4all]

You removed the little plastic knob on the CF/IDE adapter to fit in the iriver HDD stack?

I assume you mean the "Jumper" on top of the adapter? I didn't try to remove it (since I assume that with the SD-card being the only drive it needs to be specified as "master".
But I just retried without the jumper and it doesn't work.

The CF/IDE adapter needs to use the same pins as the OEM HDD.

That is the case.

Flashed to FAT32?

Yes, I did the following:
- the disk label was `MSDOS` (using the `mklabel` command within `parted`).
- there was only a single `primary partition` containing all the space (from `0%` to `100%`; using the `mkpart` command within `parted`).
- the partition was created using the `fat32`-file system (using the command `sudo mkfs.vfat -F 32 -n DEVICENAME /dev/DEVICELOCATION`).

So it seems u figured it out?

To be honest: no, not really. I tried with 2 different SD-cards as well as with the adapter mSATA-SSD but I got no success. And since I don't have any idea what else I could do I'm kind-of lost.