Sansa E200 Bricked by Recovery Mode

[ItzBACON]

Ok, ran it as sudo, got this:

ubuntu@ubuntu:~/Desktop$ sudo ./e200tool recover BL_SD_BOARDSUPPORTSD.ROM
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 ... found!
Initializing USB stub (4780 bytes) ... done!
Writing 'BL_SD_BOARDSUPPORTSD.ROM' to address 0x10600000
Searching for device 6666:e200 ... 9 8 found!
Write at 0x10660198
Write done!
Running from address 0x10600000
Searching for device 6666:e200 ... found!
Execution started!
ubuntu@ubuntu:~/Desktop$

After it does that, I tried the i2cprogram again with the i2c-e280.bin file and got this:

ubuntu@ubuntu:~/Desktop$ ./e200tool i2cprogram i2c-e280.bin
e200tool v0.2.3-alpha (c) by MrH 2006, 2007
Programming i2c rom (address=87) range 0x0000-0x2000 from 'i2c-e280.bin'
Searching for device 6666:e200 ... found!
Failed to claim the interface (-1, Operation not permitted)
ubuntu@ubuntu:~/Desktop$

If I run it as sudo, I get:

ubuntu@ubuntu:~/Desktop$ sudo ./e200tool i2cprogram i2c-e280.bin
e200tool v0.2.3-alpha (c) by MrH 2006, 2007
Programming i2c rom (address=87) range 0x0000-0x2000 from 'i2c-e280.bin'
Searching for device 6666:e200 ... found!
Set ptr - error (-71, Protocol error)
ubuntu@ubuntu:~/Desktop$

What next?

Also, thanks in advance for your all the help.

[ItzBACON]

Oh, reason I run the i2cprogram command after recover is because nothing happens. Still the same blank screen and blue wheel.

[JdGordon]

what EXACTLY are you trying to do?

[ItzBACON]

Trying to unbrick it.

[JdGordon]

usually when someone makes a point to emphasize a word its important... the fact that the emphasised word was "exactly" I can understand that you may have been confused, so I'll try again...


what is the actual problem your having? saying its bricked isnt helpful.

[ItzBACON]

I can't get it to go into recovery mode. When I run the recover command with the boardsupport.rom it still stays in manufacturing mode, or so I'm guessing. I'm ASSUMING that it's in pre-boot mode, but since I'm still new at this I could be wrong. But the fact that it's not showing up as 0781:0720 and only as a "PortalPlayer, Inc." on 0b70:0003 or as "Prototype product vendor ID" on 6666:e200 makes me assume that it's not working the way it should. I've tried loading the i2c on it but I just get the "Failed to claim the interface (-1, Operation not permitted)" error. I waited as long as possible to post about it hoping that I could figure it out, but I'm pretty much out of ideas.

[zajacattack]

Yes, it is in pre-boot mode. You need to run "sudo ./e200tool init" (without quotes) and then run "sudo ./e200tool i2cprogram i2c-e280.bin" (without quotes) you cannot get into recovery mode without first repairing the i2c rom.

[ItzBACON]

Awesome guys, got it working again. I guess I was just doing some steps out of sequence or something, but after I did what you said zajacattack, it was able to recognize it as a Sansa again or so lsusb said. After that it wasn't too difficult to get it back going. Again, thanks guys, I REALLY appreciate all your help and what all you guys have done to figure this stuff out.

[aLexx]

I supposed I got a new serious Problem. I really missed it up when I deleted (sic) the partitions with fdisk! Now the e250 hängs as by everybody: nothing on the screen and only the circle is lighted up.
I am running ubuntu 64bit and compiled the e200tool by myself (I also tried the binary, but same result). I followed all the solutions in the thread until today but I always get the same mistake:
I try to connect in Manufactory Mode and lsusb give back:
Bus 002 Device 009: ID 0781:0720 SanDisk Corp.
When I do "./e200tool recover BL_SD_BOARDSUPPORTSD.ROM" I get
e200tool v0.2.3-alpha (c) by MrH 2006, 2007
Searching for device 0781:0720 ... found!
Initializing USB stub (4780 bytes) ... done!
Writing 'BL_SD_BOARDSUPPORTSD.ROM' to address 0x10600000
Searching for device 6666:e200 ... 9 8 found!
Write at 0x1060279f
Control message (-71, Protocol error)
and the lsusb give: Bus 005 Device 019: ID 6666:e200 Prototype product Vendor ID

I then tried: "./e200tool init" and I get: e200tool v0.2.3-alpha (c) by MrH 2006, 2007
Searching for device 0781:0720 ... found!
Initializing USB stub (4780 bytes) ... done!
But when I do: "./e200tool i2cprogram i2c.bin"
I get:e200tool v0.2.3-alpha (c) by MrH 2006, 2007
Programming i2c rom (address=87) range 0x0000-0x2000 from 'i2c.bin'
Searching for device 6666:e200 ... found!
Uploading at 0x2000
Uploading done!
Programming, please wait...
Programming failed (-71, Protocol error)
*DANGER*, player might not be bootable now! Please retry!

Does anybody knows how to solve this Problem, or what does "Programming failed (-71, Protocol error)" means???
Thx in advance

[aLexx]

Thanks to ALL the people with their problems and suggestions!!!! After an unsleepy night and thinking of giving up... I got a light and succedded in unbrick my  SANSA-e250.
This is the REAL Bible to unbrick the SANSA: http://www.rockbox.org/twiki/bin/view/Main/SansaE200Unbrick
Thanks again to all, who contributed to it!

Only one thing was driving me crazy: I was trying the whole with ubuntu amd64 (no problem with the system), but I stop getting "Programming failed (-71, Protocol error)" only when under the BIOS switched the USB Ports to USB1.1!
With USB2.0 I never succeded in wrinting the whole BL_SD_BOARDSUPPORTSD.ROM, but as soon as I tried with USB1.1 I had no programming problems at all.
Another important thing for those who deleted the partions (like I did), you NEED to copy also sansa.fmt to the recovery partition thogether with the *.mi4 and the *.rom files.

Thanks again!

[Eisbaer]

I've a big problem since today:

My Sansa e260 won't start any more. The animated boot screen appears and disappears again, then the scroll wheel turns blue and the display stays black and nothing happens any more.

It is possible to get into the recovery mode, but there is no effect when plugging in the usb cable - my computer doesn't recognize any usb-device.

I also tried to unbrick my Sansa in the manufacturer mode in Ubuntu. Here is the terminal log:

----part 1-----
ubuntu@ubuntu:~$ sudo ./e200tool recover BL_SD_boardSupportSD.rom
e200tool v0.2.3-alpha (c) by MrH 2006, 2007
Searching for device 0781:0720 ... found!
Initializing USB stub (4780 bytes) ... done!
Writing 'BL_SD_boardSupportSD.rom' to address 0x10600000
Searching for device 6666:e200 ... 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 not found!
----part 2-----
ubuntu@ubuntu:~$ sudo ./e200tool i2cprogram i2c-e260.bin
e200tool v0.2.3-alpha (c) by MrH 2006, 2007
Programming i2c rom (address=87) range 0x0000-0x2000 from 'i2c-e260.bin'
Searching for device 6666:e200 ... 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 not found!
-----part 3-----
ubuntu@ubuntu:~$ sudo ./e200tool init
e200tool v0.2.3-alpha (c) by MrH 2006, 2007
Searching for device 0781:0720 ... found!
Initializing USB stub (4780 bytes) ... done!
-------------------
Anyone has further ideas or can help me in any way?

Thanks in advance!

[zajacattack]

A couple of things:
1) For part one, did you make sure you held record while that command executed? Have you tried doing it again?
2) As for the next parts, you have to run ./e200tool init BEFORE you run ./e200tool i2cprogram

[Eisbaer]

A couple of things:
1) For part one, did you make sure you held record while that command executed? Have you tried doing it again?
2) As for the next parts, you have to run ./e200tool init BEFORE you run ./e200tool i2cprogram

1) yes I tried with and without pressing record- no difference (I tried several times)

2) when I use the init command first, ic2 doesn't find my Sansa anymore... :-(

[zajacattack]

Have you tried programming the i2c rom WITHOUT running ./e200tool recover BL_SD_boardSupportSD.rom first?

Do you have a different USB port and/or computer that you could try using?

[Eisbaer]

1) Have you tried programming the i2c rom WITHOUT running ./e200tool recover BL_SD_boardSupportSD.rom first?

2) Do you have a different USB port and/or computer that you could try using?

1) Yes, no change.

2) Yes, also no change  

Thanks for your efforts anyway!