rock box [did not brick] my f20

[thw88z]

 

read the whole manual. read the whole forum. umm'd and ahh'd and then took the plunge.

i followed the procedure in the manual. I used the April 1st build [No april fools jokes please]  

I used the manual instructions to install but I couldnt find the GBSYSTEM folder so I went to the mygigabeat forums and discovered I could use winrar to move them.

I used winrar but it changed the extension to ".rar" so i changed it [in winrar] back to .dat

Rebooted and...voila...

I have had purple screens, white screens, green and brown stripes. I have tried rebooting with cradle / without cradle. Battery on, battery off....

now all i get is a gigabeat load screen and then it shutdowns when the load bar gets to the end...

windows does not recognise anything so it is a little hard to reformat in either windows or with the gigabeat reformatter

at this stage i would like a clean install of either rockbox or the toshiba firmware installed back on the machine.

Please help me as I am a music teacher and rely on this little brick 5 days a week!!!


Greg

[Llorean]

If you used WinRAR it's very possible that it did in fact RAR your files (if it changed their extension).

Our instructions tell you to simply set your computer to show hidden and system files. You'll need to simply put a valid fwimg01.dat there, either the one you backed up (as per the instructions) or another copy of the one downloaded from the Rockbox site, this time without running it through an external program.

If you can't access your Gigabeat at all, see the section of http://www.rockbox.org/twiki/bin/view/Main/GigabeatFXPort labelled "Gigabeat Recovery Procedures."

As a note: It wasn't Rockbox that bricked your F20, Rockbox works fine for many users. It was the extra steps you added to the installation process, most likely the bit with WinRAR that is unnecessary and seems very likely to have altered a key file.

[kkurbjun]

I'm guessing you were reading this forum topic on MyGigabeat: http://www.mygigabeat.com/forum/messages.cfm?threadid=1F4967F5-3048-2906-EA31599FAFA4840F.  I would strongly discourage anyone in the future to use this method as it appears to be causing problems with installation.  Only use the directions posted in the Wiki: http://www.rockbox.org/twiki/bin/view/Main/GigabeatFXPort.  You can view hidden files within Windows Explorer by setting the appropriate option as documented in the Wiki directions.

To thw88z: WinRAR likely compressed your FWIMG01.DAT file when it "renamed" it to a .RAR.  The player will not know how to decompress a RAR file or execute it for that matter (even if it was renamed).  If you cannot get windows to recognize your Gigabeat you will have to follow the recovery procedures in the Wiki which has a potential to damage your hardware.  Be extremely careful following these directions.  If you are not comfortable opening your player you may want to have someone who is help you.

[Nate!]

First let's try to get Windows to recognize your GB.

There are recovery instructions here: http://www.rockbox.org/twiki/bin/view/Main///GigabeatFXPort#Gigabeat_Recovery_Procedures

This will allow windows to see the harddrive in your GB.  Once you can see the drive, format it with either the Toshiba Gigabeat Room software or Windows.  

Then at the bottom of the same page linked above, is a GBSYSTEM.zip file.  This is a version of the GBSYSTEM folder with dummy files in it so that Rockbox can boot faster.  Extract it to the root of your Gigabeat.  (You could just right click and drag the zip file to the K:\ drive and select extract here.  K:\ being the drive letter representing your Gigabeat.)

Then go get the bootloader file, FWIMG01.DAT, from here: http://download.rockbox.org/bootloader/gigabeat/FWIMG01.DAT
Copy this file to K:\GBSYSTEM\FWIMG\ directory.

Now try these instructions to get Rockbox installed.  http://www.rockbox.org/twiki/bin/view/Main///GigabeatFXPort#Installation_Instructions

Don't forget to switch the battery on and off after you extract everything to the root of your Gigabeat. (rockbox.zip and rockbox-fonts.zip)

Get a new theme for the WPS (While Playing Screen, rockbox term for the Now Playing Screen.)  From here: http://www.rockbox.org/twiki/bin/view/Main/WpsGigabeatF

Finally, spend the rest of the day reading the manual: http://download.rockbox.org/manual/rockbox-gigabeatf/rockbox-build.html
and familiarizing yourself with Rockbox.

Please let us know what problems you had with the manual install instructions so that we can make changes.

Thanks and good luck.

[thw88z]

WOW!

Thanks for the prompt response.

Will get onto it when I am back from work [Sydney time here] 10:00am


More later..

At this stage I would just mention the "NOT USE WINRAR" in the manual.  I did SHOW FILES and apply to all but still could not find the GBSYSTEM FOLDER.

I tried to paste the whole folder i downloaded onto the gigabeat [root] and it said that it already existed [eventhough i could not see it and HIDDEN FILES were being shown] it then asked
" do you want to overwrite the folder." I was smart enough to say NO!

Because i could not see the folder it lead my to try the WINRAR thing which did see the folder.

 

Greg

[Nate!]

Actually, you can overwrite if you don't plan on going back to the original firmware. I've been using Rockbox since I think Dec last year.  I don't ever plan on going back.  With Video rebuffering now, Playlist on the fly, more codecs than you can shake a stick at, and a parametric EQ, amongst a whole slew of other things, why would you!

Make sure when checking, "Show hidden files and folders" that you "apply" first, then click "apply to all folders."  I would also UNcheck "Hide extensions for known file types," and "Hide protected operating system files."  Just to make sure that when you rename a .dat file, it renames correctly.  What could have happened if you didn't uncheck those options, after renaming the original bootloader FWIMG01.ORIG, you may have not been able to see the .dat at the end.  So it was actually named FWIMG01.ORIG.DAT.

Just remember, whenever you are updating Rockbox, Rockbox Fonts package, or a "Rockbox Bootloader," you should definately overwrite the files and folders.

One last thing, you may be asked to change the title of your thread.  Rockbox didn't actually brick your GB.  It was probably a misunderstanding of the install instructions or actually WinRar.

[Phalangees]

You have to also set windows to show system files. It's in the same screen as the view hidden files thing.

[thw88z]

You have to also set windows to show system files. It's in the same screen as the view hidden files thing.

Wish I knew this before!!!!!!

 

Has anyone unbricked [Pull apart with screwdriver] successfully. What do you need to look out for???

[thw88z]

UNBRICKED!!!  

Thank you all for the help.

All I did was do the "hot swap" on the drive. deleted the "winrar'ed" file. Replaced it with the correct one. Put it together reboot...

voila!!!

*mind you even with extreme caution i dropped the little screw and took me 15 minutes to find it*    

All i would think about adding to the manual is maybe a screenshot of the HIDDEN FILES screen. I am an experienced user and I had still forgotten about the "SHOW HIDDEN SYSTEM FILES" option and only unchecked the "SHOW HIDDEN FILES" as most people dont use that option alot.

I would also tell mygigabeat to remove the winrar posts too....


COOL! Now i have to re read the manual to set up WPS files etc.......wish me luck.

VERY VERY HAPPY!! VERY VERY IMPRESSED WITH THE HELP ON THIS FORUM!!


THANK YOU!!!!!

[Nate!]

So did you use the install instructions in the manual or the Gigabeat Port page?  The reason I ask is because, I was thinking of updating the manual.  I can't seem to figure out which part many people are getting confused on, or what we should emphasize so that they won't miss an important step.  

Your feedback is helpful though.

Thanks.

[Phalangees]

People are getting confused when they can't find GBSYSTEM. They may have hidden files shown but they don't have system files shown and windows sees GBSYSTEM and a couple of it's sub folders as system files/folders. I always just typed it into the address bar until I figured out how to make it shown, but now I don't even use windows for my gigabeat. woot for ubuntu!  

[Nate!]

Off topic, but I want to take the linux plunge.  (Ubuntu or Knoppix)  Kind of scary though, coming from using Windows your whole life.

[Phalangees]

Yes indead it is. I went from my whole life as windows to ubuntu. I screwed up my new linux box 3 times before I got the hang of it and started understanding what I can and can't do. I no longer consider myself a linux noob.    I actually know a lot of the konsole syntax.

[/offtopic]


edit: I posted a topic over at mygigabeat on 2 methods to get to your GBSYSTEM folder without some stupid winrar thing. Here's the address: http://www.mygigabeat.com/forum/messages.cfm?threadid=B54481ED-3048-2906-EA39106B0FBE3B3D

maybe this would make a nice wiki page.... i'll make it if someone agrees.

[bascule]

maybe this would make a nice wiki page.... i'll make it if someone agrees.

It's a Wiki - no-one specifically has to agree  

If you think it's useful and you can link it into an existing Wiki page (so people can find it), then go ahead...

[thw88z]

All things aside


ROCK BOX ROCKS!!!


I am so happy i persisted with the install. Was a bit scary opening the brick but if you take your time and make time rather than rushing it it is easy.

I followed the rock box manual SLOWLY....and when i got stuck with the GBSYSTEM thingy I looked elsewhere. That was the mistake.....