Firmware update problem for V0.34c patch 15

[monster9]

Hi All,
I bought a jetbook from newegg.com serveral days ago. it came with firmware
v0.34c patch 15. I tried to update firmware to chinese version but no luck. here's what I did

1. from the hardware information reported by self-test, it should be M218A++. so I try M218A++ v27 first. it can detect the firmware package, ask me really wanna upgrade or not, that's good, I press 'ok' to proceed. it start to copy file.then later it said firmware update failed, can not find the files needed on sd card or internal momory.
2. maybe it just doesn't like M218A++? so I tried M218A+, this time it pop up a different message, wrong firmware, please use M218B.
3. good, I upload M218B v49 to sd card, this time it never ask me to update firmware or not but display "firmware update failed......" directly(same message in step 1).
4. interest, I saw ppl in this forum upgrade to M218B v44 successfully, so I gave v44 a try, guess what, It acts differet as v47, but show exactly sequence and message as step 1(M218A++ v27)
5. what's hell, maybe jetbook add some check to v34c, so I went to jetbook.net and download v33g to sd card, downgrade from v34 to v33 should be ok, right ? Nope, same symptom as step 1 and step 4.

I got an jetbook that is non-upgradable !!!

so I went to self-test and check items one by one, spotted something that abnormal, the NOR checksum is not correct, everything else are ok other than that.

No idea about what's going on. Any suggestion/pointer/hint/clue are welcome.

Thanks.

[Ken Maltby]

It took me four tries to flash my JBL to .14n I had the SD card formated to FAT32, for
the one that worked. That might not have had anything to do with it working though,
just the persistence probably made the difference.

Luck;
Ken

[monster9]

Hi Ken,

So what's the error messages for your 3 failed tries?
I did try fat32 and fat, none works.

Thanks.

[Kralik]

Well, you are taking a risk flashing to the Chinese firmware. Did you read the related thread? Perhaps try double-flashing 33g and then A++.

[monster9]

Thanks Kralik,
I did read your post and that's why I wanna give it a try
My problem is not only chinese firmware but even the original firmware from JetBook can not be flashed on my jetbook. that sounds not correct to me.
my firmware version is v034c patch 15, but jetbook is saying their latest build is v033h.
One more weird thing, JetBook states itself has dictionary functionality(in its manual), but I can not find it at all on my JetBook, believe me, I digged every menu, No dictionary!

Not sure I need to install any software or it should be there when I open the box.

btw: here's the office upgrade instruction I got from JetBook, hope it's helpful for ppl don't have upgrade issue(like poor me)

Please perform the following to update Firmware on your JetBook:

1. Please download the file with last firmware from here:
ftp://80.247.183.35/jl04_v033h.zip
2. Unpack it on your PC. You will get 3 folders in the JL04-v030h folder: Data, Firmware, reflash_nor.

Case 1 (you have SD reader for you PC):

1. Switch off your jetbook, fully charge it and take out the SD from the unit (if it's available there, otherwise please take corresponding SD card) after that.
2. Insert it to the card reader of your PC. Please note that you should have about 300 MB of free memory on your card
3. Open "My Computer" once the SD is inside the card reader connected to your PC.
4. Select a disk which is a SD that you connected to your PC (disk E: or F: or anything like this)
5. Click on it with Right button, select "Format" from the list of Pop Up Window.
6. Please select File System as FAT (not FAT32) and press Start.
7. Once the card is formatted please save the following folders to it: Data, Firmware, reflash_nor. The common space is 102 MB.
8. Please close the SD card window on your PC, switch off its USB connection and take out the SD from the reader.
9. Insert it to your JetBook, press Reset button, then release Reset button, after that please press Power and keep it pressed. While it's pressed push
the Right Arrow button (near Ok button) till the picture will appear on the screen. Once it appeared please release all buttons.
10. Press Ok and wait till the process of the firmware update is completed.
11. Please press reset after you get a confirmation mail that the firmware update is completed.
12. Please press Power button and start to use the unit.

Case 2 (you use your JetBook as Card reader):

1. Insert SD to your JetBook according to user's guide while it's switched off, fully charge it and connect it to your PC. (Please note that you should have about 300 MB of free memory on your card)
2. Open "My Computer" once JetBook is connected to your PC and switched on.
3. You will get 2 new disks (one of them is a JetBook itself and another one is SD installed inside it. (disk E: or F: or anything like this)
4. Click on it with Right button on the icon of SD, select "Format" from the list of Pop Up Window.
5. Please select File System as FAT (not FAT32) and press Start.
6. Once the card is formatted please save the following folders to it: Data, Firmware, reflash_nor. The common space is 102 MB.
7. Please close the SD card window on your PC, switch off its USB connection and disconnect your JetBook from PC.
8. Press Reset button on your JetBook, then release Reset button, after that please press Power and keep it pressed. While it's pressed push
the Right Arrow button (near Ok button) till the picture will appear on the screen. Once it appeared please release all buttons.
9. Press Ok and wait till the process of the firmware updating is completed.
10. Please press Reset after you get a confirmation screen that the firmware update is completed.
11. Please press Power button and start to use the unit.

//////////////////////////
6. Once the card is formatted please save the following folders to it: Data, Firmware, reflash_nor. The common space is 102 MB.
what's "The common space is 102 MB" means ? The three folders are only around 50 MB i think
//////////////////////////

[Ken Maltby]

I didn't count, as a try, where an error message appeared. I would just address the
reason for the error, error messages are good things. The tries I mentioned are where
every thing seemed to go correctly but there was no change to the firmware when I
checked. I also re-downloaded the update package, at least once.

[Kralik]

monster9,

You have a version of the jetBook firmware that is not yet publicly available. My guess is that if it includes the eReader DRM support, they added some checks that keep it from being cross-flashable, similar to the problems with cross-flashing the jetBook with Aluratek firmware. For example, after the Aluratek Libre added ADE DRM support, you would not be (easily) able to flash back to an earlier version. If it is as you say -- you cannot flash to 0.33g or 0.33h -- I don't know what to tell you until ECTACO releases 0.34c and we can dissect it.

One other thing you might try is running Reflash NOR in the self-test menu with the 0.33h firmware unzipped to the jetBook/SD prior to downgrading to 0.33h. Worth a shot.

[infi]

Originally Posted by Kralik

monster9,

You have a version of the jetBook firmware that is not yet publicly available. My guess is that if it includes the eReader DRM support, they added some checks that keep it from being cross-flashable, similar to the problems with cross-flashing the jetBook with Aluratek firmware. For example, after the Aluratek Libre added ADE DRM support, you would not be (easily) able to flash back to an earlier version. If it is as you say -- you cannot flash to 0.33g or 0.33h -- I don't know what to tell you until ECTACO releases 0.34c and we can dissect it.

This sounds similar to my experience. Reading through the forums here, and receiving my JB-5 yesterday with 0.34c pre-installed on it, I was unable to flash "upgrade" it to 0.33g, the latest on their site. (force of habit to flash new equipment when I get it, since it is almost always lagging behind; just so happened that this one was new and unreleased).

Despite trying about 6 times on both SD and SDHC cards which I formatted several times, it refused to take the older version entirely. So it sounds likely that some sort of version checking has been included in 0.34(x).

But, as you say, I guess we'll find out when it's released.

[monster9]

ok, here's the update,
I contacted both jetbook tech support and Doc.E tech support(jetbook is Doc.E's North America version). They put in version check in 0.34, the reason is when customer try to upgrade their firmware, many of them happen to choose a wrong one(for other model) and brick their device.
So you can not downgrade from 0.34 to lower version. but you can downgrade from any higher version to 0.34(coz version/model check is enforced in those versions already).

The bottom line is if your device is 0.33, you have one time choice to choose which line of firmware you wanna follow. otherwise you are binded to current firmware line. The only hope is some one come up with a crack release.

[Kralik]

This version check should be able to be overcome -- it has been done with the Libre firmware. We'll have to wait until they provide the download to see.