Can't format Cybook

[Gio]

Hello there!

It's my first post here, but I've been a "lurker" for a very long time... ;-)

Anyway, I think I read every single post in the "troubleshooting" section and even tho part of my problem it's been discussed already (https://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?t=46629), my actual problem is a bit different and I haven't found a solution yet.

Basically, after installing the new firmware I got the "checkered screen of death", but being a reader of this forum, I knew what to do: I formatted my cybook and then copy/pasted the system folder I had previously saved (just the system folder, not the others).

After that, everything seemed to work perfectly, I was able to use the folder view (yay, finally!) and everything seemed to work fine. [Important note: I have 99% of my books on the SD card and just a bunch of books on the internal memory so I didn't notice anything wrong right away].

BUT, after re-opening the cybook the day after, none of the settings I fixed (folder view, font size, etc) were still present, I re-sat the whole thing, then switched off the cybook and after re-opening... same problem, no settings saved.

So, I plugged the cybook on my PC to check the system folder and I saw that the other folders (Fonts, Music, eBooks, etc) weren't there, when I tried to copy/paste them into the cybook it wouldn't let me, it said something like "impossible to create or copy folder, disk is protected from writing" (I'm roughly translating from Italian).

When I tried to re-format the disk again, it said I couldn't do it because it's protected.

Any idea how I could fix it?

Other things I did:

- Re-installed the new firmware several times
- run the chkdsk on the cybook, everything looks fine
- Tried to run the cybook without the SD card (everything looks fine, except the cybook results empty, obviously)
- Checked out the bookmark feature (it works fine, it's just the general settings that don't stick!)

My cybook is 200 MHz
Version 6.0 (build 70)



Gio

[Godzil]

You should contact bookeen. I don't think that people here can help you on such a problem.. (looks like an hardware problem)

[Gio]

Originally Posted by Godzil

You should contact bookeen. I don't think that people here can help you on such a problem.. (looks like an hardware problem)

*cries*

I was afraid of that...
I'll email, but I don't want to send them my cybook (I'm kind of addicted to it and I don't have any other reader).
I'm tempted to just keep my damaged "baby" (even tho it's terribly annoying to change back all the settings every time I switch it on) and buy a new one as soon as I'll have the money, it's been two years already, it's probably time for a new model anyway...*sigh*

Thanks for the reply anyway.

[T_Frain_K]

You should trust Godzil, he has a fair amount of knowledge in these things. Plus, I´m positive that Bookeen can and will help you out on that matter

[Gio]

Originally Posted by T_Frain_K

You should trust Godzil, he has a fair amount of knowledge in these things. Plus, I´m positive that Bookeen can and will help you out on that matter

I just emailed Bookeen, hopefully they'll answer before 2011... *grins*

Thanks for the moral support!

[T_Frain_K]

Bookeen has a history of ignoring, respectively not acknowledging nor replying to customer emails regarding the firmware update. (But if they were reading here, they have kept track of everything anyway.)
We got positive feedback regarding Bookeen support where there were real problems (like yours seem to be).

[Gio]

Originally Posted by T_Frain_K

Bookeen has a history of ignoring, respectively not acknowledging nor replying to customer emails regarding the firmware update. (But if they were reading here, they have kept track of everything anyway.)
We got positive feedback regarding Bookeen support where there were real problems (like yours seem to be).

Let's hope!

I'll let you know if/when I'll get a reply...

[skaposzczet]

You can try to clear internal memory of Your Cybook the way I did. Just downgrade Your device to 796fmt version. This should delete everything from Your Cybook. After that, instal again firmware that You like. If this will work, try to check if everything is ok before You put SD card in the reader.
796fmt firmware is here:
http://bookeen.free.fr/bin/CybookGen...nelb796fmt.zip

[Godzil]

Please note that 796fmt is ONLY for 200Mhz model, NOT for 400Mhz one.

(I know that the Gio have a 200Mhz one, but it's for others, this version is pretty old, and should be avoided as much as possible)

[Gio]

Originally Posted by skaposzczet

You can try to clear internal memory of Your Cybook the way I did. Just downgrade Your device to 796fmt version. This should delete everything from Your Cybook. After that, instal again firmware that You like. If this will work, try to check if everything is ok before You put SD card in the reader.
796fmt firmware is here:
http://bookeen.free.fr/bin/CybookGen...nelb796fmt.zip

Hi skaposzczet!

I did what you suggested, but it didn't change anything...

Still, I'm wondering if I'm doing something wrong... I don't have an SD card reader on my PC, so I do all the firmware updates via usb. I usually put the update_kernel file on my SD card (I did the whole downgrade/upgrade thing this way, too), should I try to put it into the cybook internal memory istead (if it'll let me, that is)?

I would be appy to be able to use just the SD card to save the general settings, too... I wonder if there's a way to do it...*ponders*

Thanks for the help anyway!

P.S. not a word from Bookeen yet. :|

[Gio]

So, just to keep you updated....

I finally heard from Bookeen support and it looks like I'll have to send them my cybook. *sigh*

That's exactly what I wanted to avoid (I'll go mad without an ebook reader for who-knows-how-long!) and I'm not even sure it's going to be worth it.

I was already contemplating to buy a Nook as soon as they started to fix the firmware bugs and it looks like they did fix all the major ones, so... *is conflicted*

Anyway, I'll let you know if I'll decide to send it.

P.S. Do you by any chance know how much time it usually takes to get back your device after it's fixed?

-Gio

[EowynCarter]

you by any chance know how much time it usually takes to get back your device after it's fixed?

Time needed by the post . 2 / 3 days for postage to italy I would say.
The unkown is how long the fix will need.

[Gio]

Originally Posted by EowynCarter

The unkown is how long the fix will need.

I guess we'll just have to wait and see (IF I decide to send it)...

[kren]

Hi I had no success trying to upgrade the firmware upgrade via the memory card method detailed on their web site so I contacted them by email and received an alternative procedure which I'm happy to say worked it is forbidden to copy their email but i'm sure if you contact their support team you will get a prompt reply

[Gio]

Originally Posted by khlong9

Hi I had no success trying to upgrade the firmware upgrade via the memory card method detailed on their web site so I contacted them by email and received an alternative procedure which I'm happy to say worked it is forbidden to copy their email but i'm sure if you contact their support team you will get a prompt reply

I had no problem with the firmware update, it works just fine. :-)
My problem is with the internal memory of the cybook and the fact that I can't format it (or add/delete anything to/from it).

Anyway, I did contact the support and they told me it's an hardware problem that can only be solved by sending them the reader. *sigh*
I decided I'll keep my "damaged-but-still-kinda-working" cybook and I'll buy a Nook as soon as I'll have the money, I had a cybook for more than two years, it was probably time for a change anyway... ;-)