PRS-505 More Bricked Problems

bmwvan · 03-19-2011, 06:01 PM

I have searched the forums and tried as many of the suggestions I could find to unbrick my 505, but haven't had any luck yet. I started with the screen hung up on Starting up... Tried soft reset. Tried soft resets often. Tried 10+ resets four or five times, same result.

Tried hard reset - no luck.

Tried to load new firmware. Got the firmware failed to install message.

Plugged unit up to the PC and got Updating Firmware now....

Been like that for 2 days. I'm a little frustrated. Tried PRSCustomizer (which I had been using for years). Tried to flash with an SD card. I tried to scare it with flushing it down the toilet!

Can you see what I have missed? BTW, the battery is fully charged from the original wall wart and a PSP one. (different times, of course)

Aurora W · 03-20-2011, 01:36 PM

The only thing I could think of (and only because I ran into this with an iPod once) - have you tried letting the battery fully discharge? I know that will probably take forever, but it sounds like you've tried everything else I could think of.

Have you tried Sony's site?

bmwvan · 03-20-2011, 07:48 PM

Thanks for the reply Aurora. The Sony fix is what left me with the firmware errors. I'm starting to look around for the next ereader for our family. Oh, did I mention that the brick is my wife's and my 505 works just fine? Ouch!

jackie_w · 03-20-2011, 09:07 PM

This installer from kartu got me out of a hole last week. I believe it should restore the original 505 US firmware 1.1.00.18040.

kartu · 03-21-2011, 04:55 AM

Quote:

Tried soft reset. Tried soft resets often. Tried 10+ resets four or five times, same result.

How did reader react to it?
Note that "10 reset thing" works as follows: there is some kind of "OK" marker that firmware sets at some point of the boot process, to indicate, that firmware flashing didn't fail. You need to reset 10 times _before_ that happens (this triggers "oh, firmware update failed" code). After 10 resets reader should prompt you to update firmware (standard updater should work).

Note that if battery is fully discharged, charging via USB simply doesn't work.

Also try to remove all stuff from internal memory, and format it. (some custom made LRF/EPUB books could easily hang it)

bmwvan · 03-21-2011, 12:45 PM

Kartu, how do I identify the point at which the resets need to occur? (did I ask this earlier?)

kartu · 03-21-2011, 01:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bmwvan

Kartu, how do I identify the point at which the resets need to occur? (did I ask this earlier?)

It's been a while since I last used it, but right after "starting up" screen shows up should be enough. I think you could also watch the red/orange led on the edge of the reader.

edbro · 03-21-2011, 03:17 PM

Can you see the Reader as a drive on your PC? If so, after it connects, format the drive using Windows Explorer.

https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...09&postcount=1

Quote:

Finally unbrick my prs505! - a new method

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

My prs505 got bricked (stuck on "starting up..." page), when I tried to flash Chinese font into the internal memory. When the reader was connected to the USB, I can see the three "Removable Disk" with 0 capacity, which can not be formatted or recognized by the updater. The "soft reset 10 times" method did not work for me. But I have finally got it unbricked using the following method:

1. Press the pinhole on the back panel(do not exercise the power switch ).
2. Connect the reader to USB. The reader will still show "starting up...", BUT the light beside the power switch turn red and the computer can read the internal memory of the reader now.
3. Format the internal memory using FAT.
4. Unconnect the reader and exercise the power switch to soft reset it.

This is how I got my prs505 unbricked. Hope this will be of some use to some other people...

bmwvan · 03-26-2011, 08:47 AM

The only time I can get my PC to recognize the reader is when it is trying to update the firmware. I can't format the device's memory because it is in use. Yet it hangs on the screen, "Updating firmware now..." If I remove the USB cable from the reader, I get the "firmware update did not complete... please try again. I think it is time to give up...
Thanks for all the suggestions, everyone...

Mark Nord · 03-26-2011, 10:56 AM

Why, if I may ask, are you not updating the firmware, with the firmware-updater mentioned in post #4, WHILE the reader states "Updating firmware now..." AND is recognized by the PC?

It's as simple as to start and run the firmware-updater programm at the PC with the reader connected to USB and the Update FW message on screen.

bmwvan · 03-26-2011, 10:45 PM

Mark, I AM using the firmware-updater in the manner you suggest. I have gotten the firmware updated but can't get the reader to start. The unit is recognized as something, but not anything that I can use. The Sony software shows "error" when I connect the reader and does not indicate a reader is there at all. Calibre does not recognize it. In Windows Explorer, the device shows up as a storage device with one file that says "Protected!!" I can't format the device because the file on it is running and if I stop it, the computer no longer recognizes the reader at all. We have had 2 505s for over 5 years and never have had this much trouble with either one before! I am hoping that there IS something simple that I have overlooked and one of you helpful forum friends could point it out to me and go, "Well, there's your problem!"

Mark Nord · 03-27-2011, 03:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bmwvan

Mark, I AM using the firmware-updater in the manner you suggest. I have gotten the firmware updated but can't get the reader to start.

Sorry, that wasn't clear for me.

Quote:

The unit is recognized as something, but not anything that I can use. The Sony software shows "error" when I connect the reader and does not indicate a reader is there at all.

Is this Sony-software you refer to the Sony-Reader-Library?
If so, is this porgramm started via Auto-Start?
AFAIK Reader-Library should be closed while runing the updater.

kartu · 03-27-2011, 04:06 AM

Quote:

I can't format the device's memory because it is in use.

I'm very confused about this part. So you can actually see content of internal memory of your reader? (the only legit program that would "use" it would be Sony Library, but you can simply switch it off)

How does "updater" end? Does it find the reader? Does it report any problems?

I'd try doing it from another PC.

bmwvan · 03-30-2011, 05:40 PM

Kartu, I have been able to "see" the content of internal memory in Windows Explorer. It says there is a file that is protected, but does not give a filename, nor does it say it is in use, but I did not have the Sony Library on. I have tried these steps with the Library on and with it off. Usually I handle my books with Calibre, but it won't recognize the 505. At least the Sony LIbrary gives me an error and a Status screen without anything in it. The updater, from Sony, finally ended successfully and took me to the Reader starting up page which is where it remains, just as when I started.

As I said in an earlier post, this is my wife's reader and I just gave her mine and I am reading on my iPhone. Maybe one day we'll figure out what's wrong, or what we are doing wrong. Life is too short to waste time on things like this. I mean, I have put in a lot of hours trying to unbrick this reader and that's enough. My thanks to all of you who have tried to help, even those who think I am an idiot. Things weren't so complicated back in the day when I was a boy...

igorsk · 04-01-2011, 10:45 AM

The "protected" file appears when the Reader is in recovery mode. The only (official) way to get out of it is to perform a firmware update. No resetting or plugging/unplugging will work.

03-19-2011, 06:01 PM	#1
bmwvan Connoisseur Posts: 58 Karma: 57 Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Tunica, MS USA Device: hp iPAQ 4700/Fictionwise reader/Sony 505	More Bricked Problems I have searched the forums and tried as many of the suggestions I could find to unbrick my 505, but haven't had any luck yet. I started with the screen hung up on Starting up... Tried soft reset. Tried soft resets often. Tried 10+ resets four or five times, same result. Tried hard reset - no luck. Tried to load new firmware. Got the firmware failed to install message. Plugged unit up to the PC and got Updating Firmware now.... Been like that for 2 days. I'm a little frustrated. Tried PRSCustomizer (which I had been using for years). Tried to flash with an SD card. I tried to scare it with flushing it down the toilet! Can you see what I have missed? BTW, the battery is fully charged from the original wall wart and a PSP one. (different times, of course)

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03-20-2011, 01:36 PM	#2
Aurora W Addict Posts: 208 Karma: 2435146 Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: back in the Midwest, USA Device: PRS-950, iPad, Nexus 7	The only thing I could think of (and only because I ran into this with an iPod once) - have you tried letting the battery fully discharge? I know that will probably take forever, but it sounds like you've tried everything else I could think of. Have you tried Sony's site?

03-20-2011, 07:48 PM	#3
bmwvan Connoisseur Posts: 58 Karma: 57 Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Tunica, MS USA Device: hp iPAQ 4700/Fictionwise reader/Sony 505	Thanks for the reply Aurora. The Sony fix is what left me with the firmware errors. I'm starting to look around for the next ereader for our family. Oh, did I mention that the brick is my wife's and my 505 works just fine? Ouch!

03-20-2011, 09:07 PM	#4
jackie_w Grand Sorcerer Posts: 6,251 Karma: 16539642 Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: UK Device: ClaraHD, Forma, Libra2, Clara2E, LibraCol, PBTouchHD3	This installer from kartu got me out of a hole last week. I believe it should restore the original 505 US firmware 1.1.00.18040.

03-21-2011, 12:45 PM	#6
bmwvan Connoisseur Posts: 58 Karma: 57 Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Tunica, MS USA Device: hp iPAQ 4700/Fictionwise reader/Sony 505	Kartu, how do I identify the point at which the resets need to occur? (did I ask this earlier?)

03-26-2011, 08:47 AM	#9
bmwvan Connoisseur Posts: 58 Karma: 57 Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Tunica, MS USA Device: hp iPAQ 4700/Fictionwise reader/Sony 505	The only time I can get my PC to recognize the reader is when it is trying to update the firmware. I can't format the device's memory because it is in use. Yet it hangs on the screen, "Updating firmware now..." If I remove the USB cable from the reader, I get the "firmware update did not complete... please try again. I think it is time to give up... Thanks for all the suggestions, everyone...

03-26-2011, 10:56 AM	#10
Mark Nord 2B \|\| !2B Posts: 852 Karma: 314486 Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Austria Device: Sony PRS505/650/T1/tolino vision 5	Why, if I may ask, are you not updating the firmware, with the firmware-updater mentioned in post #4, WHILE the reader states "Updating firmware now..." AND is recognized by the PC? It's as simple as to start and run the firmware-updater programm at the PC with the reader connected to USB and the Update FW message on screen.

03-26-2011, 10:45 PM	#11
bmwvan Connoisseur Posts: 58 Karma: 57 Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Tunica, MS USA Device: hp iPAQ 4700/Fictionwise reader/Sony 505	Mark, I AM using the firmware-updater in the manner you suggest. I have gotten the firmware updated but can't get the reader to start. The unit is recognized as something, but not anything that I can use. The Sony software shows "error" when I connect the reader and does not indicate a reader is there at all. Calibre does not recognize it. In Windows Explorer, the device shows up as a storage device with one file that says "Protected!!" I can't format the device because the file on it is running and if I stop it, the computer no longer recognizes the reader at all. We have had 2 505s for over 5 years and never have had this much trouble with either one before! I am hoping that there IS something simple that I have overlooked and one of you helpful forum friends could point it out to me and go, "Well, there's your problem!"

03-30-2011, 05:40 PM	#14
bmwvan Connoisseur Posts: 58 Karma: 57 Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Tunica, MS USA Device: hp iPAQ 4700/Fictionwise reader/Sony 505	Kartu, I have been able to "see" the content of internal memory in Windows Explorer. It says there is a file that is protected, but does not give a filename, nor does it say it is in use, but I did not have the Sony Library on. I have tried these steps with the Library on and with it off. Usually I handle my books with Calibre, but it won't recognize the 505. At least the Sony LIbrary gives me an error and a Status screen without anything in it. The updater, from Sony, finally ended successfully and took me to the Reader starting up page which is where it remains, just as when I started. As I said in an earlier post, this is my wife's reader and I just gave her mine and I am reading on my iPhone. Maybe one day we'll figure out what's wrong, or what we are doing wrong. Life is too short to waste time on things like this. I mean, I have put in a lot of hours trying to unbrick this reader and that's enough. My thanks to all of you who have tried to help, even those who think I am an idiot. Things weren't so complicated back in the day when I was a boy...

04-01-2011, 10:45 AM	#15
igorsk Wizard Posts: 3,442 Karma: 300001 Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Belgium Device: PRS-500/505/700, Kindle, Cybook Gen3, Words Gear	The "protected" file appears when the Reader is in recovery mode. The only (official) way to get out of it is to perform a firmware update. No resetting or plugging/unplugging will work.

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