PRS505 Update

Akumag2 · 02-22-2009, 10:04 PM

So I got the PRS 505 for my wife (love my PRS500 better), got the 100 credits sorted out, installed the connect software for her then saw there was a firmware update for the 505, download that and run it only to get the message that the current firmware is D.E.M.O.10000 and the newest firmware will not install.

Now this was a model version from circuit city (that I got for less than $50 being that I work there and know who to talk to!), it seems to install books fine and pictures and reads them, holds a good battery charge (took tonnes of cleaning though it was jet black with years of hand dirt).

Is this firmware updated for anything other than ePUB support?
Is there a way to manually update it and get it away from the DEMO firmware version?

Thanks

lilac_jive · 02-22-2009, 10:12 PM

Wow, lots of people buying demo versions lately. I think it has to get reflashed to wipe the slate, but don't hold me to that. Do a quick search here for demo 505, see how others fixed the problem.

dreams · 02-22-2009, 11:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lilac_jive

Wow, lots of people buying demo versions lately. I think it has to get reflashed to wipe the slate, but don't hold me to that. Do a quick search here for demo 505, see how others fixed the problem.

Quick search on Demo 505 brought up this thread that you might want to check out..

https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...ht=demo+505%2C

if not, try a search again and read the threads.. good luck and let us know what happens

Akumag2 · 02-22-2009, 11:26 PM

Thanks for the reply, only really found one thread related to this issue.
I tried doing the reset button & power to soft reset but alas no firmware is still D.E.M.O.1.0000
The flash instructions seem to only work if you have an SD card in the reader, is that the only way to do a firmware flash to the first firmware version before I can get the newest firmware?
If so I guess I need to go out and buy an SD card

dreams · 02-22-2009, 11:55 PM

Akumag2, oops

fixed the link in my answer...

Akumag2 · 02-23-2009, 08:56 AM

yeah thats the one I found, resetting didn't do anything, firmware was the same, there is a link on that thread to re-flash but it seems to require an SD card of which I do not have, I'll see if I can find a cheap one somewhere and give that a go.

gwynevans · 02-23-2009, 09:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Akumag2

yeah thats the one I found, resetting didn't do anything, firmware was the same

There's a way around that, which is to tweak the standalone flasher such that it thinks it's got a different firmware version to install, so it'll reflash. (There's details in Appendix C of valloric's Font Replacement Guide).

Not sure if that'll then sort out the Demo issue, but it will sort out the reflasher thinking the target's at the same version & bailing out.

igorsk · 02-26-2009, 09:50 PM

Use Universal Flasher to switch it to the firmware update mode, then the updater should work.

Akumag2 · 02-27-2009, 09:40 PM

I have tried the apendix c for the font firmware flasher (though appendix c is for bricked readers) it did not do anything, the firmware is still D.E.M.O1.0000

What is this universal flasher?
I tried looking through the forum for it but keep coming back to the font flasher.

wild_Willie2 · 02-28-2009, 02:31 AM

HERE you can find the flasher.

Flash your reader and reconect to a pc to reinstall the latest firmware from sony.

Have done it a dozen times and it's easy as pancakes.

gwynevans · 02-28-2009, 06:34 AM

The "Universal Flasher" involves an SD-Card-based utility script to allow you to do various things with the device, but the main use of it involves creating an image by merging the device existing frmware with some tweaked files, then flashing the new image.

As Igorsk says, one of the other things it can do, is to set the device into a "Firmware Update" mode, after which the Sony Updater executable should be able to reflash the device to the V1.1 firmware.

If you've done both those two things, with no errors, and it's still showing 'Demo', then I'm not sure what the best approach might be as it'd probably need some form of 'custom' solution.

[Edit] You don't need a large SD card - You probably only actually need a few MBs, so I expect the smallest you can find these days would be ample!

Akumag2 · 02-28-2009, 10:35 PM

you guys are a god send, not that the reader was broken but I wanted my wife to have the latest and greatest (well yes i know that the prs 700 is out now, but the 505 is better than my 500 supposedly (I dont think so though)).
I put those files on an SD card flashed the reader then did the official update and presto she now nolonger has the D.E.M.O.1.0000 firmware.

Thank you so much

Now in a week when Circuit City lays us off we can go though the books on the forum and start reading a whole bunch

gwynevans · 03-01-2009, 03:47 AM

Well done! Incidently, now you've done that, you might as well use the PRSCustomizer to create a custom firmware image & flash that. I find that the "Uniform Fonts" and the clock make it well worth it.

Akumag2 · 03-01-2009, 10:24 AM

Ive never had any problem with the fonts on the PRS 500 and the text looks much clearer on the 505 it got my wife.
The clock though, doesn't that have to constantly update, and in doing so eat up the battery life?

I remember that topic coming up with the 500 came out, that and wireless and it was discussed that Sony didnt release them as they wanted the battery to last much longer?

gwynevans · 03-01-2009, 05:41 PM

The "Uniform fonts" are just the menu font sizes. It'll currently use a bigger font for short titles than long titles & the tweak makes it use the smaller font for both. I think most people think it looks better that way. The clock only updates when you turn a page, so no difference on the battery life but that turns out to be often enough!

02-22-2009, 10:04 PM	#1
Akumag2 Enthusiast Posts: 46 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jan 2007	PRS505 Update So I got the PRS 505 for my wife (love my PRS500 better), got the 100 credits sorted out, installed the connect software for her then saw there was a firmware update for the 505, download that and run it only to get the message that the current firmware is D.E.M.O.10000 and the newest firmware will not install. Now this was a model version from circuit city (that I got for less than $50 being that I work there and know who to talk to!), it seems to install books fine and pictures and reads them, holds a good battery charge (took tonnes of cleaning though it was jet black with years of hand dirt). Is this firmware updated for anything other than ePUB support? Is there a way to manually update it and get it away from the DEMO firmware version? Thanks

02-28-2009, 06:34 AM	#11
gwynevans Wizzard Posts: 1,402 Karma: 2000000 Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: UK Device: iPad 2, iPhone 6s, Kindle Voyage & Kindle PaperWhite	The "Universal Flasher" involves an SD-Card-based utility script to allow you to do various things with the device, but the main use of it involves creating an image by merging the device existing frmware with some tweaked files, then flashing the new image. As Igorsk says, one of the other things it can do, is to set the device into a "Firmware Update" mode, after which the Sony Updater executable should be able to reflash the device to the V1.1 firmware. If you've done both those two things, with no errors, and it's still showing 'Demo', then I'm not sure what the best approach might be as it'd probably need some form of 'custom' solution. [Edit] You don't need a large SD card - You probably only actually need a few MBs, so I expect the smallest you can find these days would be ample! Last edited by gwynevans; 02-28-2009 at 06:41 AM.

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02-22-2009, 10:12 PM	#2
lilac_jive Grand Sorcerer Posts: 5,870 Karma: 27376 Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Pennsylvania Device: PRS-505	Wow, lots of people buying demo versions lately. I think it has to get reflashed to wipe the slate, but don't hold me to that. Do a quick search here for demo 505, see how others fixed the problem.

02-22-2009, 11:26 PM	#4
Akumag2 Enthusiast Posts: 46 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jan 2007	Thanks for the reply, only really found one thread related to this issue. I tried doing the reset button & power to soft reset but alas no firmware is still D.E.M.O.1.0000 The flash instructions seem to only work if you have an SD card in the reader, is that the only way to do a firmware flash to the first firmware version before I can get the newest firmware? If so I guess I need to go out and buy an SD card

02-22-2009, 11:55 PM	#5
dreams It's about the umbrella Posts: 25,110 Karma: 56250158 Join Date: Jan 2009 Device: Sony 505\| K Fire \| KK 3G+Wi-Fi \| iPhone 3Gs \|Vista 32-bit Hm Prem w/FF	Akumag2, oops fixed the link in my answer...

02-23-2009, 08:56 AM	#6
Akumag2 Enthusiast Posts: 46 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jan 2007	yeah thats the one I found, resetting didn't do anything, firmware was the same, there is a link on that thread to re-flash but it seems to require an SD card of which I do not have, I'll see if I can find a cheap one somewhere and give that a go.

02-26-2009, 09:50 PM	#8
igorsk Wizard Posts: 3,442 Karma: 300001 Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Belgium Device: PRS-500/505/700, Kindle, Cybook Gen3, Words Gear	Use Universal Flasher to switch it to the firmware update mode, then the updater should work.

02-27-2009, 09:40 PM	#9
Akumag2 Enthusiast Posts: 46 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jan 2007	I have tried the apendix c for the font firmware flasher (though appendix c is for bricked readers) it did not do anything, the firmware is still D.E.M.O1.0000 What is this universal flasher? I tried looking through the forum for it but keep coming back to the font flasher.

02-28-2009, 02:31 AM	#10
wild_Willie2 Zealot Posts: 125 Karma: 24 Join Date: Jan 2009 Device: prs 505	HERE you can find the flasher. Flash your reader and reconect to a pc to reinstall the latest firmware from sony. Have done it a dozen times and it's easy as pancakes.

02-28-2009, 10:35 PM	#12
Akumag2 Enthusiast Posts: 46 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jan 2007	you guys are a god send, not that the reader was broken but I wanted my wife to have the latest and greatest (well yes i know that the prs 700 is out now, but the 505 is better than my 500 supposedly (I dont think so though)). I put those files on an SD card flashed the reader then did the official update and presto she now nolonger has the D.E.M.O.1.0000 firmware. Thank you so much Now in a week when Circuit City lays us off we can go though the books on the forum and start reading a whole bunch

03-01-2009, 03:47 AM	#13
gwynevans Wizzard Posts: 1,402 Karma: 2000000 Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: UK Device: iPad 2, iPhone 6s, Kindle Voyage & Kindle PaperWhite	Well done! Incidently, now you've done that, you might as well use the PRSCustomizer to create a custom firmware image & flash that. I find that the "Uniform Fonts" and the clock make it well worth it.

03-01-2009, 10:24 AM	#14
Akumag2 Enthusiast Posts: 46 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jan 2007	Ive never had any problem with the fonts on the PRS 500 and the text looks much clearer on the 505 it got my wife. The clock though, doesn't that have to constantly update, and in doing so eat up the battery life? I remember that topic coming up with the 500 came out, that and wireless and it was discussed that Sony didnt release them as they wanted the battery to last much longer?

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03-01-2009, 05:41 PM	#15
gwynevans Wizzard Posts: 1,402 Karma: 2000000 Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: UK Device: iPad 2, iPhone 6s, Kindle Voyage & Kindle PaperWhite	The "Uniform fonts" are just the menu font sizes. It'll currently use a bigger font for short titles than long titles & the tweak makes it use the smaller font for both. I think most people think it looks better that way. The clock only updates when you turn a page, so no difference on the battery life but that turns out to be often enough!