How To Upgrade Firmware on your PocketBooks 301 and 360

[Yar-PocketBooker]

Here is how to upgrade the firmware on your PB 360:

PocketBook 360 Upgrade Manual
How to Upgrade Firmware of your PocketBook 360 E-Reader

Important! Firmware upgrade is very important operation, that changes the controlling software of your electronic reader. In case it is performed incorrectly this software may be damaged and device might not function properly and has to be brought to the service center. Please, try to perform upgrade procedure as close to the steps in this manual as possible.

The latest firmware upgrade of your device can be downloaded from http://www.pocketbookreader.com/Downloads.html. This is a zip-file (archive), please unpack it on your computer. You will need a Micro SD or Micro SDHC memory card to upgrade your firmware.

1. Copy the upgrade image (file named SWUPDATE.BIN) to the root of your memory card.
2. Insert the card into the cardreader of your device.
3. Connect your PocketBook 360 to power supply (to power outlet with the help of the wall charger or a computer with the help of USB-cable). The device has to be connected to power supply during the whole process of the upgrade.
4. Turn the device off.
5. Holding the central button “OK”and simultaneously, holding the Upper Page button, press the “On/Off” button as if you were turing the device on. IMPORTANT: both “OK” and Upper Page buttons must be released ONLY after the message «Firmware update» appears on the top of the display (after the logo appears and dissapears! - don't release buttons after the logo appears - wait untill it goes away and you see «Firmware update» words!)
6. The programm will check the upgrade file image. In case it is succesfull, the display will show «Press center key to start update».
7. Press the center “OK” key. The upgade process takes about 2 minutes. After it is finished, the display will show the following message «Upgrade OK. Now please reset the device».
8. You don’t have to manually reset your Pocketbook 360, as it resets automatically.
9. Turn the device on. Make sure that the latest firmware on your PocketBook 360 is installed. To check this, please go to Settings - Information about device - Firmware Version.

You can delete SWUPDATE.BIN file from you memory card after you finish the upgrade.

Possible errors:

No upgrade image found – file SWUPDATE.BIN can not be found on the Micro SD card. Make sure the file is in the root directory of the card. Try to format your Micro SD card (make a reserve copies of all its content prior to formatting) and copy the file to the root of the empty card. If this error persists, use another card.
Please connect power cable – power supply is not connected. Make sure the USB-cable is securely connected to the wall charger or the computer.
Upgrade image is corrupted or Image is empty – SWUPDATE.BIN file is damaged or there is no space available on the Micro SD card. Delete some files form your card and copy SWUPDATE.BIN file to it one more time. Repeat the fownload from http://www.pocketbookreader.com/Downloads.html. If this error persists, use another card.
Firmware image is not for this device – you are trying to use firmware for another e-reader/device. Download your PocketBook 360 upgrade from http://www.pocketbookreader.com/Downloads.html
File read error – try using another Micro SD card
Flash write error, sector N – the firmware was written to the device’s memory incorrectly. Try to do the upgrade one more time. If this error persists, please call your nearest service center to correct this error.

[Yar-PocketBooker]

PocketBook 301+ Upgrade Manual
How to Upgrade Firmware of your PocketBook 301+ E-Reader

Important! Firmware upgrade is very important operation, that changes the controlling software of your electronic reader. In case it is performed incorrectly this software may be damaged and device might not function properly and has to be brought to the service center. Please, try to perform upgrade procedure as close to the steps in this manual as possible.

The latest firmware upgrade of your device can be downloaded from http://www.pocketbookreader.com/Downloads.html. This is a zip-file (archive), please unpack it on your computer. You will need a SD or SDHC memory card to upgrade your firmware.

1. Copy the upgrade image (file named SWUPDATE.BIN) to the root of your memory card.
2. Insert the card into the cardreader of your device.
3. Connect your PocketBook 301 to power supply (to power outlet with the help of the wall charger or a computer with the help of USB-cable). The device has to be connected to power supply during the whole process of the upgrade.
4. Turn the device off.
5. Holding the button “+” on the right side of the device, press the “On/Off” button as if you were turing it on. IMPORTANT: the “+” button must be released ONLY after the message «Firmware update» appears on the top of the display (after the logo appears and dissapears! - don't release buttons after the logo appears - wait untill it goes away and you see «Firmware update» words!)
6. The programm will check the upgrade file image. In case it is succesfull, the display will show «Press center key to start update».
7. Press the center key. The upgade process takes about 2 minutes. After it is finished, the display will show the following message «Upgrade OK. Now please reset the device».
8. You don’t have to manually reset your Pocketbook 301+, as it resets automatically.
9. Turn the device on. Make sure that the latest firmware on your PocketBook 301+ is installed. To check this, please go to Settings - Information about device - Firmware Version.

You can delete SWUPDATE.BIN file from you memory card after you finish the upgrade.

Possible errors:

No upgrade image found – file SWUPDATE.BIN can not be found on the SD-card. Make sure the file is in the root directory of the card. Try to format SD card (make a reserve copies of all its content prior to formatting) and copy the file to the root of the empty card. If this error persists, use another card.
Please connect power cable – power supply is not connected. Make sure the USB-cable is securely connected to the wall charger or the computer.
Upgrade image is corrupted or Image is empty – SWUPDATE.BIN file is damaged or there is no space available on the SD card. Delete some files form your card and copy SWUPDATE.BIN file to it one more time. Repeat the fownload from http://www.pocketbookreader.com/Downloads.html. If this error persists, use another card.
Firmware image is not for this device – you are trying to use firmware for another e-reader/device. Download your PocketBook 301+ upgrade from http://www.pocketbookreader.com/Downloads.html
File read error – try using another SD-card
Flash write error, sector N – the firmware was written to the device’s memory incorrectly. Try to do the upgrade one more time. If this error persists, please call your nearest service center to correct this error.

[Yar-PocketBooker]

Just trying to keep this thread on top, it could be useful for many ppl, trying to upgrade to the newest firmware.
Mods, could you please make it sticky?

[Ulli]

Oh didnt see that thread, cant you set it up as "sticky" ?

[HarryT]

I've made the thread a sticky.

[ArchCarrier]

Is it possible to update the firmware through USB? I don't have a microSD card yet, and I see a .BIN file in the root of the PB filesystem. Can't I just copy over that file with the new firmware?

[Ulli]

Yes you can do the firmwareupdate on the regular memory of the pocketbook, the best way is to charge it while doing.
To do so with USBcable, go to the settings->USB and choose "Ask when connecting", than you choose at connection to only charge it.

Copy the file to the root dir and do the steps described above

I also did it like that, but without charging it during this process, this is a lil dangerous, but not that dangerous, if your pocketbook is fully charged

[krish]

As I do not have provision in my computer to insert MicroSD card and write on this, 1st and 2nd step as below is much easier and also worked fine for me.
1. Insert the microSD in the Pocketbook.
2. Connect the pocketbook to the computer using the USB cable and when the pocketbook drives appear on the computer, copy the upgrade image (file named SWUPDATE.BIN) to the root of your memory card. After it is copied, disconnect the pocketbook from computer.
Other steps continue as above.

[krish]

IMPORTANT Instruction for Pocketbook 302 firmware upgrade

Point no. 5 as above will not work for PB302 and you will get the warning message in German like Das Gerät lauft im Sicherheitsmodus.....

For Pocketbook 302 it should be as below
5. Holding both Big side buttons (page Down buttons) simultaneously,
press the “On/Off” button as if you were turing the device on. IMPORTANT: both the Page down buttons must be released ONLY after the message «Firmware update» appears on the top of the display (after the logo appears and dissapears! - don't release buttons after the logo appears - wait untill it goes away and you see «Firmware update» words!)

Change is, you need to press and hold only both the page down buttons (not the centre button also).

[andreiastra]

"9. Turn the device on. Make sure that the latest firmware on your PocketBook 360 is installed. To check this, please go to Settings - Information about device - Firmware Version."

Just to make sure.

I do not have 'Firmware Version info' per se. What I have is

Settings -> About Device -> Software version: E101.15.1

Does it mean that my firmware version is 15.1?

Is it the same as the upgrade swupdate_15mar2010_360_us_ws_v15_1.zip?

Thanks,

Andrei

[jackie_w]

Originally Posted by andreiastra

Settings -> About Device -> Software version: E101.15.1

Does it mean that my firmware version is 15.1?

Yes, I believe so. Mine says "Software version: D101.15.2" since I upgraded using upgrade swupdate_14Jun2010_360_de_ws_15_2.zip

[andreiastra]

Great! Thanks!

D must be German, E is English? Is it safe to upgrade E with D?

[kacir]

Originally Posted by jackie_w

Yes, I believe so. Mine says "Software version: D101.15.2" since I upgraded using upgrade swupdate_14Jun2010_360_de_ws_15_2.zip

Unfortunately there is no way to distinguish between various versions of firmwares with the same number. There are several versions of 15.2 and ALL of them say "Software version: D101.15.2"

So the only way to make sure that you have the right version of firmware is to flash it again.

D101 is the Netronix model number of hardware that PocketBook sells under trade name PocketBook 360

[jackie_w]

Originally Posted by andreiastra

Great! Thanks!

D must be German, E is English? Is it safe to upgrade E with D?

I'm not sure about that but I do know that I can only speak English and have not (so far) had any problems.

Is there an English upgrade file one can download?

(Oops kacir beat me to it!)

[kacir]

Originally Posted by jackie_w

Is there an English upgrade file one can download?

There is only one update file and it contains ALL languages.
If you have set the language of your PocketBook interface to English, German, Spanish or Hebrew or whatever language, your choice won't be changed after firmware update.