FIRMWARE UPDATE PROBLEMS!

[Westbranch]

Hi Vic, I have never updated the MNGP first, I have always done the FW version for the Classic first and then the MNGP...

Have you tried a second attempt to install 2096 on the Classic?

[Resthome]

Hi Vic, I have never updated the MNGP first, I have always done the FW version for the Classic first and then the MNGP...

Have you tried a second attempt to install 2096 on the Classic?

Yeah I have also done it in that order also, but I'm sure Ryan said it shouldn't matter.

Vic..  need a lot more info from you. Did the MNGP update? Did you wait until the DOS cmd window closed after each update? It's not complete when you get the first Sucessful message. You need to wait approx 2 minutes until the window closes itself.

Best advise is to follow the Win7 firmware instructions step by step and in the exact order. If the Classic USB driver is install on your computer you should not have to do that again. You must use COM8 for Win7. Assume you see the Classic connection on COM8 in the Win7 Device Manager?

[Vic]

Hi Chaps,

Erik,  at least for a while,  Ryan was recommending Updating the MNGP first,  this is why I did it first.

Since the first UD did not work,  felt that would be another total waste of time to try again,  so did not ...

John,

The Cl is 1849,  Network 1830,  and the MNGP is 1821.
Update SO infrequently,  did just notice that the actual DATE of the FW is listed in April of 2014,  guess that this is the date that the FW was last Updated in this particular Classic  --  #3677(?).

Seemed to me that about 99% of the Win 7 Update instructions were about just trying to get Com 8 setup and work...

I did follow the instructions,  and there is a bit of a difference in opinion about when to plug in the USB cable and Power up the Classic twix the GUI,  and the Loader ...  the Loader instructions appear to be correct.

YES,  did wait for the MNGP Update screen to close and return to the GUI screen (took about 30 seconds).

YES,  did wait for the Cl Update screen to close and return to the GUI  --  took about 5 min 30 seconds.

SO,  if the dates noted for FW  Status pages on the MNGP are the dates that the FW was implanted into the Classic,  then,  NO,  none of the FW was loaded.

This particular Classis was Updated at least once,  probably twice ...  successfully. 

Have always let the Firmware find the correct place for it to be loaded onto my computer ...   have made NO attempt to keep the GUI,  and the FW in some sort of special Folder,  or anything.

Some of us DO really wish that trying to Update the FW on the Classic would be even easier,  and even less subject to apparent whim of things in the Universe which appear to not matter until after the fact ...

Perhaps in 2.5 more years.  will            a t t e m p t         to,  perhaps try to perhaps  again begin to try to     a t t e m p t      to   begin attempting to perhaps  Update the FW once again,      perhaps.

Bottom line:  am back up and running with Cl 1849 (perhaps never,  ever updated anything,  but the drill was fun,  anyway).

Thanks for the ideas,  but,  for now,  guess that all of this is moot.
FWIW,  Thanks for the ideas,  a bit frustrated - Vic

[Westbranch]

Morning Vic....   I really FEEL your frustration  , having as you guys know too well, my (same) issues with updating my Classic...

as to order, I used the step by step step instructions, I thought, multiple times.... I eventually had them on screen, jumping back and forth to the GUI as I did the successful implant.... frustrating as H___! but it finally went in...   

From memory, Yes, the plugging in of the USB CABLE has conflicting instructions,  The long version and what the GUI says, but I can not remember which is the successful one...My mind was swirling when I finally got it...

[Resthome]

Vic,

I can only image a few reasons why you are not see updated firmware numbers for the Classic or the MNGP.  Check the c:\Midnite dir and look for the Readme.txt file. What is it showing as the last revisions numbers?

If the firmware is actually counting up the percentage in the cmd window then it is loading something. So it doesn't sound like a connection problem.  You can plug the USB cable into the Classic with the Classic power off and when you start the GUI and click on Classic Model you have you can then turn the Classic power on and it should connect and start showing the Pecentage done.  If you check the Win7 Device Manager and look for the COM ports you should see the Connection on the COM8 port. If you are getting this far what is showing on the MNGP as the update takes place.?

Almost seems like you have the wrong firmware files.  You can run the UNINSTALLL file in the c:\midnite direct to uninstall all the old files then reload the latest Firmware files from the Midnite web page.

You should really try to resolve this and get to the latest firmware. They were a lot to fixes since 2014.  Not many this year.

[Vic]

Hi again Erik, and John,  thanks for the comments.

John,  did search for Update files on the computer used for yesterday's Update attempt.   Cannot find FW 1849,  just 2096,  which was downloaded yesterday.

YES,  the Loader says something like "open Com8",  or similar.  The percentages of progress did increment for both the MNGP and the Classic 150 Uploads.

The Classic Update took about 5 minutes,  plus that 5:30 minute wait for the Loader to close its screen.  The MNGP took about 12 - 15 minutes,  but its Loader screen closed in about 30 seconds ...   sure DID look like it was loading something.

Will poke around a bit more.

YES,  I have really wanted to Update all the Classics here,  to the latest FW.  Just that my past experience is that trying to Update Classics can be a real problem ...  have NEVER been successful Updating, after Cl FW #1849.   So am  a bit gun-shy.  DO feel lucky that the "Update" of yesterday  did not end with a Bricked Classic.

More Later,   thanks for all the help.   Vic

[Vic]

Did some more poking around.

Did Save the 2096 FW  --  the choice from Windoze was to Save or Run.  Since the Classic was not near the computer,  and was not ready to Update the FW, just saved it.

Did not realize that the "Run",  was to run an Installer,  not the Updater.

So,  today,  did Run the installer,  and that part is probably ready for the next try at Updating the FW in this particular Classic,  again.

And there were several,  various older FW remains in the MidNiteSolar Folder,  which could be an additional issue ...

Thanks Erik,  and John,  re-reading the Installing FW instructions has helped ...  it has been SO long since the previous try at Classic FW Updating ...

More Later,   Thanks!   Vic

[Resthome]

Vic,

Sounds like you are on the correct track.  Yeah the save doesn't run the installer. So you successfully installed the old firmware.  Good Luck, I think you have solved the issue. Check the Readme and look for the revision numbers after the installer is run.

[Vic]

Thank you again John!

I should probably Edit the whiny Posts,  as this was all my problem.Should do Updates more often,  to help my recall of just how to do it.

Thanks John,  and Erik!   Vic

[mike90045]

Wow, if we could only get a Linux firmware updater.

Linux Mint bootable CD or thumb drive, boots right up, and finds USB ports, wi-fi radios and everything 
Easy to select boot from CD, and do an update from Linux

[BobWhite]

Wow, if we could only get a Linux firmware updater.

Linux Mint bootable CD or thumb drive, boots right up, and finds USB ports, wi-fi radios and everything 
Easy to select boot from CD, and do an update from Linux

Mike, you really like linux, do you feel it's a fix to all problems with updates? 

Walt

[TomW]

Wow, if we could only get a Linux firmware updater.

Linux Mint bootable CD or thumb drive, boots right up, and finds USB ports, wi-fi radios and everything 
Easy to select boot from CD, and do an update from Linux

Mike, you really like linux, do you feel it's a fix to all problems with updates? 

Walt

There used to be a Perl [cross platform programming language updater] but I can't find it back.

At least in most instances Linux upgrades are not known for deliberately breaking other peoples software. Mister Gates and his minions seem to do this as a matter of course. One big issue is the demented way M$ handles ports and devices. Linux just gives them names like files so easy to sort out where the device is

I believe that a bootable minimal Linux "BusyBox" live CD /USB drive with the installer on it would be the answer to many problems and the entire process could be scripted and done automatically when it boots with useful information displayed while it does it.  It just can't be done by myself as I am not skilled in the scripting / coding arena. Just add the current upgrade files to the existing image for the CD / thumbdrive, name it appropriately and put it where folks can get it.

Ok, that is my operating systems diatribe for this day.

I suggested this some time ago but it never got traction.

Tom

[BobWhite]

Wow, if we could only get a Linux firmware updater.

Linux Mint bootable CD or thumb drive, boots right up, and finds USB ports, wi-fi radios and everything 
Easy to select boot from CD, and do an update from Linux

Mike, you really like linux, do you feel it's a fix to all problems with updates? 

Walt

There used to be a Perl [cross platform programming language updater] but I can't find it back.

At least in most instances Linux upgrades are not known for deliberately breaking other peoples software. Mister Gates and his minions seem to do this as a matter of course. One big issue is the demented way M$ handles ports and devices. Linux just gives them names like files so easy to sort out where the device is

I believe that a bootable minimal Linux "BusyBox" live CD /USB drive with the installer on it would be the answer to many problems and the entire process could be scripted and done automatically when it boots with useful information displayed while it does it.  It just can't be done by myself as I am not skilled in the scripting / coding arena. Just add the current upgrade files to the existing image for the CD / thumbdrive, name it appropriately and put it where folks can get it.

Ok, that is my operating systems diatribe for this day.

I suggested this some time ago but it never got traction.

Tom

You ok tom! Well put and I know my son would be at your side as that's all he talks about with computers. I'll look into it somemore and if it is an answer;;; let's hope it gets done!!!

o,,, by the way tom , I'm still having issues but will post properly ;-)
Walt

[Westbranch]

well I don't think there is a mint to be made BUT  I believe the serial numbers of Classics sold is >= 30,000( mine is > 29,000)...  at $1.00 per copy sold to 10% of the owners== ~ $3,000  Is that too bad for a day or so of programming?

Somebody out there that frequents this board must be able to pull it together, eh?

[mike90045]

I'd gladly pay $5 to the Linux updater fund, to get a reliable updater that doesn't have a 20% chance it will brick my controller.

I currently keep an XP laptop, but it's battery is extinct and while the win 10 updater might work, i'm at W8.1 and
don't plan to move.  I boot my workhorse laptop into linux mint all the time for work, works all the time, just a couple programs in windows that I need ( Visio among them)