Help- Beginner's Guide to Reflashing
 

Searched and read the forums, read the wiki, and still do not feel prepared at all to flash the device.

I need a step-by-step guide
(One which hopefully can be used for other beginners needing help)
Would really like if someone were to help :)
(All I know right now is I do not want to reflash the eMMC)

First things first, what happens when you flash?
Everything is lost, even backups?

Guide please :)

Re: Help- Beginner's Guide to Reflashing
 

i was in your shoes but you need to re read the wiki it cant get any simpler than that. Seriously read it a few times its not hard at all

Re: Help- Beginner's Guide to Reflashing
 

Alright, fair enough.

However, can you answer the question about backups?

If you back up your phone, and then reflash it, will the backups be deleted?
Or will I be able to restore to how it was before (using the backups)?

Re: Help- Beginner's Guide to Reflashing
 

check your inbox i sent you a step by step guide how to flash your device - PM if you need any more help

Re: Help- Beginner's Guide to Reflashing
 

i have a prob too maybe u can help me my bluetooth n wlan cant connect others told i have to reflash my n900 can u help me?
thnxs

Re: Help- Beginner's Guide to Reflashing
 

+1. Follow it step by step and you will be fine! If your going to flash the eMMC copy you backup folder to your computer as it will be deleted.

Re: Help- Beginner's Guide to Reflashing
 

where's the steps by step thing?

Re: Help- Beginner's Guide to Reflashing
 

flashing your device is really a simple task :)
b4 starting the flashing process you'll need to get 2 important files
1) the fw - the FirmWare for you device can be downloaded from here - http://tablets-dev.nokia.com/nokia_N900.php
just enter your imei number which is a 15 digits number located under your battery
2)the FW flasher - http://tablets-dev.nokia.com/maemo-d...-downloads.php
download and install it to your pc

now comes the fun part Flashing
1)move the FW file we downloaded earlier to the maemo flasher folder - by default it is located at c:\program files\maemo\flasher-3.5\
2)turn off your device
3)press and hold the U button on the N900 keyboard
4)while pressing plug the usb cable to the device and PC
5)run the flasher program - it is a cmd based software so you won't see any GUI
input the next command -
flasher-3.5.exe -F XXXXX -f -R
the XXXXX marks the place for the name of the FW file so just replace the XXXX with the File name of the FW ( usually it looks like this flasher-3.5.exe -F RX-51_2009SE_2.2009.51-1_PR_COMBINED_MR0_ARM.bin -f -R )
6)let it be - DO NOT touch the cable while it is working
7)after about ~4 mins your device is ready
8) let it reboot
You're Done

Re: Help- Beginner's Guide to Reflashing
 

thank u very much ill try it later ...;)

Re: Help- Beginner's Guide to Reflashing
 

Cool and good luck with your N900 ;)

Re: Help- Beginner's Guide to Reflashing
 

it will erased evrythng? in my n900 pics vid ,apps contacts if i flashed it?

Re: Help- Beginner's Guide to Reflashing
 

pics, vids, contacts, calender, sms are left on the device
settings and apps - gone :(

Re: Help- Beginner's Guide to Reflashing
 

No. It´s not simple enough. I have tried to flash my n900 while following guide exactly. Didin't succeed. There is too many loopholes where you have to use your experience with computers. That's not good guide then. I mean really try to follow it like person who has for example never ever been in command prompt.

Too much text, Too few pictures, too many notes. Argh. I´am trying to write better guide on my freetime but right now i have just too much to do.

Re: Help- Beginner's Guide to Reflashing
 

hi ive been trying to flash my n900 and have followed the wiki word for word but when i enter the command into flasher3.5 it asks for permision and then just blinks once and nothing happens, im using vista 32bit, have the fw image in same folder as flasher and am opening it from cmd.
the only thing i can think of is that my laptop is not recognising my n900 in flashing mode, i read someware that if you try to run flasher 3.5 without the n900 connected it should say something like suitable usb device not found but when i do that i get exactly the same problem.

its not an emergency ar anything at the mo as my n900 is ok, but i would really like to know i could use the flasher if i needed to.
I would really appreciate any help or advice, thanks

Re: Help- Beginner's Guide to Reflashing
 

Sometimes it can be hard to see the background in flashing mode. The nokia logo and usb icon are very weak.

You do press "u" before you put in the usb right?

Re: Help- Beginner's Guide to Reflashing
 

yeah its definately in flash mode, i can see the nokia logo and usb symbol on the screen when i turn off press u and plug in the usb.
Its starting to do my head in, ive been searching and trying to sort this out for about a month now on and off, and have come to the point where i need the help of the comunity.

Re: Help- Beginner's Guide to Reflashing
 

Could write here exactly what you write on pc when trying? What image do you use?

I am not a windwos user so probably someone els could help you better.. have you tried burning an ubuntu livecd and doing through that?

Re: Help- Beginner's Guide to Reflashing
 

Hi there.
In the link below, I've tried to simplify the Hard Reset/Flashing info. There aren't any screenshots in this one unfortunately (I did have in a previous post but mysteriously disappeared in wordpress drafts :S)

I have uber basic knowledge of this stuff and even I managed to flash the N900 so I guess if I can do it, everyone else would be able to.

CLICK

Re: Help- Beginner's Guide to Reflashing
 

Great walkthrough jay..

If you are to flash with both images you could jump step 7 and 8 by removing the "-R" from the first flashing.. it basically just say to reboot after done. If you remove it you could flash the second image at once and then let it reboot.

Re: Help- Beginner's Guide to Reflashing
 

Ah, cheers.. I was wondering why it rebooted in between. Ha.

Re: Help- Beginner's Guide to Reflashing
 

:confused:I tried following this guide but im getting this

C:\Users\Vicky&Matt>cd\program files\maemo\flasher-3.5flasher-3.5.exe -F RX-51_2
009SE_3.2010.02-8_PR_COMBINED_MR0_ARM.bin -f -R
The system cannot find the path specified.

C:\Users\Vicky&Matt>
i have the firmware in c/programfiles/maemoflasher-3.5 andstartmunu/programs/maemo/flasher 3.5 :confused:
(by the way i really do need to flash now bootup stops at 5 dots, no problems getting it into flash mode though:eek:

Re: Help- Beginner's Guide to Reflashing
 

Are those two files in C:\Program Files\maemo\flasher-3.5 ?

Re: Help- Beginner's Guide to Reflashing
 

i reflashed mine today as i swapped it for another phone, went ok using this guide, i did flash with the old fw first by mistake and it did not detect my network.

Re: Help- Beginner's Guide to Reflashing
 

I got mine to reflash, I may be of some help. Maybe tell me step-by-step what you do when trying to reflash?

You are sure you have the correct firmware file? You only need to put that .bin file in the flasher3.5 folder (the same folder with the .exe).

What did you put in the command prompt?

Re: Help- Beginner's Guide to Reflashing
 

well i think ive finaly got the flasher 3.5 working but now it gives me this message:confused:

Microsoft Windows [Version 6.0.6002]
Copyright (c) 2006 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

C:\Windows\system32>cd\program files\maemo\flasher-3.5

C:\Program Files\maemo\flasher-3.5>flasher-3.5.exe -F RX-51_2009SE_3.2010.02-8_P
R_COMBINED_MR0_ARM.bin -f -R
flasher v2.5.2 (Sep 24 2009)

SW version in image: RX-51_2009SE_3.2010.02-8_PR_MR0
Image 'kernel', size 1704 kB
Version 2.6.28-20094803.3+0m5
Image 'rootfs', size 158336 kB
Version RX-51_2009SE_3.2010.02-8_PR_MR0
FIASCO subimage data length mismatch

C:\Program Files\maemo\flasher-3.5>

Re: Help- Beginner's Guide to Reflashing
 

Ok i think ice just had a breakthrough on atempting to download the firmware again ive just noticed that the one i downloaded yesterday was far too small (like 160mb too small) and trying to download it again today its just sitting at 1%, i guess thats what it did yesterday and then for some reason showed as complete, does anyone know if there is anywhere else i can download it from
thanks

Re: Help- Beginner's Guide to Reflashing
 

Each time i try to download the firmware it gets to about 3-4mb sits there for a bit and then tells me its complete when its obviously not, ive been using firefox and am just trying windows explorer but so far its looking the same, also i have cookies enabled, this is realy starting to do my head in

Re: Help- Beginner's Guide to Reflashing
 

Sorry can you provide me the same?
Regards

Re: Help- Beginner's Guide to Reflashing
 

Please help,

SOmehow I bricked my N900. SO I tried to flash it and I followed the wiki step by step. Got all the way to the end and it quickly does something but nothing happens. Please help.

Basically I installed the wifi mobilehotspot app and then removed it. Also removed the custom kernel it creates. Once I did that I powered down the device and then the device would not start. It says Nokia screen and 4 dots and then it cuts off.

I then downloaded the firmware and flasher 3.5. Followed all the steps in the wiki. Everything happened as the wiki said but the ending is not complete for me. Wiki says after connecting USB to Nokia while pressing "U" then start the flasher. It does all that for me but nothing happens, no flickering on the N900 or anything. Wiki says it'll take 4-5 minutes. Is there any picture that shows what will take 4-5 minutes or are you suppose to just keep the N900 connected for 4-5 mins using a timer and then unplug.

Please help, thanks in advance.

Also when connected to the AC/DC power plug it constantly reboots from a completely black screen to the greyed screen with Nokia letters.

Re: Help- Beginner's Guide to Reflashing
 

Just tried to reflash my n900, when i put in the flash code in the flasher cmd prompt i says the whole code again but with %m at the end? I flashed it to this firmware previously with no problem exactly the same way, but now it does nothing? What does the %m mean?

Re: Help- Beginner's Guide to Reflashing
 

sorry for askin but i m a noobie with N900.
what does the term Flashing mean?? is it like Master resetting?