other vector i tried to use without success:
Setting>menu (top border) > Restore original settings that didn't work and SIM card still not recognized.

right now i live in the middle east so i need to use the sepcific middle east firmware when needed.
so what you wrote - i can use all the way the NSU and it will help me to upgrade etc instead of flashing and flashing with

the various images?

and if i cannot use only the NSU i need to flash with the following order?
1) latest GLOBAL fiasco image (on the page its Latest Maemo 5 Global release for Nokia N900)
RX-51_2009SE_10.2010.19-1_PR_COMBINED_MR0_ARM.bin
2) Vanilla version of the eMMC content for Nokia N900
RX-51_2009SE_1.2009.41-1.VANILLA_PR_EMMC_MR0_ARM.bin
3) global (or middle east/personalized) - Maemo 5 Global release for Nokia N900
RX-51_2009SE_1.2009.42-11_PR_COMBINED_MR0_ARM.bin

and all the flahes will be done like the flash that worked me before.

PC suite does not seem to be working and also could not connect to it using the NSU.
so i guess it only leave us the flash option...
do i need to do 3 flash operations mentioned above and in that particular order and files?
from the about product in the phone i can see i have right now version 1.2009.42-11

or should i just replace
RX-51_2009SE_1.2009.42-11_PR_COMBINED_MR0_ARM.bin
with
RX-51_2009SE_10.2010.19-1_PR_COMBINED_MR0_ARM.bin

Thats what i would do.
If it fails to get your sim working then you have to flash emmc then the latest fiasco.

you only need to flash one of the fiasco not 2.

Can i pick this up om the morning as i am now out of time and had a long hard day lol... you now seem able to flash and getting the experiance you need for the future... talk to you tomorow ok... GOOD LUCK and do let me know what happens.

we can have a closer.
used the
RX-51_2009SE_10.2010.19-1_PR_COMBINED_MR0_ARM.bin
and now can make calls etc.
abill_uk thanks a lot. i could not go through this without you.
one thing came out of this - i know much more about my phone right now than before.

or you could actually use PR1.2 image instead of old image 1.2009.42-11

Can someone help me please? After installing the flasher, it will not open? It says I need Rosetta?

I also run into problems.

When connecting the usb cable while holding down the key 'u', the N900 vibrated and an USB icon showed up at the right upper conner with the NOKIA logo, but the N900 back lit is NOT on, everything is pitch dark. I dont think it is right, but I also think the N900 is now in the flashing mode. So anyhow I proceeded.

After typing the command, flasher_3.5.exe..... with the global image, ...COMBINED_002_..., it returned an error message "%m" and program exited. Where do one look up this error message? I did check the file size, which is 187721717 in DOS and matched the size listed from Nokia.

From looking at previous posting, instead of using the global image ...COMBINED_MR0_..., switched to USA variant, COMBINED_002_...may work, but running the risk of, down grading and sim card not reading???

Any suggestion? or better quit now before this turned into a fiesta disaster?

bun