Use the Ubuntu Live CD, it's the only way I could get it to work...

Ok.. this might be late but...

%m means "no such file found"

It means the bin file isn't in the right directory.. do this:

start run cmd

then

cd \program files\maemo\flasher-3.5
start .

An explorer window will pop up.. drag the bin file into that explorer window

Now back in the cmd window:

flasher-3.5 -F BINFILENAME.bin -f

replace BINFILENAME.bin with the name of the file you're trying to flash..

Nothing helps, I tried on a new laptop. XP SP3 as requested. Never installed a Nokia program here. Still pops up "Hardware problem..." when connecting the N900.

Somebody has to tell me, how to install working usb drivers manually, because this flasher.exe is rubbish

I despise windows some times.. So.. why not get rid of it:
http://discussions.europe.nokia.com/.../693496#M11609

Its a fair few steps but if you have a 2 gig usb memory stick spare, these instructions tell you how to install linux onto it, then (with a relatively simple menu) flash your phone without windows drivers screwing it up!

(there are also instructions for using vmware player too.. )

[QUOTE=cpitchford;688964]Ok.. this might be late but...

Bingo, yes it is late but it helped !! Thanks very much.

Conclusion about Flasher-3.5:
1) "%m" must be prompted in plain text instead of a code that nobody understands and that is not documented in the readme file.
If the user sees what's the problem, it's obvious where to search and modifiy.

2) my image was in the same directory as the flasher exe and I started the program in a dos box in the same directory. So far all right done IMHO. But flasher still doesn't find the file (I tried 3 PCs - swiss-german XP SP3 and 1 Vista SP1).
I assume it is looking in a other directory like \program files\.. (not always the same in all countries)

Flasher works only with the absolute path for the image like:
flasher-3.5 -F c:\Programme\maemo\flasher-3.5\RX-51_2009SE_10.2010.19-1_PR_COMBINED_MR0_ARM.bin -f -R

So maybe the flasher doesn't use the windows API properly to find out the working directory. This is a common error made by many developers.

To be honest I was thinking at this, but on the other side, I though well, Nokia is for sure capable of writing good code.

So this must be the solution also for another thread here.

The other thing is still, that although there are USB hardware reported by Windows, the transmission works.
Probably Flasher is really a Quick hack tool. But it has to work as NSU is not working either. I find this a incredible situation

1) %m is a bad typing mistake.. try editing the binary (with a hex editor) and replacing it with %s)

2) You don't need to specify the full path, a relative path with do.. the the bin is in the current directory (ie dir BINFILE.BIN shows it) then it will work.. I've done this many times..