Pacemaker Frozen after install of 180096069

toscadog

Pacemaker Frozen after install of 180096069

Post by toscadog » Sun Oct 28, 2012 9:26 am

Hi All

I need some help and advice regarding my Pacemaker since the install of the latest Beta firmware (180096069).

I installed the firmware and followed the instructions to the letter - however - on the boot-up it has frozen on the opening Pacemaker icon and Logo and isn't recognised by my editor software.

Would love to know if anyone has any advice or a way to fix it.

Cheers

Toscadog

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Re: Pacemaker Frozen after install of 180096069

Post by Sox » Mon Oct 29, 2012 10:04 pm

Hi, I've move your topic to the Pacemaker Beta specific forum.

I'm sorry to say it sounds like you have the first bricked Pacemaker due to the beta firmware. There was always this risk. I don't know if we can help you, but lets's try.
These are the things I'd be trying if it was mine.

- First I tried doing a hard shutdown. Press the power button for 8 seconds or more until you see it shut off.
- Ensure it is charged (needs over 10% before it will turn on properly. If you have a 120Gb model (or an available power adapter), use this

I presume that as well as the editor software not recognising it, your operating system doesn't also? If you OS doesn't see the device when you plug in and turn it on, then neither will the editor. Unfortunately this also means you can't access your Pacemaker to have another go at applying the update, be it via PMUpdater or manually.

- Perform a factory reset on the device. If you can do this I think it might put down the default factory firmware version, but I may be wrong. Doing this may result in your losing the tracks you already have on your device, but this is better than having a bricked Pacemaker isn't it?
viewtopic.php?f=11&t=8

Please post back to let us know how you get on.
Never experiment with drugs.... you might waste them

toscadog

Re: Pacemaker Frozen after install of 180096069

Post by toscadog » Tue Oct 30, 2012 12:59 am

Hi Sox

Thanks for the reply, but no joy i'm affraid.

You were right the OS doesn't recognise it and the complete power down with FF REW and Chanel Two button pressed on boot up didn't work either.

If anyone in the forum hears of a p211 hard drive going I would love to know about it so as to try and restart the beast.

Never mind, It was great fun while it lasted - I guess I'll go outside and play now...

all the best

Toscadog

toscadog

Re: Pacemaker Frozen after install of 180096069

Post by toscadog » Tue Oct 30, 2012 2:37 am

Right, i'm back in from outside, it was horrible.

Sox, I have another question for you that I hope you or someone on the forum can answer...

If I bought a 1.8" PATA Zif SSD and plugged it in to the Pacemaker and somehow uploaded all the info I needed onto it to run the device, could I in fact, run the device?

Not ready to give up the fun just yet...

Toscadog

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Re: Pacemaker Frozen after install of 180096069

Post by Sox » Tue Oct 30, 2012 12:09 pm

Normally I would have said yes this will work. If you put in a new drive the firmware seems to do whatever is necessary to use it, including putting down a new blank music DB.

However as yours won't even boot I don't think this would work I'm afraid. When we put new firmware down into the .Pacemaker folder on disk (HDD or SSD) when it next boots up the firmware finds it and uses the firmware file to update the firmware in what is probably a flash based memory device. Once done, the firmware file on disk is no longer needed, and is probably deleted.

As the device is based on Linux, there is mostly likely a kickstart which loads the bootloader, and the bootloader which loads the kernel and runs the Pacemaker application. The Pacemaker firmware could be just the application or possibly the kernel and the application. However I would have thought the kickstart and bootloaders as likely not to have been updated Therefore there is some possibility that your device is not yet completely bricked.

I have asked the Pacemaker developers for any input they can give on this. They don't want bricked units either. I will post back as soon as I hear anything useful (or not) :?
Never experiment with drugs.... you might waste them

toscadog

Re: Pacemaker Frozen after install of 180096069

Post by toscadog » Tue Oct 30, 2012 8:49 pm

Thank you

Look forward to hearing what they say.

Toscadog

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Re: Pacemaker Frozen after install of 180096069

Post by djpip27 » Sat Nov 03, 2012 3:01 pm

Another thing we can try - hopefully your using Windows or have access to a Windows PC right?
Go to the Pacemaker Open Source Website and download the file named PMD-Restore-14142.exe (by clicking on the green download button).
http://sourceforge.net/projects/pmosc/

This utility (if I understand it correctly) will flash the device and restore the last official firmware version.


Without the Pacemaker connected to your computer, turn the device on and instantly press and hold the REW, FWD, PLAY and CUE buttons to place your device in DFU mode. Only use this mode if your device is truly bricked. I believe you'll know when you have reached this mode as only the left deck light will be lit. If you see the boot logo - I believe you've not entered DFU mode and you should try again.

Once in this mode connect the device to your computer using the USB cable.


Once downloaded, run the setup (PMD-Restore-14142.exe) although you need to right click on the file and choose 'Run as Administrator' under Windows Vista/Windows 7/Windows 8, for this to work correctly.
Leave all the default options checked and hopefully it will say 'Devices found: 1' and your device will be re-flashed. I can't emphasise the importance of not-disconnecting your Pacemaker during this process as it really will become a paperweight without even a boot logo if you unplug it during this process. You will loose all music, all settings, all files - but I guess you feel like you've already lost that currently.

Let us know how you get on! (I've never done this myself so good luck - I'll help wherever I can).

toscadog

Re: Pacemaker Frozen after install of 180096069

Post by toscadog » Mon Nov 05, 2012 1:04 am

Thank you djpip27

I'll try it tonight when I get home and let you know how it went.

Toscadog

toscadog

Re: Pacemaker Frozen after install of 180096069

Post by toscadog » Mon Nov 05, 2012 10:41 pm

IT LIVES!!!!! IT LIVES!!!!

Thank you so much Pip and Sox!

It took quite a few tries with the PMD-Restore-14142 - I would say about 11 or 12 to be honest - but as I had nothing to loose I figured I would just keep trying.

In the end though I think it was a combination of three things that brought it back to life but have to say that i am guessing here, so if you guys can puzzle a process out of the wierdness that i write then hopefully that might help future members.

As soon as it was in DFU mode the Windows Os started to recognise it and try to find drivers to put onto it (which it wasn't doing at all up to this point) - this of course didn't work at first because i hadn't run the PMD-Restore-14142.
I ran the PMD-Restore-14142 as an administrator and for the first 7-8 times it just wouldn't regognise the device in the PMD-Restore install so it kept falling flat with no change.

I unplugged it and started from scratch going into DFU in the boot but this time a windows message came up saying that it had installed drivers on to the device. Thinking perhaps this had worked I tried the device and still nothing.

I then tried just doing the flash option of the PMD-Restore without running the full PMD Restore install and it seemed to do something - the right chanel button started a slow flash.

The boot sequence kicked in and a screen came up saying FIRMWARE RESTORED please re-install firmware (or something like that).

I reinstalled the 14142 firmware and here is the funny thing - it worked but told me that the battery was flat and started to charge. I found this weird because I had had it on charge for hours through the power cord - to no effect apparently.

Then I just went NUTS - probably high on success and thinking now that I had an un-killable Zombie Pacemaker and that I was God by proxy - I INSTALLED THE 180096096 - AND IT WORKED!!!

So to summarise - I don't know whether it was a combination of windows OS driver installer and the PMD-Restore-14142 or just the PMD-Restore-14142 or if it was windows, PMD-Restore-14142 and the battery suddenly being able to charge that brought it back but it came back with all of the songs and the new firmware perfectly!

The help and support you guys have given me has been by far the best I have received in many a year - and is obviously testament to the belief and love of what you are doing. Keep it up, it is awesome!

Toscadog

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Re: Pacemaker Frozen after install of 180096069

Post by Sox » Tue Nov 06, 2012 12:18 pm

Great news!

Let's Mix!
Never experiment with drugs.... you might waste them

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