Unable to boot DM500HD : Stuck after second stage loader

    Hello everyone,


    One night, I just understood that my Dreambox couldn't boot at all. (When powered on, it goes directly to the red fixed DEL).


    I thought that the image was corrupt so I tried to flash it through the web interface (with a long press on the power button). I sended an official image and another one but the result was the same.


    I got the same results by using Dreamup and a USB cable with the service port, booting with it, and then passing through the web interface to send the image, same result.


    Then, I tried to use the Hyperterminal software in order to see what's happening when I power up my DM. It gives me that :


    It doesn't go further. Each press on the power button gives me exactly this result.


    I then tried to send an image through the web interface, and leaving my hyperterminal console on. I'm now getting this during the flash process:



    Whatever image I'm trying, or browser, it seems that the same sectors are getting involved, and marked as "bad".


    Please know that it's an original DM and that it worked well since months ago, even with all images I was sending to it.


    Do you think that Flash memory is damaged, and should explain why it can't boot anymore ?


    Thanks everyone for helping me about this.

    you have to change bios settings and edit the "kernel-command-line" for a full bootlog! I guess you have not done this yet, otherwise it would continue after "2ND STAGE OK, build #80 (20101014)"


    I only found a german tutorial for DM800/7025, but maybe it helps a little bit:
    http://dream.reichholf.net/wik…_Modelle_.3E.3D_DM7020.29


    About bad flash sectors ... not really a problem. In DreamUp you should find a option to "repair" bad sectors and also in the BIOS you can enable "bad sector recovery" for the next boot/flash. Then those bad sectors get marked as "bad" and will not get used anymore.

    Theorie ist, wenn man alles weiß, aber nichts funktioniert.
    Praxis ist, wenn alles funktioniert aber niemand weiß warum.

    Well well.. before I begin to follow your guide, I tried to flash an older version of DM500HD image (2.7.1 - January 2010). I now get this and can't connect at all to the web interface when I do a long press on the power button :



    status is sometimes 0004 and sometimes ffc1.


    I can't even access to the BIOS so I returned it to my reseller in France which will send it back to DMM. Thanks for your help Homey

    Einmal editiert, zuletzt von Calico ()

    Hi hope you don't mind me entering this discussion late as I have a similar problem of write failure when flashing.Can you tell me how to enter the bios so that I can resolve the problem please? Using Hyperterminal,


    thank you

    Zitat von flagooner

    Hi hope you don't mind me entering this discussion late as I have a similar problem of write failure when flashing.Can you tell me how to enter the bios so that I can resolve the problem please?
    thank you



    First, you must have the DM500HD completely shutdown.


    Then, you have to connect the USB cable to the USB Service port, and with a software like Hyperterminal get ready to capture the right COM port.


    When you are ready, just hold the physical Power button in front of your DM500HD and you should see the BIOS screen on your computer

    It was under warranty, so I sent it back to Dream Multimedia and they made some solders (there were some short circuits). It works well now.

    In my case I see this in my terminal:


    Code
    *** 002 checking CRC... 
CRC check skipped. 
nand-set-pen 
oob: ff 
start flashing... 
00e08000 bad 
01ed0000 bad 
029d0000 bad 
finished.


    Seems to me that the NAND FLASH chip is gone bad or having no stable power or have loosing legs from the PCB that might be also have a short circuit as resulting in not programmable chip.


    Does someone have any idea's?

    Simply dont't use images and loaders from the Stone Age ...

    But it's impossible to flash the newer ones.


    He report that the flash is successfuly but you see it's an older image or loader thats inside!


    So I guess it's not so simle after all or do you have any suggestions?

    Then simply READ the flash instruction for latest images, either Flash the 84 SSL BEFORE (otherwiese he will not accept the new nfo format) orr Use latest DreamUP.


    All this you can read nicely on www.dreamboxupdate.com


    05 September 2011 - Improved flash error correction
    Starting today, images for the models DM500HD, DM800 SE and DM800HD PVR include an improved flash error correction feature.
    In order to benefit from the improvements, it is required that you either flash the new image with the latest version of DreamUP (V1.3.3.9) or flash a new second stage loader ( DM500HD DM800HD PVR DM800 SE ) before flashing the image via your browser or other means.
    If you use the online update functionality, the new second stage loader will automatically be installed after rebooting.
    It is recommended that you flash the new image for improved stability.

    @gutemine


    Thank you for the reply!


    I already have the latest second stage bootloader #84 flashed to the device.
    The firmware is: experimental-dm500hd_20120502.nfi


    So the problem stil exist.


    Can Dream Multimedia repair my box do you think?


    The box is not under waranty anymore!

    The new loader is only that the box accepts the latest nfi image files and flashes with the new ECC. Now go to the bios in telnet and enable Recover bad sectors before you flash via the Bios WebIF. Alternatively you can use DreamUP with the reciver bad blocks option - BUT you will need an USB cable and the drivers as described on the DMM Homepage.