Thread: aera 795 stuck on 'Loader' after fw update (could getting Unit ID from GMA or UNL files help?)

@BenBriet
Apologies for being unavailable for so long.

From your PM:

...... I think it got hard-bricked now. I am not able to start the device with power button anymore. If I connect it to the wallcharger, it is in a continuous boot-loop with basically just a black screen and the buttons on the lower part just light up, go off again and so on.

Nevertheless: If I connect it to my laptop indeed you can hear every 10seconds the usb-sound AND in device manager I can see it (but not as Garmin Device though) connecting and disconnecting. Its creating two drives, garmin flash and garmin storage. After leaving it for a while it just stops bootloping and you can see both devices as functional in device manager, but I can't access them on windows explorer, with cure3 or with RMPrep.

So I am afraid its really lost now. Yesterday morning I tried another rgn-file with cure3, and I guess something went wrong there. Anyway just for you as an update. I hope its not too confusing what I am writing. We can continue the discussion in the topic, of course. My last hopes are dying as we would need the gps on a flight for Saturday. Of course Garmin stopped the repair service for the aera in July.

Well that's not good. Need some more info though before we admit defeat because while it still turns on there's still some hope for a miracle. Possibly it's got flash damage however and if so no software solution is possible.... However, let's assume it's only badly soft-bricked for now. Need to know a few things:

• What does it show as in Device Manager when it stops bootlooping? Screenshot would be good.
• Please post a copy of the RGN you used with Cure3 before it bricked even more.
• Does it still read commands from SD card?

Indeed it does not good look. I am afraid my impatience will come with a high price. Here are the
last RGN-Files, after which it must have stopped. I created more to see if the updater is seeing the device again, so I had to narrow down a timeframe. So its a quite huge zip file, but I suspect it was at 08:43.

[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

Also here is a zip with the screenshots. I am sorry, my OS is in German but basically it shows two
drives: Garmin Flash and Area SD Card

[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

And no, I was not able to get it loading from the SD Card anymore since then.

Originally Posted by BenBreit

...........
And no, I was not able to get it loading from the SD Card anymore since then.

Ouch! If you don't have preboot either there is no way to recover it. Not being seen by Updater.exe and showing in Device Manager as "Portable Device" when you try to access preboot isn't proper behavior for a soft-bricked device.

I wouldn't be too hard on yourself as i think it's very likely the aera was experiencing a flash failure all along. Physical failure isn't always immediate, sometimes it seems like soft-bricking initially but the more such a device is stressed by being repeatedly flashed the worse the problem becomes. I haven't had time to examine your RGN files yet - however even if one of those has caused hard-bricking the point's moot. No preboot or SD access = no recovery method.

About the only other thing left to try is with a desktop PC instead of your Lenovo laptop, even an old low-spec'ed one with XP will do. Use only a rear USB2 port directly (no hub), not a front port nor a USB3 port. If it's still seen in Device Manager under Tragbare Geräte rather than under GARMIN-Geräte when you attempt to connect in preboot then try to format from RAW to FAT32 using Disk Management (if not recognized by RMPrepUSB).

Unfortunately I don't have a desktop PC anymore. But I will use my old Fujitsu Siemens Laptop, also Win7 but at least english. If you could have a look at the RGN Files, I would appreciate. On the ThinkPad I used all different ports, but even with the USB3 I was able to do the flashing. Another observation. After the GPS was sitting a while (off) and you connect it, at least then I can see the Garmin logo again. But only one time, thereafter directly to the bootloop again. I was wondering if the battery is discharged, because its not starting the charging cycle anymore. Nevertheless I tried to leave it connected to the wallcharger overnight and to the laptop. The latter how I discovered that its shown under portable devices after a while.

Originally Posted by BenBreit

Unfortunately I don't have a desktop PC anymore. But I will use my old Fujitsu Siemens Laptop, also Win7 but at least english.

That should be fine, let us know if it behaves any differently than with your ThinkPad. Just be sure that it has [Only registered and activated users can see links. ] installed and to use a USB2 port only as sometimes USB3 causes problems with devices in Garmin Mode/preboot. That connection mode is archaic and dates back even before USB1 standards when 9-pin serial connections were used for Garmin devices to communicate with a computer. Updater.exe original versions connected exclusively thru a serial port so the software itself is as old as, and indeed designed for, the original 'Garmin Mode' (which is essentially the same communication mode as what's called 'preboot' in more modern devices).

If you could have a look at the RGN Files, I would appreciate.

They have identical hashes and have been correctly compiled by Cure3 so if there was a further problem caused by your repeated flashings it certainly wasn't due to any of the cure firmware RGN files themselves. That doesn't rule out a possible corruption or disruption of the data being transferred of course if the connection was unstable or terminated before it was completed. Normally Updater.exe would report a failure in that case although there are situations where it reports 'success' falsely even though a flashing doesn't really complete properly. Just another good reason to avoid USB3 ports and hubs/splitters if at all possible.

On the ThinkPad I used all different ports, but even with the USB3 I was able to do the flashing. Another observation. After the GPS was sitting a while (off) and you connect it, at least then I can see the Garmin logo again. But only one time, thereafter directly to the bootloop again. I was wondering if the battery is discharged, because its not starting the charging cycle anymore. Nevertheless I tried to leave it connected to the wallcharger overnight and to the laptop. The latter how I discovered that its shown under portable devices after a while.

Such inconsistent behavior can be indicative of a device suffering flash failure or of it being badly bricked by inappropriate flashing. Not knowing it's history makes it more difficult to know which one it is. Then there's the further role (possible red herring) of the battery - it won't brick anything by not charging however if it's failed completely and not taking any meaningful charge the device certainly won't turn on unless connected to an external source. If you haven't already done so, remove the battery for a while and after waiting about 30 mins to drain any possible residual charge from the internal circuit check if the device behaves any differently when powered on by a power source without the battery inserted.

It may be that the device is now bootlooping more rapidly than it was when you first got it. If so that may explain the inability to read SD and the apparent loss of preboot access. However preboot might still be possible albeit very briefly. Here's another test to do:

• Manually load one of your cure RGN files into Updater.exe and leave its GUI visible on the desktop screen with "USB Device" radio button selected.
• Open Device Manager so it's alongside Updater's GUI to easily observe both.
• Plug a 'known-good' USB cable into the computer, then (i) connect the aera and (ii) quickly press and hold its power button, watching both Device Manager to see if 'GARMIN Devices' appears briefly and/or Updater's GUI's window adjacent to 'USB Device' populates.

Hello again and sorry for my delayed reply. We were quite busy the other days. But finally I was able to start my old Fujitsu but as well: No joy at all! I am with you Butters, that probably one of the cure files didn't write properly as the gps was mostly rebooting when the bar reached 100%.

Enclosed you will find the device manager from the Fujitsu. Otherwise, same as with the Thinkpad. Guess its a write off

Spoiler: small pic

[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

So i assume you tried a while after battery was removed and without it re-inserted. Also you didn't mention Updater.exe but i'm sure that it didn't recognize the aera either, seeing it didn't appear in Device Manager appropriately in GARMIN Devices. However it's still 'alive' and being seen by windows albeit as a common USB flash device. You did remember to load Garmin USB Drivers didn't you? Additionally, when you put it into preboot holding the power button does the usual loading message appear on its screen? Try holding the power button first, without the battery in, and then plug the USB cable into aera's socket.

While there's life there's hope of course and i hate to admit defeat, especially on a aviation device. So i'll ponder a bit more on this until you get back to me to clarify the above queries ....

Hello Butters,

yes the Garmin Drivers are current and updated (serveral times ). The thing with the power-button and pre-boot is that it is not reacting anymore to this, since the "failed" update. Before it was consistently working and was easily recognizable with the updater.exe. Now, no matter what and how often I try its not coming anything. While in device-manger its showing for a short while, on updater it is no joy. And yes, I usually had to hold the power button and then plugged the cable. Worked like a charm. I think it is quite bricked now, as it is so fast in rebooting that one does not have a chance to come by it. I have contact with a avionics shop in Germany, they say they can try with a Garmin-Software (whatever that may be) if its responding. And yes, indeed it is very sad not having the unit, because they seem to have done a pretty good job by connecting it to the autopilot and fuel flow computer and also getting traffic info from an external ADS-B Device. It has a cradle for the center dash and would look quite neat... If it would work though But I have now idea how to convince it to talk. Tried all the things from the other threads (usb-ports, cables, etc..)