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

Hello Ben. I'll do a detailed step-by-step and make a fresh cure fw (if indicated) for you to use. In the meantime please supply some additional info:

Is there is any change in the device's behavior? For instance: is it still boot-looping like before or does it now stick on the logo screen (*See below), or any other change since you charged the battery.
It should now be seen in Device Manager normally (while in preboot) under "GARMIN Devices" as well as seen by Updater.exe so please also say (i) how long it's staying visible for there and (ii) what happens if it disappears (i.e. bootloops or turns off).

*If it now sticks on the logo/splash screen that may indicate your last attempted loading of cure fw was successful before the battery drained. If so the device should now be able to be seen in Windows Explorer and its file system be browsed normally.

I'm beginning to suspect that GarminCure3.exe is not processing some of the aera's GCD's non-standard BIN files correctly, resulting in Updater.exe not being able to properly flash some regions when 136401000560.RGN is attempted to be loaded. To eliminate that possibility let's try using QuickCure3 instead. It uses only a modified generic boot.bin as an RGN and it might work to re-enable Mass Storage Mode. It can't harm anything even if it doesn't work so it's very safe to try. Check behind the spoiler below:

Spoiler: Click

[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]
Please follow these steps:

• Open the above ZIP file somewhere convenient to find the folder QuickCure3 containing 136401000560.rgn and Updater.exe.
• Drag the RGN onto Updater.exe to open its GUI
• Select the radio button next to "USB Device" on Updater's GUI and leave it visible on your Desktop screen
• Plug a 'known-good' USB cable into a USB2 port of your PC/laptop
• Put the aera into preboot by holding it's screen and then plug the cable into its socket to power it on
• IMMEDIATELY you see the device's details in the box adjacent to USB Device on Updater's GUI, click OK or just hit the Enter key on the PC keyboard and keep holding the device screen until Updater finishes by reporting .... hopefully a 'success' message not another error like before.

If it reports with a success message, release the screen and check if it's now seen in Windows Explorer.

Let me know the result and we'll go further. Don't despair if Quickcure doesn't work, we can try other things still. Provided the device doesn't have a hardware failure we can fix it eventually i'm sure.

That at least narrows things down a little. It may just be that Quickcure isn't useful to re-enable MSM on your aera (it doesn't work with all devices), however maybe we're actually dealing with a hardware problem and if so there's no software solution for that.

Pressing on regardless: In cure fw the only region data patched is that for rgn14 (0x0E), which is fw_all.bin. Notably none of the other regions are, or need to be, patched. I've noticed that the aera 795 fw's has 4 "specialist" BIN files which are saved by both RGN_Tool.exe and gwf.exe without correct section ID (they show as XXXX and 1005 respectively instead of, for example, AB05 for region 171/0xAB). That may or may not be relevant, however we'll try to flash only region 14. So using the same steps in Post #44 try flashing this RGN which contains only boot.bin and cured fw_all.bin:

Spoiler: Click

[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

It that doesn't work we'll try using some SD flash methods. It's actually concerning that it still can run commands from SD as you mentioned in Post #31. Usually if a device is soft-bricked due to an essential file being corrupt it cannot use the SD. That's because the device looks for the card AFTER successfully loading files it needed during the bootup process.

Note that if indeed this device has a hardware fault it's likely the flash chip. Flashing does place some stress on the chip and as such can accelerate its total failure so it could die at anytime if there's a partial failure. Anyway if there's such a fault, it'll fully fail eventually regardless of repeated flashings.

Erasing, Uploading 100%, Update Successful...

..but no Joy! Still booting up, showing the Garmin logo and than booting again.

In device manager the same. Showing a drive briefly and then disappearing again while boot-looping.

Originally Posted by BenBreit

.... Still booting up, showing the Garmin logo and than booting again. ....

Could you say a little more about that bootlooping, i'd like to know just how far it's getting before it restarts. Does it show "Loading Maps", or the copyright blurb on the bottom of the screen, or is there no white writing at all there before it loops?

Ok thanks. Let's carry on trying with software attempts until all options are expended. Extract the ZIP file behind the spoiler directly onto a CLEAN card between 2 and 32GB size (formatted either FAT16 or FAT32), to show Garmin folder and 14.bin. Insert it into the fully OFF device and then power it on, it should show "Loader/Software Loading" or similar message on the screen. Once it finishes (you'll know as it'll either freeze on logo screen or it'll start bootlooping again, hopefully the former), remove the card and post the contents of the newly created update.log file contained in Garmin\Updater\1364 folder.

Spoiler: Click

[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

The 14.bin is a cure however i'm suspecting that it's already been loaded during previous attempts hence the change in logo screen you've reported.