No pre-boot mode possible on DriveSmart 50 LMT-D 5 ?

**Butters** · 16th August 2021, 10:53 PM

To help you understand more. There are 3 ways to flash fw to your device, all of which you've mentioned using:

A gupdate.gcd file on the device in hidden .System folder (it can be placed manually, via GarminExpress or WebUpdater). This file works kind of like an EXE file, in that it's started by the device itself which detects it on the next complete boot, determines if it's a higher version to its current fw and ignores it if it's the same or lower version. Clearly your device cannot use a GCD flash at present as it can't complete a boot cycle.
An RGN file flashed in preboot via Updater.exe. If 'safe-naming' is used, Updater.exe checks the HWID of the firmware RGN and that of the device are a match. If they match it flashes and if they don't it reports "No updates available". Safe naming is XXXX01000xxx.rgn where XXXX is the 4 digit HWID and xxx is the fw version without the decimal point. If any other naming is used that check is skipped and the flash is forced, regardless of any HWID mismatch. The forced-flash may either (i) 'brick' the device (recoverable or irreversible); (ii) successfully flash a 'foreign' fw by re-mapping (if required) the regions of the flash when installing the fw and changing it's HWID to the one written in the RGN file. It's very important to clear nonvol both before after such a flash as it's likely to have some problematic data in it. You've done many cross-flashings between HWIDs 2267 and 2826 but you haven't said whether you've cleared nonvol at any point. Additionally you haven't made a backup of the nonvol before starting fw manipulations. For all we know this device may already have 'poisoned' nonvol data which is causing its present strange behavior.
A media card with txt commands executed by a ramloader file (boot.bin renamed as Ldr.bin) in a folder named "XXXX" (the 4 digit HWID of the device) to flash individual BIN files to specific regions. If the HWID folder-naming doesn't match the device's, the device will ignore it during boot. The device doesn't need to fully boot to read the card but it does have to partly boot and load some essential files such as maps before looking at the media card.

My understanding is that in your device's current state it can only use the card method, correct? Because if it can neither read a media card nor access preboot it's not recoverable. My intention is that you flash it back to original DriveSmart fw and original HWID in two distinct steps, the first using media card.

BTW, RMPrepUSB partition option should be set as "Non-bootable" and Option 4 should have "Boot as FDD. (A: No MBR)" checked too:

Spoiler: RMPrepUSB Images

If you did it as shown in the 2nd pic above which you included in the upload, i certainly recommend you do it again before anything further is attempted. An incorrect format might even be the basic cause of the problem in itself.

**LAMedia** · 17th August 2021, 10:47 AM

I also sent you the dezl firmware (282601000400.rgn) that I installed. Than I rename it Dezl580.rgn and create Dezl580 - cure.rgn. This (Dezl580 - cure.rgn) firmware is now in the device.

When it had the DS 50 firmware or the normal dezl, if I put an SD card with Garmin\Updater\xxxx\ and the files 0E.bin, 7F.bin, 9E.bin, Ldr.bin, update.txt, on the screen 'loading' appears and stops, no longer writing the firmware. Now, if I insert an SD card, nothing happens, but the SD card appears in Windows, RMPrepUSB or Total Commander.

Otherwise it behaves normally, in Garmin Express I can make updates (I can update the map, for example) and in WebUpdater I can make updates.

**Butters** · 17th August 2021, 11:31 AM

Originally Posted by LAMedia

..... Now, if I insert an SD card, nothing happens, but the SD card appears in Windows, RMPrepUSB or Total Commander.

Have you re-formatted it with the correct settings? If not, please do so and then don't add any files or connect to GarminExpress or WebUpdater. Only this: Make an empty folder named Garmin in the root, disconnect it from PC and power it on by battery then report how it behaves.

I say again, if you cannot access preboot nor get it to flash from card it's not recoverable.

**LAMedia** · 17th August 2021, 05:09 PM

I have previously formatted the device with RMPrepUSB with the settings made as in the image sent by you, but nothing has changed. Now I formatted it once more and inserted an SD card with an empty Garmin folder in the root and the same image with the computer and a cable-connected device appeared on the screen.

My hope is that when a new firmware version appears, WebUpdater will replace the existing firmware in the device, not just create the GUPDATE.GCD file.

**Butters** · 18th August 2021, 01:36 AM

That's a pointless hope because WebUpdater CANNOT flash firmware directly to the device regions. It merely places a gupdate.gcd file into the .System folder. The device will check and if appropriate will process the GCD on the next COMPLETE BOOT CYCLE. So if there's no subsequent boot, there can be no flashed regions via WebUpdater, or GarminExpress. Only (i) Updater.exe [using PREBOOT] or (ii) Ldr.bin [on media card, read by the device DURING BOOT] can flash fw directly to the device's regions to replace existing firmware.

An empty Garmin folder in the root of the device is what i meant in Post #23, i didn't mention the card in that suggestion. Many modern Garmin devices cannot boot completely empty and require at least a 'Garmin' folder on-board.

About the use of media card for recovery flashing: The simple fact is that the GarminDevice.xml you uploaded shows that this device now has HWID of 2826 so if you are absolutely certain that it doesn't read a folder named "2826" in sd:/Garmin/Updater, then unfortunately it's not recoverable by SD card method. That will be because it's not booting far enough to even see the card before entering Mass Storage Mode, even though it's not connected to PC.

Preboot on the other hand is attainable very soon after powering on and before the actual boot sequence starts (hence the name "preboot"). That's of course much earlier than when the device looks for a media card during the actual boot cycle. However in a malfunctioning device like yours, that point where preboot is attainable is only very fleetingly available.

Therefore, without opportunity for a card recovery, your only hope to recover this device lies in using preboot to force-flash with an RGN file and return it to DS50. If you are very persistent, you might be able to catch preboot for long enough to initiate a flash from Updater.exe. When Updater.exe and the device start a data communication the device will hold preboot until the flash finishes unless it's sooner interrupted by a disconnection.

That very brief moment after power-on is when the device has the capability to enter preboot, and that's before the computer image appears on its screen. Boot-looping constantly re-starting devices are similar to your DS in being very difficult to attain preboot, it once took me many dozens of attempts to catch preboot in a boot-looping nuvi. Once i did catch it though, a successful flash was the result.... but it took a lot of patience. If you don't feel you can be persistent and patient, prepared to make many repeated attempts, you may as well now strip the device for usable parts like screen and battery then dump the board. If you want to press on then preferably use a desktop PC and follow these instructions EXACTLY:

Ensure the device is fully OFF by holding the power button down for an extended period;
Extract this RAR file [Only registered and activated users can see links. ] then open the folder "Updater" to find OUT.RGN and Updater.exe;
Drag the RGN file onto Updater.exe to open its GUI;
Select the radio button next to "USB Device" and leave the GUI open and visible on your PC's desktop with the mouse cursor hovered over the GUI's "OK" button;
Plug a 'known-good' USB cable directly into a REAR USB2 port of the PC (don't use a front port, a hub or a USB3 port);
Position your left thumb in the correct place on the device screen, press and hold firmly while plugging the cable into the device with your right hand then very quickly either move it to the mouse ready to click the ok button or be ready to hit the Enter key of the PC keyboard while closely watching the window next to 'USB Device' on Updater's GUI and keeping firm steady pressure on the device screen;
The very moment you see the device's detail appear in the GUI window, click ok or hit enter key to start the flash. Don't release the screen if the flash starts, hold it steadily until 'Success' message is given by Updater.
If the device details don't appear in, or do appear but immediately disappear from, the GUI's window it means you've missed the moment so just repeat the entire process from step 1.

Good luck.

**LAMedia** · 18th August 2021, 12:35 PM

Thank you very much for your help and time!

I know the procedure to enter the preboot mode, I did it on many other devices without problems. On this device I didn't manage the preboot mode even before making any changes. From what I found on the internet, the DS 50 enters the preboot mode by pressing with the finger above and between G and A in the GARMIN logo, but I never succeeded.

I also know how to use the Updater, I have used it many times to unlock Garmin devices.

I reformatted the device with RMPrepUSB, with the settings indicated by you and I created a Garmin folder in the device, I disconnected it from the computer and restarted it, but the result is the same. Starts, the GARMIN logo appears, then the computer image appears and goes out. That's all!

In connection with the belief that the device now has the firmware dezl 2826 is due to the fact that I used only this dezl firmware and that in RMPrepUSB on DRIVE appears Garmin dezl System, even if I formatted the device with this program or with Windows.

**Butters** · 18th August 2021, 01:18 PM

I know that you do have basic Garmin knowledge such as how to enter preboot in a healthy device which is hard enough for most users, however with a device that's been firmware-bricked some additional finesse is required ..... such as using your left thumb rather than fingers to hold the screen so as to free up your right hand to first connect the cable then quickly move to the mouse or enter key. There is very good reason for the precise and detailed instructions i've written. That reason is because following them to the letter gives you the best chance to catch preboot, which is a mere brief moment at some point when the Garmin splash/start screen shows (and certainly not the whole time it shows). Once the computer image appears it's too late. The timing (and luck) is in fluking that elusive point.

* Post #1 in this thread suggests putting one finger between the G A and another one above there to enter preboot, using your thumb-pad can cover the same area as two finger tips as it's very difficult to use your finger tips while following the sequence i wrote in Post #25. Sometimes the same device can have more than one place on the screen to enter preboot also.

You may need many attempts to even see a single instance of the device details in Updater.exe's GUI and then many more to initiate a flash when you do see it! Although blind luck plays a part for sure, persistence and patience will likely pay off for you - i've given you the best possible chance based on extensive personal experience but the rest is up to you. You might do it in 10 attempts or it might take 100 or 1000... or maybe it just won't happen.

My assertion that the device now has HWID of 2826 is based on the evidence of the GarminDevice.xml copy you supplied. The device rewrites the XML on every boot but it hasn't booted since you flashed dezl cure fw to it so it also must have had original dezl fw on it before you loaded the cure fw anyway.

You're wrong to think that re-formatting might or should change anything appearing on the device's start screen or in the GUI of any software program such as RMPrepUSB or Updater.exe etc.. The format only affects the visible file system, which is in fact only one of 255 possible regions of the flash albeit by far the largest and in fact it's the majority of the total flash memory's space. In your device it'd be region 83. When you do a re-format that's the ONLY region erased, no other populated region is affected.

*EDIT: Using a china-pencil or some other soft and easily erasable marks to define the preboot area on the screen beforehand allows you to then have your thumb already pressed in position before you connect the cable to power it on.

**teolia** · 29th August 2021, 08:55 AM

Hello i have gps garmin drivesmart 50 end The Garmin logo opens and restarts again.How can I fix this problem?Thanks

**Boki** · 29th August 2021, 09:10 AM

You are over 5 years user (inactive indeed).
You ask in the wrong topic, and that has already been discussed. Browse Forum, read.

**Butters** · 29th August 2021, 10:34 AM

Originally Posted by teolia

Hello i have gps garmin drivesmart 50 end The Garmin logo opens and restarts again.How can I fix this problem?Thanks

By far the most likely explanation is that it's 'soft-bricked' due to it being unable to load an essential file when in the boot-cycle. If you manually loaded files such as POIs/maps/etc., or updated it with GarminExpress or WebUpdater immediately before the boot-looping started then the almost certain cause is a recently introduced file or files being corrupt or incomplete. In the unlikely case that it's got physical damage to the flash chip it's not recoverable easily, at least not by firmware manipulation.

Likely though it's soft-bricked so you need a Cure firmware loaded in preboot mode so it stops boot-looping and enters Mass Storage Mode to access the file system. Read the initial posts in the listed threads below very carefully then if you do need further help it's best to post again in an appropriate existing thread rather than starting a new thread (also please don't post again in this one as a mod has deemed it OT as said above).
[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]
[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]
[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

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