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

**Butters** · 7th November 2021, 11:36 PM

Originally Posted by georgedobre

.............
I backed up rgn154 to check if the device can still read from a card but can't read and write to the SD card.

Note that your device has 2:/ not 1:/ as the path to the card, i.e. it's "rrgn,154,2:/154.bin" to dump nonvol. Also the HWID folder needs to be "2826" and the Ldr.bin taken from dezl 580 firmware. Ensure the card is formatted in FAT32 only and there is no file named "last_id.bin" in the 2826 folder if the card was used for any previous flashing attempt.

In conclusion it is only good for parts.

If you used correct path and syntax etc. as above, there's no other way to reflash it therefore a software solution is impossible so strip it now. It's beyond the skill and tools of a normal user to handle replacement/reprogramming of the flash chip unfortunately.

**georgedobre** · 8th November 2021, 05:47 AM

That's exactly what I did as you say. I read this thread very well: [Only registered and activated users can see links. ]. I still have to try another memory card, maybe it was the cause of the card that I saw that other users had this problem. Thank you very much for your advice and guidance!

Today I tried another 2GB card and it seems that the device still reacts to reading but instead does not write anything on it. I disconnected the battery to be able to close it completely and then I connected the battery and started it with its car charger.

Spoiler: pictures

**Butters** · 9th November 2021, 03:11 AM

"LOADER" on screen indicates some read/write activity of course. Usually if a damaged device can read from the card it can also write to it but not always. Check if there's been a new file created in the 2826 folder named "update.log" and if so open it in a text reader and post its contents. Also tell us if "last_id.bin" has been created in the folder too.

Note that you should be able to force a shutdown by holding the power button down for an extended period, 10 to 30 seconds depending on device.

**georgedobre** · 9th November 2021, 04:20 PM

I checked if a new file was created in the 2826 folder called "update.log" but it is not and "last_id.bin" was not created either. The only thing is this "journal"

Spoiler: image

I checked again the file I made this fw with and inadvertently used Drivesmart 51 on Dezl 580
is for the device with HWID 2586.
Looks like it was a fatal mistake!

Use spoilers for large pictures.
[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

**Butters** · 9th November 2021, 09:25 PM

So in the 2826 folder you used the ramloader (Ldr.bin) from the DS51's fw is what i think you're saying . If that's what you mean then yes, likely it is fatal if the pictures in your previous Post #52 are representative of that flashing.

How is the device behaving now? Does it turn on at all with feint light screen (check in very dark room), or does it start to boot but turn itself off/bootloop/stall on logo screen.... or is there no reaction at all to the power button on either short or long press?

**georgedobre** · 10th November 2021, 12:34 PM

Hello! The device cannot be turned off by the power button. Even if I hold down the power button for a long time, it stops and turns on by itself. I held down for 15 and 30 seconds and more time and the same result. He stops and starts alone. The only way I can turn it off is to disconnect the battery and then it won't start even if I connect the battery to it. Starts only after pressing the power button as in the clip.

Spoiler: video

**Butters** · 11th November 2021, 12:37 AM

I'm having to guess a lot here.

Following with the assumption you did what i wrote before:

So in the 2826 folder you used the ramloader (Ldr.bin) from the DS51's fw is what i think you're saying

That video seems to be showing that even with DS51 Ldr.bin flashed it's behaving the same as when it had dezl 580 full firmware flashed in preboot? (i.e., via the 1.rgn you linked previously). It's also still identifying as "DriveSmart 50" on the splash screen as shown both in your photos in post #52 and in your video linked above, correct?

As the device still turns on it's not fatal (yet), BUT: You need to give me as much information as you can if we are going to find a way out of this mess. I need to know for example if the DS51 Ldr.bin you used did in fact actually initiate when the SD card was read and if it did initiate whether you'd left it's (the Ldr.bin's) HWID as 2586 or if you'd changed it in RGN_Tool to 2826 before using it. I need to know which HWID is now written to the device as well as which ramloader was last written.

There's also a chance that the screen will work PRIOR to the device loading the incompatible fw during the attempted boot process, so tell me if you've checked if preboot is available when the device re-starts (hold the top LH corner as it's being forced off and keep holding it as it re-starts by itself to see if it behaves differently.

**georgedobre** · 15th November 2021, 08:21 PM

Yes, I did exactly as you say, as I said in my posts.
I checked if the pre-boot is available when the device restarts (I kept the top left corner pressed) but no reaction.
I used Ldr.bin from an original 580 4.00 FW dezl backup (HWID 2826) when the SD card was read. She was the only one who managed to read the card.
With DS51 Ldr.bin (HWID 2586) did not start reading the SD card.
I also tried DS51 Ldr.bin (HWID 2826) the same way it didn't start reading the SD card.

**Butters** · 15th November 2021, 10:49 PM

That's still not completely clear what HWID might have been written to it. The device will only read from the folder named the same as its ACTUAL HWID which may still be 2267 but it's had the ramloader from dezl 580 used last it seems. You've also used, perhaps unsuccessfully, DS51's ramloader at some point. The last successfully flashed ramloader may have changed the HWID of the device, at least as far as the bootloader and x-loader in regions 5 and 43 are concerned.

The goal here is to flash complete DS50 firmware back to it and ensure it again has HWID 2267 in all it's relevant regions, so do this:
Prepare a clean microSD card and extract this RAR file to its root, [Only registered and activated users can see links. ]. In the usual Garmin\Updater loaction, you will have a folder 2267 with Ldr.bin (ramloader from DS50) and update.txt. In the card's root along with the Garmin folder there'll be 14.bin, 127.bin and 158.bin (all other firmware components for DS50). Now make two copies of the 2267 folder and paste them into the Updater folder, Windows File Explorer will auto-name them "2267 - Copy" and "2267 - Copy(2)". Re-name one to 2586 and the other to 2826. You should now have 3 folders each with the exact same content named 2267, 2586 and 2826 in the Updater folder. Place the card into the device and start it, it will hopefully read one of the folders and flash itself back to normal DS50. Note that it may also kill it completely so the risk is entirely yours!