Bricked C3000, unresponsive service menu Options

[puffy]

I have botched an upgrade to OpenBSD 4.2.
As it happens, I need to use my service menu to fix things.

I noticed when I bought this c3000 off of eBay that if I did not hold down D+B on powering up that this menu appears. It is totally unresponsive at this 1-4 menu in Japanese. I mean, no key works. I cannot select 1 2 3 or 4. I assume this is not normal as I read that at this menu you must select a number. But at that point I cannot do anything but reboot by taking out the battery and unplugging then replugging. Has anyone experienced this? All replys are welcome. I am bricked :-(
I miss my Zaurus a lot. Please help.

[jpmatrix]

I have botched an upgrade to OpenBSD 4.2.
As it happens, I need to use my service menu to fix things.

I noticed when I bought this c3000 off of eBay that if I did not hold down D+B on powering up that this menu appears. It is totally unresponsive at this 1-4 menu in Japanese. I mean, no key works. I cannot select 1 2 3 or 4. I assume this is not normal as I read that at this menu you must select a number. But at that point I cannot do anything but reboot by taking out the battery and unplugging then replugging. Has anyone experienced this? All replys are welcome. I am bricked :-(
I miss my Zaurus a lot. Please help.

i don't know if the key works but the touchscreen should. did you try ?

[cortez]

I think you should use FN+D+M instead of D+B. Oh, and don't despair, in the end most of us once had the feeling we bricked our Zaurus, and most of us were able to restore it.

PS: Please do not cross-post.

[Dromede]

As cortez said, you really should not worry. The Z actually has 2 NAND chips, one is the 128MB flash (/dev/mtd1) we use for OS and the other is a 8MB (/dev/mtd0) chip that is only used by the diagnostic menu and the original bootloader. As long as you don't touch the contents of /dev/mtd0, your Z will be practically unbrickable. AFAIK the 8MB chip is read only so i don't think that you can write or delete something. And again, as cortez said, use the FN + D + M. to access the diagnostic menu, from there, you can do a flash restore which will reset your Z to factory defaults.

And i'll say it again, it is really hard to brick your Z via software methods. If you really want to brick your Z, use coffee as cortez did.

[cortez]

And i'll say it again, it is really hard to brick your Z via software methods. If you really want to brick your Z, use coffee as cortez did.

Oh please don't mention that, it still hurts

[Dromede]

heh... no hard feelings, i was just kidding. The "I bricked my Z" posts are quite numerous, maybe we should make a sticky or something that would show people how hard it really is to brick a Z.

[puffy]

Cool. I'll try this fn+d+m method tonight. Thanks a bunch.

[puffy]

I am trying to do the fn+d+m method.

Here is what I did.
Try #1
1) flipped battery switch to unlocked position
2) removed battery cover and battery
3)unplugged Unit
4) held down fn+d+m
5) plugged unit back in
Results: Nothing happened

Try #2
same as try number one, except that I tried pressing the power button after step 5
Results: Nothing happened


Try #3
1) flipped battery switch to unlocked position
2) removed battery cover and battery
3a)unplugged Unit
3b)flipped battery cover switch back to locked position
4) held down fn+d+m
5) plugged unit back in
Results: after plugging unit back in the yellow charger led was blinking. Otherwise nothing happened

Try #4
same as try #3, except that I tried pressing the power button after step 5

Try #5
1) flipped battery switch to unlocked position
2) removed battery cover and battery
3a)unplugged Unit
4a) held down fn+d+m
4b)replaced battery,cover and switch to locked position
5) plugged unit back in
Results: after plugging unit back in the yellow charger led was on steady. I waited while holding fn+d+m,nothing happened. So,while still holding the keys I pressed the power button.
The screen came on for the first time since trying this method. I waited still holding the keys. After the sharp splash screen, and a visible blinking cursor at the bottom of the screen, The screen went to black color and resd:

probing cn0 com0 com1 com2
disk: hd0
>> OpoenBSD/zaurus BOOT 2.08
open(hd0a://etc/boot.conf): can't read disk label
boot>
booting hd0a:/bsd: open hd0a:/bsd: can't read disk label
failed(93). will try /bsd
boot>
booting hd0a:/bsd: open hd0a:/bsd: can't read disk label
failed(93). will try /bsd
turning timeout off.
boot> *flashing cursor*


Am I missing something? Did I perform this operation correctly?

[cortez]

I just checked. For me the diagnose menus appear after:

1. Remove power adapter
2. Remove battery and leave cover open
3. Press FN + D + M and keep it pressed while doing step 4
4. Attach power adapter cable

[puffy]

Thanks Cortez. Looks like mine won't access the menu. Strange. I'm not giving up. When I get the time I'm going to get mid evil on this thing.Maybe I can, I don't know. One day I'm coding happily on my Zaurus, the next its gone. Poof.

[jpmatrix]

perhaps you should try to flash another distro, angtrom or pdaxii13 for example
then go back to openbsd later (or try debian on your c3000 !!!!

[speculatrix]

Thanks Cortez. Looks like mine won't access the menu.

make sure you have disconnected all power from the Z before trying, including usb, and leave power off for a good minute to make sure nothing's resident in RAM, and then hold the special key combination down before applying power etc.

[Jon_J]

I just checked. For me the diagnose menus appear after:

1. Remove power adapter
2. Remove battery and leave cover open
3. Press FN + D + M and keep it pressed while doing step 4
4. Attach power adapter cable

When I do this to access the service menu, I do the same exactly as quoted above, but I need to keep holding (FN + D + M) for about 1-2 additional seconds after I plug in my AC adapter. Then the screen lights up.
This is the same for both of my Zaurii, SL-C3100 and SL-C3200

EDIT
After reading Dromede's post (below this one) I forgot to mention that (FN + D + M) is not always necessary.
It is my understanding from reading forum posts that (D + M) should work on most Zaurii.
U-Boot replaces this area of flash (erases the (D + M) access menu).
On the other hand, (FN + D + M) is permanent and is Read Only, and cannot be erased.
(FN + D + M) menu has BLACK lettering.
(D + M) menu has RED lettering.

This post has been edited by Jon_J: Jan 17 2008, 04:33 PM

[Dromede]

I am trying to do the fn+d+m method.

Here is what I did.
Try #1
1) flipped battery switch to unlocked position
2) removed battery cover and battery
3)unplugged Unit
4) held down fn+d+m
5) plugged unit back in
Results: Nothing happened

Try #2
same as try number one, except that I tried pressing the power button after step 5
Results: Nothing happened


Try #3
1) flipped battery switch to unlocked position
2) removed battery cover and battery
3a)unplugged Unit
3b)flipped battery cover switch back to locked position
4) held down fn+d+m
5) plugged unit back in
Results: after plugging unit back in the yellow charger led was blinking. Otherwise nothing happened

Try #4
same as try #3, except that I tried pressing the power button after step 5

Try #5
1) flipped battery switch to unlocked position
2) removed battery cover and battery
3a)unplugged Unit
4a) held down fn+d+m
4b)replaced battery,cover and switch to locked position
5) plugged unit back in
Results: after plugging unit back in the yellow charger led was on steady. I waited while holding fn+d+m,nothing happened. So,while still holding the keys I pressed the power button.
The screen came on for the first time since trying this method. I waited still holding the keys. After the sharp splash screen, and a visible blinking cursor at the bottom of the screen, The screen went to black color and resd:

probing cn0 com0 com1 com2
disk: hd0
>> OpoenBSD/zaurus BOOT 2.08
open(hd0a://etc/boot.conf): can't read disk label
boot>
booting hd0a:/bsd: open hd0a:/bsd: can't read disk label
failed(93). will try /bsd
boot>
booting hd0a:/bsd: open hd0a:/bsd: can't read disk label
failed(93). will try /bsd
turning timeout off.
boot> *flashing cursor*


Am I missing something? Did I perform this operation correctly?

try repeating number 1 but don't press the fn button. just pull out the battery, press&hold D+M, wait for a few seconds and then reinsert the battery, the menu should come right up. i think that FN + D + M combination is only needed if you have uboot installed.

[puffy]

I just checked. For me the diagnose menus appear after:

1. Remove power adapter
2. Remove battery and leave cover open
3. Press FN + D + M and keep it pressed while doing step 4
4. Attach power adapter cable

When I do this to access the service menu, I do the same exactly as quoted above, but I need to keep holding (FN + D + M) for about 1-2 additional seconds after I plug in my AC adapter. Then the screen lights up.
This is the same for both of my Zaurii, SL-C3100 and SL-C3200

EDIT
After reading Dromede's post (below this one) I forgot to mention that (FN + D + M) is not always necessary.
It is my understanding from reading forum posts that (D + M) should work on most Zaurii.
U-Boot replaces this area of flash (erases the (D + M) access menu).
On the other hand, (FN + D + M) is permanent and is Read Only, and cannot be erased.
(FN + D + M) menu has BLACK lettering.
(D + M) menu has RED lettering.

Did exactly as you said. I get nothing. If the menu cannot be erased then perhaps there is something wrong with my keyboard. But, when I still can use my keyboard when openbsd trys to boot. All keys work.