UE40C6700 bricked on firmware downgrade

[timoo]

step 3)
bad,you must modify version.0 (because you upgrade main firmware) to something like SWU_T-VALDEUC_001001_I04_ES000DS000KS000RS000_100101 (100.1.0 datum 1.1.2010) if you upgrade to 1008.0
step 7.)
"Now the TV showed an error message (file not found)"
because not found version >1008.0
step 8.)
"A file called Version.0 was present, Version.1 was not present"
bad ,there is no alternative firmware because missing version.1 ,tv think that is there and make reboot to it

step 9.)
" The TV went black (off), the red LED is flashing, every 3 seconds there is a "clack" sound from a relay. I cannot do anything with the TV. There is even no output on the serial console (worked before). I cannot access the service menu."
imho due to nonexistence alternative firmware there is boot loop no exedsp loaded = no service menu

i have same issue with my tv i send it to service repair :/ maybe it could be repaired with uboot via extlink but there is no uboot on my c8000 tv and no working extlink :/

[juusso]

No, it`s not enought to delete Version.1 (you do not need delete it at all), your problem is, that you have chosen partition flag to boot from partitions whose do not have firmware. Like PartitionSwitch_0_0 and PartitionSwitch_1_0. If you could delete this flag, you could restore TV. Anyway it is impossible until you do not have root access.
Strange, that here isn`t any emergency firmware partition to switch to like in false firmware upgrade situation: TV searches for missing firmware and if here isn`t any, it loads backup(alternative) partitions.
Didn`t you plug in USB with firmware on it? Maybe tv is searching for fw upgrade while led blinks and if it gets firmware files, it starts upgrading...?

[bastler0815]

Hi,

@ Timoo

Hmmm I just did it the way like maggus did ...
Created Version.1 with data from FW version 1012 and enabled the alternative FW option at the TV menue.
After that I had choosen the alternative FW with the effect that the TV said to reboot in 3 Seconds, after reboot I inserted the USB stick with the 1012 FW and started the FW upgrade from PopUp after stick insertion ... everythiny went ok.

A I understand you correctly ... you said that if Version.0 exists that this one should be changed to a "fantasy" FW version and date which has to be lower thatn the desired FW which should be flashed, or am I wrong?
After changing the Version.0 should the TV be rebooted or should the FW upgrade instantly be done ?? does the TV not check if the actual FW in the flash is the same like the version which is in the Version.0 file ?

This evening I took a closer look at the MTD?s at my TV,as described at the partition.txt (located at mtd_exe) there are 2 mtd?s which should contain the exe image /dev/stl0/15 is the one and /dev/stl0/17 the other.
While looking with mount I saw that at the moment the first one is used (mounted) -> /dev/stl0/15. So I took a look at the exeDSP located at the already mounted mtd_exe and searched in the ASCI for the FW version, it showed the string "T-VALDEUC-1012.3" -> the desired version to which I had downgraded (before was 1014).
Then I had mounted the not used MTD "/dev/stl0/17" (mount -t auto /dev/stl0/17 /dev/usb/sda1/test) and copied the exeDSP from the not used exe image to the USB stick to take a look at it. This exeDSP containes the string "T-VALDEUC-1013.2" which was the previous version which I had flashed before the FW 1014.

So if my thoughts now are correct (or if I read the Wiki correct) is I now create a Version.1 with the string of the 1013.2 version_info.txt (SWU_T-VALDEUC_001013_I04_ES000DS000KS000RS000_100528) I would be able to boot the TV with the other/newer FW Version as alternative FW ??

Could it be that the TV after an FW upgrade always has 2 versions of the FW in the flash ?
i.e. The TV comes with fw 1012 as first FW and I flash the TV to i.e. 1013 the older FW doesn?t get overritten in the flash ? Just the boot flag get?s changed so that the TV boots the "second" versions of the MTD?s ?

@Magggus
Did you flash another higher FW than the one you had at your TV before ? My Idea is that if not the MTD`s which are used for the 2nd Fw could have been empty ... ando so after selecting the alternative FW the TV can?t boot cause it has only empty flash areas at the adresses where the 2nd FW should be located .... If it is like this I think I was very lucky that I had 2 versions already installed and so the TV was able to boot again after selecting the alternative FW.

@ Timooo again
What did you do or what happened that your TV got bricked ??

I think this should be investigated as good as possible and if it?s known what?s going on exactly this should be written into a HowTo ... cause I think it is not that nice to have more bricked TV?s, as I read in a german board a user there had the same problem when trying to downgrade ...

But at first it should be really clear how everyting is working in fact of the FW up/downgrade.

Regards, Bastler

[timoo]

Hi,
A I understand you correctly ... you said that if Version.0 exists that this one should be changed to a "fantasy" FW version and date which has to be lower thatn the desired FW which should be flashed, or am I wrong?

yes right

After changing the Version.0 should the TV be rebooted or should the FW upgrade instantly be done ?? does the TV not check if the actual FW in the flash is the same like the version which is in the Version.0 file ?

imho instantly ,Version.X is checked during update
imho not check

So if my thoughts now are correct (or if I read the Wiki correct) is I now create a Version.1 with the string of the 1013.2 version_info.txt (SWU_T-VALDEUC_001013_I04_ES000DS000KS000RS000_100528) I would be able to boot the TV with the other/newer FW Version as alternative FW ??

ihave not tested this ,boot switch could be done via PartitionSwitch_

Could it be that the TV after an FW upgrade always has 2 versions of the FW in the flash ?
i.e. The TV comes with fw 1012 as first FW and I flash the TV to i.e. 1013 the older FW doesn?t get overritten in the flash ? Just the boot flag get?s changed so that the TV boots the "second" versions of the MTD?s ?

needed looking to exeDSP iam not sure that

@ Timooo again
What did you do or what happened that your TV got bricked ??

as i said ,some strange commands > http://forum.samygo.tv/viewtopic.php?f= ... t=30#p8827

[bastler0815]

Hi,

Ah ok I forgot ... is your TV running again ?! did the Service without any problems if it had been at yours yet ?

Where is the partition switch command located ? or is it a file where the partitions which should be used are wrtiiten into ?

Regards

[timoo]

"Ah ok I forgot ... is your TV running again ?! did the Service without any problems if it had been at yours yet ?"
idont send it to service yet

"Where is the partition switch command located ? or is it a file where the partitions which should be used are wrtiiten into ?"
/mtd_rwarea/PartitionSwitch_1_0 is a flag file

[bastler0815]

Ah Ok now I got it with the partition switch

As I know Samsung send?s the service out to the customer ... a frined of mine got it?s TV repaired at home ... they disassembled the complete TV and exchanged the panel cause it was faulty at it?s 55" Samsung TV.

Regards