Failed ROM v215 update on HP50g

#5

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Jan 26, 2023, 4:01:10 AM1/26/23

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Hello,

I updated my ROM to v215 to get rid of the ROM compiled with HPGCC3.
I used the conn4x_b2361 for the update and everything looked ok ( the only thing i didn't do in the update process was to disconnect the USB)
I pressed enter at the end and it asked me if i wanted to recover memory, i said no. The calculator looked similar as it had been turned off, but it was not responding to any keys and making a beep sound.
When i remove one battery or reset the calculator i get the "try to recover memory" window. I tried no and yes and the same thing happens.
Any idea on how could i recover my calculator?
Thanks in advance.

m p

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Jan 30, 2023, 2:33:36 AM1/30/23

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Hello,

PUSH AND HOLD the DELETE-KEY (the key right of SMYB).
USE A PAPER CLIP to PUSH the reset-button (next to the serial number on the back side of the calculator).
RELEASE FOR AN INSTANT the DELETE-KEY
---> calculator should boot without using libs.
---> delete libs of port2 (push LEFT-KEY and "FILES" (APPS-KEY)).

or

PUSH ON-KEY AND C-KEY or PUSH ON-KEY AND A-KEY AND F-KEY
PUSH AND HOLD the DELETE-KEY (the key right of SMYB).
---> calculator should boot without using libs.
---> delete libs of port2 (push LEFT-KEY and "FILES" (APPS-KEY)).

did it work?

#5

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Jan 31, 2023, 9:38:11 PM1/31/23

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Thanks a lot for your help, but all i get is "try to recover memory?"
:O(

Bruce Horrocks

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Feb 1, 2023, 12:54:35 PM2/1/23

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On 01/02/2023 02:38, #5 wrote:

>> did it work?
> Thanks a lot for your help, but all i get is "try to recover memory?"
> :O(

Do you have a suitable SD card: 2GB (might be 4GB) or smaller, formatted
as FAT but not FAT32? If so then there is a way to upgrade the firmware
via the SD card and no need for USB.

Instructions are here: <https://www.hpcalc.org/hp49/pc/rom/>

Where the instructions say to copy the "update.scp" and "bin" files onto
the SD card, you can get those file from the Zip file here:
<https://www.hpcalc.org/details/7097>

I don't think it would do any harm to unzip all the files into the SD
card, as long as they are all at the top level and not in a sub-directory.

That zip also contains installation instructions which are slightly
different. I would start with the ones on the link I posted first.

--
Bruce Horrocks
Surrey, England

#5

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Feb 1, 2023, 7:31:54 PM2/1/23

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i dID it!! firstly i reloaded the rom two times, still "want to recover memory".. then i tried the one with the 2 MB fixed thing.
Then i pushed del and reset and seems to be working.
Thanks a lot Bruce Horrocks and m p
#5

#5

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Feb 1, 2023, 7:54:32 PM2/1/23

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Now ( of course ) my batteries are low. should i change just the stick batteries or should i change the disk battery as well?

Bruce Horrocks

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Feb 2, 2023, 9:36:27 PM2/2/23

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Good news that it worked.

Change the main batteries first. If the low battery indicator stays on
then it means that the coin cell battery is also low.

optic...@mindspring.com

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Feb 3, 2023, 9:57:11 AM2/3/23

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I suggest changing the coin battery anyway, and do that first; if the calculator runs at all then the main batteries will keep the memory alive during the coin-battery change. Then change the main batteries. Or maybe I’m confused ...
Irl Smith, Concord, MA, USA

Bruce Horrocks

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Feb 3, 2023, 3:45:57 PM2/3/23

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Normally you're absolutely right - change the coin cell first to
preserve memory. However in this case he'd reset the machine a dozen
times trying to re-flash the firmware so there was no memory to preserve.