A word from someone who made the mistake: Make sure and use the WinCE version for the type install you are doing. I was trying to do an upgrade to 3.01 using WinCE files from 2.06. 10-12 hours later I can say with certainty that it doesn't work!

I'm glad my instructions were able to help so many of you with similar problems. I have a new problem now so I hope I can search and find a solution for me. I'm sure a swing of a baseball bat will do the trick. POS.

Also, as JrFaust and I discovered, don't load the NN746UC image file from http://www.avic411.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=33&t=25465 unless you are completely out of options (in that case I'd probably let Pioneer service). It will change your device number and render a legal upgrade password invalid. I'm going to try and see if Pioneer will reset the password but I expect the run around.

Most of my story trying to solve the blank screen can be found in this thread http://www.avic411.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=33&t=23760

I just want to say thank you to those who contributed to this thread.....I followed those instructions and my 900bt works like new again....for others be sure you download the 2.0 firmware the 2.6 download from pioneer does not have all the files just the update files. however you will need the 2 winceimg files from 2.6. on your sd card. for the beginning steps....thanks

My F700BT has the same issue. My first unit did not boot up when the installers tried to install it. I had to ship it back to Pioneer to get it replaced, so technically, this is my 2nd F700BT.

Since the 3.0 update (legal, no hacks, I'm a good boy!), I have randomly had to input my password into the head unit 3 different times, have had numerous times where boot up took minutes, and the GPS has seemed slow on response.

On a trip this weekend, I had to input the password the 3rd time. On the way home, the unit was working during the morning. We stopped for lunch, and when we started the vehicle back up, the splash screen came up and remained there for about a minute. Then the screen and all lighting went dark. I hit the reset button, lights came on, splash screen came up for a minute, then dark. It has not change this behavior for 2 days now.

I tried re-installing the 3.0 update, thinking maybe one of the files just got corrupted, but the update hangs on the first SD card at 89% complete and the screen background turns red. There is a "Copying error", on a \speech\components\us_claire__r40_83swf11_04.dat file. Tried twice, hung in the same spot each time. No other messages, sat there for 10 minutes hoping it would recover itself or show a message or dialog box to indicate it or I would need to do something. Nothing.

Since these instructions seem like they are going to take a couple hours to do, and the download of the WinCE image is taking a long time, I'm going to wait until the weekend to try this fix. If it doesn't work, and if I'm going to have to pay (again) to remove the unit anyhow, I will probably replace it with something from another manufacturer.

Very sad. I wanted this unit to work, it has nearly every feature I wanted. Just isn't looking like it is reliable.

Redfire427

I would like to thank you for your clear and accurate instructions for formatting and reprogramming my avic f900bt. Your instructions brought my system back to factory condition and its working fine thank you again.

i would like to thank you too for all this info, i've learned alot in this thread. My unit was opening the splash screen and going blank 2 weeks after i installed the 2.06 update on my F700BT. i contacted pioneer and they told me to send it in an authorised repair facility, wich would have cost me a least 300$ (well thats what the guy told me) . I folowed these instructions + some in another thread ( re-writing the sdmc boot sector in HEX) and copied the 2.0 backup i downloaded ( the single large file , the multi .rar files seem corrupt). Used 2.06 WINCE update files using the 4 finger trick,the test mode files, and a copy of an .img file for the sdmc sector on the flash drive. I feel confident in installing the 3.XX update now as i really know how this unit work and i only have a bit of knowledge in computers ..... THANK YOU VERY MUCH !!!

Seb from Quebec, Canada

Thank You for this Thread.

My F90BT started doing the same thing and this fixed it.

Thanks for saving me $$$ in repairs.

this fixed my problem also thank you very much my unit was down for 4 months!!!!!!!!!! what a good feeling

Thanks for the help with this, my deck experienced the problem for the first time today and after some initial cussing I went and immediately started flipping through the forums here and came across this post. I'm surprised by the amount of posts about these issues that I never experienced it sooner. Nonetheless, these instructions followed to the letter got me back up and running! Thank you!

This has worked for me. Thanks DUDE !

Thanks for this thread really helped me today. I still have a few bugs with this navi but im hell of alot further then i was a few days again.

Was wondering if anyone can help me out, i got the unit back up and running from the rebooting issue but i cant access the nav and system setting icons or type in a destination address.

Anyone come across this or know of a fix?

Thanks

Fixed my system today. forgot about the parking brake bypass thats why i couldnt access the address or nav setting screen.

Thanks for the help, this tutorial really works.

ok i took the wince files from the pioneer website 2.06 and the unit says sucessfull update please reboot.I take the wince sd out and put the testmode sd in hit reset,unit reboots get the splash screen then black...I thought it was supposed to go into windows mode.Can someone please explain to me whats going wrong ?

thanks in advance.

jay

ok i finally got the thing working and the write up on the first page is excellent but i feel i need to add for those of us that are first timers.Every thing you use to do this MUST be on the top layer of your sd card(not grouped inside a folder that the Winrar gives you when it decompresses it).A big THANK YOU to redfire and all the others that worked on this great writeup!

Okay I get thru everything except loading the back up files.

It states that the size is too big and at the last 2 minutes it stops on North America with an "error 50"

Help, I need my system back up.

my unit will not stay on long enough for me to do anything it powers off before i can finish putting the first files on

Well I'll be more specific

I was getting splash screen to black screen i started doing this fix

4. Disconnect any USB connections connected to your unit (Ipod, USB drive). Power it up. When the pioneer logo comes up, press and hold the menu, map, eject and the reset button at the same time. Release the reset button first.

When you hear a pop sound from your speakers, let go of the eject button but continue to hold menu and map buttons. This will bring you to a blue screen where you will have to enter the service combination. Press the volume knob in this sequence and you will see * signs for each push: Up, Up, Down, Menu, Left, Right.

 

5. Once there, go to the option that says Update WinCE. It is actually WINCE update .

Be careful with not to press the knob while trying to move up and down, or you might press the wrong choice by accident.

 

6. Insert into the unit the SD card that has WINCEIMG.bin and WINCEIMG.cks on it (STEP 2)

 

7. Select Update using SD/USB (format) option. This will format your FlashDisk removing any corrupted files on there that prevent the unit from loading.

but before it can finish updating the screen goes black again... it had gotten to reading 100% then shut off

now when i turn it on its just black no splash screen

I have an f900bt going through the blank screen of hell. I went through the steps of downloading all the files. After I do all the menu + map + eject + reset thing i come to the blue screen. Then, i choose wince upgrade, and then it gives me a couple of options 0-upgrade sd/mms(format) 1-upgrade sd/mms 2-upgrade usb(format) and 3 upgrade usb. I dont have a usb connected to it so i try both option 0 and 1. My sd card is formatted to (fat 32). I even tried one that wasnt formatted. When I select the options it give me an error saying SD/MMS FAIL!!!!! Can anyone help me with this? Does this have to do with the 2gb SD card I purchased? its a PNY

Is it just a coincidence? My unit started with the same issue yesterday 20th March.

My unit was installed early January 2009. Just over a year and 2 months ago.? I have seen a least 2 people mention very similar timing with their failures. Maybe I should start another thread to see if this is a common problem.

I wasn't trying to update. I was driving along listening to music on my SD card when there was a sound corruption then a stutter and then it reset. It came up asking for the password (which I had almost forgot completely about) and I pulled over, entered it and it came back up. no problem....The next time I tried to start... Continual resets.... Farrrgin...!

I'm having the exact same issue as PSPICE, except i never get to 100%, furthest I've gotten on about 20 tries is 71%, then black screen again.

My unit was at the 2.008 update, done by the manufacturer after it was sent in to be fixed. Now its just sitting on the splash screen.

Gonna try resetting it back to 2.0.

Keep you posted.

No Dice... everything went flawlessly... except at the very end when I went to reboot for the final step, it rebooted and stayed right on the splash screen. I really hate this unit.

The system upgraded all the way to 2.008, but still just sits at the flash/loading screen. So I think something is missing. Are the WinCe files suppose to be in the sytems folders somewhere, cause I dont think they are? The only place I have them is on my SD per the instructions. What about the other folder that are on the unit, seems as though the only one that had any work done to it was the "My flash disk" folder, unless things were done to the other folders during the upgrade process that I couldn't see.

I knew at the onset it was all or nothing, and it seems I'm at the nothing stage after 12 hours of trying to fix it yesterday.

If someone has a suggestion, please drop in.

Thanks in advance

Just one more thing, I was able to get to 100% finally, which allowed me to do the updates, but still sitting at the flash/loading screen, occasionally (every 10 minutes or so) it goes black but comes right back to the flash/loading screen... Ugh!

Just curious, this process appears to address one folder among many that are visible in Test Mode. Are there any other folders that need to be addressed, cuase I really think I'm missing something as its stuck in boot up mode on the flash screen no matter whether I put back to 2.0 or upgrade to 2.006 or 2.008.