My original assumption was correct, the 2 WinCe files were missing from the folder, that's why it just sat on the boot screen. After I reloaded the 2 WinCe files back onto the unit instead of just putting them on my SD card, the system took the 2.0 again. Then loaded the 2.006 update, and it took perfectly. Gonna try the 2.008 update tonight.
i have v3.0 running. can i follow this procedure or is it specific to v2.xx?
i personally havent put 3.0 on yet, still running 2.008
i think i need to revert back to 2.0 and then update to 2.008.
edit: looks like from reading the directions in the first post, the system will be reloaded with 2.006? can i do this if i have 3.001?
edit: also, will i have to use the winceimg.bin and winceimg.cks files from the 3.001? or can i use the files from the 2.006 that i download?
I can't get into the test mode. I've formated all my SD Cards to Fat32. I can get to format Wince via SD(Format) everything is good but when I put the Test Mode SD card in and reset it keeps showing the Pioneer Screen then shutting down. I have tried the wince files from My_Flash_Disk-700BT found on this site, Version 2.0, 2.06. The 2.08 doesn't have those files from Pioneer. I have restored it back to the 2.0 update. Any help here would be greatly apprecaited. I know I'm missing something stupid.
I figured out my mistake. I put the contents of the testmode folder on the SD card and needed to just drop the folder itself on the SD card. Finally got my unit up and running. MAN 6 Months in a box and I finally read this thread. Thank you guys for the help.
oh mannn.... looks like thats my issue as well. i am stuck at step 9, i put the contents of the "testmode" folder on the sd card, not the "testmode" folder itself. looks like that will solve my problem. after updating the firmware and resetting, the splash screen comes up and then the unit simply turns off.
i will try it again tonight. hopefully that works.
Well, my unit just shit the bed again. This will be the third time this has happened. The first time was about a year after I purchased my f900bt. Second time was shortly after that, maybe a month or two. This is really a pain in the ass. I am going to go through this step by step again tomorrow and hopefully get my unit back in business. After I get it working, I am going to call Pioneer and bitch at them until they give me the 3.0 update for free. I love this unit, but I fucking hate pioneer a lot right now.
back up and running... ugh. how many more months until this happens again.
THANK YOU OP AND AVIC411 you just saved a F700BT
Hi I read through the post and did not see any one having a solution for the blue screen going dark all of a sudden. I dont know what to do about that. If I am quick enough I can get to the part where I can select what storage device to use for the update but then the screen just turns dark again. Has anyone found a solution for that. Also I am running 3.0.
thanks
I followed these directions EXACTLY as directed and I am still having the same black screen after the splash screen issue. Except now it doesnt keep rebooting, it just goes to the black screen. Anyone else have the same issue? How did your resolve it?
i need help. i got through all of the steps. i did all them successfully. when everything was done with the backups loading on to the unit i restarted it. when i restarted it, it loads up and on the splash screen it has a message pop up saying application program database not found. i donno what i am doing wrong
I followed these directions EXACTLY as directed and I am still having the same black screen after the splash screen issue. Except now it doesnt keep rebooting, it just goes to the black screen. Anyone else have the same issue? How did your resolve it?
Did u ever resolve this? Im having the same issue
im trying to load 2.006 back on to my f900bt get through to updating winCE i put the sd card with the test mode folder and reset then it tries to start like normally but the unit just turns off nothing happends test mode doesnt even come up. ive been on test mode in the past when upgraded to 3.00 am i doing something wrong
Hi,
Just bought an F900BT from ebay. Supposed to be a "like new F90BT, but got an F900BT with reboot issues instead. Also will not recognize my ipod. I'm hoping to fix it with instructions on this post, but have one very big issue. I have never worked with RAR files before, and am confused about how to get the firmware files onto the SD card correctly. I downloaded all 17 files, but when I try to extract them to one folder before copying to an SD card, the first two files seem to be the same. The second one rewrites the first. Am I doing this correctly? Is there one large single file that I can download to prevent possible corruptions occuring from the multiple overwrites? Sorry for the giant ignorance display. NEWBIE
Thanks in advance for any help.
No problem... Check Rar Labs for WinRAR Archiver. Scroll down for the non-beta version. Once you download a series of rar files, simply extract the first one. With WinRAR Archiver (as long as you selected "integrate into windows shell" during installation) you can simply right click the first rar file and choose "Extract Here". WinRAR will use all the rar files and combine them during extraction.
will this work for a Canada Unit ??
Done all the steps above but never had back up so downloaded from pioneer and won't boot up from blue screen 
gutted
I have deleted all my flash disc files but downloaded from pioneer and copied Everythink from this site but still don't work
Guys,
Thank you for putting together this tutorial. I thought my unit was toasted but its now recovered thanks to you.
Bonus on top of that, I didn't even know that version 3.0 of the firmware had been released.
Where get all these files. The links does not work.