Okay I have spent the last one hour plus trying different combinations to do this with no luck still. Please walk me through. Remember I am using Windows.

1. I start the flasher programme
2. I enter: flasher-3.5 -F RX-51_2009SE_1.2009.42-11_PR_COMBINED_MR0_ARM.bin

This is the path of the file I was given in the download plus flasher-3.5 -F at the front.
3. I get a message saying "specify USB device to use (bus: device address)"
4. What do I do next? Surely it shouldn't be this difficult to flash on windows.

This might come in handy.

Edit:

Everyone, just get an GNU/Linux distribution. This is a Linux phone. It's just natural that all the development tools are for Linux.

but steps for windows people will help too (prob can be done)

win7 64bit: https://bugs.maemo.org/show_bug.cgi?id=6307

did you read this: https://wiki.maemo.org/Updating_the_firmware ?


1.
Flashing your device

For MS Windows, Mac or Linuxes you can use Maemo Flasher-3.5 Tool from Maemo Development Environment Downloads page. Maemo Flasher-3.5 Tool is meant for developer as it is command line utility. Flasher-3.5 download page and all installation packages include documentation how tool can be used.

2.
Windows
[edit]
N900 (XP)

MS Windows users willing to update the N900 can use the Nokia Software Updater or see the Flasher documentation.

It is also possible to flash the N900 directly without using the Nokia Software Updater (NSU). This is handy when you would like to flash the device with the same firmware that is already installed on the N900.

...and so on.
(sorry if this has just been added but there it is)

Okay I guess this means there is no way to reflash a bricked device if you are running Windows 7. But is there a more simple solution? My device isn't actually bricked. Can't I restore to factory settings from the device itself?

Flashing through linux is awesome: fast and easier than trying it on windows seven, so those who have probs flashing, don't hesitate, use your debian dist (really)

if you have one usb stick to spare, install a persistent ubuntu to there?

Yeah, I support this proposal, plus it's very easy.

If for some reason you're in the worst predicament - stuck with Windoze, get a USB stick, download the latest Ubuntu install image, and install Ubuntu to the USB stick, it installs there easily, plus there's a ton of guides on the web how to install to USB.

Then just boot the PC off the USB stick and you can carry out the flash and anything else easily.

how do i get a linux on my vista 64bit pc- can i get my laptop to boot up a linux from start up