n900 boot loop (nokia screen hangs) (SOLVED)

[tim_de_wolf]

Good day everyone,

This evening, I wanted to install mobile hotspot and connect a macbook with it. At first, mobilehotstop did not work, so after some research i found this fix:

From N900 App Manager, do this:
Uninstall hotspot.
Install: Enhanced Linux kernel for power users (settings). (stable repository, requires no special setup)
Install: MobileHotSpot
Reboot N900

I followed these steps and when i wanted to reboot the phone, it hung at startup. The nokia screen starts up, holds for a few seconds, then turns black. A few seconds later, the nokia screen reappears, holds for a few seconds, and then the screen goes black again.

When connnected to usb, it shows a constant yellow light. Sometimes, when trying to boot (no connection with usb whatsoever) it shows a constant white light. The yellow light will remain there, while the white light dissapears after a minute or so.

In essence, it just hangs.. I am not completely new to maemo and have done some serious research in fixing this. But I couldnt find much more than a reflash as a solution. I was hoping someone has some genious idea in how this could be fixed, since a reflash is not desirable.


Thankyou.

The solution:

Download the latest maemo flasher (here: http://tablets-dev.nokia.com/maemo-dev-env-downloads.php), and the latest firmware file (.bin) (here: http://tablets-dev.nokia.com/nokia_N900.php).

Put the firmware file (.bin) in /program files/maemo/flasher-3.5

Then open the flasher, type in: flasher-3.5.exe -F "firmware file name".bin -f -R

The flasher will wait for the n900 to connect.

Put the micro usb in the n900, slide it open, press and hold "u" then put in the usb cable in the laptop.

It should reflash the rootfs.

[fasza2]

Try to take out the battery and place it back then reboot it without a usb cable it usually works for me. If that fails though you might need to reflash.
PS: My N900 doesn't like to be started with the USB plugged in for some funny reason.

[Hurrian]

Ugh. After installing kernel-power, REBOOT. Just, REBOOT, do nothing else.
If you want to try, download the Power46 kernel image, and load the vmlinuz from it.
Uninstall kernel-power and Mobilehotspot, check your modules, reboot. You should be back to pr1.3-kernel.

See Using Rescue initrd. (http://wiki.meego.com/ARM/N900/Using_Rescue_Initrd)

[JonWW]

Use the command line flash to reflash just the kernel back to the original kernelflasher-3.5 -f --flash-only=kernel -R -F <firmware-image>

[Hurrian]

@JonWW, from the wiki:
This will flash the kernel from the FIASCO image and then reboot your device. The rootfs will not be touched by this. NB a kernel usually needs matching modules in rootfs, so odds are your kernel from FIASCO image won't work either, if you messed up the modules in rootfs - you need to flash whole COMBINED/FIASCO image then to recover.
It'd be better to extract the kernel initrd and vmlinuz from kernel-power, assuming he installed kernel-power-modules and the kernel-power-flasher.

[tim_de_wolf]

Thanks for your input,

There is only one problem, because he keeps on turning on and off, it is not possible for me to connect it with the computer. When it starts up, at the top right corner the connectivity symbol appears, but after a few seconds the device goes off again. This cycle repeats continiously.

Or I am missing something here, that Im capable of connecting it.

[Hurrian]

Run the command:
flasher-3.5.exe -F ${ROOTFS_FIRMWARE_FILE}.bin -f -RIt will wait for the N900. Then:
1. Attach the microUSB cable onto the N900.
2. Open the slide.
3. Hold down U
4. While holding U, connect it to the PC.
5. It will reflash the rootfs.

[tim_de_wolf]

Hurrian i followed those steps.

Maemo Flasher 3.5 gives me this response to the command:


flasher v2.5.2 <sep 24 2009>

${ROOTFS_FIRMWARE_FILE}.bin: %m


I have absolutely no clue what this means.

UPDATE: I now see that i should put there the firmware file. Lets give it a try

UPDATE: After I revised my mistakes, and being utterly stupid, i entered the correct code for the firmware file. I then let it flash, and now the phone is fully working again.

Thanks again hurrian!

[WeeKnighT]

Use the command line flash to reflash just the kernel back to the original kernelflasher-3.5 -f --flash-only=kernel -R -F <firmware-image>

Thank you so much for that command/syntax

Yes, I screwed up the kernel. It wouldn't flash in Win7, but worked for Win XP.
It failed to boot when i de-installed the power kernel and rebooted.
Flashing only the kernel kept my settings.
It was much safer than flashing the whole thing.

[owenjohnston]

Hi,

i know this is a long shot but I have just had the same problem and can't find any flasher or firmware files online. My phone just keeps showing the nokia logo even when i plug into usb. any help would be very much appreciated! :)

[Swordfish II]

I have them on my home computer as well as a mirror to download them, I can post tonight if nobody else gets it first.

[Galt]

I have them on my home computer as well as a mirror to download them, I can post tonight if nobody else gets it first.

Do you still have them? My N900 is now in the "boot-loop".

[michaaa62]

Here you are:

http://mirrors.muarf.org/maemo/tablets-dev/nokia_N900/

First just try to flash the kernel from a firmware to get your current setup booted, hopefully.

[Ridd92]

I know it is old thread but the topic is up-to-day. After cleaning my room I've found olnd n900 board. Thought it was dead but I decided to give it a try. Mounted it into case, plug the battery in and... It's starts but like it was connected to the charger no lit screen only nokia logo. Than it started booting. did 2 revelations through those five dots we all know. Then turned of. After few seconds turned on again and so, got into boot loop.

Yes I already flashed it, with many different images and so on. No change. flashing was a bit strange cause of this plug out plug in but doable.

Problem still stays, but there is a way to turn on the phone.

Remove battery. Push and hold power button, insert battery. Phone starts and works perfectly.

I really don't care about the shape of my 7th n900 but I'm curious what and why can cause the problem when phone itself can work fine...

Sorry I do care. It could be another saved and fully operational n900.

In addition: When phone is on and I do reboot through terminal it boots up normally.

[Ridd92]

So we still stuck? Maybe the is some workaround?

Please guys you all helped me so many times and I still do believe in this community.

Let's bring up our best game Tell me what to do, what to test, maybe we can start with something?