I have a brand new ProntoPro TSU 6000 that is stuck in a boot-up loop and Philips won't help me. I have tried the firmware upgrade .exe, and the hyperterminal reload of a default .ccf. The firmware upgrade .exe tells me to reset the ProntoPro and then quits when I do the reset. The hyperterminal reload hangs up when I reach the 'CABERNET>' prompt. When I type 'dl ccf' as instructed, no text appears on the screen, the cursor just continues to blink. If I try to download the default file anyway, it does not succeed.

Can anyone help me, or is the ProntoPro a $600 paperweight?

Thanks,
GJP

On a regular Pronto, if you get asked to reset the Pronto, it can mean that it is having trouble communicating.

Maybe you are having a comms problem. [Though you are at least getting the CABERNET> pronto.]

GJP...

Do you remember what sys level you were at when this occured? If you were at 1.1 and you were going to apply the 3.3.0 or 3.4 via the "tool" it would have asked you to reset. Also on Pros at v1.1 app a reset could start the endless reboot loop.

If it was already rebooting when you started the update to cure the problem, the safest bet would have been to be connected to Com1 for many reasons too long to go into here, and then apply app 1.3 via the Pronto Upgrade tool:

(The Pronto Upgrade Tool is a small self-extracting program that allows you to update your Pronto software yourself.) Download Pronto Upgrade Sys. V1.1, App. V1.3 (725 KB)

You need to have a little patients as it will look like it is not working at first and the progress appears to be slow even on a faster >PII233 'puter.

What is the current status of your situation?

-Bruce
alpha2data
on eBay

This message was edited by alpha2data on 11/04/01 11:32.26.

okay i am having the same problem with my prontopro. it is 6 days old and it is dead. i tried to do that firmware update and when it says to reset the unit i put it back on the cradle and itdoes nothing. my only option is to hit cancel and then it just exit the whole darn process HELP ME PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.

Neil Natic

P.S. i try to reset my pronto normally and i have the same problem---the black screen of death

nnatic: Don't use the cradle. I found that you need to press the "reset" while the ProntoPro is actually connected to the com port. The only way to do that is to plug the cable directly into the ProntpPro, bypassing the cradle entirely so you can get at the the "reset" button inside the battery compartment.

Here are the exact steps I used to get my dead ProntoPro back to life (I wrote them down in case I ever needed to use them again!) These are basically what I got from from Philips customer service, plus a few notes of my own. Also, note that I had to go through this twice before it worked.

1. Start ?Hyper Terminal? (Programs\Accessories\Communications\Hyper Terminal\Hypertrm.exe) on your PC.

2. Configure Hyper Terminal as follows:
Connection name: [anything]
Connection type: Direct to COM1
Speed: 115200 bps
Data bits: 8
Stop bits: 1
Parity: None
Flow control: None

3. Attach Pronto TSU6000 to PC COM1 port using cable provided with Pronto. Attach it directly, NOT via the charging cradle.

4. Remove the battery door and using a paper clip, press the ?Reset? button located inside the battery compartment (this is why you can?t do this while it is docked in the cradle).

5. You should see lots of strings of numbers and letters begin to scroll by on the Hyper Terminal screen.

6. When you see ?WDT RESET?, quickly press ESC on your PC keyboard.

7. You should now see a prompt that looks like this: ?CABERNET >_?. If not, try again from step 4.

8. When you have the prompt, enter exactly: D-L-space-C-C-F-Enter

9. From the Hyper Terminal toolbar select ?Transfer ? Send File?

10. Set protocol to ?1KXmodem?

11. Now browse your C: drive for the file ?ph1_default.ccf? probably somewhere in C:\Program Files\ProntoProEdit\. (Oops, you haven?t yet installed the CD ROM that came in the box with your Pronto? Do that first and start again.)

12. Select that file and start download. If Hyper Terminal reports any error, try again from step 4. Else, when Hyper Terminal says it is complete, disconnect the Pronto. It should now boot up into normal operation. (You may have to press the reset button in the battery compartment again to ?jump start? it.)

13. Now, log onto Philips web site and download and install the latest version of ProntoProEdit on your PC. Run that, and follow the instructions to update the firmware in the Pronto TSU6000 (under the ?Tools? menu.)

alfaman...

nnatic's Pro is two weeks old according to what he said and he got his Pro from the HT dealer where he works. His problem started because his Dock was blinking and stopped charging the NiMh pack.

If the Pro is already in the reboot loop, it can be saved by doing as you suggest and connecting directly to the Com port, but one is better off in my opinion using the tool just to get the Pro running again.

It will ask you too reset, but since the Pro is already in that loop, the update will start. When the update is finished, the problem should be fixed.

I actually went through this on one myself, and I had just one other that I sold that had the same symptons and the customer followed the same steps while we were talking on the phone with the same successful result.

-Bruce
alpha2data
on eBay

Thanks everyone for your responses-

I kicked it out of its loop by inititating the firmware upgrade download at the right time in the loop! Initially, everytime I tried I got an error message stating that I should hit the reset button on the Pronto, but then there's no way to get out of that message box other than to hit 'CANCEL', which closes the entire application.

If you hit the 'START' button at varying times in the startup loop, you will eventually catch it when it can be recognized by the software and accept the download of the new firmware.

Don't bother hitting the 'RESET' button, just keep launching the 'FIRMWARE UPDATE' item of the 'TOOLS' menu, from within ProntoProEdit, and hit 'START' later and later in the ProntoPro's startup loop. For me, it worked right when the screen went black after the welcome screen, but before the beep, which I believe was the start of the loop.

IT'S TIMING !!!

Thanks again

GJP

GJP,

I am curious as to why you stated Philips would not help you in your original post?

Is their tech support that incompetent or is there another reason they wouldn't help you?

I would like to know before I invest $700+ in one of their units.

CK

This message was edited by cyberkid on 11/07/01 13:54.42.

cyberkid: who needs tech support when you have us :-)

I don't want to go on to too much of a tirade, now that the problem is solved (no thanks to Philips, however), and now that I've calmed down, but I was told that their warranty does not cover software alterations via ProntoEdit. In essence, Philips views the use of ProntoEdit, a program they created and continue to update and support, included on CD ROM along with the COMPort-to-Pronto cable that they have also specially manufactured, the same as if I had smashed it with a hammer.

In short, I used this product and its accessories as instructed, and was denied support when it failed.

I think the real answer is that Philips doesn't know it's own product well enough, and hasn't designed it to be as robust as it needs to be for the intended application.

No matter what I do to my WinTel box, for instance, short of throwing out the window, the hardware can always be reconfigured and made to work again. Philips, on the other hand, told me that I had destroyed my ProntoPro beyond repair by using it the way it was intended to be used.

Obviously they were wrong, but make no mistake, I was on my own.

Cyberkid: RIGHT ON !!

Thanks again to the people of this forum!

GJP

Anthony, So right you are? But still I hae to hear that a compnay won't support it's customers mo matter what the issues are concerning their product.

GJP,

Thanks for the info, You can bet I am printing this thread right now.

CK

Bruce, I know that the veterans of this site probably hate to see the word "newbie" in a post, but since it is true, I will only use it one time. I have been trying for a week or so now to get the ProntoPro TSU6000 configured/programmed and running, including the firmware versions. I currently run:

- sys v1.2 [7/17/2001]
- app v1.2 [7/17/2001] and
- default 1, v1.1 [5/2001]
and when trying to apply the firmware upgrade tool, I did get the message to "reset the Pronto" and then faced the black screen of death - am I reading you right that I should be patient at this point and that the firmware upgrade may actually be active and performing appropriately? I have been reading threads and postings all night trying to make heads/tails out of this. Nice to see that this site provides support since Philips hasn't responded to my post yet. Thanks for any guidance. JStom


This message was edited by JStom on 11/18/01 21:34.52.

JStom....

I just emailed you something that may be a lot better.

-Bruce
alpha2data
on eBay

This message was edited by alpha2data on 11/18/01 21:58.11.

Have continued to try to upgrade the firmware - BUT TO NO AVAIL!!! and actually received a response (surprise, surprise) from Philips - their response basically asked which OS I was running (W98 2nd edition) and that I needed to delete any of the other .exe files associated with v.1.1 or v.1.2 upgrades and that I must delete older versions of the ProntoEdit program.

Well, being a good listener, I did as I was told and STILL cannot get the firmware upgraded. I am beginning to look around my home for nice places to mount or place the Pronto. I read in an earlier post about it being a nice paperweight... hmmm, not a bad idea.

If anyone has other suggestions, other than the comments located within RC's forum pages, please let me know. The frustration is killing me! JStom

I still have a feeling there's a Win.INI setting somewhere that is causing this problem for you. I updated a customer's Pronto Pro about an hour ago, and it was at SYS v1.2 APP v1.2 to start. It took about 3 minutes or so to run the process successfully.

The fact that you get the error with just the tool, is, to me, telltale.

Notwithstanding the above, did you officially register this unit when you called Philips???

If so, what are they willing to do for you??? I know if I had sold this, I would have taken it back long ago. I really feel bad for you here as you already know.

-Bruce
alpha2data
on eBay

This message was edited by alpha2data on 11/21/01 20:07.53.