This topic has been marked solved and closed to new posts due to inactivity. We hope you'll join the conversation by posting to an open topic or starting a new one.
If you have not yet upgraded please upgrade to 6.7.4 rather than 6.7.3. If your system has already been fixed I would still suggest updating to 6.7.4 the normal way using the web admin GUI.
Re: Firmware Update from 6.7.1 to 6.7.3 Has Failed
If you're comfortable with the Linux CLI you can follow these steps
Note you'll need to put the files from the x86 folder onto the USB key with the exception of syslinux.exe (the Windows installer for putting the syslinux bootloader on a USB key). Also the x86 firmware image you put on the USB key should be the 6.7.4 one. You need to extract the .zip download and put the .img file on the USB key.
Alternatively you could e.g. create a VirtualBox VM for Windows and configure USB passthrough and run our tool.
Re: Firmware Update from 6.7.1 to 6.7.3 Has Failed
Hi, thanks for the direction. Firstly, I am having difficulty with the syslinux .zip. The first command - ./syslinux -I does not seem to be recognized. And, for some reason I cannot get my windows vm to recognize usb drives. I don't know... Any way, somehow, is it possible to use gnome disk?
If a command is not found that means a needed package is not installed. On some systems you will need to proceed commands with sudo to run them as the root user.
I think mbr.bin is in the syslinux-common package.
Re: Firmware Update from 6.7.1 to 6.7.3 Has Failed
Man, oh man. I don't understand where to go after that or how to go about getting the environment right to be able to create a bootable usb. Is there any way, at all, that a premade usb could be sent to me for a price?
Re: Firmware Update from 6.7.1 to 6.7.3 Has Failed
While there may be flash sticks with issues becoming bootable, generally most of them should work fine; however properly preparing them can be difficult and/or confusing.
Re: Firmware Update from 6.7.1 to 6.7.3 Has Failed
I believe if it can't boot off the USB key it falls back to trying to boot off the disks.
Not all USB keys are compatible.
Our script expects a syslinux bootable USB key using the MBR partitioning scheme with the recovery files on the first partition.
A common reason I've seen for USB Boot Recovery failing is configuring a USB key with no partitions at all. The script looks for the first partition and can't find one so it cannot find the USB Boot Recovery files.
As has been mentioned elsewhere you can try using Rufus, you can try using syslinux 6.03 directly and you can try an alternative initrd.gz and kernel I've prepared that boot the NAS into a tech support mode like state.
Re: Firmware Update from 6.7.1 to 6.7.3 Has Failed
It appears that creating a bootable USB disk is like winning the lottery.
Your odd's of actually getting it to work are 1 in a million.
It's not something that is done very often if at all by most users.
There must be a better utility that Netgear can create that will create a bootable USB drive without having to use 3rd party software like Rufis to format a USB drive.
The utility should also automatically grab the latest firmware version from your desktop and put it in the correct place on the USB drive.
Updating your firmware on a NAS should never be this difficult.
Re: Firmware Update from 6.7.1 to 6.7.3 Has Failed
This error relates to the firmware on the flash, yes.
In Rufus you could select to create a syslinux 6.0.3 bootable USB key with a MBR 0x80 put on the USB key. You can manually copy the files from the x86 folder from the USB Recovery download (except for the syslinux.exe)
I've sent you a PM with links to some custom initrd.gz and kernel files that you can use instead of the default initrd.gz and kernel. With these custom files the NAS will attempt to boot into a tech support mode like state and it won't matter if the USB key has a partition table on it or not.
Also the tool should be run as an Administrator (right click and select Run as Administrator)
Re: Firmware Update from 6.7.1 to 6.7.3 Has Failed
Sorry to appear to be daft, but I'm pretty much a novice at this stuff. I just did a firmware upgrade and now my NAS is broken and I'm a bit lost as to how to fix it. I did an hour's chat with Support but that didn't really get me anywhere they just said to do an RMA which will mean weeks without my files. You said "In Rufus you could select to create a syslinux 6.0.3 bootable USB key with a MBR 0x80 put on the USB key" but there are no dropdown options that say anything about syslinux??
Re: Firmware Update from 6.7.1 to 6.7.3 Has Failed
Under format options you can choose to create a bootable disk using Syslinux 6.03.
Under Advanced Options there's the BIOS 0x80 option. Note you need to right click on Rufus, and select Run as Administrator when opening it to get the maximum amount of options.
The partition scheme should be MBR partition scheme for BIOS or UEFI
Filesystem FAT32
Cluster Size should be the default
In addition to what Rufus puts on the USB key you'd need to add:
initrd.gz
kernel
syslinux.cfg
ReadyNASOS-6.7.4-x86_64.img
NTGR_USBBOOT_INFO.txt
These should be in the x86 folder of the USB Recovery tool already if you've followed the process correctly.
Note if you downloaded the firmware zip you'll need to extract the contents of the zip folder. You'll get the .img file and also the Release Notes. The .img file needs to go on the USB key.
If you use the custom initrd.gz and kernel I sent you links to the NAS will boot into a tech support mode like state (instead of doing USB Boot Recovery) enabling a remote fix. It's worth trying those if you can't get USB Boot Recovery to work with the standard initrd.gz and kernel.
As for RMA you should be able to select an Advanced RMA where we send you a unit first. This wouldn't take anything like weeks. Certainly fixing your unit with USB Boot Recovery is the best way forward if possible to get the fastest resolution. Where things work smoothly you can be back up and running pretty quick.
Re: Firmware Update from 6.7.1 to 6.7.3 Has Failed
To offer my experience, I tried every permutation of USB Recovery drive I could find (e.g., different thumb drives, different versions of syslinux, with and without Rufus). Nothing worked. I RMA'd my 314, and I had a new unit in a few days' time. They bumped me to "Advanced" as a matter of course, which I was grateful for.
The replacement 314 booted instantly from the first USB Recovery drive (a Patriot 8GB) that I had been trying to use with the defective 314, and I was able to upgrade the firmware to 6.7.4 that way right out of the box. So, in my case, this "+1f1" problem was not solvable by the USB Recovery method and could only be addressed by an RMA.
Re: Firmware Update from 6.7.1 to 6.7.3 Has Failed
I got this error today on my 314. The 6.7.4 update worked but after the second reboot this happened.
After trying everything, i finally got it working. Thought i'd summarise my steps. They may not all be required for everyone but this is what i did and i'm back working again.
Copied ReadyNASOS-6.7.4-x86_64.img to the bootable USB drive
Put USB drive in front USB port. Hold Backup button and tap power button. Release Backup button when Booting from USB message is on LCD screen. Took about 1 minute then NAS powered off. Powered on and confirmed shares accessible.
Re: Firmware Update from 6.7.1 to 6.7.3 Has Failed
Thanks!
I'm not sure what worked but I used Rufus to create the boot drive plugged the same USB drive I've been using and it failed with the same error. plugged the hdmi in and tried different timings of releasing the backup button. One of the three tries worked and my NAS is back up and running.
Thanks for taking the time to respond. Something worked I used I remembered the exact time I released it
Re: Firmware Update from 6.7.1 to 6.7.3 Has Failed
The backup button method in my experience is pretty straightforward. Press and hold the backup button, turn the NAS on, keep on holding the backup button for long enough to get it to boot off USB. If you don't press it down properly or for long enough you'd run into issues. Still not all USB keys are compatible so it can take trying multiple different USB keys to find one that works.
The O.K. button on the RN316/RN516 is much more tricky as if you press the button too early or too late it won't work. We addressed this in later BIOSes by getting the systems to automatically boot off a connected NTGR USB service key without any need to press the O.K. button.
RN312 systems with one of the most recent BIOSes will automatically boot off a connected NTGR USB service key without any need to press the backup button.
You said something about a "NTGR USB service key" What is that?
You also said "We addressed this in later BIOSes by getting the systems to automatically boot off a connected NTGR USB service key" What is considered later BIOSes. Is there a specific version number that it is supposed to be able to boot without pressing the OK button?
it should boot automatically off a USB Boot Recovery key created using our tool without needing to press any buttons.
The BIOS date is shown in bios_ver.log
The BIOS (Basic Input/Output System) is what gets a x86 PC started when you turn it on. One of the things the BIOS decides is which device to try to boot from.
