WM8505_JinLanYu7 or WM8505_PuZhi to reload Chinese netbook?

Hi. I too come here after receiving a DOA Chinese 7" notebook...
Boots with "Smart Book" logo and indefinite "Loading OS image..." screen

I've read various posts on flashing the WinCE 6 OS and have come up with the following notes:
- It makes no difference between the "WM8505_PuZhi" and "WM8505_JinLanYu7" system updates (identified at top of screen)
- Both boot to the System Update screen
- Both perform the "1. Upgrading logo ..." step successfully
- Both perform the "2. Upgrading normal mode ..." step successfully
- Both perform the "3. Upgrading safe mode ..." step successfully
- Both wait indefinitely thereafter.

I have performed the following tricks
- Swapping the names of "normal_nk.nb0" and "safe_nk.nb0"
- Holding reset for 20 seconds while housing the SD card
- Editing the scriptcmd for a shorter "go 100000"

Is there yet another WM8505 update I should try?
I favor the "JinLanYu7" update because the only OEM identification is a sticker "Model: BL03-W" on the bottom. This comes back to a "lanYu" company (with a lowercase L).

Thanks for any assistance.

Edited by fristlsat79 2010-08-17 2:03 AM

As you have discoered, some rom flashes do not work on some models of these netbooks. When that happens, there is little or nothing you can do.

I took the entire smartbook apart to find the CPU is indeed a WM_8505.
Therefore I believe the flash updates were correct.

As a programmer, I notice the scriptcmd has no error checking.
It's possible an update failed, but the scriptcmd will always report success.

It also could have been a hardware failure. It's hard to say.

IIRC, the reflash sometimes doesn't take the first time, like on the old Casio BE-300. I think some folks have gotten it to boot properly after a second or third reflash. (Nothin' to lose.)

Did you try this version here: http://devio.us/~nextvolume/via_arm/viewtopic.php?id=6&t_id=3

ha ha... thanks for the tips.
Believe me, I've tried the same flashes over and over thinking I missed something.
After trying this long, I should have cataloged which flashes I used and where they came from!

I also tried formatting the SD card with FAT and FAT32. No effect.

After everything you tried, it sounds like you have something wrong with the hardware maybe...but how would you ever know. Did the device ever work? Have you tried the VT8500 flashes as well?

My sister got a whopping 2 uses out of it before it booted with "Loading OS image..."

AFAIK, I have tried both WM8505 flashes as well as VT8500 ones...
However, I couldn't tell the difference because they all boot with "WM8505_blahblahblah System Update running"

If it worked twice and doesn't now...it sounds like a hardware problem for sure. Did you try formatting the NAND drive using the storage manager in the control panel before flashing?

Please indicate if the following apps are included in either of the above ROM versions?
__WordPad?
__SpreadCE?
__Skype?
please list other apps that are included also in either version?

Also, if you have accomplished a flash update from either of these ROMs by now,
did the resulting instal allow you to configure/edit power saving options?
and to create shortcuts you can place on the desktop?
Thanks for all that info

> Did you try formatting the NAND drive using the storage manager in the control panel before flashing?

If we're talking about "Windows Control Panel," no, it was handed to me in a condition booting with "Loading OS image."
If not, please clarify further.
To the best of my knowledge, there is no customizable BIOS on this machine

> Please indicate if the following apps are included in either of the above ROM versions?

I would be more than happy to describe what's included if I could get the ROM to boot.

I reloaded my 8505
followed the instructions given here! The netbook hung as you described. I tried several times --- except the last time!
I forgot to remove the flash drive ---- the loading continued to a full recovery. Give it a try!

Same thing for reflashing from an SD card - you have to remove it before you reboot.

Hi Guys.
A friend of mine has given me his notebook to repair. Again it is a chinese model, with english keyboard.

There are no identifying omarks on it to state what it actually is.

I get a loading screen that says: WM8505_JinLanYu7
and it runs windows ce 6.0.

The problem is it boots in chinese and will not boot back up in english.

Anyone help?

Thanks

I'm not fully clear from your post whether you reflashed it or not. If so, where did you get the ROM image? (There is more than one out there for the WM8505, so it'd help to know which one you've already tried.)