BootBlock Hell

I bought an MPC 1000 on eBay a few days ago. It was working great with the free JJOS until I decided to check out JJOS 1. I loaded os1 from the internal hard drive and upon restarting, I got a message: BOOTBLOCK VER:1.03 BOOT ON EMERGENCY MODE. COMPACTFLASH ISNT INSERTED. PLEASE INSERT A CF CARD.

I assumed the new os had flashed incorrectly, so I put jjos free on the card and booted up holding the window key. I got the same error message, minus the bits about the cf card. I tried the akai os and the same thing happened. I've tried removing the RAM and hard drive and even seeing if I could make it run the memory test, but I always get the same error.

My cf card is a 4GB sandisk ultra. My questions are: does the issue lie with the size of the card? Do I have to already have formatted the card with the mpc to be able to use it for loading an os in this emergency mode? I'm even wondering if the card slot is broken, since I hadn't used it until this error came up so I can't be sure if it functions correctly.

Thanks in advance for any help. Hopefully I have explained things well enough. My brain is nearly numb from trying to find a fix for this.

The site search and a google search brings up a few solutions to this, try this one:

viewtopic.php?f=25&t=148483

Thanks. I've read that one in my tireless search. If the issue lies with the cf card being too large, will the mpc recognize a smaller one (say, a 32mb) in this boot state? I'm wondering if the mpc will automatically format it for use, since I'm only able to format it as FAT32 on my PC.

I'm going to try partitioning the card to see if the MPC will recognize a smaller partition. I'll report back.

EDIT: did not work

If my cf card slot were broken, would the mpc still recognize that there is a card in the slot?

Like I said, when I boot with the card in, it just gives me the bootblock error, but doesn't ask me to insert a card. I just find it strange that I can't even run the memory diagnostic or anything. I'm just trying to think of any possible solutions before I drop the cash on a new card reader board.

I suspect it is some sort of OS flashROM error, from when you re-flashed the OS, rather than a CF reader error.

That sounds like it could be the problem. Any idea how I could fix that? Is it possible to put a new ROM chip in? I'm only seeing info for doing that with mpc 2000s

Yeah, no idea, will be something soldered to the main PCB, no idea if there is a deeper service procedure to reset it/rewrite it/initialise it/whatever, or if it is possible to replace the part on the main PCB, and then whether a new part would need to be initialised somehow to work?

mansion wrote:If my cf card slot were broken, would the mpc still recognize that there is a card in the slot?

I had a cheap Chinese external CF reader that the casing and some pins fell out of and it still recognized the card.
At least for moving a few files back and forth.

So yeah, maybe take a look in there.

How much is a new CF board?
Before doing that (if its not missing pins), I'd get a new CF and try to get it to flash anything just to get it to respond.

Try the nukai OS and JJ 1, 2, 2xl and 3.

Maybe pull the case open and make sure no ribbons have worked loose.

I had a similar issue a while back when I soldered my cracked PCB board back together (person before me really mistreated her). First power on holding Erase, then I if that doesn't fix it open your Mpc its possible that one of your Pcb boards has a loose screw. So along the outside of the rotary encoder Pcb board tighten all the screw to ensure a good ground but dont overtighten. Then check all of your cable connectors to makes sure everything is secure. Lastly don't panic, these things are built like Tanks and relatively easy to fix and at the most find replacement parts. Let me know if this helps.....

In the topic I originally linked to, the guy sorted it by reformatting the card and loading the OS again via the standard WINDOW on boot up method. I know you've tried this with your existing card, but perhaps try this with a new card. Also as stated above, try booting up while holding down ERASE, although I wouldn't pin your hopes on that one, but always worth trying.

It seems unlikely to me that the CF board has suddenly busted when it was working fine moments before trying to install OS1. It sounds like the OS file you had on the disk was corrupted - either the file itself or more likely the file structure of the disk. If it were the CF slot itself, you'd see the missing or bent pins.

Before doing that (if its not missing pins), I'd get a new CF and try to get it to flash anything just to get it to respond.

Going to try a different card tonight. Fingers crossed.

I had a similar issue a while back when I soldered my cracked PCB board back together (person before me really mistreated her). First power on holding Erase, then I if that doesn't fix it open your Mpc its possible that one of your Pcb boards has a loose screw. So along the outside of the rotary encoder Pcb board tighten all the screw to ensure a good ground but dont overtighten. Then check all of your cable connectors to makes sure everything is secure. Lastly don't panic, these things are built like Tanks and relatively easy to fix and at the most find replacement parts. Let me know if this help

Thanks. I'll try this if the new CF card fails.

It seems unlikely to me that the CF board has suddenly busted when it was working fine moments before trying to install OS1.

That's the thing. I originally attempted to install OS1 off of the installed hard drive via the LOAD menu, not the CF card. I hadn't even tried to use the CF card until I was put into this predicament.

Anyway, at least I have several ideas now as to what the issue may be. Here's to hoping I don't have to replace the main board containing the flash rom.

I'll let you all know the outcome of the new card try tonight. Thanks for your help through this, all!

mansion wrote:Anyway, at least I have several ideas now as to what the issue may be. Here's to hoping I don't have to replace the main board containing the flash rom.

I'll let you all know the outcome of the new card try tonight. Thanks for your help through this, all!

Let us know how it goes.

There is a deeper service procedure to try to recover the boot block, but I don't think that the required special service/test plug in ROM board is available (VST Service says it is not available), and if it was, would probably be close to the $375 that it costs for a replacement main PCB.

From the service manual, it seems that the boot block recovery function is only available from the special service/test plug in ROM board, not from the 'normal' Test OS which you can load from a CF card. Which makes sense, as you would only probably need it when you can't boot normally to run the test program from a CF card...

[Test program]
Test programs on the MPC1000 can be run either using a Test OS or a JIG PC Flash Rom.

[Running the test Program using a Test OS]
A test program can be installed on the MPC1000 by updating it with a Test OS. The Test OS must be copied to a CF card from which it will be written to the Flash ROM of the MPC1000. The installation procedure is the same as for a normal OS update. For a description of the test mode functions, refer to the “MPC1000 Test Program list”.
Note: Once the Test OS is installed, the unit will always start up using the Test OS, until the regular OS is re-installed.

[Running the test Program using a JIG PC Flash ROM MPC1K (AJ - 771312J)]
The PC Flash ROM is used during repair for the testing jig and boot block recovery.
To access the test program on the PC Flash ROM MPC1K follow this procedure:
1. Turn off the MPC1000 and open the unit.
2. Insert the PC Flash MPC1K ROM into J110 on the CPU board.
3. Turn on the MPC1000 to start up the Test OS from the PC Flash ROM.

I have no idea if that would fix your boot block issues, if you can't fix it any other way, or if it is even possible to get hold of the special ROM required to do it.

It might be possible that a service centre has the special ROM, and that you could send it to them to try it, but again, it might cost a fair bit, and there is no way of knowing in advance if it would fix it.

SimonInAustralia wrote:It might be possible that a service centre has the special ROM, and that you could send it to them to try it, but again, it might cost a fair bit, and there is no way of knowing in advance if it would fix it.

Depending on shipping costs, a possible way to 'TRY' to fix it, if it seems that the boot block is the issue, and nothing else will fix it...

VST Service wrote:1st check the contrast setting to make sure that’s not the issue (if no display) we charge $75.00 to reflash the boot block and reload the currant OS.

Well, I tried 2 more CF cards and had the same results. I'm beginning to think that the CF reader doesn't work properly. I notice no bent pins. However, some of the pins (notably, 2 in the middle and 2 on each end of the pin set) are longer or shorter than the majority of the pins. I have a feeling that the pins are supposed to be like that, maybe having something to do with ground and voltage. I could be wrong though.

Depending on shipping costs, a possible way to 'TRY' to fix it, if it seems that the boot block is the issue, and nothing else will fix it...
VST Service wrote:
1st check the contrast setting to make sure that’s not the issue (if no display) we charge $75.00 to reflash the boot block and reload the currant OS.

Thanks for that info! I'm first going to open her up and check for any loose connections, as ThobRom and kountryboi84 suggested.

Then I will decide if I buy a new card reader board or send it off to VST. After shipping to VST, it will probably be the same amount of money.