How to unbrick MPC/FORCE/DENON/NUMARK using linux.

I bricked my new numark mixstream pro tonight and decided to put rvense's information on fastboot to the test since I really had no other options for restoring the unit, windows was NOT working... I tip my hat to rvense, you can read his findings over here: https://niklasnisbeth.gitlab.io/mpc-int ... ll-updates


This tutorial requires linux, fastboot (yes the android utility), device-tree-compiler and thekikgen's mpcimg script.

Step 1 - Setting up the system

Set up for this proceedure by installing fastboot and device-tree-compiler (using ubuntu)



next, head over to github.com and download / save this file:
https://github.com/TheKikGen/MPC-LiveXplore/blob/master/imgmaker/mpcimg

you want to copy it to /usr/bin/mpcimg



(iirc python may need hashlib or something along those lines as well incase you have trouble with some crypto related python stuff)




Step 2 - Extracting the rootfs image from MPC-2.X.X-Update.img
The next step is to extract the firmware into an unpacked blob, that's where thekikgen's mpcimg tool comes in handy in order to do so we use this command
(special note, the MPC-2.X.X-update.img file is actually a compressed file its not the raw image you need so this next step is vital or forget about it)



now wait for it to finish, extracting and you are done step 2.



Step 3 - unlock the system for writing using fastboot
This next command is vital to being able to write to the unit, if this doesn't work you cant restore the rootfs.



Reply from fastboot:




Step 4 FLASH THE ROOTFS.IMG
Special note, be paitent here, this takes a couple seconds to transfer to your mpc unit.



Reply from fastboot:




Step 4 reboot



Reply from fastboot:




Example of the process



And voila! if all went well your machine should fire right back up into a healthy state of being.

I failed to mention, your mpc unit must be in fastboot mode (computer update mode) overdub + stop + play start + power on should get you there.

I would NEVER do this to my MPC butThe nerd in me is just glowing . . . . . . . .


https://thepihut.com/

https://www.parity.io/technologies/signer/

I bet you *would* do it to your mpc willingly and happily if you bricked it and it became a $2000 paper weight. lol. It's the same way imMusic (akai numark denon) flashes your unit from a windows or mac machine, it just automates the process. it's probably one of the safest ways to restore your machine (if you do it right). It pretty much means you can upload a completely trashed up ROOTFS to the unit and then turn around and just upload another one to fix it.

Thanks for this information except that it would mean that I would have to install Linux first- not impossible but there's no way to easily do this repair from Windows that we know about? I mean, if that what AKai does then I suppose you're implying that they keep it a secret?

Also, if anyone knows the "secret key combo" to force(!) the Force to boot, could you share it? I heard of one somewhere that slips my mind atm but it didn't work on my machine.

You can run a Linux distribution from a simple USB stick, no need to install anything.

https://www.techspot.com/guides/809-run ... ive%20mode.

Obviously, this is all ridiculous and AKAI should have designed a proper way to unbrick a device without having to flash anything manually.

The engineering around the MPC OS looks more terrible every passing day.

for the mixstream pro what's the power key combo to get into computer update mode please? @Ultros

holding down play/pause + cue + sync does something but my box is still stuck in a loop of powering up

hold down cue, saved loop, auto, and roll and (on the left deck) then press power on. If you use the right side deck it will take you to diagnostic test mode.

thanks @ultros ! all fixed now with key-combo and OS-updater app (needed to do it twice for some reason)