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10-17-2007, 08:29 PM   #1
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Need Help to Update Firmware

I've reformatted the SD card and gone to the Pentax site. I'm using Windows XP. I'm totally confused about what to download and how to go about it. Do I put the SD card in the card reader before doing this or leave it in the camera and connect the camera to the computer?

What do I download? I'm thinking it is NOT the Stuff-It since that appears to be for the Mac. Can someone advise please. I don't want to screw this up at this stage. Thanks.

10-17-2007, 08:47 PM   #2
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The instructions here are pretty straight forward. Basically follow every step and it will work.

Pentax Imaging - Software & Firmaware Updates

Last edited by Silus001; 10-17-2007 at 08:54 PM. Reason: cuz
10-17-2007, 09:19 PM   #3
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Well... I've read it and I'm not sure what root directory means. I'm not really computer literate I'm afraid. When I downloaded the file to the SD card, there was a file folder to one side and a BIN file beside. Should I drag the BIN file into the folder? Is this what they mean by the root directory?
10-17-2007, 09:24 PM   #4
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Here is my confusion:

"You must put the firmware update file (FWDC162B.BIN) directly onto the removable disk; it cannot be in any sub-folders. It must be on the top (or root) level of the removable disk."

10-17-2007, 09:36 PM   #5
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My Computer>SDCard>updategoeshere NOT MyComputer>SDCard>somedumbfolder>wrongplace.


QuoteOriginally posted by JamesD Quote
Here is my confusion:

"You must put the firmware update file (FWDC162B.BIN) directly onto the removable disk; it cannot be in any sub-folders. It must be on the top (or root) level of the removable disk."
10-17-2007, 09:48 PM   #6
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Thanks but my wife figured it out. Let's face it... she's brighter than I.

Anyway... thank you all for your help. Didn't mean to be a bother.
10-18-2007, 07:30 AM   #7
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How EXACTLY did you wife "figure it out"???

I need to know as well. Thanks.

10-18-2007, 07:47 AM   #8
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QuoteOriginally posted by JamesD Quote
Here is my confusion:

"You must put the firmware update file (FWDC162B.BIN) directly onto the removable disk; it cannot be in any sub-folders. It must be on the top (or root) level of the removable disk."
Well, I hope you understand that the SD card is like a teeny-tiny hard disk, and that like your hard disk, it can use folders to organize photos into a hierarchy.

In my experience (which is fairly considerable in this area), what confuses people who aren't computer savvy is the use of the term "root". Root sounds like it's at the bottom where you can't see it, like the root of the tree. But actually, "root" here means what most people would normally think of as "top", in other words, it's the most visible and easiest to find part of the storage device. The root is the top level of the storage device, whether it's an SD card or a hard disk.

So if your SD card mounts as drive F (on a Windows computer), simply click on My Computer in the Start Menu to open a window that displays all of the volumes your computer is aware of. With any luck, you'll see drive F (or whatever) listed there. The safest thing to do is DO NOT OPEN the drive -- just drag the .bin (binary) file on to that drive's letter until it highlights, then drop it. That will copy the item to the "root" (= top) level of the card.

Will
10-18-2007, 08:55 AM   #9
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QuoteOriginally posted by WMBP Quote
In my experience (which is fairly considerable in this area), what confuses people who aren't computer savvy is the use of the term "root". Root sounds like it's at the bottom where you can't see it, like the root of the tree. But actually, "root" here means what most people would normally think of as "top", in other words, it's the most visible and easiest to find part of the storage device. The root is the top level of the storage device, whether it's an SD card or a hard disk.
Will
I'll have to dig deep in my 1957 built computer for this, what I can remember is this:
The term root was first used by Brian W. Kernighan and Dennis M. Ritchie of Bell Laboratories where they developed a computer language called 'C' and a computer operating system (something like windows) called UNIX (which was written in C).
They started to use the term 'root' for all kinds of things: the most powerfull user account is called "root", the memory loaded operating system execution file was the "root" process and they were to create the first upside down tree like filesystem structure (like the windows file system but better; no drive letters. All disks sit in one structure).
The root directory (the most upper) is indicated with a '/' and the '/' was also used as a name seperator in file / directory names.
There have been many, many, many UNIX and UNIX like operating systems using the ideas of Kernighan and Ritchie: Ultrix, BSD, OSF, HP-UX, AIX, Linux, Solaris, etc. etc.
Also realtime variants and the like. Linux was created as a hobby project by Linus Torvalds under a free software license. Linux is now supported by companies like HP and IBM and it does not cost anything, so the guys in Seattle have been nerveous.
Since many hw suppliers now use some sort of Linux kernel (operating system) in their products, the K&R ideas have been wide spread.
Basically all your home wireless routers, TV's, HD recorder, game consoles, etc are all UNIX / Linux basde computer systems. Even the latest Apple OS is UNIX / LINIX based (I believe). You probably own more Linux based systems than Windows, allthough you've never noticed.
Last month my personal entertainment centre in a Boeing 777 crashed, showing me a clear evidence of being a Linux system.
Try to Telnet to your portible harddrive, Wifi equipment, your Blueray drive....

At some point in time there was an OSI standarization initiative defining a common software standard. Also microsoft then thought it was important to follow. Hence many of the K&R ideas were ported into the first Windows NT OS. Unfortunatly the UNIX world was too much scatered and not focused on end user computing. Microsoft immitated the Xerox / PARC windows user interface and by making a deal with IBM became world dominant. Despite the delivery of absolute crap and lack of quality.

What does this has to do with Pentax DSLR's? Well, they use an K&R like hierarchical filesystem...

- Bert
10-18-2007, 06:29 PM   #10
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Thanks, Will (and Bert) for an such insightful and educational post. I'm sincere when I say that I've learned something and that's a good thing. Thankfully, as I mentioned last evening, my wife figured this out and did things exactly as Will outlined, while I sat watching in horror (and amazement). She has a son who works for Microsoft (he's actually quite high up the ladder) and I can see now, from whence he gets his know how.

The firmware is safely updated and we're just sitting anxiously awaiting the end of this Pacific NW storm so we can go outside and mess about with them.
10-18-2007, 07:30 PM   #11
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QuoteOriginally posted by bymy141 Quote
...
Also microsoft then thought it was important to follow. Hence many of the K&R ideas were ported into the first Windows NT OS. - Bert
The first Microsoft (Seattle) O.S. was DOS 1, which did not have a directory structure, I recall customers who would fill their ONE directory and have all sorts of problems. It was DOS 2.1 and up when they started stealing UNIX ideas: Sub directories and commands like CD, MKDIR, |, MOVE, and so on.

We digress.

We should mention that if you don't need to upgrade the camera's firmware, then don't. It is always a little risky, we have had a few people on this forum "brain dead" their cameras. No choice but to send it in for repair, and Pentax considers a failed firmware upgrade a warranty breaker. My K100D is version 1.0 because the firmware upgrade does nothing for me (I don't need support for >2GIG memory cards). My K110D has new firmware and I can't tell the difference.

If you need the upgrade just be careful and only proceed when you understand the instructions. When I replaced a Celeron with a Duo in my observatory P.C. it said contact HP for a BIOS upgrade after every boot. I installed that upgrade in a FLASH.
10-19-2007, 05:09 AM   #12
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Somewhat OT, but WHY OH WHY does DOS use "del" instead of "rm" I guess that's why someone wrote cygwin
Long live Unix! (I'm working on an HP-UX system right now!)
10-19-2007, 08:05 PM   #13
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I just updated My K10D and I am not sure I like it...Seems like a different camera..
Perhaps after I get used to it again, but right now I am regreting upgrading it..
It definitely seems slower to auto focus..
10-19-2007, 08:41 PM   #14
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QuoteOriginally posted by egordon99 Quote
Somewhat OT, but WHY OH WHY does DOS use "del" instead of "rm" I guess that's why someone wrote cygwin
Long live Unix! (I'm working on an HP-UX system right now!)
DOS also accepted DELETE, ERA, and ERASE. That is 4 commands that do the same thing. Few people could tell you what ASN did, and people called UNIX cryptic!

We have a bit in common, I have an HP B180 Workstation in the basement when I need to do something in HP-UX.

I regularly update firmware on systems that cost $5,000 to over $1,000,000. But, I advise customers only to upgrade if the firmware has a feature or fix important to them. I won't upgrade my K100D unless Pentax introduces firmware with a feature I can't resist. Chance of failure is low, but cost of failure is high.
10-20-2007, 12:58 AM   #15
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QuoteQuote:
So if your SD card mounts as drive F (on a Windows computer)...

"Mount" (in computer jargon) is for a Mac, not a PC. You might say "reads as" or "shows as"or even "installs as", I guess :-)
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