Firmware Update Questions
How would i go on about installing an older Firmware on a Wheel?
Is that even a possible thing?
To be Specific:
Lets say have a Formula 1 Wheel 2021 that is on FW 41.
I now want to have 40 on it.
If i download the older Drivers that contain FW 40 for the Wheel, it will not let me Update at all as it would just say Please update Firmware on thee Wheelbase. Meaning the Manual Way also doesn't work, is there a special way to do that?
Comments
Why do you want an older Firmware on the steering wheel?
Your only way is to find a driver which contains an older firmware and then do a manual firmware flash with the firmware included and pre-selected in that driver.
This doesn't work, because when installing an older Driver that includes FW 40 for example, the Wheel will display "Caution Wheel not supporter please update Firmware) therefore will also not show up in the Firmware Updater, hence no Manual Firmware update possible in this case, at least for the Wheel itself.
I wanted to do it because its pretty obvious to me that the Wheel got bricked with a 41 FW on it. I Tought i could revive it but found no way to actually get an old Firmware onto the Wheel.
I also made test with other 2 Wheels of mine also on 41, they behave the same in this regard but work totally fine other wise, so i also doubt its a malfunction, just doesn't seem to be possible really.
The only way i can get the Firmware Updater up is if i have the Driver installed that has the same FW included that's on the Wheel, but now i cannot manually flash it because there is no way for me to manually select the appropriate hex file ... its either default hex wich is the one included.
When i try to select it. and look in the Fanatec Folder for .hex files i cannot sayy wichj one is for wich wheel, so i am not risking that ...
I also wonder, if i can manually select .hex files, where am i suppose to get them from? lets say i want the FW 40 default.hex, where would i get that from?
You are not supposed to load any hex file manually!
The Firmware which comes with the driver is always already pre-selected so all you have to do is to click on update.
Firmwares should always match with what's included in the driver so when you downgrade to a old driver which contains wheel Firmware 40 you have to downgrade the wheel firmware manually first and then after also the base firmware manually to the included one (maybe also motor firmware afterwards) so everything Matches.
Anyway, FW 41 definitely didnt broke anything so FW 40 wont help you...
"You are not supposed to load any hex file manually!"
Yea that's what i have thought yet your Updater clearly has the Option select .hex files from another path in that Popup. And there is a Registry Key for this behavior aswell.
"Firmwares should always match with what's included in the driver so when you downgrade to a old driver which contains wheel Firmware 40 you have to downgrade the wheel firmware manually first and then after also the base firmware manually to the included one (maybe also motor firmware afterwards) so everything Matches."
This is also not True, you cannot seem to flash the Wheel before anything else.
If you install a Driver that has a previous Wheel FW on it, the first thing that will happen is it will tell you Base / Motor needs to be updated,
When you do that, and are done and attach the Wheel that is on 41 but the Firmware is now on 40 (because you installed the older driver)
The Wheel will not say "Update Firmware as Wheel not supported."
Wheel cannot be Upated so it must reference to getting the driver where the matching Wheel 41 FW is included ...
"Anyway, FW 41 definitely didnt broke anything so FW 40 wont help you..."
Im not saying 41 explicitly bricked one of my Wheels, its the Process. Iam sure 41 is only half assed on the Wheel at this Point. Thats why i wanted to properly have a clean Flash with an older Firmware. Because Refreshing The 41 version will result in an Endless Loop.
Like this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4XWor2GsPM4
Like this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bzPWo0PJ-wU
Or Like this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7VH-aiw_hxE
I can grab out several Threads where people experience what i experience after a Firmware Update ( doesn't actually matter wich driver or FW specifically)
Considering they all happen during updates i legitimately think it is not a Hardware Issue, this must be all Software Related.