Z8 and firmware upgrades.

[Zorpie]

Hi,
No, this is not another thread regarding Z8 firmware updates but one about upgrading Z8 peripherals THROUGH the Z8 body.

I discovered that my Z 24-70mm F2.8 lens needed a firmware upgrade from ver 1.10 to 1.20. So I downloaded the zipped file from Nikon (EU) - unzipped it to get the .bin file - transferred that to the root of the storage card in use but - when I came to complete the upgrade in the camera - there was no option to upgrade given, All I had was the 'Done' readout. Tried another card - same thing. Downloaded the firmware file and unzipped again - same thing. This is a process that I had carried out many times with my previous Z7II body with no issues whatsoever.

To cut a longer story short - and after speaking on a live chat with a Nikon (UK) support agent where the outcome was he suggested sending my one week old Z8 and 18 month old 24-70mm lens to them for a service check with a turn around quoted of 20 days. Or contacting the suppler for a new replacement Z8. Unwilling to do either without some further investigation - I eventually discovered that I could only do the upgrade (and get the .bin file recognised by the camera) IF I unzipped it into a folder in my C (system drive) - and then copied it to the cameras storage card - not the usual internal E drive I had always done in the past with the Z7II.

So I re-read Nikon's Z8 firmware upgrade instructions again. This is what it said:

1. Create a folder on the computer hard disk and name it as desired.
2. Download F-MLZ24-70F28S-V0120W.exe to the folder created in Step 1.
3. Run F-MLZ24-70F28S-V0120W.exe to extract the following file to a folder named “Z24-70F28SUpdate”:
   • MLZ24_70F28S0120.bin (the lens firmware)
4. Using a card slot or card reader, copy “MLZ24_70F28S0120.bin” to a memory card that has been formatted in the camera.
   Note: Be sure to copy the firmware to the root (top-most) directory of the memory card. The camera will not recognize the new firmware if it is placed in a folder under the root directory.

etc etc. Note - nothing about extracting the .bin firmware update file specifically to the C system drive first.
So - I'm wondering what has gone on here and if anyone else has experienced this issue. IF indeed it IS an issue or is related to something else within my Windows 11 system here on my PC. Why did previous firmware updates (when I had the Z7II) not require the .bin file to be unzipped to the system drive before it was transferred to the Z7II and recognised by the camera ?
Anyone any thoughts or suffered a similar issue with their Z8 lens firmware or accessory upgrades through the camera ?
Appreciate the comments - thanks !!
Richard

--
http://www.pbase.com/zorpie
If it seems too good to be true - then it isn't. If you cannot believe your eyes - then don't.

 

[PLShutterbug]

Hi,
No, this is not another thread regarding Z8 firmware updates but one about upgrading Z8 peripherals THROUGH the Z8 body.

I discovered that my Z 24-70mm F2.8 lens needed a firmware upgrade from ver 1.10 to 1.20. So I downloaded the zipped file from Nikon (EU) - unzipped it to get the .bin file - transferred that to the root of the storage card in use but - when I came to complete the upgrade in the camera - there was no option to upgrade given, All I had was the 'Done' readout. Tried another card - same thing. Downloaded the firmware file and unzipped again - same thing. This is a process that I had carried out many times with my previous Z7II body with no issues whatsoever.

To cut a longer story short - and after speaking on a live chat with a Nikon (UK) support agent where the outcome was he suggested sending my one week old Z8 and 18 month old 24-70mm lens to them for a service check with a turn around quoted of 20 days. Or contacting the suppler for a new replacement Z8. Unwilling to do either without some further investigation - I eventually discovered that I could only do the upgrade (and get the .bin file recognised by the camera) IF I unzipped it into a folder in my C (system drive) - and then copied it to the cameras storage card - not the usual internal E drive I had always done in the past with the Z7II.

So I re-read Nikon's Z8 firmware upgrade instructions again. This is what it said:

1. Create a folder on the computer hard disk and name it as desired.
2. Download F-MLZ24-70F28S-V0120W.exe to the folder created in Step 1.
3. Run F-MLZ24-70F28S-V0120W.exe to extract the following file to a folder named “Z24-70F28SUpdate”:
   • MLZ24_70F28S0120.bin (the lens firmware)
4. Using a card slot or card reader, copy “MLZ24_70F28S0120.bin” to a memory card that has been formatted in the camera.
   Note: Be sure to copy the firmware to the root (top-most) directory of the memory card. The camera will not recognize the new firmware if it is placed in a folder under the root directory.

etc etc. Note - nothing about extracting the .bin firmware update file specifically to the C system drive first.
So - I'm wondering what has gone on here and if anyone else has experienced this issue. IF indeed it IS an issue or is related to something else within my Windows 11 system here on my PC. Why did previous firmware updates (when I had the Z7II) not require the .bin file to be unzipped to the system drive before it was transferred to the Z7II and recognised by the camera ?
Anyone any thoughts or suffered a similar issue with their Z8 lens firmware or accessory upgrades through the camera ?
Appreciate the comments - thanks !!
Richard

I don't understand what you mean by "internal e: drive" above. Internal to what?

I've followed that four-step process you show above for every Nikon digital camera I've owned. Essentially, when you double click the file you download from the Nikon site it creates a new folder with a .bin file in it. Then you copy the .bin file to your SD/XQD/CFe card's root folder, stick it in the camera, turn it on, and then run the Firmware Upgrade routine from the camera's menu.

That Nikon rep you chatted with was clueless. These days, as a consumer looking for support for a technology product you almost have to know how to solve the problem yourself so you'll recognize incompetent help. I blame productivity measurements that gauge success by the number and timing of incidents marked "closed/complete" rather than the number of issues successfully solved.

 

[TomS53]

Hi,
No, this is not another thread regarding Z8 firmware updates but one about upgrading Z8 peripherals THROUGH the Z8 body.

I discovered that my Z 24-70mm F2.8 lens needed a firmware upgrade from ver 1.10 to 1.20. So I downloaded the zipped file from Nikon (EU) - unzipped it to get the .bin file - transferred that to the root of the storage card in use but - when I came to complete the upgrade in the camera - there was no option to upgrade given, All I had was the 'Done' readout. Tried another card - same thing. Downloaded the firmware file and unzipped again - same thing. This is a process that I had carried out many times with my previous Z7II body with no issues whatsoever.

To cut a longer story short - and after speaking on a live chat with a Nikon (UK) support agent where the outcome was he suggested sending my one week old Z8 and 18 month old 24-70mm lens to them for a service check with a turn around quoted of 20 days. Or contacting the suppler for a new replacement Z8. Unwilling to do either without some further investigation - I eventually discovered that I could only do the upgrade (and get the .bin file recognised by the camera) IF I unzipped it into a folder in my C (system drive) - and then copied it to the cameras storage card - not the usual internal E drive I had always done in the past with the Z7II.

So I re-read Nikon's Z8 firmware upgrade instructions again. This is what it said:

1. Create a folder on the computer hard disk and name it as desired.
2. Download F-MLZ24-70F28S-V0120W.exe to the folder created in Step 1.
3. Run F-MLZ24-70F28S-V0120W.exe to extract the following file to a folder named “Z24-70F28SUpdate”:
   • MLZ24_70F28S0120.bin (the lens firmware)
4. Using a card slot or card reader, copy “MLZ24_70F28S0120.bin” to a memory card that has been formatted in the camera.
   Note: Be sure to copy the firmware to the root (top-most) directory of the memory card. The camera will not recognize the new firmware if it is placed in a folder under the root directory.

etc etc. Note - nothing about extracting the .bin firmware update file specifically to the C system drive first.
So - I'm wondering what has gone on here and if anyone else has experienced this issue. IF indeed it IS an issue or is related to something else within my Windows 11 system here on my PC. Why did previous firmware updates (when I had the Z7II) not require the .bin file to be unzipped to the system drive before it was transferred to the Z7II and recognised by the camera ?
Anyone any thoughts or suffered a similar issue with their Z8 lens firmware or accessory upgrades through the camera ?
Appreciate the comments - thanks !!
Richard

Besides what PL said above, I must ask this, did you have the Z24-70mm 2.8 lens attached to the Z8 at the time you attempted to update the firmware for the Z24-70 2.8 lens? Stay Safe!

 

[shuncheung]

Hi,
No, this is not another thread regarding Z8 firmware updates but one about upgrading Z8 peripherals THROUGH the Z8 body.

I discovered that my Z 24-70mm F2.8 lens needed a firmware upgrade from ver 1.10 to 1.20. So I downloaded the zipped file from Nikon (EU) - unzipped it to get the .bin file - transferred that to the root of the storage card in use but - when I came to complete the upgrade in the camera - there was no option to upgrade given, All I had was the 'Done' readout. Tried another card - same thing. Downloaded the firmware file and unzipped again - same thing. This is a process that I had carried out many times with my previous Z7II body with no issues whatsoever.

To cut a longer story short - and after speaking on a live chat with a Nikon (UK) support agent where the outcome was he suggested sending my one week old Z8 and 18 month old 24-70mm lens to them for a service check with a turn around quoted of 20 days. Or contacting the suppler for a new replacement Z8. Unwilling to do either without some further investigation - I eventually discovered that I could only do the upgrade (and get the .bin file recognised by the camera) IF I unzipped it into a folder in my C (system drive) - and then copied it to the cameras storage card - not the usual internal E drive I had always done in the past with the Z7II.

So I re-read Nikon's Z8 firmware upgrade instructions again. This is what it said:

1. Create a folder on the computer hard disk and name it as desired.
2. Download F-MLZ24-70F28S-V0120W.exe to the folder created in Step 1.
3. Run F-MLZ24-70F28S-V0120W.exe to extract the following file to a folder named “Z24-70F28SUpdate”:
   • MLZ24_70F28S0120.bin (the lens firmware)
4. Using a card slot or card reader, copy “MLZ24_70F28S0120.bin” to a memory card that has been formatted in the camera.
   Note: Be sure to copy the firmware to the root (top-most) directory of the memory card. The camera will not recognize the new firmware if it is placed in a folder under the root directory.

etc etc. Note - nothing about extracting the .bin firmware update file specifically to the C system drive first.
So - I'm wondering what has gone on here and if anyone else has experienced this issue. IF indeed it IS an issue or is related to something else within my Windows 11 system here on my PC. Why did previous firmware updates (when I had the Z7II) not require the .bin file to be unzipped to the system drive before it was transferred to the Z7II and recognised by the camera ?

The firmware .bin file does not need to be extracted on the DOS C: drive. It can be any drive. And there shouldn't be any zip/unzip involved. For Windows, you download an executable .exe file from Nikon and then execute it to extract the folder with the .bin file underneath.

I wonder why you got some Zip file and what is the content.

Of course the lens must be attached to your Z8 or other Z body for the lens firmware upgrade to work.

 

[Zorpie]

The downloaded file was an exe self extracting file - my mistake in referring to it as a zip file.

I already explained that with my previous Z7II firmware and lens updates - that I didn't need to unpack the .bin to the C (system) drive before transferring to the camera storage card. Any internal drive on the PC was OK for that purpose. But not this time - for whatever reason - that - did not work and the camera did not recognise the .bin file on the card until, it was copied to the card off the C drive.

I've been doing firmware upgrades on Nikon cameras I've owned over the years with never an issue. But this time - I have no idea as to why this has happened and - I only started the thread in case - it has also happened to someone else and they thought there was a problem with their Z8 as a result.

Thanks to all who replied anyway.

Richard

 

[TomS53]

The downloaded file was an exe self extracting file - my mistake in referring to it as a zip file.

I already explained that with my previous Z7II firmware and lens updates - that I didn't need to unpack the .bin to the C (system) drive before transferring to the camera storage card. Any internal drive on the PC was OK for that purpose. But not this time - for whatever reason - that - did not work and the camera did not recognise the .bin file on the card until, it was copied to the card off the C drive.
I've been doing firmware upgrades on Nikon cameras I've owned over the years with never an issue. But this time - I have no idea as to why this has happened and - I only started the thread in case - it has also happened to someone else and they thought there was a problem with their Z8 as a result.

Thanks to all who replied anyway.

Richard

So, you got the update done?

Edit: Zorpie, my bad, missed that you got the update done or forgot that you had when I wrote my question.

 

[just Tony]

Hi,
No, this is not another thread regarding Z8 firmware updates but one about upgrading Z8 peripherals THROUGH the Z8 body.

I discovered that my Z 24-70mm F2.8 lens needed a firmware upgrade from ver 1.10 to 1.20. So I downloaded the zipped file from Nikon (EU) - unzipped it to get the .bin file - transferred that to the root of the storage card in use but - when I came to complete the upgrade in the camera - there was no option to upgrade given, All I had was the 'Done' readout. Tried another card - same thing. Downloaded the firmware file and unzipped again - same thing. This is a process that I had carried out many times with my previous Z7II body with no issues whatsoever.

To cut a longer story short - and after speaking on a live chat with a Nikon (UK) support agent where the outcome was he suggested sending my one week old Z8 and 18 month old 24-70mm lens to them for a service check with a turn around quoted of 20 days. Or contacting the suppler for a new replacement Z8. Unwilling to do either without some further investigation - I eventually discovered that I could only do the upgrade (and get the .bin file recognised by the camera) IF I unzipped it into a folder in my C (system drive) - and then copied it to the cameras storage card - not the usual internal E drive I had always done in the past with the Z7II.

So I re-read Nikon's Z8 firmware upgrade instructions again. This is what it said:

1. Create a folder on the computer hard disk and name it as desired.
2. Download F-MLZ24-70F28S-V0120W.exe to the folder created in Step 1.
3. Run F-MLZ24-70F28S-V0120W.exe to extract the following file to a folder named “Z24-70F28SUpdate”:
   • MLZ24_70F28S0120.bin (the lens firmware)
4. Using a card slot or card reader, copy “MLZ24_70F28S0120.bin” to a memory card that has been formatted in the camera.
   Note: Be sure to copy the firmware to the root (top-most) directory of the memory card. The camera will not recognize the new firmware if it is placed in a folder under the root directory.

etc etc. Note - nothing about extracting the .bin firmware update file specifically to the C system drive first.
So - I'm wondering what has gone on here and if anyone else has experienced this issue. IF indeed it IS an issue or is related to something else within my Windows 11 system here on my PC. Why did previous firmware updates (when I had the Z7II) not require the .bin file to be unzipped to the system drive before it was transferred to the Z7II and recognised by the camera ?
Anyone any thoughts or suffered a similar issue with their Z8 lens firmware or accessory upgrades through the camera ?
Appreciate the comments - thanks !!
Richard

I don't understand what you mean by "internal e: drive" above. Internal to what?

Internal drive in his Windows 11 pc.

What’s so bizarre is that once the bin file is on the memory card, the camera shouldn’t care where it’s been beforehand. Things are complex nowadays so I’m not going to claim without evidence that there is no way that the camera could have known the travel history of the file.

I’ve always extracted these updates to a dedicated data drive, never the boot drive, and have never encountered such a hiccup before. But none of that has been on a Z8.

A very reasonable barrier would be if the target lens was not currently mounted to the camera of course.

I don’t have any pending lens FW updates to do at this time, so I’ll just be watching here for developments.

I've followed that four-step process you show above for every Nikon digital camera I've owned. Essentially, when you double click the file you download from the Nikon site it creates a new folder with a .bin file in it. Then you copy the .bin file to your SD/XQD/CFe card's root folder, stick it in the camera, turn it on, and then run the Firmware Upgrade routine from the camera's menu.

That Nikon rep you chatted with was clueless. These days, as a consumer looking for support for a technology product you almost have to know how to solve the problem yourself so you'll recognize incompetent help. I blame productivity measurements that gauge success by the number and timing of incidents marked "closed/complete" rather than the number of issues successfully solved.

--
Wag more; bark less.

 

[just Tony]

The downloaded file was an exe self extracting file - my mistake in referring to it as a zip file.

I already explained that with my previous Z7II firmware and lens updates - that I didn't need to unpack the .bin to the C (system) drive before transferring to the camera storage card. Any internal drive on the PC was OK for that purpose. But not this time - for whatever reason - that - did not work and the camera did not recognise the .bin file on the card until, it was copied to the card off the C drive.
I've been doing firmware upgrades on Nikon cameras I've owned over the years with never an issue. But this time - I have no idea as to why this has happened and - I only started the thread in case - it has also happened to someone else and they thought there was a problem with their Z8 as a result.

Thanks to all who replied anyway.

There’s always the possibility of nothing more than a pure coincidence of a simple failed extraction or copying. You could try another extraction to see if that new copy would also be invisible to the camera. It should show up at the very least as a file you could choose to erase in-camera. If it’s still invisible then it looks like the Z8 does indeed play a role.

 

[sirhawkeye64]

Hi,
No, this is not another thread regarding Z8 firmware updates but one about upgrading Z8 peripherals THROUGH the Z8 body.

I discovered that my Z 24-70mm F2.8 lens needed a firmware upgrade from ver 1.10 to 1.20. So I downloaded the zipped file from Nikon (EU) - unzipped it to get the .bin file - transferred that to the root of the storage card in use but - when I came to complete the upgrade in the camera - there was no option to upgrade given, All I had was the 'Done' readout. Tried another card - same thing. Downloaded the firmware file and unzipped again - same thing. This is a process that I had carried out many times with my previous Z7II body with no issues whatsoever.

To cut a longer story short - and after speaking on a live chat with a Nikon (UK) support agent where the outcome was he suggested sending my one week old Z8 and 18 month old 24-70mm lens to them for a service check with a turn around quoted of 20 days. Or contacting the suppler for a new replacement Z8. Unwilling to do either without some further investigation - I eventually discovered that I could only do the upgrade (and get the .bin file recognised by the camera) IF I unzipped it into a folder in my C (system drive) - and then copied it to the cameras storage card - not the usual internal E drive I had always done in the past with the Z7II.

So I re-read Nikon's Z8 firmware upgrade instructions again. This is what it said:

1. Create a folder on the computer hard disk and name it as desired.
2. Download F-MLZ24-70F28S-V0120W.exe to the folder created in Step 1.
3. Run F-MLZ24-70F28S-V0120W.exe to extract the following file to a folder named “Z24-70F28SUpdate”:
   • MLZ24_70F28S0120.bin (the lens firmware)
4. Using a card slot or card reader, copy “MLZ24_70F28S0120.bin” to a memory card that has been formatted in the camera.
   Note: Be sure to copy the firmware to the root (top-most) directory of the memory card. The camera will not recognize the new firmware if it is placed in a folder under the root directory.

etc etc. Note - nothing about extracting the .bin firmware update file specifically to the C system drive first.
So - I'm wondering what has gone on here and if anyone else has experienced this issue. IF indeed it IS an issue or is related to something else within my Windows 11 system here on my PC. Why did previous firmware updates (when I had the Z7II) not require the .bin file to be unzipped to the system drive before it was transferred to the Z7II and recognised by the camera ?
Anyone any thoughts or suffered a similar issue with their Z8 lens firmware or accessory upgrades through the camera ?
Appreciate the comments - thanks !!
Richard

I don't understand what you mean by "internal e: drive" above. Internal to what?

Internal drive in his Windows 11 pc.

What’s so bizarre is that once the bin file is on the memory card, the camera shouldn’t care where it’s been beforehand. Things are complex nowadays so I’m not going to claim without evidence that there is no way that the camera could have known the travel history of the file.

I’ve always extracted these updates to a dedicated data drive, never the boot drive, and have never encountered such a hiccup before. But none of that has been on a Z8.

A very reasonable barrier would be if the target lens was not currently mounted to the camera of course.

I don’t have any pending lens FW updates to do at this time, so I’ll just be watching here for developments.

I've followed that four-step process you show above for every Nikon digital camera I've owned. Essentially, when you double click the file you download from the Nikon site it creates a new folder with a .bin file in it. Then you copy the .bin file to your SD/XQD/CFe card's root folder, stick it in the camera, turn it on, and then run the Firmware Upgrade routine from the camera's menu.

That Nikon rep you chatted with was clueless. These days, as a consumer looking for support for a technology product you almost have to know how to solve the problem yourself so you'll recognize incompetent help. I blame productivity measurements that gauge success by the number and timing of incidents marked "closed/complete" rather than the number of issues successfully solved.

The only thing I could think of is that perhaps the one time you copied the file, something got corrupted during the copy or a bit got flipped that would otherwise make the file unreadable to the camera or something. Generally it shouldn't matter where on your computer you extra the BIN file to. I would maybe just wait for the next update (as you mentioned) and see if you have the same problem.

You did ensure that the file was copied to the card though, correct? When you ran into the error? I could seee if windows permissions some how did not allow the file to copy and you thought it did and proceeded not realizing it wasn't on the card in the first place....that would sort of make sense seeing that it just went to Done and didn't even ask to do an update -- sounds like it just couldn't find the file on the card for some reason on the first attempt.

I know sometimes copying the file to/from various folders on a Windows system drive (the root folder in some cases) does prompt for UAC permissions and if you told it No then it doesnt copy (but this is suaully only when you're copying files TO the root folder or various protected folders on the drive -- ie. Windows program folders) or you're deleting or changing a file from those locations, but rarely just copying from a file that's been put there already.

--
NOTE: If I don't reply to a direct comment in the forums, it's likely I unsubscribed from the thread/article..

 

[MrWinnieThePooh]

I upgraded the firmware for my Z 24-70mm f/2.8 on the Z8 yesterday with no problems. I just downloaded the Nikon .exe file to some temporary directory on my Windows 10 PC (not on the system drive) and unzipped it there. Worked fine.

 

[Bruno Zarokian]

Seems like a corruption of the bin file. Either the self-extraction .exe from Nikon is bugged (unlikely), or you have had a software/hardware malfunction (not too likely these days, it would not fail silently, but check your Windows hardware event log just in case) or a 3rd party piece of code messed up your file (check thoroughly for malwares).

The file would not hold any trace of how/where it was created, which means that the file was very likely corrupted or modified. If you can reproduce the unsuccessful procedure, just compare the 2 .bin files produced through different methods with a bin file comparator ON A DIFFERENT COMPUTER. Very important step. Most half decent malwares would intercept the read request, so the comparison should be done on a clean machine. You might even see a file size difference upfront.

I might be totally off, hope this helps.

 

[Ernie Misner]

Hi,
No, this is not another thread regarding Z8 firmware updates but one about upgrading Z8 peripherals THROUGH the Z8 body.

I discovered that my Z 24-70mm F2.8 lens needed a firmware upgrade from ver 1.10 to 1.20. So I downloaded the zipped file from Nikon (EU) - unzipped it to get the .bin file - transferred that to the root of the storage card in use but - when I came to complete the upgrade in the camera - there was no option to upgrade given, All I had was the 'Done' readout. Tried another card - same thing. Downloaded the firmware file and unzipped again - same thing. This is a process that I had carried out many times with my previous Z7II body with no issues whatsoever.

To cut a longer story short - and after speaking on a live chat with a Nikon (UK) support agent where the outcome was he suggested sending my one week old Z8 and 18 month old 24-70mm lens to them for a service check with a turn around quoted of 20 days. Or contacting the suppler for a new replacement Z8. Unwilling to do either without some further investigation - I eventually discovered that I could only do the upgrade (and get the .bin file recognised by the camera) IF I unzipped it into a folder in my C (system drive) - and then copied it to the cameras storage card - not the usual internal E drive I had always done in the past with the Z7II.

It is a miracle you figured that out, and got it working. Nice job, and your patience paid off.

I wonder if we will ever see that happening to anyone else?

So I re-read Nikon's Z8 firmware upgrade instructions again. This is what it said:

1. Create a folder on the computer hard disk and name it as desired.
2. Download F-MLZ24-70F28S-V0120W.exe to the folder created in Step 1.
3. Run F-MLZ24-70F28S-V0120W.exe to extract the following file to a folder named “Z24-70F28SUpdate”:
   • MLZ24_70F28S0120.bin (the lens firmware)
4. Using a card slot or card reader, copy “MLZ24_70F28S0120.bin” to a memory card that has been formatted in the camera.
   Note: Be sure to copy the firmware to the root (top-most) directory of the memory card. The camera will not recognize the new firmware if it is placed in a folder under the root directory.

etc etc. Note - nothing about extracting the .bin firmware update file specifically to the C system drive first.
So - I'm wondering what has gone on here and if anyone else has experienced this issue. IF indeed it IS an issue or is related to something else within my Windows 11 system here on my PC. Why did previous firmware updates (when I had the Z7II) not require the .bin file to be unzipped to the system drive before it was transferred to the Z7II and recognised by the camera ?
Anyone any thoughts or suffered a similar issue with their Z8 lens firmware or accessory upgrades through the camera ?
Appreciate the comments - thanks !!
Richard

 

[halfmanhalfbiscuit]

It’s far more likely that you ejected the disk before the cache was flushed, which would cause corruption of the volume - in this case the CFExpress card - than anything requiring you to write to the C: volume first.

Note that you should always explicitly unmount any mounted external drives before removing them from the computer. This includes SD cards and CFExpress cards.

 

[Zorpie]

Hi,
I can assure you that I did not take the CF express card out of the card reader before the extraction was completed. The file copy to the CF card was reported as complete by the system - each and every time I did it. I tried the process several times and each time - the firmware upgrade .bin file was not seen by the camera.

But when I did exactly the same thing using the C drive instead of the E drive - the upgrade file was read by the camera and I was offered the 'Upgrade' option immediately.
So that theory is not viable given that I tried the process about 4 or 5 times. And each time I waited until the system reported the file copy was completed.
Richard.

--
http://www.pbase.com/zorpie
If it seems too good to be true - then it isn't. If you cannot believe your eyes - then don't.

 

[vinturius]

Hi,
I can assure you that I did not take the CF express card out of the card reader before the extraction was completed. The file copy to the CF card was reported as complete by the system - each and every time I did it. I tried the process several times and each time - the firmware upgrade .bin file was not seen by the camera.

But when I did exactly the same thing using the C drive instead of the E drive - the upgrade file was read by the camera and I was offered the 'Upgrade' option immediately.
So that theory is not viable given that I tried the process about 4 or 5 times. And each time I waited until the system reported the file copy was completed.
Richard.

If you extracted to the card, did it end up in the root folder or a subfolder?

If possible set your explorer to see hidden files and see if there is anything unexpected present.

I had a problem with a Z7 I that would work with CFE cards but could not read firmware upgrade files form it ( but did read these from and XQD file) .

This problem went away after formatting the card on windows and then formatting the card with the camera. And then after copying the bin file to the card it was finally seen by the camera. I don't know why this worked.

 

[Zorpie]

Hello Jaap,
Thanks for the comment.
The CF card was formatted in the Z8 - but not on Windows previous to that as you suggested I try. What format did you use on the card when you formatted it in Windows before you then formatted it in the camera ? I think the card is OK to be honest as it handled the .bin upgrade file when I extracted it from the C drive. The problem is that Windows 11 is locking the file when it is extracted from anywhere but the C drive and the camera does not see the file is present on the card.

I cannot undo the 1.20 upgrade to the lens now and my other Z lenses are up to date firmware wise. So I have no way at the moment to do any further trials with this.
I'm waiting on a Z8 firmware upgrade (!!) which will probably be the next one that comes along. So then, I will see what happens with that !!

Thanks again for your input.
Richard

--
http://www.pbase.com/zorpie
If it seems too good to be true - then it isn't. If you cannot believe your eyes - then don't.

 

[vinturius]

Hello Jaap,
Thanks for the comment.
The CF card was formatted in the Z8 - but not on Windows previous to that as you suggested I try. What format did you use on the card when you formatted it in Windows before you then formatted it in the camera ? I think the card is OK to be honest as it handled the .bin upgrade file when I extracted it from the C drive. The problem is that Windows 11 is locking the file when it is extracted from anywhere but the C drive and the camera does not see the file is present on the card.

I cannot undo the 1.20 upgrade to the lens now and my other Z lenses are up to date firmware wise. So I have no way at the moment to do any further trials with this.
I'm waiting on a Z8 firmware upgrade (!!) which will probably be the next one that comes along. So then, I will see what happens with that !!

Thanks again for your input.
Richard

I used exFAT when formatting by the PC. The camera does that too, and likely its a quick format bc I don't remember having to wait long.

The problem is I don't know the cause and now I no longer can reproduce it. What crossed my mind as a possible factor is the card having been used by another camera but at the time I had just one 'CFE' camera. And the difference is image storage folder, which should not matter for a file going into the root folder. It could be the cause in your case if it confuses the camera.

I would certainly unzip the .bin on the PC running that executable in a folder you create for that purpose ( not a root folder of any disk) and copy it to the card after that from the sub-sub-folder created by the executable.

Its puzzling.

 

[Zorpie]

Hello Jaap,


Thanks again for the comments. Nikon say (in their instructions for installation of the firmware upgrade) to 'save the extracted file to a folder on your computer' before transferring it to the root directory ofcamera storage card, which is what I did. But again - if the downloaded self extracting exe file was downloaded to my E (internal PC hard drive) it created a locked .bin file which of course, the camera could not read. If I placed the downloaded executable exe file to a folder on my C (system) drive - the extracted .bin file was not locked and could be read by the camera to process the firmware update file as normal.

So the issue is still 'under investigation'.

Richard

 

[sirhawkeye64]

Hello Jaap,
Thanks for the comment.
The CF card was formatted in the Z8 - but not on Windows previous to that as you suggested I try. What format did you use on the card when you formatted it in Windows before you then formatted it in the camera ? I think the card is OK to be honest as it handled the .bin upgrade file when I extracted it from the C drive. The problem is that Windows 11 is locking the file when it is extracted from anywhere but the C drive and the camera does not see the file is present on the card.

I cannot undo the 1.20 upgrade to the lens now and my other Z lenses are up to date firmware wise. So I have no way at the moment to do any further trials with this.
I'm waiting on a Z8 firmware upgrade (!!) which will probably be the next one that comes along. So then, I will see what happens with that !!

Thanks again for your input.
Richard

I used exFAT when formatting by the PC. The camera does that too, and likely its a quick format bc I don't remember having to wait long.

Formatting in camera vs the PC doesn't take that long anyway, I mean maybe a few seconds if that. But you should always format in the camera and not on the PC. The cluster sizes that are used could be different (even though both can format exFAT). And the cluster sizes can be critical to how the camera is able to read/write the card (the computer probably doesn't care as you can use any cluster size you want that is available for exFAT and it won't care but the camera might).

Where it can become an issue is as the card fills up possibly and/or if you delete images, the camera may "lose track" of how many images it can still take.

The problem is I don't know the cause and now I no longer can reproduce it. What crossed my mind as a possible factor is the card having been used by another camera but at the time I had just one 'CFE' camera. And the difference is image storage folder, which should not matter for a file going into the root folder. It could be the cause in your case if it confuses the camera.

I would certainly unzip the .bin on the PC running that executable in a folder you create for that purpose ( not a root folder of any disk) and copy it to the card after that from the sub-sub-folder created by the executable.

Its puzzling.

--
NOTE: If I don't reply to a direct comment in the forums, it's likely I unsubscribed from the thread/article..

 

[vinturius]

Hello Jaap,

Thanks again for the comments. Nikon say (in their instructions for installation of the firmware upgrade) to 'save the extracted file to a folder on your computer' before transferring it to the root directory ofcamera storage card, which is what I did. But again - if the downloaded self extracting exe file was downloaded to my E (internal PC hard drive) it created a locked .bin file which of course, the camera could not read. If I placed the downloaded executable exe file to a folder on my C (system) drive - the extracted .bin file was not locked and could be read by the camera to process the firmware update file as normal.
So the issue is still 'under investigation'.
Richard

Windows will let you read or copy a locked file but not alter, delete or move. And the copy will not be locked.

But locked might mean 'not finished writing yet' for some reason (UAC or so). But then one should likely see a size difference with a successfully written file.