Vico MF3 Essential Updating Tip for the latest Ver. 4.4 out this month February 2018.

Yeah ... he's the goto Guy (y) ... cheers

I have sent this one off to Vico to see if they have an easy fix for you, otherwise the cam will need to come back to me so I can bring it back to life and get the latest firmware on it for you. Will let you know once I hear back.. Should be late tomorrow.
 
Thanks jokiin ... way over my pay grade so I need to send it off to someone who knows what's going on and can fix it.

Hmm? Wonder who that might be? I guess that's where VicoVation comes into it.
Did you format the file to FAT32? On a card smaller than 32GB.

Both of Mine refused to update, with samsung pro U3 64Gb cards.
I used a slow 16GB SD.
Both updated & worked perfectly, all per the instructions, except it needed an extra reboot routine.
Once the update has completed, take that card out or reformat it and do a sw reset.

First Go and get the latest firmware from Vicovation on a PC not a Mac. Plus instructions.
It will not work on a 64GB card!
 
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@Moon, I just re-downloaded the .bin file from the Vico site and tried to update an MF3 that I have. Same result as you. There must be an issue with the file on the VicoVation site. I wonder if anyone has had success loading this firmware. As Submariner said, it appears you need to use a 32GB card or lower as the MF3 won't recognize the the .bin file when it's on a 64GB or card.
@Submariner Gold were you successful in loading V4.4?
 
@Moon, I just re-downloaded the .bin file from the Vico site and tried to update an MF3 that I have. Same result as you. There must be an issue with the file on the VicoVation site. I wonder if anyone has had success loading this firmware. As Submariner said, it appears you need to use a 32GB card or lower as the MF3 won't recognize the the .bin file when it's on a 64GB or card.
@Submariner Gold were you successful in loading V4.4?

Hi
V. 4.4 refused to load on both ( front and rear ) newish MF3s
The UK distributor told me to reformat my new Samsung Pro Plus 64GB exfat cards as FAT32.
Samsung support said don't do that, something about the speed in the future. As they were new, and for me expensive at £32 each; I didnt want to do anything that messes with a 10 year warranty.
So I managed to find an old micro SD card. Ironically it was a Sandisk 16GB HC formatted to FAT32 - note this card did not say anything like UHS-1 or U3, so I assume its a real slow one, this worked first time Perfectly on both MF3s. Now they both say V 4.4.
The update process all worked as per the Vico site update instructions, other than there was an additional routine not documented, that said something like “needs a reboot” and I said OK.
Oddly it does NOT give you a comforting “Updated Sucessufully or anything” it just goes dead. I left it a while.
Then I put back my original 64GB card, that I had deleted manually all files and reformatted, I then reformatted that again in the camera, and then immeadiately did a “software reset”. Not the little reset button!
I then manually put back all my settings like MPG , MPH and GMT time zone plus 0 Hours
They both worked perfectly first time and have done ever since.

Note I deliberately chose a small, under 32GB and SLOW card. A clued up photography friend said some devices will read a fast card too quickly, and will fail to pick up an update file. Hes helped me with my Pro Canon camera and weird **** with cards ... like using a ultra fast CF card and a slow backup SD Card And finding the burst rate dropped. Etc.

(Honestly, I don’t understand that slow card file reading logic! And TBH I just don't care to debate it ...WTF it works)

I also formatted this little card before copying the bin file. I got the bin file from Vicovation.
I still have that file hopefully compressed ... on my PC
Note I did not use a MAC or ipad Air etc.

One Other thing
Because I have Keyless Go on my Mercedes S Class Coupe, (you push the button to go from off, to ign position1, to ign. Position 2, to start car. But If its off and you push it with the brake on then the car immediately starts). So my logic was maybe as the starter kicks in on a fairly big 5.5L engine; just maybe the volts momentarily dropped to a point where the Vico “might” switch off and on. I therefore did these updates connected to a fully charged 20,000mAH
Battery pack in the house.

79A7B263-D05C-4B78-9CDD-9EA6BB80470F.jpeg

Whether this made a difference .. who knows
Just my perverse logic. If the fact that the card is too big or the format is different can effect how it read a file, then maybe varying voltages could effect it too!

Other thing. I never turned the power on , on the MF3 unit. I always just turned on the power pack with its on/off button . If that makes a difference??
I know it should not matter but .... mentioned all the same


Rather oddly, by accident I left the 2nd MF3 unit a long time after the update finished, (no reason other than my little cat, had decided to take on the dog next door)
749DE7B8-2793-45D7-9800-BB5B8FBE607D.jpeg
Being a “British Shorthair” he is tatooed with a Union Jack and the words “these colours never run”.
Despite being tiny he will never back down.
So saving him naturally came first.

When I returned the Vico had turned off the power pack!
(note I had just seen the vico update end, before I rushed of to save the cat)
So the MF3 does something with the power after it finishes the update?.
 
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What was the unzipped size of the file you downloaded?
The .bin file is 26.4MB. I have updated the Vico cameras many times and never had an issue. I actually updated an MF1 right after the MF3 without issue. Downloaded the MF3 and MF1 files back to back on the same PC. I did notice on the MF3 that that it did not ask if I wanted to update the firmware, it simply asked if I wanted to reboot. The MF1 asked if I wanted to update and gave me the normal Yes or No options, then asked to reboot. Both used the same 32GB Adata card formatted on the camera before transferring the .bin file over. Updated both using the same power supply and cable.
I'll see what Chris finds out from Vico. Very odd indeed.
 
The .bin file is 26.4MB. I have updated the Vico cameras many times and never had an issue. I actually updated an MF1 right after the MF3 without issue. Downloaded the MF3 and MF1 files back to back on the same PC. I did notice on the MF3 that that it did not ask if I wanted to update the firmware, it simply asked if I wanted to reboot. The MF1 asked if I wanted to update and gave me the normal Yes or No options, then asked to reboot. Both used the same 32GB Adata card formatted on the camera before transferring the .bin file over. Updated both using the same power supply and cable.
I'll see what Chris finds out from Vico. Very odd indeed.

Pretty sure both mine asked me if I wanted to Update :-0

My V 4.4 is called per file explorer on Win 10:-
Vico_mf3.bin modified 1/15/2018 6.14pm BIN FILE size 27,069KB

I was going to offer to email it to you, but just tried to attach it to Outlook and it refused saying the file size was too big
Hmmm thanks BTinternet! :(
Hope that size at least helps you to know if its the same update file.
The compressed RAR it came from was 17,104 KB

Maybe 32GB cards are too big?
 
Pretty sure both mine asked me if I wanted to Update :-0

My V 4.4 is called per file explorer on Win 10:-
Vico_mf3.bin modified 1/15/2018 6.14pm BIN FILE size 27,069KB

I was going to offer to email it to you, but just tried to attach it to Outlook and it refused saying the file size was too big
Hmmm thanks BTinternet! :(
Hope that size at least helps you to know if its the same update file.
The compressed RAR it came from was 17,104 KB

Maybe 32GB cards are too big?
Mine says the same.

I appreciate your willing to send me your copy, but it wouldn't matter at this point since I can even get an older version loaded. It appears bricked at this point. We'll have to see if we can get the ELF file from VicoVation.
 
Interesting.

The card I was using for the Update is a 16GB no name that when I right clicked and went to card info ... it said it was FAT32.
It has been used for 2 previous updates with success.
 
Mine says the same.

I appreciate your willing to send me your copy, but it wouldn't matter at this point since I can even get an older version loaded. It appears bricked at this point. We'll have to see if we can get the ELF file from VicoVation.

Sorry I cant help any more.
I dont even know what an ELF file is?
I only know if I brick my Canon Prof cameras there is no recourse to Canon per their website.
I do Hope its not the same for Vicos
 
Interesting.

The card I was using for the Update is a 16GB no name that when I right clicked and went to card info ... it said it was FAT32.
It has been used for 2 previous updates with success.

Well that pretty much sounds just like my card.

The only things I can think of are ...
Did you format the card before loading the bin file?
Did you use the MF3 power button or just apply power?


I cant really suggest anything, and would be pretty scared to take on a later update.
Hope Vicovation come up with something.

If both mine had not worked, then I would be scared about that website warning, but the latest all singing Norton hasnt complained about the file still on my PC.
 
Yeah ... he's the goto Guy (y) ... cheers
Camera and Micro SD card will need to go back to Vico in Melbourne so we can sort it out for you....Send me a PM and I will give you all of the specific details you need...
 
How do I send a member a PM on this forum?
 
Click on the user's name and you'll get a popup with their details and you can choose 'start conversation' from there
 
Thanks jokiin ... thought it may have been that ... which I have done.
I was expecting something like what that other forum has...

ps. Send to Vico in Melbourne eh? That's nice n handy ... I'm liking it (y)
 
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Cheers kamkar

I have a Mac computer which has caused problems in the past with updates. Seeing I am not Tech savvy ... I need the process to be 'user friendly' and straight forward. ... as anything more complicated than that - I prefer to handball over to the experts in the field ... as I don't even try to fake my way around problems like this.

Update: MF3, power cable & micro SD have been posted to get checked out .... and of course ---> fixed :cool:
 
Not sure if there are a MAC version too.
And yes i have noticed it seem like MAC people have a lot of hoops to jump thru at times, "and that's all i know about that" as Forrest Gump say.
Actually the x mas 2016 was the first and only time i ever touched a product from the fruit company taking a pic of my little sister and her kids with one of her kids phone.
Maybe if you could build your own MAC things could have been different, cuz aside for the first DX2 66 MHZ machine back in the day i have always done that with PC.
 
A ELF file are sort of the same as a .bin file, but you will have to use a pice of software ( direct USB ) on the PC and the camera connected to the PS with USB.


It seem directusb now have support for A12 devises too.
http://dc.p-mc.eu/tools/directusb/download

Very useful but OMG that process is so so outside my comfort zone.
I wonder why they had trouble and I didnt?
Cheers kamkar

I have a Mac computer which has caused problems in the past with updates. Seeing I am not Tech savvy ... I need the process to be 'user friendly' and straight forward. ... as anything more complicated than that - I prefer to handball over to the experts in the field ... as I don't even try to fake my way around problems like this.

Update: MF3, power cable & micro SD have been posted to get checked out .... and of course ---> fixed :cool:

Hope it comes back working.
I am still wondering why my 2 worked and yours gave a problem.
The only thing I can think of is mine was a very slow 16GB card. But that should not actually matter.
Or mine were an earlier or later physical version.
 
yes it are a little nerdy, but good thing is when you are already in a place where a .elf file are needed, then bar flames & smoke comming off the camera it cant be much worse than it already is.

Some times things just happen, 2 of the last 3 cameras i have gotten for testing i have managed to make them die.
The 0906 was such a nice little camera and i was just getting started beating on it, and then it just went dark on me, and same with the Sjdash, was working fine and then suddenly it would not go past the boot screen.

Not that i dont take pride on beating hard on the cameras, but in those 2 cases i dont think we wasent really able to learn something from it, so in that perspective its a little sad.
 
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