Latest firmware not working, can't update

stevewilson427

I posted last night but the thread seems to have gone missing?

I've contacted support but no amount of rebooting, factory resetting is working. I can't get the app to connect or the firmware to update.
So now the amp is a brick that I can't use.

Anyone else having this issue?

Cheers
Steve

robertszoke

Yes, i am having the same issue. Update has failed, bluetooth doesn't connect, factory reset doesn't work. Guitar plugged in makes no sounds, Amp has 5 slow flashing lights, and that is about all that is working. And Positive Grid has yet to respond back.

Dave Tankersley

@robertszoke
same issue here!
At first only the Bluetooth Audio worked, but after rebooting my phone, not even that works. Now I have only a small practice amp,

mail 9

Same issue here.. Tried 3 different computers, (all Mac), different USB ports. Now I have a blinking amp with no sound. I emailed support and received a canned response with all the steps I already tried, except the factory reset. That also does not work. No amount of holding down the tap button does anything to change the status of 5 blinking lights. Very frustrated with the firmware update process overall. It took me several tries to get the first firmware release to work. The second one did update right away. And this third update bricked the amp. It seems strange that the advice given on an update failure is to "try another computer".

Dan Lawrence

@mail-9
Try a ‘factory reset’. Other forum members have found that it a reset after update resolves the problem.

carsten

Hey guys,
if the problem still persists for you this might help you as I went through the same sh*t (even with customer support and so on):
After my update attempts, the tool said version 255.255.255.255 and no serial no. with the amp flashing all LEDs simultaneously. Another run of the current update tool did not work. But what worked was using an older firmware update tool and flashing an older firmware version to get it up and running again. After that (and I guess a factory reset) even the new update tool worked

CU,
Carsten

skater0040

hi @carsten, i have exactly same issue. where did you find old firmware version, could you share with us? thank you very much
Piercarlo

nova227

If you are having trouble connecting after firm ware update the following solved my problem.

Go to Bluetooth and deleted the connections showing for Spark.
Delete the Spark App.
Reboot your devise.
Reinstall and set up the Spark App.

Jim

carsten

@skater0040 Sure could do - where to send it? CU, Carsten

ralphbowe

Carsten's procedure worked for me. I tried updating the firmware from version 1.4.3.174 to current version 1.7.5.182. After updating and restarting the amp, I had 5 flashing lights (tap + 4 presets) and the bluetooth light was solid. The amp did not pick up the guitar. I still had the MacOS app from my last update in 2021, so I opened it, connected from Mac to Spark, and clicked "Check For Updates". It updated the amp back to 1.4.3.174 and the amp worked fine. I then opened the app for the current version, re-connected to the Spark, and clicked on "Check For Updates". This time it updated me to the current version 1.7.5.182 and the amp works fine. The app on my android tablet also connects with the amp and I have my custom channels and presets.

timsavage

@carsten Hi, can you share with me as well? I think putting it up on google drive or something like that would work. Or zip and email.

meholman72

This post is deleted!

meholman72

@skater0040 I had the same problem (no SN#, all 5 lights flashing, and update version showing 255.255.255.255). Factory reset did not work. Positive Grid tech support sent me a Zip file containing an updater that ran via a batch file. This fixed the problem and my amp is running great again. The file I needed for my Windows 10 computer was: New_Spark_Firmware_Updater_with_Log__AKM_WIN_.zip

You may need a different file if you run a different operating system.

Be sure to run the bat. file (not the exe.) after unzipping the folder.

Marc From France

@mail-9

Hi,

I had the same problem.
What I did was to put the firmware of May 2020.
I had to try several times for it to work.
So it can work but with this firmware.
Now my amp works again.
Here is the link of the firmware.
But now I have an old version of the firmware..

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1tFM2L9UEjf-qxVe6wZibFOzZdFkOCeRj