Sjefdeklerk's Pimax Flasher (4k/5k/8k)

Pimax 8K Series
1

You can download the latest version of my flasher tool here:

Remember to kill your piservicestarter.exe, piservice.exe and piserver.exe before running the flasher tool !! Otherwise it won’t work.

For Pimax 4k, it will only work with serial starting with 100. For 5k/8k no restrictions apply.

Usage:

First kill the the above executables from running, with your task manager (piservicestarter from within the services tab). Then click "enter dfu mode’. Once your headset is in DFU mode (leds will be flashing) you can then click “flash FW”, it will ask for a FW file and then flash it.

Reboot PC after you’re done.

33 Likes
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What exactly does “piserver” do?

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Piserver is the process that detects the headset. @Sjef with the 4k had completed tests launching piserver without piplay saving some resources & in earlier piplay versions helped detect the p4k headset faster.

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What exactly does this Flasher ?

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Sj’s tool is a firmware flashing tool he made originally for the 4k as the pimax tool at the time had some difficulty running at the time on some user setups.

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Is it safe ? Can it brick the headset ?

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So far as I know no one has had an issue with this tool bricking the 4k headset. In fact the p4k was difficult to perma brick. Sj’s tool was even successful at times when the original official tool failed to detect the headset & put into dfu mode. A 5k+ user recently used his tool to fix a failed firmware update.

Here is a 4k hlp on it & the 4k official tool

http://community.openmr.ai/t/p4hlp-red-green-flashing/5811?u=heliosurge

Many users in the 4k forum have thanked sj on this saving things. There is also a button sequence on the 4k to force it in dfu mode.

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I’d say it’s safer than the original tool, which has some issue’s and can get your device stuck in DFU mode. My tool auto detects the HMD and the state it’s in (DFU mode or normal mode), which makes everything much more straight forward and easier to use.

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Nice work! Do you plan to publish it on GitHub?

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Thanks, Sjef! Have downloaded it.

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OK have downloaded to try to flash to latest firmware but it only says ‘Pimax not found!’

ANy ideas why it would not find it?

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Did you stop the piservicelauncher from the task manager? Also the executables should be killed from running as explained in 1st post

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Yes have done that but it still says the same thing.

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I cannot get this to work either. I am trying to go back to previous firmware than latest as the LATEST sucks ass! Brightness control isnt worth the water effect and reduced performance

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Hmm the tool doesn’t work for me on my 8k, exhibits the same behavior as the official tool. After flashing, it says “Upgrade successful ! Rebooting now, WAIT !”, but never recovers from that. LED on the device is red.

Device is still bricked :confused: I tried both the P2.1.255.181.dfu version and the one in the pitool directory, same behavior.

Help?

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You might need to use his modded firmware from p4k but wait for @Sjef reply. I think someone used it before then updated.

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If both the official tool and my tool don’t work I think it’s time to contact pimax support because it sounds like something is wrong

2 Likes
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I flashed using the boring/manual way :slight_smile:

1 Like
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trying to revert to the previous Pitools, I always get

‘Pimax not found!’

executing Pimax Flasher 1.0

I killed piservicestarter.exe, piservice.exe and piserver.exe as request

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tryed this too but, seems only to be detected if its already in dfu mode
switch manual in dfu mode

  1. hmd connected to usb and power, no pimax software/service running, hmd shows red led
  2. press ~5s power button on pimax -> off, no LED, release power button
  3. press the two arrows and hold them, additional press power, hold -> led go’s white (more a light blue?), hold power 8s and release it, led turns blue
  4. (you still holding the two arrow keys) wait 8s, release the arrows that is beside the power button (the “middle” button of the 3), wait 1s release the last key, it should now blink in 3 color aka dfu mode
  5. start the flasher tool and it detects the pimax in dfu mode

if you dont want to do anything when in dfu mode you can just press “return from dfu mode” to go back to normal and close the flasher
if the hmd has a valid firmware and you disconnect power it should also go back to normal mode (red led) after reconnecting power

edit: i tested this steps with my 5k+, did not flash anything as i’m happy with the fw193 for now

6 Likes