5D3 Firmware update file error

Awesome!

My 5D2 got smashed last week, so got a 5D3 today through insurance.

It came with Firmware 1.1.3 so I thought it would be a good idea to put the new 1.2.1 on it.

Not a good idea.

After trying on battery power, on external power, on 2GB, 4GB and 16GB CF cards and SD cards, and downloading the firmware from 2 different countries I keep getting the following error:

"Update File Error
Please check the memory card and reload the battery and try again"

Doing this simply reloads the firmware installer and we go around in circles as there is no option to quite out.


Thoughts?
(And yes it is going back in the morning, and I need to visit Canon to pick up whats left of my old camera)

How are you doing the update, directly from an SD card or via cable using the EOS Utility? I think if you are using the "Utility" then it has to be updated first. But numerous people have installed without issue so it likely is a procedural problem. Try reviewing the instructions very carefully.

From the card, been through the process several times, it's pretty simple.

First of all, and you likely know this, but be absolutely certain the battery has a good charge level.

1. Remove any Eye-Fi cards you might be using. These are known to cause some issues should you be following the threads here.

2. After removing any images of importance, do a low level format of the SD card in camera. This is critical as it builds a specific file structure on the card.

3. Once you extract the files from the zipped archive move them to the root directory of the SD card using the card reader. It is critical they are in the root directory.

4. Then follow the update instructions.

After you update your camera, you need to take out the battery, wait for 5 seconds, and reformat the card so the camera sees a blank card.....Thats what canon told me was the final step

Cheers for the input, I took it into Canon and they have said it needs some deeper analysis. Could be a hardware fault that the firmware update has identified.

In the mean time the shop has lent me a 5D2, always an advantage of buying from a good store.

I'm struggling with this exact problem myself today - did anyone find a way round it or does it look like I'll have to send it back to Canon?

Jordan, I think i you've followed all the steps, and it's still no go, then you may need to send it in for work.

OK, thanks Jake

The upgrade really should be quite foolproof - unless the camera have issues with the flash memory so it just can't write the new firmware and get a correct checksum. If the camera have problems writing the new firmware, then it really is a good idea to let Canon have a look at it.

Formatting the card in the camera doesn't hurt. But isn't really a "critical" step. I have updated different cameras a number of times without doing that. The camera either finds the firmware update on the memory card. Or it doesn't. It is as simple as that.

If I remember correctly the camera needs to be in P or auto mode. I seem to remember having a similar problem an then finding this out.

Thanks guys for the replies. Yes, have done this hundreds of times with old previous cameras with no issues at all. Must just be a problem with the hardware in the camera is the only thing I can presume.

And yes, made sure it was set to P before I did it but still got the error.

A trip to Canon it is for me then on Monday!

jordanmansfield wrote in post #16138097
Thanks guys for the replies. Yes, have done this hundreds of times with old previous cameras with no issues at all. Must just be a problem with the hardware in the camera is the only thing I can presume.

And yes, made sure it was set to P before I did it but still got the error.

A trip to Canon it is for me then on Monday!

I sent mine to Canon, they got back to me in only a few hours and confirmed the camera was a brick.
They couldn't do anything with it either, some kind of manufacturing defect.
They also said they had never seen anything like it before.
I got a replacement the next day.

Moppie wrote in post #15889543
...so got a 5D3 today through insurance.

It came with Firmware 1.1.3 so I thought it would be a good idea to put the new 1.2.1 on it.

Not a good idea.

After trying on battery power, on external power, on 2GB, 4GB and 16GB CF cards and SD cards, and downloading the firmware from 2 different countries I keep getting the following error:

"Update File Error
Please check the memory card and reload the battery and try again"
....

jordanmansfield wrote in post #16137856
I'm struggling with this exact problem myself today...

Another two good reasons why I don't muck around with firmware.
If it aint broke, don't try to fix it.

philwillmedia wrote in post #16138909
Another two good reasons why I don't muck around with firmware.
If it aint broke, don't try to fix it.

Except it was broken, and the firmware update was released to fix some of the broken things (including performance with on camera flash).

Given two incidences in the whole forum I think the chance of this happening is very, very slim.
Here in NZ it's only known to have happened once.