*SOLVED* HTC Vive Headset Firmware Available - But fails to update

[mickyb23uk]

Hi guys,

Has anyone had the option to update their HTC Vive headset (little icon in SteamVR says firmware is available)

It launches the update headset firmware popup...but then proceeds to sit on "1 of 2 - Display Update" for about 5-10mins before then kicking me back saying Update Has Failed...and advising me to unplug the headset and restart SteamVR.

Which ive done numerous time now to no avail. (In numerous USB 3.0 and USB 2.0 ports directly in back of mobo.)

No matter how many times i try, it wont update the firmware on the headset, but controllers and base stations have all updated fine in the various firmware update ive had for them (since getting my Vive 3-4 weeks ago)

Any ideas or solutions others have come across?

Searched the web and reddit but no joy.

Thanks.

[Fireblader]

Try to uninstall the driver completely (Settings->Developer->USB Driver)
You need to remove the USB cable from the link station first. Maybe it helps.

[mickyb23uk]

No joy to that approach either I'm afraid.
Removed USB, HDMI and Audio from linkbox (orange end) > Uninstalled drivers via Setting>Developer>USB and then rebooted.

Windows 10 picked up 3 new devices and installed the drivers for them, launched SteamVR and tried firmware update again and sure enough it failed after 5-10mins on step 1 of 2.

[NEXTEL-.]

xd
dd
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dX
d hola

[Fireblader]

Oh oh. Have fun with the support. If you are located in Europe, just use the US support by chat otherwise you are lost in space. I think they never got a Vive in their hands - Firstlevel Support.
You`ll never come to second or thirdlevel support. Don`t now why. Maybe they don`t have it ;)

[Wahapainan]

I had this issue as well. I re-installed the driver through the SteamVR app and it made everything work fine, was able to update. If I reboot I have to do this process every time though in order for the driver to work correctly. Other than this I don't have any issues with any apps or games.

[mickyb23uk]

Hi Wahapainan, do you have any steps for reinstalling the driver please?

[Enemy Unknown]

I wonder, why there is no simple factory reset button. Only god knows why...

@Micky:
Your Problem was solved by the support already and someone posted this instruction to do a manually firmware update.
-------------------------------------------

You bet, here are the instructions I was sent via support. Of course the firmware numbers will be different.

- - -

First, make sure you are opted into the SteamVR beta and that SteamVR is not currently running.

Then find your SteamVR installation directory. This is usually something like "C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\SteamVR". You can also right click on SteamVR in your Steam library, click properties, then on the Local FIles tab select "Browse Local Files."

Navigate to the tools/lighthouse/ directory in your SteamVR installation and open a command prompt there. (Hold shift + right click in the window, "open command window here"). Alternatively, open a command window normally and navigate to this same directory.

Plug in the HMD, allow about 10 seconds for the USB devices to be recognized, then run the this command:

bin\win64\vivetools.exe fpga firmware\htc\V2_39.bin

----------------------------------------------

Hope it works for you too... :)

[mickyb23uk]

Thanks I will try that out.

Reason i didnt think that would work was because that was from the Dev / Vive Pre channel and assumed it wouldnt work on mine because it wasnt a dev/test unit.

Will let you know how i get on.

[mickyb23uk]

**UPDATE**

Firmware updated successfully now by doing the following.

1. Opt In to Steam VR Beta (Library > Tools > Steam VR > Properties > Beta (Opt In) - make sure Steam VR is closed first.
2. Download small update (10mb) and restart Steam > Launch VR and you should see title bar is now SteamVR beta.
3. Follow instructions above - by going to your tools/lighthouse folder > open command prompt by Shift+right click etc
4. Run the command to load the V2_39.bin and you should get an output that looks like this:

C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\SteamVR\tools\lighthouse>bin\win64\vivetools.exe fpga firmware\htc\V2_39.bin
Start
13 KB PACKET_DATA_TRANS_FPGA_WORK
26 KB PACKET_DATA_TRANS_FPGA_WORK
39 KB PACKET_DATA_TRANS_FPGA_WORK
52 KB PACKET_DATA_TRANS_FPGA_WORK
65 KB PACKET_DATA_TRANS_FPGA_WORK
79 KB PACKET_DATA_TRANS_FPGA_WORK
92 KB PACKET_DATA_TRANS_FPGA_WORK
105 KB PACKET_DATA_TRANS_FPGA_WORK
118 KB PACKET_DATA_TRANS_FPGA_WORK
131 KB PACKET_DATA_TRANS_FPGA_WORK
132.011 KB(135179 bytes)
Done

Mine did fail initially, staying device unknown, retrying...
So i closed everything Steam related down and swapped USB ports (to a 2.0 from a 3.0) and let the drivers install and then repeated the above...and SUCCESS!

5. Relaunch SteamVR and do the update firmware on the HMD (identifable because of the (!) on the symbol
6. Step 1 completed after 60 secs, and step 2 after about 30-40 seconds.
7. Close Steam VR > power cycle via the link box
8. Everything up to date

#happydays

[Enemy Unknown]

I'm glad you solved it. :)

Can you maybe edit the Title and add: "solved + solution"?
Would be great for others who come into the same trouble.

[Kaleigh]

have done this for about a half an hour and did not work for me :( just repeats that it's "retrying"

[The_Jager]

Thanks for this post. Relunctant to update given all the problems. Maybe I will try it now.

[Ray Chan]

I'm having an issue where i have a firmware update for the controllers, I plug in the controller when it tells me to so it can identify it, i can see it's charging so i know it's in (usb 3.0) and it keeps telling me to retry. No update :/

I did this solution to no avail either. Anyone got any tips?

[NemesiS]

Originally posted by Ray Noodle:

I'm having an issue where i have a firmware update for the controllers, I plug in the controller when it tells me to so it can identify it, i can see it's charging so i know it's in (usb 3.0) and it keeps telling me to retry. No update :/

I did this solution to no avail either. Anyone got any tips?

Bro, did you get it work? I just had the same exact problem. First the firmware update didn't recognize the controller. Then, I turned SteamVR down and tried to add the controller while keeping the wakeup button (the most bottom button of the controller) down when connecting the USB-cable, and it jumped to 3 of 4, but still failed. Then I just tried to plug and unplug the controller few times and kept pushing the retry button on the screen, and it just randomly went to success. All up to date now. Weird.