Concept2 Forum

I do not have a computer that allows me to install the utility application. Does anyone know if the firmware can be updated without the computer application.

You can carry the firmware from a computer on a USB stick. Fits in the USB-A socket on the back of the PM5.

You'll need the C2 Utility on your computer to write the USB stick.

Thanks, but the problem is I do not have a computer that will allow me to install the utility. I need to do it without a computer.

cdpatterson wrote: ↑

September 28th, 2020, 12:58 pm

Thanks, but the problem is I do not have a computer that will allow me to install the utility. I need to do it without a computer.

You can't.

Take a USB stick round to a friend's house and load the firmware on their computer.

cdpatterson wrote: ↑

September 28th, 2020, 12:58 pm

Thanks, but the problem is I do not have a computer that will allow me to install the utility. I need to do it without a computer.

Are you in the UK? If you are stuck I have a small spare USB stick I am not using and I can put the firmware on and put in the post to you (send me a PM) otherwise your only option will be as per Citroen's post.

Thanks for the offer. I managed to get the utility installed on my computer and have been able to update the firmware.

cdpatterson wrote: ↑

October 1st, 2020, 7:10 am

Thanks for the offer. I managed to get the utility installed on my computer and have been able to update the firmware.

Great - glad you sorted it. I know it can be an issue if you for example only have a work issued laptop which is locked down.

I'm curious why the utility program is needed. Why can't C2 just post the firmware update as a file on their website that you can download directly to a USB drive? I'm genuinely curious what the disconnect for this is, and am not just trying to complain. I am trying to update rowers that we have at work (fire stations), and all the work computers are locked down, so I can't install the utility software...a download of the actual firmware would be much simpler in cases like mine.

Updating your PM5 is best done on a Window 10 laptop that has a fully charged battery and it plugged into the mains as well.

The PM5 is then plugged into the Laptop with a printer USB cable.

Personally I wouldn't update it any other way, you have parallel redundancy in place against possible things that can go wrong.

Anyone who cannot find a laptop and a cable in this day and age is living alone on a desert island in the middle of the Pacific.

Carl, I think you will find that there are quite a lot of people living on that desert island, especially as most organisations lock Windows 10 laptops so employees cannot install software. That was exactly the issue I had. My other home computer is a Chromebook which serves all basic computing needs. So I agree with the previous post that the firmware should just be available to download to USB drive.

cdpatterson wrote: ↑

February 12th, 2021, 4:38 am

Carl, I think you will find that there are quite a lot of people living on that desert island, especially as most organisations lock Windows 10 laptops so employees cannot install software. That was exactly the issue I had. My other home computer is a Chromebook which serves all basic computing needs. So I agree with the previous post that the firmware should just be available to download to USB drive.

You should shout loudly at Concept2. They should be creating Chromebook and Linux X86_64/Linux AARCH64 versions of their utility by now.

My wife loves her Chromebook (she's had one since 2014 and replaced it last year with the equivalent Acer upgraded Chromebook). For Faceborg, Twitter, email and BBC's news it's an ideal machine.

Sorry I'm obviously one of the few with two laptops and about five PC's sitting about that can do it, although having said that only one PC is a 64 Bit Windows 10 machine that can run the latest utility and the rest is a collection of old shit from as far back as about 1996 that I still use to take the older PM3's from older versions of firmware to v101. Was only about 6 months ago I began chucking out the Pentium 4 machines.