Unable to update E3 Flasher - No blue LED lights.
 

Hi! I have been trying for about a week to get my E3 Flasher working and the idea is to downgrade the PS3 from 3.70 to 3.55.

Me and a friend attached the clip about a week ago. See picture below:


I then started the PS3 and tried to update the E3 Flasher with update.bin on the root of a FAT32 formated micro sd card.

I did not get any blue lights to light up and googled the issue. Someone suggested that the clip was on backwards so I opened the PS3 again and turned the clip around. See picture below:


With the clip turned this way the PS3 did not start (no picture on tv). I removed the clip and E3 Flasher entirely to check that the PS3 was still working. After being sure of the PS3 still being in working condition I attached the clip in the same way as in the previous picture. Still no picture on tv.

I again turned the clip as in the first picture and got picture on the tv. However, there are no blue lights lit when I try to update the E3 Flasher.

I again turned to Google and found out that the E3 Flasher tray had to have the white paper still on it for the E3 Flasher to work. I had removed the white paper when installing the first time because I imagined it would be in the way of the screws. I bought some electrical tape and taped the entire bottom of the tray and assembled the PS3 again.

When I started the PS3 I accidentally had one of the switches in the down position when it was supposed to be up and then I could see that all the blue lights can light up. But when I insert the micro sd card with update.bin on it and have switches 1 and 2 down and the rest up there are no blue lights what so ever.

I have tried formatting quick, formatting slow, using my PC and using my Mac. But no luck getting the E3 Flasher to take update/show blue lights with switches 1 and 2 down and the rest up.

I have not scraped anything of the clip attached to the NOR as I found it to fit pretty good. The PS3 starts fine using the eSATA station connected to the E3 Flasher.

This is what the PS3 looks like when I start it right now:


Any suggestions to what I can try next?

you need a new clip

Do you think the cable is broken because of the dents? Otherwise why is this the solution?

I can absolutely try buying a new clip. Any suggestion on handling to not break the new one?

Can I be sure it's not the flasher acting up? (Seems to be working since all the LED lights work, even the blue ones if I have switch 3 in down position.)

Have you tried updating the flasher with your pc via usb?

I have been thinking about trying that but I could not find the information I needed when I googled. Could you please point me in the right direction? (Did a new search and could not find anything better.)

Do I use a USB cable like the one for the PS3 controller?

Yes, use a USB cable.

I have more detailed instructions. Let me find it and I'll edit my post.

EDIT_ @drichard
The instructions are here in the English-E3 FLASHER LIMITED Function Operation Manual Version 1.01

Thanks for the information provided! I went to bed yesterday about the time I read the reply. The update with the help of USB was a success.
http://f.cl.ly/items/0z3b1Y1N1b2j2e3m3A0f/IMG_0041.JPG

However, when it came to making a backup to the Micro SD Card there was only one light flashing for a good 20 minutes. I read about the error codes in the information playerkp420 provided and I think that my error code is 01000000 which means that the E3 Flasher "Failed to initialize TF card". This seems very likely because of me previously not being able to update the E3 Flasher through the Micro SD Card.
http://f.cl.ly/items/0W1k2z3j0r2o2c3M3x2C/IMG_0043.JPG

My next questions are:
1. Is it a faulty Micro SD Card I am using?
I have tried slow format FAT32, 4096 without any name specified and also slow format FAT32, default allocation size with name specified as FAT32.

2. Can it be the E3 Flasher being damaged still or can I assume it is the card itself acting up?
3. Could it be that the E3 Flasher is somehow damaged where I insert the Micro SD Card?
4. Is it possible to take a backup using the USB cable alone and backup straight to my laptop?

Did you check if you got a real E3 flasher or a Fake?
http://www.e3-tech.net/images/fake1.jpg

I saw that image yesterday when I was browsing and I have not looked yet.

However, I googled my recent issue and found that it probably is the clip not sitting flush on the motherboard. People had the same issue with 01000000 with the same PS3 Slim model as i have (CECH2004A). So I think it must be the clip not sitting properly.

It's weird though that the update seems to have gotten through using the USB cable (see the picture above where all the blue lights are lit). But that might be because it is the flasher itself I am updating and no data is transferred between the flasher and the motherboard yet.

I am going to eat something and then check back in this thread. If I don't get any other ideas I'll open the PS3 again and try to scrape a bit off the clip and check to see that I have an original E3 Flasher.

Listen trust me when I tell you this you have nothing to loose take your thumb and push Your clip with moderate force and you will hear it snap into place then after that take five pennies tape them together then put them directly in the middle of the clip now take a piece of tape and tape that onto the clip now place the heat shield on top reassemble your ps3 and I bet you it will work. If done this to 2 slims and 1 fat without scraping anything off the clip and works perfectly. With the pennies it keeps the needed pressure on the clip and the heat shield is what pushes down on it don't be scared if you see a minor raised point on the heat shield that's fine and make sure you screw everything back completely.