E-M1x firmware updates - battery empty error??

[Mikehit]

This evening I updated my E-M1 mkiii using the Olympus Workspace update and the camera connected with the USB-C cable. Everything went fine.
I then tried to update the E-M1x - it downloaded the update OK, it went through the 2-3 minutes of installing the update and showed on the computer screen the squirly dot-circle. However, before the camera LCD could show 'OK', I got an error message that the camera had no connection and error code 0x80070005. Meanwhile the battery indicator showed zero power.
So I turned off the camera and turned it on again and it showed 62% battery charge (battery one) and 62% (battery 2). So I tried it all again - all with the same outcome: not connected, same error code and the camera showing zero battery charge.


Any idea what is going on?
Thanks all for your help.

 

[Ranger Rick]

I updated yesterday from 1.2 to 1.3, and had something similar. One battery was full, the other about 72%. I figured no problem, but I also ran into a "no power" situation. When I disconnected the USB cable, the camera showed the proper battery status. I fully charged the batteries, tried it again, it worked. Don't know whether I was just lucky or whether there is a random problem. Perhaps it needs battery 1 to be full power? In any event, I'll wait a bit to update

 

[Phocal]

Had the same problem when I had battery one at 75% and battery two at 100%. Tried it three times with same result, switched the batteries and it worked perfectly.

 

[Aristophanes]

I had no issues and followed the instructions to a "t". Hope it resolves.

 

[Sammyboy]

..... no problems here ....

 

[Reflector]

Charge one of your batteries to above 85%, I had to go around a few times until I saw this thread and found out that as long as one of the batteries is above 85% it won't error out. I had the one at 89% in position 1.

 

[Ross the fiddler]

This evening I updated my E-M1 mkiii using the Olympus Workspace update and the camera connected with the USB-C cable. Everything went fine.
I then tried to update the E-M1x - it downloaded the update OK, it went through the 2-3 minutes of installing the update and showed on the computer screen the squirly dot-circle. However, before the camera LCD could show 'OK', I got an error message that the camera had no connection and error code 0x80070005. Meanwhile the battery indicator showed zero power.
So I turned off the camera and turned it on again and it showed 62% battery charge (battery one) and 62% (battery 2). So I tried it all again - all with the same outcome: not connected, same error code and the camera showing zero battery charge.


Any idea what is going on?
Thanks all for your help.

I could be smart & say, "If all else fails, read the instructions", because this is what is given in the instructions. It is always risky with using partially charged batteries & why they say to have 'fully charged batteries'. https://cs.olympus-imaging.jp/en/support/imsg/digicamera/qa/contents/ow/ow_a1.cfm
And here. http://dl01.olympus-imaging.com/ww/ud2/ENU/0001/1340/index20a.html

Precautions when updating firmware in E-M1X

• Be sure to have a fully charged battery in the camera.
  Without sufficient power, the update may fail or will not start.
• It takes time to complete the update depending on the internet speed due to the large file size for the firmware.
• Do not disconnect the USB cable during the update until the OK icon is displayed.
  It takes about 5 minutes until the OK icon is displayed after the writing icon is displayed on the monitor of the camera.
• Camera settings (including date and time) will be reset when you update the firmware of your camera to version 1.1.
  Camera menus are displayed in English after the update.

 

[Angus Gibbins]

Had the same problem when I had battery one at 75% and battery two at 100%. Tried it three times with same result, switched the batteries and it worked perfectly.

I did the same. E-M1X firmware updates are a big beast, moreso than other Olympus cameras.

 

[Ranger Rick]

I could be smart & say, "If all else fails, read the instructions", because this is what is given in the instructions. It is always risky with using partially charged batteries & why they say to have 'fully charged batteries'. https://cs.olympus-imaging.jp/en/support/imsg/digicamera/qa/contents/ow/ow_a1.cfm
And here. http://dl01.olympus-imaging.com/ww/ud2/ENU/0001/1340/index20a.html

It says "a fully charged battery". The E-M1X has two batteries. With one at 100% and the other at 72%, that should have been more than sufficient for "a" fully charged battery, as the E-M1 Mk III et al can do it with their only battery at 100%. Specifically for the E-M1X, they say "a" battery. If both need to be at 100%, the operative should be "both" or "two". So perhaps the instructions are not quite accurate vis-a-vis the software requirements?

 

[Stanga]

I would say that a fully charged battery means 100%. 72% means it's less than three quarter full.

 

[Ranger Rick]

I would say that a fully charged battery means 100%. 72% means it's less than three quarter full.

That would be correct if you were not talking about the E-M1X, which has two batteries and the manual calls for "a fully charged battery". The difference is that "a" means one- if there are two and both need to be 100%, the operative is "both" or "two". If I said "give me a dollar change", would I expect you to give me two or more?
If you have one battery in the camera, that battery needs to be fully charged. If you have two batteries and one is fully charged, that is "a battery fully charged".

 

[royd63uk]

I just put one battery in fully charged so the camera didn't try to change batteries on update and it worked fine

 

[Mikehit]

Yep. It was the battery - a full recharge (both batteries just to be sure) solved the problem.
What puzzled me was that the same battery at 62% had enabled update of the E-M 1 mkiii so not really sure what is special about the E-M1x that it needs full (or very nearly full) batteries.

Thank you for your help.

 

[Phocal]

Charge one of your batteries to above 85%, I had to go around a few times until I saw this thread and found out that as long as one of the batteries is above 85% it won't error out. I had the one at 89% in position 1.

I could be smart & say, "If all else fails, read the instructions", because this is what is given in the instructions. It is always risky with using partially charged batteries & why they say to have 'fully charged batteries'. https://cs.olympus-imaging.jp/en/support/imsg/digicamera/qa/contents/ow/ow_a1.cfm
And here. http://dl01.olympus-imaging.com/ww/ud2/ENU/0001/1340/index20a.html

I did the same. E-M1X firmware updates are a big beast, moreso than other Olympus cameras.

I would say that a fully charged battery means 100%. 72% means it's less than three quarter full.

That would be correct if you were not talking about the E-M1X, which has two batteries and the manual calls for "a fully charged battery". The difference is that "a" means one- if there are two and both need to be 100%, the operative is "both" or "two". If I said "give me a dollar change", would I expect you to give me two or more?
If you have one battery in the camera, that battery needs to be fully charged. If you have two batteries and one is fully charged, that is "a battery fully charged".

It would seem that in the case of the EM1X that you need battery 1 to be at least 85% full, regardless if battery 2 is at 100%. That tells me the update only looks at battery 1 and if under 85% it will error out. The frustrating part is the software goes through the entire routine and errors out at the end vs checking battery status at the beginning and erroring out than.

 

[Ross the fiddler]

It says "a fully charged battery". The E-M1X has two batteries. With one at 100% and the other at 72%, that should have been more than sufficient for "a" fully charged battery, as the E-M1 Mk III et al can do it with their only battery at 100%. Specifically for the E-M1X, they say "a" battery. If both need to be at 100%, the operative should be "both" or "two". So perhaps the instructions are not quite accurate vis-a-vis the software requirements?

To be safe so if both batteries are fully charged then there won't be a power issue as it updates, but as stated by others above, as long as battery 1 is at 100% then it is OK. A bricked camera is annoying, particularly at this time of the year & also the changing of the imaging company, so Id rather be extra careful than to reason it should be OK when it recommends otherwise.

 

[Angus Gibbins]

To be safe so if both batteries are fully charged then there won't be a power issue as it updates, but as stated by others above, as long as battery 1 is at 100% then it is OK. A bricked camera is annoying, particularly at this time of the year & also the changing of the imaging company, so Id rather be extra careful than to reason it should be OK when it recommends otherwise.

I have a selection of USB C chargers hanging off my desk and just plug in my cameras when I'm not using them, they're pretty much always full. USB charging and the adoption of USB C has been a godsend with battery management.

 

[Ross the fiddler]

I have a selection of USB C chargers hanging off my desk and just plug in my cameras when I'm not using them, they're pretty much always full. USB charging and the adoption of USB C has been a godsend with battery management.

I'm still stuck with a battery charger for my Mk II, but at least I can hang my 100-400 lens off it now. The Mk II has a FW update too for improved IS in video (& Focus Stacking with the 150-400 Pro lens), but my Windows 10 (HP) laptop keeps shutting down (blue screen) or freezing so I won't be doing that update till I have a reliable computer (maybe my older Win7 HP).

 

[c12402]

I did the upgrade with 97+98% batteries and got the error. Until I did not charged to 100%, it failed. With 100% no problems.

 

[Angus Gibbins]

It says "a fully charged battery". The E-M1X has two batteries. With one at 100% and the other at 72%, that should have been more than sufficient for "a" fully charged battery, as the E-M1 Mk III et al can do it with their only battery at 100%. Specifically for the E-M1X, they say "a" battery. If both need to be at 100%, the operative should be "both" or "two". So perhaps the instructions are not quite accurate vis-a-vis the software requirements?

Probably. Olympus aren't exactly known for 100% accuracy or helpfulness with translations of their documentation.

 

[Robstar1963]

Personally I think it’s great that Olympus has protected users from a ‘catastrophic’ firmware upload failure by ensuring that no one can attempt to load a 120mb update with a battery with low charge
There should be no examples of cameras being bricked due to batteries exhausting during these updates
Although some will consider it overkill - Bravo to Olympus for the belt and braces approach