Convoy 2 Firmware Upgrade?

[Old-Dog]

I have a legacy Samsung Convoy 2.  This is my 2nd Convoy 2.  Which replaced a previous Convoy 2 that worked flawlessly

for many years until I had to turn it in due to a change in employment.

There are two problems that I'm having with this 2nd Convoy 2:

  1.  About two weeks ago when I turned it off, it rebooted!  The only way to power it off is to remove the battery.

       It can also be functionally turned off by connecting the USB cable to charge it.  Then I can turn it off and it

       will stay off as long as the USB cable is powering it.  Remove the USB cable and it boots up on its own. 

  2.  The 2nd problem is performing a firmware update.  This Convoy 2 currently has ancient S/W/V. U640.DE12 firmware,

       circa 2008.  The current version, according to both Verizon and Samsung, is U640.FA11.

I addressed the first problem by doing a hard reset which, according to various online sources, would solve the power

off reboot problem.  It did NOT! 

Thus restoring the firmware with an upgraded version seems appropriate.  In the previously used Convoy 2 I did one

firmware upgrade to it several years ago with no problem.  With the current Convoy 2 I am having all kinds of problems.

The normal OTA (OverTheAir) upgrade procedure using Menu/PhoneInfo/SoftwareUpdate/CheckNew went nowhere.  I've

tried this over half a dozen times, including at a Verizon corporate store, at various locations in California and Oregon. 

What happens most of the time is that it goes into the "Connecting" mode with the CCW rotating red/black arrow

circle and keeps doing that almost forever.  I've let it go for about an hour with no success.  Sometimes it will come back

with Service Unavailable and to try later.  But usually it just keeps trying, going nowhere.  One Verizon tech support

person suggested doing the hard reset to fix this problem, but that didn't work either. 

Another Verizon tech support person suggested doing the *228 Opt-1 network update/activation  then trying the procedure above.

The *228 Opt-1 network update/activation did work and completed normally.  I've done this several times without any failures.

Ditto for doing *228 Opt-2 roaming update.  But this hasn't gotten any success getting the firmware update connection to work.

It appears that whatever Verizon/Samsung server the Convoy 2 is trying to contact is not responding or doesn't have the firmware.. 

The online Verizon Help for the Convoy lists a manual firmware upgrade procedure using VZW_software_ upgrade_assistant.exe.

Where this gem is supposed to be in the Convoy 2, ready for transfer to a PC.  Following the procedure to transfer it to my PC works

up thru opening up the Convoy 2's mass storage.  But the VZW_Software_Upgrade_Assistant.exe is nowhere to be found.  There's

directories for pictures, music, etc but no sign of the SUA.  I've tried this with both the aux SD memory card removed and installed. 

When removed my PC looks at the Convoy's internal memory disk and sees various mostly empty directories but not the SUA.  Further,

the SUA was NOT listed in the AutoPlay opening, in Explorer, etc as suggested by the Verizon instructions.  It would appear not to

be there.  Or its hidden.  But as the empty space is nearly the total space after the hard reset, this seems unlikely. 

I managed to find an online copy of the SUA, which is about 624Kbytes in size.  Seems a bit skimpy.  As it came from a gamer's

website and not a Verizon or other reputable website, I'm being cautious before I install it.  I don't want any viruses installed on my

PC or in my phone.  I'll probably put it on a test PC disk drive so as not to corrupt my main PC if its loaded with  malware.

Both Samsung and Verizon don't seem to have the firmware and SUA files in downloadable areas for the Convoy 2.  Samsung

tech support was also unable/unwilling to help with this problem, punting to Verizon.  And so far Verizon tech support has been

technical non-support.  My theory is that they don't want to or can't deal with this issue for marketing reasons, i.e., they're

trying to force a phone upgrade.  Indeed, almost everytime I turn around dealing with Verizon they want to sell me something rather

than help with this problem. I have to wonder why they make this so hard.  When an OverTheAir (OTA) upgrade won't work, there should be

a download area to get the files and do an easy manual upgrade from a PC.  But so far I've not found it.  The Verizon and Samsung

download areas for the Convoy 2 U640, except for docs, were empty.  And nobody at Verizon and Samsung would say why, where to

go, etc.  .  All this, especially that the OTA firmware upgrade doesn't work reinforces my feeling that this is all deliberate marketing

to force an unwanted upgrade. 

Any thoughts/suggestions? 

Thanks!

Old-Dog 

[vzw_customer_support]

Old-Dog, we want you to be able to enjoy your device! It sounds like this might be a software related issue. Let's see if we can get to the bottom of this. Is this the page that you attempted to use to get the Software Repair Assistant installed: http://vz.to/1MqkfS7?

HarleyE_VZW

Follow us on TWITTER @VZWSupport

If my response answered your question please click the Correct Answer button under my response. This ensures others can benefit from our conversation. Thanks in advance for your help with this!!

[Old-Dog]

Yes, that is the page.  I've tried that procedure on two different PC OSes:  Windows-XP and Windows-7, no joy.  The SUA does NOT appear to be on the Convoy 2.  The PC connects to the Convoy 2 and I can see the RAM disk on the Convoy 2, I get the AutoPlay (but without the SUA), etc.  I've done this both with and without the 16-GB SD memory card installed in the Convoy 2.  If the SUA is in the Convoy 2, then where is it?  I've looked around the RAM disks in the Convoy 2 and could not find it.  And the SUA that I downloaded last night from a gamer's website was bogus.  Malware.  Fortunately, I did that on a test machine/disk drive, so no harm.  I just wiped that drive and restored it over night. . 

All of this would be so easy if Verizon and/or Samsung had these files readily available in their respective website download sections, but they're empty!   And Samsung punts to Verizon and some Verizon tech support people have punted back to Samsung.... 

What's next?  .  Tnx for your quick response. 

[Old-Dog]

I should add, too, that Internet connectivity is working.  I've been able to download/install the Backup Assistant,

connect to the Internet using VZAM with the Convoy 2 in modem mode, and the *228 Opt-1 and Opt-2

activation and updating network and roaming all works.  I've tried several times today to do the OTA firmware upgrade, i.e.,  Menu/Phone/Info/SoftwareUpdate/CheckNew and that, again, has failed.  Sometimes with the message

"Server Unavailable" after 10 to 15 minutes of it trying.  But most of the time it just keeps trying without success.

Clearly, the Verizon server for the firmware update is not responding.  I suspect, again, that Verizon has

discontinued the firmware update service for the Convoy 2 even though that is not reflected in the Verizon

Help webpages for the Convoy 2.  Very misleading.... 

[Old-Dog]

Correction:  This phone is a "Convoy" SCH-U640, not the "Convoy 2" SCH-U660.  Nevertheless, the OTA firmware upgrade and Samsung Software Upgrade Assistant procedures are still the same.  The final released firmware number is probably different from the .FA11 previously referenced and is currently unknown to me.

Sorry for the confusion.

--Old-Dog

[pherson]

Not a problem. May I add that, this model is 6 years old. It's reasonable to conclude that it's at the end if it's life span. Stores no longer have the ability to do software upgrades on phones. Ae you still paying for insurance? If so you may have the extended warranty and get a no cost replacement. Itherwise, you can upgrade, reactivate a phone that someone can loanyou, or buy a used phone from ebay.

[Old-Dog]

Yes, its an old dog.  I carried a previous Convoy for years.  Did one firmware upgrade on it a few years ago with no problems.  I'd prefer to get a 4G flip-phone to use as both a cell phone and a 4G (etc) data modem.  Unfortunately, the latest Convoy 3 (came out about 3-yrs ago) is still a 3G device, no 4G.

Even though the Convoy (original issue) is obsolete, no longer mfr'd, no longer supported, etc -- the last released firmware should still be available.  But it appears that Verizon and Samsung have deleted it from user access without  updating the Verizon Convoy support web pages.  I'm not asking for Verizon/Samsung to keep updating the firmware.  I just want to get the last released firmware .FA11 to hopefully fix this power off reboot problem that a hard reset did not fix.  Its not kosher for Verizon to publish on their website support pages that the OTA and manual firmware upgrades can be done to this phone when it appears that they have deleted/blocked such updates from user access.  Wastes user time, wastes their tech support time, etc.  

Its also strange that Verizon has firmware files for other obsolete devices online for downloading, including my 8 year old JetPack 4620..  I downloaded the 4620 firmware a couple days ago!  So why not the Convoy?   Especially since the Verizon Convoy (original issue) help pages still show the firmware upgrade procedures... And their tech support people (tier-1 and tier-2) are clueless...   Verizon seems to give them very little access to the appropriate resources for these kinds of issues. 

--Old-Dog

[vzw_customer_support · Accepted solution]

Old-Dog,

Thanks for the details you've provided and all of the troubleshooting you've tried to get the update done. Having the most recent software version is definitely important as they're meant to enhance your phone experience. In most cases, basic phones are not able to use the SUA for updates and they must be done OTA. This is the case for the Samsung Convoy. If you're unable to perform an OTA of the software, even after doing a hard reset, the device may need to be replaced or sent to Samsung to have them update and send it back to you. Do you have extended warranty protection on your device? If you do and there’s no physical damage or moisture exposure, we can replace the device.

ShawnteJ_VZW
Follow us on Twitter @VZWSupport
If my response answered your question please click the �Correct Answer� button under my response. This ensures others can benefit from our conversation. Thanks in advance for your help with this!!

[Old-Dog]

Hi Shawn:

The saga continues!  I got a phone msg from Verizon TechSupport this morning.  After hooking up with TS Weds afternoon I learned that they got a response back to my  "ticket" from the VZ network people.  They confirmed what I suspected:  That the plug was pulled on the Convoy OTA firmware programming firmware/server.  Pulled by a 3rd party contractor that operates the service for Verizon.  Presumably Samsung, but Networks didn't explicitly say that, I was told.  This explains why my Convoy could not contact the OTA firmware upgrade server.  I wasn't told if this was a surprise to Verizon or if Verizon knew about it and never got around to updating the Convoy support pages on the Verizon website.  VZ Networks told the VZ TS people to contact the "contractor" to get the firmware for me.  TS assumed that the contractor is Samsung.   And from there it, again, went down hill.  I've already been punted back and forth a few times between Verizon and Samsung.  So this time "Will" in TS said he wouldn't do that to me again.  He'd hang in there with me on this.  But after much talking between Will and someone else in Verizon, he handed me off to "Tony" who took up the challenge.  So, again, I had to give a shortened version of this long story.  So Tony said that he'd call Samsung....  The next thing I knew was that a Samsung guy came on the line and I again had been punted to Samsung and had to give a short version of this story again.   This was at least the third punt!  Well, the Samsung guy wasn't going to do anything.  He did suggest taking the phone to a Verizon store and have it "flashed" there. No, that's no good:  I already tried that.  The corporate Verizon store already told me that they couldn't do it.  So then the Samsung guy says to go to a Best Buy store and have them do it.  A real long shot, I thought.  Nevertheless, I wasn't too far from a Best Buy store in Springfield, so I stopped in.  I found some very knowledgeable and willing to help people there.   They have a lot of Samsung cell phone products and a dedicated Samsung support guy.  But their Samsung guy told me that he no can do:  That they are only set up to flash true Smart Phones.  Not the Convoy, even though Samsung and/or Verizon call it

a SmartPhone!

I've learned in this saga that when TS people can't solve a problem, they just give up and punt the customer into the ether!  And I've experienced this same treatment by the Verizon sales folks, too.  Just get rid of the PITA!  Its the Verizon Way...

--Old-Dog