May have bricked my calculator - please help!

→ **MyCalcs** profile · de **RRRocketMan** » 15 Nov 2021, 20:39

This has happened once before. I didn't do anything weird or stupid... just using my calculator completely normally. Then it freezes and no amount of resets will fix it. Pulling the batteries for a week won't fix it. When this happened to me the first time I left it unpowered for a while and then re-uploaded the OS and that did fix the calculator. However this time is a different story because I can't even get the calculator to be detected by the software.

I am connecting the unpowered calculator to the computer via USB cable and getting the OS downloader up and running. Then, holding down the APPS key, I put the batteries back in and get the "waiting to receive" message from the bootloader. This is what worked for me before. However this time, the software is unaware of the calculator and cannot detect it on any com port. TiInfo and TiExplorer also don't detect the calculator so even though the calculator seems to go into the bootloader just fine I can't reprogram it. If I don't hit APPS, it just goes to the home screen but none of the keys work (except soft reset... that works but doesn't fix anything).

Is there some other mode (other than the APPS bootloader mode) that is even more low level that might work or ANY other option that might get this calculator working? If not, it is bricked and might as well go in the trash.

Thanks.

→ **MyCalcs** profile · de **critor** » 15 Nov 2021, 20:46

Hi. Sorry, I don't know such of a lower level software recovery.

While you're connecting your TI-89 Titanium through a USB, check whether it's being correctly detected in the computer device manager.

Does a new device appear ? If yes, under which name ?

→ **MyCalcs** profile · de **RRRocketMan** » 15 Nov 2021, 23:38

It doesn't show in device manager. Whatever TTL chip in the calc is responsible for serial comms appears to be hung as well.

→ **MyCalcs** profile · de **critor** » 15 Nov 2021, 23:48

Ok. You could try with another USB cable, another USB port, or another computer.

You can also try to find/borrow/buy a TI-Graph Link USB cable.
It will allow you to connect the calculator to the computer using its mini-Jack 2.5mm serial port, which may still work in its state unlike its USB port.