RFU Load error

[John Lester]

One of the 5550N printers I have set up has come up with the following error:

Download file now
RFU Load error
Resend RFU over parallelt port.

It has happened since the printer was moved.
I cannot use the control panel on the printer as it seems to be stuck. When I restart it and hold down the green tick key, it occasionally comes up with "enter language". I then get the opportunity to go to "cold reset" but cannot go any further before the error message returns.
I have looked at downloading the latest firmware but it doesn't seem to have any relevance to the fault.
I have connected over a USB lead. When I look at the HP toolbox, it says that there is no printer connected even though I have reinstalled it (a couple of times) and it says it is there.

[Zsolt Kulcsar]

Hello

Probabily you need to change the firmware memory.

[DavidZuts]

I had this happen on the 4650 and was able to fix it by downloading the latest firmware for the printer from the hp web site and connecting the printer directly to a computer with a parallel cable. I think you will need a mini-parallel cable. You then go to a dos prompt and type copy /b filename.rfu lpt1 and it should load the firmware and reboot the printer when done and you should be ok. The upgrade or loading will take about 10 minutes since it is a big file. If it does not work or if you do not want to do it that way, you can order a replacment firmware chip from hp parts. Cost is about 60.00 plus shipping. Good Luck.

[Rivka Rachel]

I have gotten the same error message on a LJ4650. I downloaded the latest firmware and tried a command prompt as suggested: copy /b lj4650fw.rfu lpt1, but it keeps saying that the system cannot find the file specified. I tried it with the rfu file on the desktop and in the system folder. Still no success. Do I need a different word for the 'lpt1' part? I also tried putting the full name of the firmware update, i.e., lj4650fw_win_07_006_0.rfu lpt1 and that did not work either. It seems the basic steps are correct from what I have read elsewhere in these forums, but something isn't quite right with the command or the location of the firmware. Any suggestions?

[DavidZuts]

You need to put the file in a folder called hp4650 and then at the dos prompt type cd\hp4650 and hit the enter key. Then at the C:\hp4650 prompt type the copy command with the file name and lpt1 and it should work. The file has to be in the directory you type the command from.

[razzer]

if there's a problem with the firmware or something else on the formatter,like a network card or added memory ,perhaps a hard disk,then it can be causing an issue with the RFU.try powering down and removing any network cards ,added memory dimms,etc... and see if the situation changes and /or try again with the RFU.maybe try reseating the firmware.otherwise it may need a new firmware dimm.

[Rivka Rachel]

OK, I changed the name of the folder to hp4650, did the dos prompt to the hp4650 folder, and got as far as the copy prompt. It's still saying the system can't find the file specified. How do I write the name of the file? Is there any port other than lpt1 that I might need to try?

[DavidZuts]

You have to have the name of the file be 8 charaters or less with the extension of rfu. Example would be to name the file hp4650.rfu. The command line would be copy /b hp4650.rfu lpt1 and then hit the enter key. Now keep in mind you have to have the printer connected to the computer using a parallel cable from the computer to the printer and the cable connected to the lpt port on the computer and the lpt port on the printer. If you are not using a parallel cable then it will not work.

[Rivka Rachel]

It worked! Thanks a lot.

[testforx]

my printer have the same problem and i fix it with hp help but it's happen again and when i am trying to fix it my printer turned off , and when i turn it on again it was no display???
no color. no checking ram nothing, just voice normal and then nothing. no display ,how i can fix this???

[testforx]

What I did then was to connect it via parallel connection so I could do the updating myself. The printer acknowledged the receipt of the update. When I read the "read-me file" of the update, it said there that the printer should AUTOMATICALLY RESTART after 3 minutes because of the update, but 10 minutes later, it still hadn't restarted so I restarted it manually thinking that it hung. When I opened the printer, there was no more display on the screen, and I couldn't determine whether it's READY or not. I think it broke because I restarted it manually. Could I have damaged the formatter? What d'ya think?
Thanks in advance for the replies.

[DavidZuts]

You will need to order a replacement firmware chip if they are available.

[MJS1240!]

I did find a company that has cheap firmware go to www.laserpros.com. They had firmware that HP didn't have in stock and HP firmware that they no longer stock. They were A LOT cheaper then HP prices.

[Johan Kleynhans]

Hi, I also have the same problem! Please could someone help? My error is the same but for this model - HP4650dn "Download file now - RFU Load error - Resend RFU over parallelt port". Where do I download the firmware and instructions from? Thanks.

[razzer]

as far as downloading the firmware;you can get it on this link;look for the one that is appropriate for you OS.if you click on the title header first,then there should be some instructions.usually one of the most stable ways is to connect via parallel cable and from a dos/command prompt:

copy/b rfufilename lpt1 then hit enter.

sometimes it helps to rename the file with a shorter name like is mentioned a few replies above from david.to have it shorter than 8 characters.http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bizsupport/TechSupport/SoftwareIndex.jsp?lang=en&cc=us&prodNameId=375775&p...

[Johan Kleynhans]

Hi, Thanks for your help, I downloaded the file, but it doesn't say that I can use the USB to load the FRU.. So can't I use a USB cable at all? I don't have a parallel cable? What is the default IP of a printer?
On the screen of the printer it says" Download file now RFU load error resend RFU over parallel port"
Does this error mean I can still use the network card or not?
If I can use the Network card, I can upgrade the printer via internal web?!

Please could you help me? Thanks a mil!

[p4015]

If you has problem to load with usb you can load by net with the web jetadmin 8.1 or 10, you unload the software from www.hp.com, install, and can load new firmware. I load many firmwares with this system.

[Johan Kleynhans]

Hi, thanks for the help. I know I can use JetAdmin, but I'm not sure that I can use Web JetAdmin to load the FRU if I can't access the printer. So I can't print a config page to see the IP of the printer, so can't access it through the network, unless it has a default IP, and I have no clue what the default IP is...
So can JetAdmin use USB to talk to the printer? Thanks for the help.

[Dutton]

I am trying to use a USB cable to upload the firmware update for my P3005 printer. Can't a USB cable be used? The printer is connected to port DOT_001; how do you write that in DOS language (such as LPT1)? HP does not make this update easy!

[Rivka Rachel]

I'm getting the same RFU load error I described above. After re-downloading the firmware (same version), saving it as 4650.rfu in a folder named HP4650 on the C drive, and attempting the DOS prompts described above, I get only as far as the first prompt. Thereafter it says the system cannot find the file specified. Any suggestions?

[DavidZuts]

You gave the file a new name and have it in a directory. You have to cd\ to that directory and before I type the command I would dir dir 4650.rfu or whatever you renamed it and hit enter and see if the file is listed.

[Rivka Rachel]

OK, I tried this and it says file not found... but I can see the file in the folder named HP4650, and the cd command finds this folder also.

[DavidZuts]

If dir does not find the file then the name is not what you think it is. Tell you what type dir 4*.* at the prompt and see what comes back. You probably forgot to add the .rfu at the end of the file.

[Rivka Rachel]

So I tried the dir command of C:\HP4650 and it returned one file of 13,869,288 bytes named 4650.rfu.exe. I tried the copy /b command using this file name, and it says 1 file copied. The error message on the printer now says
Unsupported
Clearing stable data on par port parallel port

[Rivka Rachel]

Further to the above, I extracted the .exe file and reran the commands. This worked. Thanks for suggesting the dir command!