The official instructions for entering the “Install mode” on the Nokia N800 OS2008 Software update are incorrect. The Internet Tablet Software Update Wizard will tell you to enter the update mode by boot the device while holding the “swap” key down – this will show the USB icon on the top right corner for 2-3 seconds after which the tablet will quit the install mode and continue booting. What you should actually do is hold the “Home” key (the one with a house icon) down during bootup which will put it into the sustained install mode that is needed for the software update wizard to do its magic.
Update: If you are having issues with downloading the update using the Software update tool you can grab the update file from this torrent (N800 only) for a manual install. Use the torrent client of your choice to download the .bin file and tell the Software Update tool to install the file. This file will work only for N800 – N810 users will have to find the image file elsewhere.
9 replies on “Installing the Nokia N800 OS2008 Software update (swap key issues)”
[…] OS2008 For Nokia N800 Released – Links to Reviews, Resources and First Impressions Filed under: N800 — tabrez @ 5:10 pm Though people have been using the beta version of it for quite some time now, the stable version of OS2008 for Nokia N800 was officially announced on the Maemo website couple of days ago. Also released was the first update to OS2008 for Nokia N810. Read Reggie’s post about it on itT. My initial impression is that the update process is not documented correctly by Nokia[see note]; OS2008 looks nicer, performs faster and many of the important applications are already available for it. Canola 2 Beta is officially released while I am typing this post! Note: Automatic update procedure is not supported for this update AFAICS. Manually download the OS2008 OS, preferably from a torrent or an alternative mirror, follow the update instructions, and when instructed to press and hold the Swap button/key, press and hold the Home button/key instead. I just kept messing with different buttons till I got it right. […]
Thanks for the hint.
Geez! Thanks hugely! I have been driving myself (and everyone within earshot!) crazy trying and trying to update my N800 using Nokia’s incorrect instructions! The wizard saw and responded to my N800 the first time when I used your instructions and pressed the HOME key instead of the SWAP key!
Ihave an n800 with os 2007; can it be updated to os2008?
Absolutely – in fact the newest version of the OS (codename Diablo) will even allow you to do Over-The-Air updates. Just download the Internet Tablet Software Update Wizard and it will walk you through the upgrade.
The swap key IS the one with the house icon, according to the N800 Quick Start guide.
Thank you very much! I don’t speak english very well, then I didn’t know what excacly is the swap key, and would be easier if Nokia just put the name of the icon that appears on the button as you did.
Another thanks for you. A google search led me to this page when I was trying to figure out what I was doing wrong.
A huge help. Thanks!