Can't boot Pi Zero W2 from latest Pi-Star image

Help with Raspberry Pi Foundation Boards (Raspberry Pi, Pi Zero, Pi Zero W, Pi A, Pi B, Pi B+, Pi2 B, Pi3 B, Pi 3 B+)
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EI4IQB
Posts: 3
Joined: Mon Jan 31, 2022 10:44 pm

Can't boot Pi Zero W2 from latest Pi-Star image

Post by EI4IQB »

Hello everyone,

My former Pi Zero W stopped working so I bought a new W2 instead. As the SD card was also flaky I'd thought to start from scratch and downloaded the Pi-Star_RPi_V4.1.5_30-Oct-2021.zip image and used the Raspberry Pi Imager tool to write it on a 16GB SD card. When I start the Pi Zero W2 I can see it gets power but the little LED near the power USB connector doesn't flash. Not even after 1 hour. It does get power because the MMVDM card is powering up with the correct LEDs.
If I use the Imager tool to write the latest Raspberry Pi OS to it, the machine boots fine. I have used this mechanism before on the Zero W and a Pi 3B so I find it very strange. As nothing occurs it is very hard to diagnose the problem. Note I'm very comfortable with computers so any advice is appreciated!

73
Annard
EI4IQB
K6BKD
Posts: 6
Joined: Tue May 15, 2018 9:26 pm

Re: Can't boot Pi Zero W2 from latest Pi-Star image

Post by K6BKD »

I know this is a little late to reply, but thought I would throw it out there. It's probably the underlying Raspberry Pi OS that Pi-Star 4.1.5 is based on doesn't have the kernel updates for the newer RPI Zero 2 W. If you have another older pi around you can boot that one on the SD card then do the OS and Pi-Star updates then once those are done move it back to the Pi Zero 2 W and see if it boots now.
EI4IQB
Posts: 3
Joined: Mon Jan 31, 2022 10:44 pm

Re: Can't boot Pi Zero W2 from latest Pi-Star image

Post by EI4IQB »

Thank you for your reply. I have been sidetracked with work and such so I will give that a try.

73 de Annard
EI4IQB
Posts: 3
Joined: Mon Jan 31, 2022 10:44 pm

Re: Can't boot Pi Zero W2 from latest Pi-Star image

Post by EI4IQB »

As a follow-up I have tried this suggestion. I downloaded the last image for my Pi 3B. However this doesn't boot on my Pi 3B! I will n ow try to use 'dd' to copy the working SD-card with pi-star to the SD-card for the Zero W2. Because the latter does boot from it.
Maybe a suggestion to make a newer image available for download?

Thanks again and 73!
Annard
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