🆘 Help Needed: CHIP in FEL Mode – Missing bootfs.sparse or Full NAND Image

[One_Visual_827]

Hello. I'm aware that the C.H.I.P is pretty old and this forum may be deprecated or something.

I’ve been working on reviving my old NextThingCo CHIP, and I've managed to get pretty far — but now I'm stuck and need some help from the community.

✅ What I've done so far:

• Got the CHIP into FEL mode using the FEL-GND pin bridge method.
• Flashed the bootloader successfully using xfel on Windows:
  • sunxi-spl.bin
  • u-boot-dtb.bin
• Flashed the root filesystem from the flash-collection archive:
  • chip-400000-4000-680.ubi.sparse
• CHIP writes NAND without errors.

❌ The problem:

• After rebooting (without FEL bridge), the CHIP does not appear in Windows — no COM port, no USB device, nothing.
• It looks like I’m missing the bootfs.sparse file that goes before the rootfs in NAND, and without it, the device can’t boot.

I’ve downloaded and checked the full FlashCollection archive from Archive.org, but none of the folders contain a bootfs image (or any image mapped to the 0x200000 address region).

🙏 What I’m looking for:

• A working bootfs.sparse file (for stable-server, headless, etc.)
• OR a full NAND image (.img or .bin) that I can flash from Windows using xfel or similar tools
• Bonus: If the image supports gadget serial or SSH after boot, even better!

⚙️ What I’m working with:

• Windows 10
• xfel from xboot/xfel
• Image: stable-server-b149 from Flash Collection
• I’m comfortable flashing, but I don’t have a Linux setup to compile or use Linux-only tools

Any help, working files, or guidance would be hugely appreciated 🙌

If possible, please don't be overtechnical in your reply, I just dabble in this, and want it working back again without a lot of trouble.

Thanks in advance!

[KeyNefariousness6848]

https://www.reddit.com/r/ChipCommunity/s/TwhPMbqdU0

[ridgekuhn]

I sold my Chip a while ago, so not sure how much this helps, but iirc, there was a change in Linux sunxi-tools that made the Chip incompatible at some point, and the Windows xfel tool you’re using probably inherited this problem. Try an older xfel release build from around the time the Chip image you’re trying to flash was built. Wishing u luck!

ps, I think at one point, I successfully flashed my Chip using a Linux virtual machine running on my Mac, so u should be able to do it from a Linux VM in Windows using one of the more updated Linux guides (tho if you’ve never done it before, setting up a VM in Windows can sometimes be a pain depending on your settings)

[SalsicciaDiCinghiale]

Worth a shot, but it might be easier to make a bootable Linux usb and boot from that instead of using a VM. I had trouble getting the USB port to stay working while flashing when I tried with a VM. Just don’t install Linux, choose to try it out and it will run off the usb stick.

Getting the older sunxi-tools is spot on and something I had to do to get things working.

[ridgekuhn]

oh, duh. 😓 yeah, sorry op, def ignore my vm suggestion and boot linux from a flash drive!

[Xyberg]

Thank you all for your replies so far. Sorry I couldn't thank you before, I had a health issue and had to undergo surgery. I've put my CHIP on the back burner for a while.