Firmware is the software that runs all the basic operations on your EV3 Brick. Your programs and the firmware work together to make the EV3 Brick do all things you want it to. Your EV3 Brick comes with firmware pre-installed, but it may need to be updated to work properly with MakeCode.
Troubleshooting
Download issues
If you’re having trouble getting your code onto the EV3 Brick, try these steps to see if you can fix the problem.
Check your EV3 firmware
MakeCode needs a firmware version of 1.10E or higher installed on your brick.
To check the the firmware version on your EV3 Brick:
- Go to the Settings menu (it’s under the wrench tool symbol)
- Select Brick Info and press ENTER
- Check the version number under Brick FW:
If you can’t find the Brick Info or you see that the version is less than 1.10E, you need to upgrade your firmware.
Upgrade your EV3
If your a firmware version level is less than 1.10E, you need to install an upgraded version. You can upgrade the firmware with the EV3 Lab or EV3 Programming software. Also, you can do a manual upgrade by downloading the firmware install file. See the Firmware Update support page to learn about the upgrade process.
Can I see the EV3 drive on my computer?
When your EV3 Brick is connected to your computer, you should see a new drive called EV3 attached.
On Windows, it looks like this in Explorer:
If you don’t see the EV3 drive, make sure your brick is powered on and check that your USB connection is good.
The display on the EV3 Brick is blank
Make sure your EV3 Brick is charged and powered on. If your it doesn’t turn on, find the charger and plug it into wall power, then connect it to your EV3 Brick. Does it turn on and start up?
I still can’t see my EV3 drive
Make sure that one end of your USB cable is firmly inserted into a USB port on the computer and the other end is connected to the EV3 Brick. If you still can’t see the EV3 drive, try a different port on the computer. If that doesn’t work then maybe your cable is faulty or you need to reset the EV3 Brick.
Why can’t I delete my program (*.uf2) files from the Brick?
There’s a bug in the firmware which prevents you from deleting the programs (*.uf2 files) from your EV3 Brick. There isn’t a firmware update to fix this yet.
We have prepared a special program that lets you delete UF2 files from the brick. Download these PDF instructions and drop the PDF on the brick drive. This will present you with an menu for deleting files.
For other common questions, try the FAQ page https://makecode.mindstorms.com/faq.
How do I reset my EV3 Brick?
If you think your USB connection is good and you still can’t see your EV3 drive, try giving the EV3 Brick a reset. You can follow these steps to reset:
- Using a finger from one hand, press the Back button. Keep holding it.
- With your other hand, use two fingers to hold down both the Left button and the Center button. You hold these at the same time while you’re still pressing the Back button.
- Now, release your finger from the Back button.
- When the EV3 Brick says “Starting..” you can let go of the Left and Enter buttons.
You can also watch this How to Reset video.
LEGO Support
If you’ve checked everything here and can’t get the EV3 drive to show up on your computer, you can’t make the EV3 Brick reset, or your program just won’t download, then try the Troubleshooting Walkthrough.
You can also find more help at LEGO Support.