Arduino Nano - Upload verification error

Question

I'm new to Arduino; and I'm trying to upload a simple sketch to a new Arduino Nano

I tried a few sketches (blink / helloworld / empty one); and changing the USB PORT. Windows find the correct serial port (but it's a CH340 USB-Serial; I think that's some Chinese clone). I tried a few USB ports.

When I upload the sketch, it seems to upload. But a verification error appears:

avrdude: verifying ...
avrdude: verification error, first mismatch at byte 0x00ea
 0x8c != 0x8d
avrdude: verification error; content mismatch

This is the command line

D:\Arduino\hardware\tools\avr/bin/avrdude -CD:\Arduino\hardware\tools\avr/etc/avrdude.conf -v -patmega328p -carduino -PCOM6 -b57600 -D -Uflash:w:C:\Users\corti\AppData\Local\Temp\build462236accad2415310c5b24cce7ccca0.tmp/Blink.ino.hex:i 

This is the full verbose log of the flashing:

avrdude: Version 6.0.1, compiled on Apr 15 2015 at 19:59:58
 Copyright (c) 2000-2005 Brian Dean, http://www.bdmicro.com/
 Copyright (c) 2007-2009 Joerg Wunsch
 System wide configuration file is "D:\Arduino\hardware\tools\avr/etc/avrdude.conf"
 Using Port : COM6
 Using Programmer : arduino
 Overriding Baud Rate : 57600
 AVR Part : ATmega328P
 Chip Erase delay : 9000 us
 PAGEL : PD7
 BS2 : PC2
 RESET disposition : dedicated
 RETRY pulse : SCK
 serial program mode : yes
 parallel program mode : yes
 Timeout : 200
 StabDelay : 100
 CmdexeDelay : 25
 SyncLoops : 32
 ByteDelay : 0
 PollIndex : 3
 PollValue : 0x53
 Memory Detail :
 Block Poll Page Polled
 Memory Type Mode Delay Size Indx Paged Size Size #Pages MinW MaxW ReadBack
 ----------- ---- ----- ----- ---- ------ ------ ---- ------ ----- ----- ---------
 eeprom 65 20 4 0 no 1024 4 0 3600 3600 0xff 0xff
 flash 65 6 128 0 yes 32768 128 256 4500 4500 0xff 0xff
 lfuse 0 0 0 0 no 1 0 0 4500 4500 0x00 0x00
 hfuse 0 0 0 0 no 1 0 0 4500 4500 0x00 0x00
 efuse 0 0 0 0 no 1 0 0 4500 4500 0x00 0x00
 lock 0 0 0 0 no 1 0 0 4500 4500 0x00 0x00
 calibration 0 0 0 0 no 1 0 0 0 0 0x00 0x00
 signature 0 0 0 0 no 3 0 0 0 0 0x00 0x00
 Programmer Type : Arduino
 Description : Arduino
 Hardware Version: 2
 Firmware Version: 1.16
 Vtarget : 0.0 V
 Varef : 0.0 V
 Oscillator : Off
 SCK period : 0.1 us
avrdude: AVR device initialized and ready to accept instructions
Reading | ################################################## | 100% 0.00s
avrdude: Device signature = 0x1e950f
avrdude: reading input file "C:\Users\corti\AppData\Local\Temp\build462236accad2415310c5b24cce7ccca0.tmp/Blink.ino.hex"
avrdude: writing flash (1066 bytes):
Writing | ################################################## | 100% 0.32s
avrdude: 1066 bytes of flash written
avrdude: verifying flash memory against C:\Users\corti\AppData\Local\Temp\build462236accad2415310c5b24cce7ccca0.tmp/Blink.ino.hex:
avrdude: load data flash data from input file C:\Users\corti\AppData\Local\Temp\build462236accad2415310c5b24cce7ccca0.tmp/Blink.ino.hex:
avrdude: input file C:\Users\corti\AppData\Local\Temp\build462236accad2415310c5b24cce7ccca0.tmp/Blink.ino.hex contains 1066 bytes
avrdude: reading on-chip flash data:
Reading | ################################################## | 100% 0.24s
avrdude: verifying ...
avrdude: verification error, first mismatch at byte 0x00ea
 0x8c != 0x8d
avrdude: verification error; content mismatch

• Nick Gammon: Run through some of the suggestions here and see what happens.
• Majenko: (but it's a CH340 USB-Serial; I think that's some chinese clone) Good luck with that then. Those CH340s aren't the most reliable chips around.
• Code Gorilla: Have you tried just uploading blink through the IDE?
• AndreaCi: Yes, I tried any kind of sketch. I also tried to reflash the bootloader (and went just fine). When I write something with serial monitor, leds blinks /but no answer/
• AndreaCi: @Lipsyor with no drivers you can't even get to that point

Answer 1

I have seen this once before when one of my mates was having troubles programming a ATMega328P on a custom board. It turned out to be his physical serial port. We later confirmed it with a scope - indeed the first packet wasn't what it was meant to be sending. So we switched to a USB-to-Serial dongle that I had and the problem was resolved.

In your case, I highly suspect that it is the CH340 to blame here.

Try programming the Adruino with the AVRISPmkII or another USB-to-TTL converter.

Edit: Alternatively you could program your microcontroller using a genuine Arduino Uno board (such as a friends) and then place it back onto your board.