Arduino Uno: avrdude: stk500_recv(): programmer is not responding

Question

I have an original Arduino Uno board purchased directly from the official arduino website. I have used it successfully with IDE v1.8.5 on my Windows 10 laptop for various projects in the last 6 months.

Recently my laptop stopped working and I tried shifting the IDE to my old windows 8 laptop. I installed the latest IDE v1.8.8 on it. But whenever I am trying to upload the sample blink code to the arduino, I am getting the following - "stk500_recv(): programmer is not responding" error.

I have verified that the I have selected the right board - "Arduino/Genuino Uno" in the IDE. I can also see the driver installed in the windows "Device Manager" with COM3 as the port. I have selected COM3 as the port in the IDE as well.

Thinking that its a bit old windows 8 laptop, I tried installing the IDE on two other newer laptops (windows 7 and 10) along with the same troubleshooting steps as above. But unfortunately, same results.

I looked at the many links on internet and tried the following steps, but no luck so far.

• Resetting the board: It flashes the LED on the pin 13 twice which means the chips are ok and resetting the board. This where I think the board is functioning well.
• Tried using both "Upload" and "Upload using programmer" mode from IDE.
• Restarting laptops multiple times.
• Unplugging USB cable between laptop and arduino several times.
• Reinstalled arduino ide version 1.8.5 which was on my old laptop.

Do I need to choose Tools --> Programmers? I guess this is not needed as I am using USB to upload code, but please advice. What else can I try? Please help !!

Here is the complete error:

================================================================
avrdude: Version 6.3-20171130
 Copyright (c) 2000-2005 Brian Dean, http://www.bdmicro.com/
 Copyright (c) 2007-2014 Joerg Wunsch
 System wide configuration file is "C:\Users\Anurag\AppData\Local\Arduino15\packages\arduino\tools\avrdude6円.3.0-arduino14/etc/avrdude.conf"
 Using Port : COM3
 Using Programmer : arduino
 Overriding Baud Rate : 115200
 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: 3
 Firmware Version: 4.4
 Vtarget : 0.3 V
 Varef : 0.3 V
 Oscillator : 28.800 kHz
 SCK period : 3.3 us
avrdude: AVR device initialized and ready to accept instructions
Reading | ################################################## | 100% 0.00s
avrdude: Device signature = 0x1e950f (probably m328p)
avrdude: reading input file "C:\Users\Anurag\AppData\Local\Temp\arduino_build_337690/Blink.ino.hex"
avrdude: writing flash (930 bytes):
***Writing | avrdude: stk500_recv(): programmer is not responding
######avrdude: stk500_recv(): programmer is not responding
avrdude: stk500_recv(): programmer is not responding
avrdude: stk500_recv(): programmer is not responding
avrdude: stk500_recv(): programmer is not responding***
================================================================

UPDATE 1: In the meanwhile -

• I also changed my USB cable.
• Tried on a MAC laptop as well.

No luck with these approaches as well.

I also tried the Arduino loopback test with my board and it is giving me positive results which suggests that my board is processing the data. May be the problem is only when uploading the code. I have updated my original post as well with these steps.

Still need help!

Thanks in advance,

Anurag

• MatsK: Have you tried to test with another Arduino?
• Anurag: @MatsK - Thanks for looking at this query. Unfortunately, I do not have another Arduino board to check. I have ordered a clone on ebay and expecting to receive it in a couple of days. Will try that as well.
• Anurag: @Matsk ... In the meanwhile, I also changed my USB cable and tried on a MAC laptop as well. No luck with these approaches as well. I also tried the arduino loopback test with my board and it is giving me positive results which suggests that my board is processing the data. May be the problem is only when uploading the code. I have updated my original post as well with these steps.

Answer 1

The output shows that avrdude (the uploading program) can contact your Arduino and is able to detect some settings. But as soon as it tries to upload it doesn't get the correct answers. Seems like the bootloader is damaged. Try to burn a new bootloader (you need an ICSP programmer for that, another Arduino with a special sketch and some basic hardware might do the job too).

• CrossRoads: A Programmer connects to the ICSP header. There are two - one for the 328P, with 2x3 male header pins. The 2nd is near the Aref header, is usually just holes (or solder filled holes), that is the one for the Atmega16U2 for the USB interface. Select Upload using Programmer does nothing if you do have a Programmer connected to the 328P's ICSP header.
• Anurag: @Pylon - Thanks for looking at this query ! Yes, apart from trying a new Arduino, I guess putting a new boot loader is the only other option. I have seen some articles for this which used Arduino and some jumper wires. Is there a special sketch involved too? Do you have any good reference which I can try? Also, is this another arduino approach different than using ICSP programmer? Should I try both of the first does not work?
• Anurag: @CrossRoads - Thanks for the info about the programmers. Actually, I have not used any programmer so far. On one internet post, I saw someone trying that too, hence I also tried. At that time, I thought "programmer" is some internal software. But of course, it did not work as I was not using an actual hardware programmer at all.
• CrossRoads: Using an Ardiuno as a programmer to reload the 16U2 should supposedly work. I don't use any cards that use 16U2, I prefer FT232 for USB interface, so I go with ProMinis and plug on an FTDI Basic for downloading and debugging, then remove it when I use the ProMini (I don't do projects needing fulltime internet access for example). The 16U2 sketch is available in the Arduino folders somewhere.