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Updating Microcom 485T Ticket Printer Firmware

Dave Carr
Dave Carr
  • Updated

Microcom may release firmware updates during the lifespan of your Microcom ticket printer. These firmware updates help to improve the performance and efficiency of your Microcom ticket printer.

Firmware is a type of software embedded into hardware devices, for example, ticket printers, which provide instructions to operate the hardware.

TIP: We recommend updating your printer each time a new firmware update is released. Bookmark this page for updates when new firmware is released.

The latest firmware version is 01.01.26.

 

Checking your current firmware version

Before you update your printer firmware, check your current firmware version. Follow these steps:

  1. On the printer display tap CONFIG MENU:

     

  2. Tap Next until you to get to the PRINTER INFO menu:

    microcom_printer_config_menu.png

     

  3. Tap PRINTER INFO:

    microcom_printer_info_menu.png

     

  4. In Printer Info, look for your firmware version next to Code Ver:

     

REMINDER: We recommend keeping your printer up to date with the latest firmware version.

 

Preparing to update your printer firmware

To update the firmware on your Microcom printer, you’ll need:

  • A USB flash drive: The flash drive should be 32gb or less. Formatted as FAT32.
  • Microcom firmware: Download the Microcom firmware from the Software Drivers and Downloads article.

TIP: USB flash drives over 32gb cannot be formatted as FAT32 in Windows 10. You’ll need to use a USB flash drive under 32gb.

 To update the firmware on your Microcom printer, you’ll follow these steps:

  1. Format a USB flash drive
  2. Download the Microcom firmware
  3. Copy the firmware to your USB flash drive
  4. Update the Microcom printer firmware
  5. Update Printer Drivers (firmware 01.01.26 only)

TIP:  It’s important you follow these steps in order. Any mistakes may prevent a successful firmware update.

 

1. Formatting your USB flash drive

To update your printer firmware, you’ll need to format your USB flash drive to FAT32. This enables the printer to recognise the USB flash drive and its contents.

WARNING:  Formatting a USB flash drive will wipe the drive of its contents. Make sure you’ve backed up any existing files or folders stored on the drive.

Follow these steps:

  1. Insert your flash drive into a spare USB port on your PC
  2. Open File Explorer by clicking Start > File Explorer. Alternatively, press the windows key, type “file explorer” and press enter.

  3. In file explorer, right click on your USB flash drive and select Format:

    right_click_format_usb_flash_drive_windows_explorer.png

     

  4. In the Format USB Drive screen, ensure the File system is set to FAT32 (Default). Click Start to format the USB drive:

    format_usb_drive_options.png

     

  5. You’ll see a pop up with a warning: “Formatting will erase ALL data on this disk”. Click OK to continue:

    format_usb_drive_warning.png

     

  6. Once you’ve formatted the USB flash drive, you’ll see a Format Complete. Click OK:

    formatting_usb_drive_complete.png

     

 

2. Downloading the Microcom firmware

To update your printer, download the Microcom firmware from the Software and Drivers Download article.

TIP: These drivers are built and maintained by Microcom. If you have any questions about the firmware, contact Microcom Support

 

3. Copying the Microcom firmware to your USB flash drive

To copy the firmware to your USB flash drive, unzip the firmware you’ve downloaded. Once unzipped, copy it to your USB flash drive:

  1. Browse to the location where you’ve downloaded the Microcom firmware (usually your Downloads folder).

     

  2. Right click on the 07001-010126.zip folder. Select Extract All:

     

  3. A new folder 07001-010126 will be created, open the folder:

     

  4. You’ll see the following files:

    If you can't see these files, download the firmware and repeat step 2 in this section.

     

  5. Select all files (Ctrl +A). Right click and select Copy (Ctrl + C):

     

  6. Select your USB flash drive in Windows Explorer to open it:

     

  7. Right click on the blank space under “This folder is empty”. Select Paste (Ctrl + V):

     

  8. Once the files have copied across, unplug or safely eject your USB flash drive.

 

4. Updating the Microcom printer firmware

Once you’ve copied the firmware to your USB flash drive, you’re ready to update your printer firmware:

WARNING: You must power off the printer before you insert your USB flash drive.

  1. Turn off and unplug the printer.

     

  2. Insert the USB flash drive into the USB HOST port on the back of the printer:

     

  3. Turn the printer on. You should see a yellow status light on the display:

     

  4. Once the status light changes to green, turn off the printer and remove the USB  flash drive:

     

  5. Turn on the printer and wait for the update to complete.

 

4.1 Verifying the firmware update

Once the firmware update has completed, check the firmware version by following these steps:

  1. On the printer’s display tap CONFIG MENU:

     

  2. Tap Next until you to get to the PRINTER INFO menu:

     

  3. Tap PRINTER INFO:

     

  4. You should see Code Ver: 01.01.26:

     

If the Code Ver does not display 01.01.26, this indicates that the firmware update has failed. Proceed to Troubleshooting firmware updates for more information.

 

5. Updating Windows Printer Drivers (firmware 01.01.26 only)

If you’re upgrading to firmware version 01.01.26, you’ll also need to update your printer drivers.

TIP: You won’t need to do this for every firmware update, unless otherwise advised.

To update the printer drivers, you’ll need to:

 

5.1 Downloading and extracting printer drivers

To download and extract your printer drivers, follow these steps:

  1. Download the Windows printer driver from the Microcom website
  2. Browse to the location where you’ve downloaded the printer drivers (usually your downloads folder)

  3. Look for x85_windows_driver.zip. Right click on the file and select Extract all:

     

 

5.2 Installing the printer drivers

To install the printer drivers, take a look at Installing the Print Driver on a Windows PC. Here you’ll find step by step installation instructions.

 

Troubleshooting firmware updates

If you experience any issues updating the printer firmware, click the tab below relevant to your issue.

  •  

    Red status indicator on the printer display

    A red status light usually indicates an issue with the firmware update. To resolve this, try the following:

    • Turn off the printer
    • Remove and reinsert the USB flash drive into the printer
    • Power on the printer

    If the status indicator remains red, check the following:

    TIP: Your Microcom printer will not recognise the USB flash drive if it is not formatted as FAT32.

    If you still experience issues updating your firmware, contact Microcom Support for further help.

  • Printer firmware will not update

    If your printer firmware will not update, check the following:

  • USB flash drive not recognised by windows

    If your USB flash drive is not recognised by windows, try the following:

    • Try a different USB port
    • If using a laptop, plug the laptop into an AC power supply. This ensures sufficient power is delivered to the USB port.
    • If using a USB hub, use a powered USB hub. This ensures sufficient power is delivered to all USB ports.
    • Try using a different USB drive (32gb or less).
    If you experience any issues with your USB flash drive, speak to your IT team for further help.

 

Further Reading

This article should give you the information you need to update your Microcom printer firmware.

If you are installing your Microcom 485T Ticket Printer, you can continue to follow the steps in Setting up a Microcom 485T Ticket Printer.