Faulty VTech Baby Monitor | An EPIC Repair With Shocking Findings!

In this video we're going to be looking at a faulty VTech RM5754HD Smart Video baby monitor. It was advertised on eBay for spares or repair, and in the listing it the camera wouldn't pair with the parent unit.
Let's take it apart, see if we can diagnose the problem and hopefully repair it!
This turned out to be quite a journey with some unexpected findings!
I'm not an expert, but I do enjoy trying to fix things.
If you enjoyed this video, or found it useful or helpful, please consider subscribing. It's free and you'll be notified when I upload more videos.
Thank you for your support!
Some of the tools and equipment that I use:
Kaiweets KTI-W02 Thermal Camera:
15% off code: BIFI15
(15% off code Available site wide at Kaiweets.com and it never expires.)
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or alternatively on Amazon UK:
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Other Kaiweets thermal cameras:
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The Famous Blue Mat: amzn.to/47bPNGK
Infiray P2 Pro Thermal Camera: amzn.to/47c05Xm
170 piece electronics tool kit (security bits): amzn.to/3VnmHBh
SMD Tweezer set: amzn.to/3t9GlW4
Aixun T3A Soldering Station: amzn.to/3Xa8HMe
Soldering Flux: amzn.to/3UDC0py Alternative: amzn.to/4dVRdcN
Low Melt Solder: amzn.to/3QICZ5r : Cheaper Alternative amzn.to/3G4L3XK
Grinding pen: amzn.to/3QCHE7v
Component Tester: amzn.to/46UcHm6 alternative (slightly cheaper) amzn.to/49yZSzJ
Overhead Camera Mount I Use: amzn.to/3tX8Ar4
Microscope Light (I use on my Trinocular): amzn.to/3FEAPgy
AD409 Pro Microscope 10" Screen: amzn.to/3G0CI7P
Extra Long Torx Drivers(used on Milwaukee radio): amzn.to/40siUU3
DC Power Adapter plugs 38 PCS: amzn.to/49lCUMm
USB Power Meter Tester: amzn.to/3R6NX4g
SMD Component ruler 3x (for sizes of SMD components): amzn.to/3TvfcWO
Rework station: I was using a 858D clone but now using an ATTEN ST-862D .
Other Equipment:
Main Overhead camera: Sony HDR-CX450 with 3rd party remote and RODE VideoMic Pro
Other cameras: Canon G7X, iPhone 6s, Go Pro Hero Silver 7 (which repaired)
Microscopes: Amscope trinocular (clone) with FHD 48MP Camera V8
& Adonstar AD409 Pro.
Editing Software: DaVinci Resolve
The above links are amazon affiliate links, and I may receive a small amount from Amazon at no extra cost to you, if you choose to purchase an item.
#electronics #electronicsrepair #repair #Kaiweets #thermalcamera
Faulty VTech RM5754HD baby monitor
VTech RM5754HD baby monitor repair
VTech RM5754HD not connecting
VTech RM5754HD not pairing
Vtech baby monitor not pairing
VTech Smart Video Baby Monitor not working
VTech Video Baby monitor faulty
Faulty Vtech video baby monitor repair

[@Indiskret1]

I went into the wardrobe to get three of my hats, just to take them all off to you. This was some seriously impressive work and despite me being on YT for a long time now, one of the most rewarding. Always be curious, never give up and continue to learn is my motto, and obviously yours too! Be proud and soak in the praise when you do what you do on KZbin, you're more than worth it.

[@BuyitFixit]

😂😂😂Thank you very much for that. Much appreciated. I've just created a playlist with a few other videos of this type, so if you enjoyed this one you might like a few of the other videos (if you haven't seen them) which I had to either break out the reverse engineering tools and the serial terminal 👍

[@iantyler4045]

Your sleuth work and tenacity are amazing. 99% of others would have given up long ago. Well done.

[@BuyitFixit]

Thanks for that. I've done a few other similar repairs in the past which ended up being like this one. I've just created a playlist here if you're interested. kzbin.info/aero/PLu4s108ty9Iki2H77htqeCNqtunWMJFKK

[@3dsmaxrocks699]

When Mick uses his scope you know it's gonna be a good video.

[@BuyitFixit]

😂😂😂😂Cheers mate👍

[@meetv7700]

You're the man of sheer focus and determination. Thing destined for recycling is brought back to life.

[@BuyitFixit]

😂😂Thanks 👍

[@ms767210]

Not only a fixer of everything but an awesome computer hacker also. I have to say you are my favourite repairer channel on youtube. 👍

[@BuyitFixit]

😂😂Thanks 👍Well I have dabbled a bit in the past with the odd device here and there. I've just created a playlist with this video, and a few others which fall into this category of repair.

[@blindscribe1679]

Honestly not what I expected when I clicked into the video. Rabbit hole after rabbit hole after rabbit hole - unbelievable how far you dug into the device and pivoted at each hard stop in the process to find a fix. Brilliant trouble shooting, nicely done!

[@BuyitFixit]

Thank you very much 🙂👍

[@terrym1065]

Programming sent me over the cliff, never learned how to do it so have no clue. You truly have special talents and patience to deal with items such as this. It not only takes a mechanical wiz but an electronics background to fix this stuff, now I see software programming is requisite also. Great job sir as always, it's not always a capacitor...😁

[@309electronic5]

Yeah software is also a big part cranked up by the fact most low power embedded devices run Linux. Pretty fun! I do hardware hacking and i always love to see the device boot its linux system just to do a task :)

[@BuyitFixit]

Cheers Terry, yes turns out it's not always a capacitor 😂😂😂👍

[@fouroakfarm]

This is prime example of everything that makes your channel so great. Any time the oscilloscope comes out I know we're in for a ride. Very much appreciate diving so deeply into these; a lot can be learned here

[@BuyitFixit]

Cheers mate 👍Glad you enjoyed it 🙂

[@KPRPhoto-1599]

I'm a retired IT guy and back in the day I wrote mainframe assembler code and debugging hex core dumps was something we did all the time. It's something of an indictment of how these things are set up that it requires such forensic Linux skills to resolve what looks like a 'file full' or space overflow type issue.

[@BuyitFixit]

Thanks for sharing Ron 👍

[@solyomimi5735]

You are very talented and clever, Sir. You must have been quite enthusiastic and excited, because at the end you spoke so fast it was hard to understand. I really liked the repair process, although I'm not an expert at it, I'm just interested. Thank you for your works.

[@BuyitFixit]

Thank you very much! I'm not an expert either 😂😂👍

[@solyomimi5735]

Don't be so modest. You are smart. I am now looking at repairing a Kenwood kitchen mixer. We also have the same Chinese miracle, only it's called Silvercrest. I had a mechanical problem, the plastic bearing housing broke, the mini bearing broke. I managed to fix it, homemade, stronger than it was. We still use it now.

[@gainmaster1]

Spending 3 straight days trying to fix a 13 pound baby monitor is dedication. This was a very interesting one even though it did go over my head. Another great fix, keep them coming Mick :)

[@BuyitFixit]

Thanks 😂😂Yes I don't like to be beaten... although I thought this one had me at one point.

[@tubeDude48]

It's nice to see someone that knows how to get around in an Android/Linux system, and fix it! 👍

[@BuyitFixit]

Thanks 👍I've just created a playlist and added this video, and a few others to it too. All similar reverse engineering type repairs where I had to do stuff like this. If you liked this one check it out 🙂

[@tubeDude48]

@@BuyitFixit - Since I joined a few months back, I've been working on catching up on what you have done so far! Thanks!

[@terrybennion855]

You are one seriously clever guy! I suspected it watching previous videos but this one confirmed it. 😮

[@BuyitFixit]

😂😂😂Thanks 👍

[@darrenwardell3079]

I am blown away yet again by your knowledge, Patience and Enthusiasm. You just never give up. I am now kneeling down in the "I am not worthy" pose saluting you................Just need to wait for my wife to help me up from the floor.👍👍

[@BuyitFixit]

😂😂😂Thanks Darren 👍

[@fritzfischer8084]

This is one of your best repair videos I have seen! Amazing

[@BuyitFixit]

Wow, thanks 👍I have done a few others similar to this. I've just created a playlist on the channel kzbin.info/aero/PLu4s108ty9Iki2H77htqeCNqtunWMJFKK

[@CJ-ew8df]

Great work! Without knowing it, rewriting over that partition appears to have caused the volume map to be rebuilt and possibly rewrite the VIF headers. Genius!

[@BuyitFixit]

Thanks 👍After I finished recording I managed to find the file that caused the problem. The problem seemed to be a sqlite database stored on vtech data 1, which indexes the video files, so perhaps the camera lost power or rebooted while updating this file. I think deleting the videos caused this database to be re-created and fixed the error.

[@CJ-ew8df]

​@BuyitFixit could very well be that. Great work :) The reason I feel it's more to do with the UBI blocks and its headers is the way you could see in the kernel buffer the "do_readpage" struggling. UBI can be a real pain to deal with. All the new BT Home Hubs use it... gives you that extra step when doing firmware analysis. You've gained an extra subscriber 😊

[@TerryLawrence001]

Your patience is truly amazing! Some of the puzzles that you unravel are so difficult!

[@BuyitFixit]

Thanks Terry 👍

[@peterlethbridge7859]

Wow, are your linux skills self taught? Mightily impressed with your perseverance on this and your analytical skills. Thats a rabbit hole most people wouldn't have gone down.

[@BuyitFixit]

@@peterlethbridge7859 Thanks 👍and yes. I've messed around with computers and embedded systems for years. Usually just poking at them and seeing what makes them tick, or if I can make them do something interesting like play Doom 😂😂

[@chrisbartlett6022]

@@BuyitFixit DOOM, I was proper hooked on that at one time.

[@krahwinkel9503]

Another skill you uncovered today: data forensic specialist

[@maicod]

yea he's Mick Holmes now :)

[@BuyitFixit]

😂😂Cheers

[@Shinquapin]

Great video Mick! It's crazy to me that you not only found a serial port to access, but also managed to connect to it, access the data, and fix the issue. Who cares if this is just a baby monitor, that's a great fix that most people would've written off as junk.

[@BuyitFixit]

Cheers mate 👍

[@mrlox9576]

Thoroughly enjoy that. It was a full investigation showing hardware troubleshooting, software troubleshooting and all the gadgets. All accompanied by clear visuals & explanations of what/how & why your doing each step, yet without dragging on the explanations. You have a great logical thought process.. A really great video. I'm definately subscribing. 👍

[@BuyitFixit]

Thank you kindly Mr Lox! If you like this type of stuff I've put together a playlist of similar reverse engineering type work I've done which can be found here: kzbin.info/aero/PLu4s108ty9Iki2H77htqeCNqtunWMJFKK

[@mrlox9576]

@BuyitFixit Excellent! I will be watching them now. Thanks for letting me know. 👍

[@nadeemw62]

Not only are you a master genius technician but also master genius at being a Linux Administrator I personally enjoy your videos keep it coming 🎉

[@BuyitFixit]

Thanks 👍🙂

[@chrisbartlett6022]

Wow, watched it all the way through, did zone out a bit though. I am sure you were talking Lunar, Martian and Solarian at one time 🙂A proper Rabbit hole trip. I know what it is like when something grabs you and you just HAVE to keep pecking away at it. In my case it is normally something much more simple, with bigger bits like engines and such.

[@BuyitFixit]

😂😂Cheers Chris 👍

[@padraigholohan4778]

That's incredible work to find those recordings!!

[@BuyitFixit]

Cheers 👍

[@andymouse]

" 3 days to fix a bloody baby monitor " What a legend ! your Kung Fu never ceases to amaze me, it's strength is unknowable.......Awesome cheers !!

[@BuyitFixit]

Cheers mate 👍

[@psi23k]

Absolute genius sir. Well done. Great video as always.

[@BuyitFixit]

Thank you kindly!

[@RoganDawes]

One trick that you may find useful in the future is to update the linux kernel commandline to set `init=/bin/sh`. Linux will run /sbin/init by default, which runs the programmed startup sequence, mounting filesystems, starting daemons, etc, and potentially starting a login program (that may ask for a password). By running /bin/sh instead, you skip all of the startup sequence and drop straight to a shell. In uboot, you have to start with the `bootcmd` environment variable (use `printenv` to show them all), then follow the program logic until you find the variable that holds the linux command line. This can be a somewhat complicated process depending on whether the manufacturer has fallback boot options, etc, but not insurmountable.

[@BuyitFixit]

Thanks for that Rogan 👍

[@Kraaketaer]

In rock climbing parlance, an epic is any climb that (due to weather or orhter unforeseen circumstances, poor planning, mistakes, etc.) turns into a massive, drawn out, much longer than expected (and typically exhausting) ordeal. So while this is an epic repair, it's also a repair epic. Well done! I'm constantly stunned by the breadth and depth of your knowledge and skills - repairing everything from tractors to baby monitors to gaming consoles to power tools.

[@BuyitFixit]

😂😂😂Thanks for that. Yes I'll have a go at pretty much anything.. after all it's already broken.. So the worst I can do is it's still broke 🙂

[@marcotinnirello6010]

This guys ability to hypothesise and then test and then progress to the next hop is brilliant. Clearly v knowledgeable about a lot of things from electronics to detailed linux boot and file systems. Super smart and super enjoyable to watch. Thanks for persevering - well worth it for the content more than the actual baby monitor fix! There was a similar issue with colour HP laser printer I had once that wouldn’t boot. Someone posted details and pin puts which followed and managed to get myself back up and running. V satisfying and so can imagine actually cracking the problem and finding a fix must be v v satisfying and rewarding. Top marks, sir.

[@BuyitFixit]

Thank you very much kind sir 🙂👍 and well done on fixing the HP printer 🙂

[@ahears1]

I Linux when you highlight something you can move the mouse to the insertion point on the CLI and center click to auto-paste the data without having to formally copy and paste into the buffer. This works everywhere. I use it to formal copy paste, the highlight more text a second time, and I can move two pieces of data to be pasted at a time. In other words you can highlight , then copy, then highlight again and move the cursor to the insertion point, paste as normal, then move to a new insertion point, center click to paste again the second buffer as long as it's still highlighted. Save you some time and clicks :)

[@BuyitFixit]

Thanks for the tips 👍

[@kevinisaac9139]

You have the patience of a saint great video 👍

[@BuyitFixit]

Thanks 👍

[@leonardgucciardo8386]

Boy I would have given up after the thermal camera. I can understand where it becomes a challenge and the feeling you get once it’s fixed. It doesn’t matter how many days it takes. When you get it working the feeling is euphoric. I may have to sit down with some eBay junk and see if I can do it too. I have the tools but your know how is mind blowing.

[@BuyitFixit]

Thank you 👍Yes at one point I was almost going to give up on this one, but managed to pull it out of the bag luckily!

[@ricfair9919]

Don't worry none of this video/sound recording are being used for anything.... Nice video and yes you won!

[@BuyitFixit]

Thanks 👍

[@theoldbigmoose]

Your firmware hacking/diagnosis/repair capability is the capability of a nation state! Well done!

[@BuyitFixit]

Cheers mate 👍

[@gerraptoras2101]

You always take the repair to a whole other level. Well done.

[@BuyitFixit]

Thank you 👍

[@Garry1888]

This was the Hatton Garden job of tech fixes. Seriously impressive. Well done, sir.

[@markpirateuk]

I really admire your patience, an epic repair!

[@BuyitFixit]

Thank you 👍

[@stevehopwood6392]

I love seeing elcetronics being vixed and reprogramed keep up the good work Mick 😊

[@BuyitFixit]

Thanks 👍

[@newfutile1]

what an amazing repair , it had become a challenge to you and not only did you fix it but discovered the previous files

[@BuyitFixit]

Thanks 👍

[@murkywaters7185]

And he deleted them! What a guy!

[@g1fsh]

That was an amazing video 10 out of 10 for that one. Very very well done.

[@BuyitFixit]

Thank you very very much! 👍🙂

[@ibrahimkocaalioglu]

Amazing detective work. Gray cells working full power. The companies should have a fail safe software to prevent failure after firmware update. Also storing user private video sound etc on a non removable media should be prohibited.

[@BuyitFixit]

Thanks 👍Yes agree.

[@sean9595]

Sound job Mick it’s a pity that you are not my next door neighbour 👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼

[@BuyitFixit]

😂😂😂Thanks 👍

[@gadgetmind]

I spent too much of my life working on UBoot, embedded Linux, boot monitors, MIPS chips, and also working with Ingenic on some of their MIPS silicon. I'm now very pleased to be retired and ... doing much the same at home for a hobby!

[@BuyitFixit]

Nice 👍I still love doing this type of work, but sometimes it's just too time consuming for me these days as I've got a lot of other stuff going on. I remember reverse engineering kids toys a few years ago, writing drivers and porting different games to them (a few videos are on here from about 8-10 years ago of the leapTV and a few other things when I was doing that).

[@gadgetmind]

@@BuyitFixit I've got a Sonos Connect AMP that I bought "Spares or Repairs" on eBay, found loads of blown bits in the switch mode power supply, fixed it all, and up it started! I then connected to it in the Sonos app, got told it needed a firmware update and after the update it hasn't booted again. Factory reset doesn't work. I know it needs a serial port connecting, and I even know what's what pin wise, but it's still sulking in its box. BTW I started out in games programming in 1984 !

[@BuyitFixit]

Hmm, I did see what appeared to be a serial port on the sonos I was looking at but I didn't try hooking it up.The approach Id use would be find a ground and then poke at it with the scope see if you see any serial data coming out. Then you can find the GND pin and supply with the meter, the other pin would be for receiving data :) Normally there are 4 pins like GND, RX,TX, +5v or such.

[@gadgetmind]

@@BuyitFixit Yeah, I know where the pins are, but also know that getting this data will send my brain down a rabbit hole for multiple days. I've fixed loads of Sonos gear (keep some, flog some, mostly their inept SMPS PCB layouts causing issues) but this amp is still on the pile. However, the nights are drawing in.

[@chrisfairbrother9197]

Very interesting. Unix/Linux is always going to be my favourite and most used OS. Another good fix 😊

[@BuyitFixit]

Thanks 👍I've done a few other fixes like this if you haven't seen them. I've put a playlist together here: kzbin.info/aero/PLu4s108ty9Iki2H77htqeCNqtunWMJFKK

[@stevebarnes766]

Quick note: a zero ohm resistor is really just a piece of wire. Next time just replace it with a wire jumper where the 0 ohm surface mount part was mounted. No reason to search your parts bins for a replacement 0 ohm resistor. Jumper wires RULE! Good work on all the research and file system digging in! You almost forced me to learn Linux!

[@BuyitFixit]

Thanks 👍While a jumper wire would also work, I'm not too sure on the current rating of it compared to the 0 ohm resistor. I thought it might be better to just replace it with another resistor.

[@ShadowKrutshov]

Good job! You and Sorin is one of the few people I want to join when this world has gone total fallout.

[@BuyitFixit]

Thanks😂😂😂😂👍

[@Hellhound604]

Just amazed by your perseverance. Did something similar with my one resin 3D-printer some time ago when it just hanged on the boot-screen after an automated update. Opened it up and discovered a serial-connection inside that spat out all the boot-messages. From that I could derive it received a corrupted firmware, and was stuck in a loop trying for unzip a corrupted zip file. Managed to break the loop, downloaded the correct zip file, copied it into the internal flash, and managed to get the printer working again. On the web, I discovered many people had the same problem, and the manufacturer’s advice was to return the whole printer, or the mainboard to them!!!!

[@gainmaster1]

Great sense of achievment i bet, fault finding can be very satisfying

[@BuyitFixit]

Thanks 👍Great job on fixing the resin printer too! If you like this kind of stuff I've done a few others similar. I've just created a playlist on the channel with this video and a few others where I've had to do similar sort of work, or reverse engineer stuff.

[@Ragnar8504]

Cracking repair! Looks like all the files were recorded on the 10th judging by the file names and then nothing until the update 10 days later. It's amazing how carelessly people hand out devices with all their data! I can't tell you how many second-hand computers I've gotten my hands on (bought used, been given, found in the street) with all kinds of sensitive data on non-password protected hard drives! Most didn't even have OS user passwords set, let alone hard drive encryption. Personal letters, CVs, application letters, divorce proceedings, the whole accounting of a small business, I've seen it all! Thankfully nothing disturbing or criminal yet. On the flip side I once found what must have been a pristine white Apple iBook G4 (at a time when most of them were badly cracked and yellowed due to age) that someone must have taken an axe to in order to remove the hard drive quickly (the official procedure includes steps like: "Remove the following 40 screws"). That person definitely knew how to take care of their data but utterly destroyed a lovely vintage laptop in the process. There was absolutely nothing left to salvage except for the screen and DVD drive.

[@BuyitFixit]

Thanks 👍Yes I used to buy old PC's and laptops and do them up a bit back in the day, and yes they were always full of all kinds of stuff!

[@blurtmenow]

Mind blown. i wouldn't even know where to start. wouldn't have thought i would be entertained for the whole 55:31 mins. Thank you for going to the trouble for an in depth dive. Love it when you have a win.

[@BuyitFixit]

Cheers mate 👍glad you like it 🙂

[@mackjam]

🙇‍♂️that was a story, very entertaining, never give up! Thank you!

[@BuyitFixit]

Thank you too 👍

[@luckywetland]

I was like this emoji 😲for like 30 minutes... Great work, Mick. Oh btw, I reported those inappropriate spam/bot comments 👍🏻

[@BuyitFixit]

Glad you liked it, and cheers mate 👍

[@mag1vl]

Hello Mick from Australia 🙃 A thumbs up is always given even before your video starts as I know it's always going to be great😉 Just like this one was Mick and till next time 👍🍻

[@BuyitFixit]

Cheers mate 👍

[@Antonio-gc1cn]

Level: GENIUS...

[@BuyitFixit]

😂😂Thanks 👍

[@archloy]

Good job Sir ! Seeing "page error", I was thinking RAM error first

[@BuyitFixit]

Thanks 👍

[@joshspranger7041]

Brilliant Mick! Linux guy and networking engineer here. Once you probed those pins and I saw the Async data, I said 'Serial Data!' I know the rewarding feeling when you crack a hard nut like this. Also a great public service piece.

[@BuyitFixit]

Cheers Josh 👍

[@quanchyplimp]

I love doing all this stuff in terminal, if something has firmware/port access/test points/flash points, I want to play with it. I understand how you can easily lose several days playing/exploring in this way, been there dozens of times, I love it.

[@BuyitFixit]

Cheers 👍I've just added this one to a new playlist with a few other repairs which I had to do similar work.

[@TinMan-jb5gf]

Have to admit, you lost me on this one! I think I understood about 5% of what you did, even though I was fascinated. Well done, Mick.

[@BuyitFixit]

😂😂Thanks mate 👍

[@collie147]

Fantastic job figuring that out! The amount of times I've seen a firmware update that's bricked a device because the uncompressed firmware was larger than the free space on the flash. It's maddening that they dont test it or at least set a maximum on the partition size to make sure there's enough for firmware updates. A lot of these type of devices tend to store user storage, like images and videos on a micro SD cards (but I get that typically its not fast enough to store high quality 4K video on a lot of SD cards). At least then it ensures that the flash is standard on every device. Well done V-Tech for not carrying out a proper UAT.

[@BuyitFixit]

Thanks for that 👍If you like this type of stuff I've done a few other videos similar where I've had to delve into firmware or even reverse engineer software to fix stuff. I've just created a playlist here: kzbin.info/aero/PLu4s108ty9Iki2H77htqeCNqtunWMJFKK

[@allenrusselljr]

I would love to see you tackle a ps5. They take someone who not only can solder well but understand how to use uart to diagnose the failure. Ive just recently started watching PS5 repair videos. The other interesting video i found lately was for a flood damaged aston martin (over 120k dollars). Theres a flash chip that contains a cff file (the cars vin, options, firmware etc .) you cannot replace the part without having it programed but the file only exists on the old chip and at the factory. The factory has a part number for the chip and file but refuses to fulfill the order (even from a dealership). The owner gave up and sold the car but what an amazing project that would have been. Thank you for such a great video!

[@BuyitFixit]

Thanks 👍I'm sure I'll get a PS5 to look at in the future, but today I got asked if I would be able to have a look at an electric train! with a dead control module, so that might be very interesting if it comes off...

[@ThatAustralianDude]

Incredible an over the air update corrupted the flash boot up. This was a great video mate, very in depth dive on it.

[@BuyitFixit]

Thanks 👍

[@rdflo6739]

Fun to watch, seeing you delve into your broad knowledge base. There is something magical about pulling files from a device

[@BuyitFixit]

Thanks 👍I've just created a playlist with this video and a few others where I've had to do similar work, so if you like this, you might like some of the others too!

[@rdflo6739]

@@BuyitFixit absolutely! I think that there are a lot of tinkerers that will be intrigued by how a cpu integrates into the whole

[@MikeB_UK]

I am in awe yet again. Is there anything you can't hack into? Very impressed with your determination on this. Bizarre little system. Who'd have thought years ago that even a baby monitor would end up containing a full blown computer system?! Very entertaining to watch.

[@BuyitFixit]

Thanks Mike 👍

[@DP-ei4jt]

Amazing stuff. U have an incredible talent. Couldn't be too many people around that can do that. Vtech should offer some warning that these videos remain on the camera. Scary.

[@BuyitFixit]

Thanks 👍Yes I was surprised to see videos stored on it.

[@keithrobinson1171]

I envy your skill and knowledge when it comes to electrical stuff, I appliance test in a charity shop and anything that does not work gets sent for recycling, probably 90% would be an easy fix for you and would make money for the charity if I only knew how to do it.

[@BuyitFixit]

Thanks 👍Are there no repair cafe's around your area? I volunteer at one where we help repair items for people in the local area.

[@Rustybritjunk]

Enjoy your approach and determination to get this fixed… I would have trashed it about 1 hour in. You do bring up interesting points on how much a user does or does not know about what personal info is being tracked and stored. This device is far from transparent on that. Keep the good work up!

[@BuyitFixit]

Thanks 👍Yes I suspect there's no mention of it stores videos in the camera anywhere in the manual.

[@lobizoli]

Fantastic achievement! 👏

[@BuyitFixit]

Thank you! 🙂

[@escheytt9326]

Thank you for sharing an impressive example of complex and comprehensive trouble shooting and repair inclusive of electronics and software code. By the way, excellent editing and video work also. Of course I can never come close to your level of expertise, but especially appreciate what you have achieved.

[@BuyitFixit]

Thank you for your kind comment! I do try, although as I say in the description I'm no expert! If you like this type of stuff I've put together a playlist of other videos I've done that are similar which you can find here: kzbin.info/aero/PLu4s108ty9Iki2H77htqeCNqtunWMJFKK

[@neiltheplayer]

Wow! Holy crap Mick, You are a genius with the patience of job. I would have given up long ago. Brilliant!! Thank you for posting.

[@BuyitFixit]

Cheers Neil, yes I wasn't expecting to spend as much time on this one, but you never know what's going to be the cause of a fault or if it's possible to even repair it!

[@Jedda73]

Ive got the 2010 model that served my family well, and still works. Amazing how much more advanced the newer ones are. Damn shame Vtech are bricking these devices through updates, as they made good reliable electronics when I was in the market for them a decade ago.

[@BuyitFixit]

After I finished recording I managed to find the file that caused the problem. So I'm not sure if I can be blamed on the update although the dates did seem co-incidental. The problem seemed to be a sqlite database stored on vtech data 1, which indexes the video files, so perhaps the camera lost power or rebooted while updating this file. I think deleting the videos caused this database to be re-created and fixed the error.

[@mahlapropyzm9180]

Good hacking bro. Did a similar thing with an e-reader that wouldn't boot/. It had a seril header and I could look at the boot messages. It indicated a faulty chip. Changed it, but it didn't fix. My electronics knowledge was not good enough to figure out what might be causing the problem and life got in the way of pursuing it further. Lucky for you it was just a full file system :)

[@BuyitFixit]

Cheers 👍

[@NOELTM]

Just giving a thumbs up seems mean given the amazing efforts you went to in getting it repaired. I think most people would think it's just a dumb camera. It is very surprising to know the videos are stored on the camera unit not the handset. Well done to you - this was very enjoyable and interesting to watch. You explained both the h/w the s/w side really well thank you.

[@BuyitFixit]

Thank you and thanks for the feedback 👍

[@Blacklab99]

You my friend, are a genius.

[@BuyitFixit]

Thanks 👍🙂

[@Timothycan]

Amazing! I used to work in electronics and programming, back in the last century - but I was amazed at how you managed to sort all that out. My closest memories of that sort of thing relate to reading MS-DOS and using the related commands to read directories and files etc. That and programming EPROMS and such. But the parts were big enough to see in those halcyon days!

[@BuyitFixit]

Thanks Timothy 👍I too remember using MS-DOS and EEPROMS 🙂The first PC I built had MS DOS and Windows 3.11. The EEProms were used quite a bit in fruit machines, and arcade machines which I used to work with.

[@johnh10000]

Well well, I use Ubuntu linux everyday, I didn't know it had a and flash emulator in in it!! Great video as always

[@BuyitFixit]

Cheers John 👍

[@owenaero]

congrats the photos being stored is a bit disturbing to bad there wasn't a reset button for erasing them before selling it. i learned a lot from you on this one keep up the good work.

[@BuyitFixit]

Thanks 👍

[@ianbates1312]

Your electronic skills never cease to amaze me. I’ll just have to stick to my spanners socket set lathe and welder,,,, too late in the day for me to learn a new skill like yours I’m afraid 🤔🤔

[@BuyitFixit]

Thanks Ian 👍

[@patzik1910]

Some real detective work there, awesome job 5 star Sherlock achievement awarded!

[@BuyitFixit]

Thanks for that 👍 * * * * *

[@BobCumberbatch]

Simply brilliant! Your persistence and ingenuity is simply fantastic. Thanks for sharing the journey to fix these. With a Linux kernel, it's no surprise these things can be remotely hacked and controlled. Scary!

[@BuyitFixit]

Thanks 👍🙂

[@maicod]

well done ! you went all the way on it. Loved the Linux parts too

[@BuyitFixit]

Thanks 👍

[@zapp421]

Nice work. Small Linux tip: No need to explicitly copy/paste. Just select and use the middle mouse button or wheel to paste.

[@BuyitFixit]

Thanks 👍yes someone else mentioned that too! I'll have to try and remember that🙂👍

[@Dime_Bar]

Another quality repair, and that's real dedication. You've earned yourself a beer for that. I wouldn't even know where to start with doing that. I've seen on TV about wifi baby cameras and monitors that people don't change the passwords, and people can hack into them live and see into your home.

[@BuyitFixit]

Thanks 👍🍺🍺

[@ruralsavior7218]

All that for a cheap camera but so interesting. Well done

[@BuyitFixit]

Thanks 👍Yes for me it's not really about the cost effectiveness of the repair, but more about what I can learn 🙂

[@chrissmith7655]

Mick THE MAN wins again! Many thanks very interesting.

[@BuyitFixit]

Thanks mate 👍

[@paulsireland]

Thanks for the vid. you said hopefully you enjoyed it. Did I. 👍👍👍

[@BuyitFixit]

Cheers 👍🙂

[@jimkleinert7310]

This was VERY interesting. I am a retired Electronics Engineer, and I've always been a "fixer." I've always wondered how to get into those kind of gadgets, when it becomes clear that there's a software issue. Now I have at least a clue. Terific to watch your "struggles" and learn. I would say you can feel free to show us more of this kind of fix. I enjoy the hardware explorations even more, so keep 'em coming!

[@BuyitFixit]

Thanks 👍I've had a couple of other "fixes" like this one too. I've just put together a playlist with this video, and a few others of a similar nature.

[@user-tom-s]

Enjoy your series very much. Did you let VTech know about the privacy issue? Are you self taught? I'm a retired engineer. Got my MSEE about 40 years ago. I especially envy your dexterity. Keep up the good work.

[@BuyitFixit]

Thanks, Yes, pretty much self taught. I've always liked messing around with stuff, and what I don't know I can usually find info on things like chips or how to mount a flash dump in Linux, online. No I didn't inform VTech but their products are notorious for privacy issues 🙂👍

[@canyondan]

This one may have damaged my brain. LOL. Great job as always friend.

[@BuyitFixit]

😂😂😂Cheers 👍

[@tiggydorset9041]

Love these types of video you do... repair technician going that extra mile beyond just the circuit board. Another good job.

[@BuyitFixit]

Thank you 👍 I've put a playlist together of a few other videos similar to this one if you haven't seem them kzbin.info/aero/PLu4s108ty9Iki2H77htqeCNqtunWMJFKK

[@steverhenius6734]

Astonishing - great to see your process discovering fault and recovering. Thanks so much.

[@BuyitFixit]

Cheers 👍

[@Bloke-in-Stoke]

Great vid as always Mick but I was in a bit of pain watching you copy commands from your text file into the terminal. Quick Linux tip for you. Just highlight the command in the text file, change focus to the terminal and press your middle mouse button and, as if my magic, Linux will do the copy paste for you. Saves a lot of time and the odd keyboard wearing out 🤣Cheers 🍺

[@BuyitFixit]

Thanks 👍.I'll have to try and remember that one. I've not used Linux for a good few years, I used to run my main PC on Ubuntu when I was developing some android stuff.

[@Bloke-in-Stoke]

@@BuyitFixit I've been running Linux Mint for several years now and it's turned out to be one of my better decisions.😀Won't have Microsoft or Apple in the house these days. If only I could go back to my BBC model B. 🤣🤣🤣 Cheers, keep it up. 🍺

[@MickMcMadder]

Complex problem/deep dive + determination & skill = Fantastic video

[@BuyitFixit]

Cheers from one Mick to another Mick 😂😂👍

[@Chained_Unicorn]

Best repair vid I think I've ever seen. Incredible job - and yes, all of those update sections were interesting.

[@BuyitFixit]

Thank you 👍

[@waltahlgrim5508]

Now that you understand what the problem is and you want a factory reset. Google says if one holds the “pair” button for 20 seconds it will delete all data and restore the factory conditions. You are nothing if not persistent great video.

[@BuyitFixit]

Thanks 👍I'm not sure if the factory reset would have worked as the device was not booting up correctly due to the file corruption.

[@VoeViking]

That was quite the rabbit hole! Amazing job. Thank you for sharing; it’s wonderful to stand on the shoulders of giants.

[@BuyitFixit]

Thanks 👍But I'm only 5'10"😂😂😂😂😂

[@robertmjr7996]

How's that work? I'm sure that question has got most of us here in trouble, when dad found us with a tool/VCR/radio in pieces. I started around 8yrs old. I love "repairs" like this. The knowledge & satisfaction are priceless. Well done (as always).

[@BuyitFixit]

Yes, been there, done that 😂😂😂👍

[@dazer123]

Kick ass repair once again do your talents ever end 🎉

[@BuyitFixit]

Thanks for that 👍😂😂😂

[@pileofstuff]

Damn, that was a journey. I wonder how many dead devices are out there what are simply victims of a bad OTA update (that the end user probably didn't know about or ask for)?

[@BuyitFixit]

Thanks 👍After I finished recording I managed to find the file that caused the problem. So I'm not sure if I can be blamed on the update although the dates did seem co-incidental. The problem seemed to be a sqlite database stored on vtech data 1, which indexes the video files, so perhaps the camera lost power or rebooted while updating this file. I think deleting the videos caused this database to be re-created and fixed the error.

[@ehgriffith]

Mick, I am very impressed. You made this bricked device like new again and had an interesting journey along the way. I like the way you stuck with it.

[@BuyitFixit]

Cheers mate 👍

[@Davidm286]

You are the best!👍

[@BuyitFixit]

Thanks 👍🙂

[@stoicgreg]

Never fails to impress & entertain. Extremely well presented and a not single word wasted.

[@BuyitFixit]

Thanks 👍