Sony SLV-SE720D reset EEPROM without buttons?

[HenrydeSidcup]

I have a Sony SLV-SE720D (German model). A pretty low end machine but in really nice condition and it would be a shame to throw away or use as parts at this stage.

It has suffered the fate that many of these models seem to and has lost it's 'memory' with the symptoms being that none of the buttons on the front do what they are supposed to do - e.g. the power buttons seems to now be eject, the hidden test button is the power button and all the others are proper muddled up to the extent that I can't work out what all there new functions are. The VFD also remains completely blank.

There is a documented procedure to reset the NVM memory (a 24LC08) but I'm having trouble getting anywhere as it involves pressing the REC button on the unit.... I can't find the REC button! I do have a remote control for it.

I wondered if anyone knew of another way to force re-program it. Or, as I do have a universal Chinese programmer and am confident enough to remove the chip to re-program it, that would also be an option, but I would of course need the data from a working one.

Thanks.

[latreche34]

If you find a working one just swap out the whole board, Why go to the trouble of removing a microchip and possibly ruin it. and I don't think it's worth the effort for such a low end VCR anyway even just swapping the board, let alone removing a chip.

[HenrydeSidcup]

Today I removed the EEPROM. It's only an 8 pin DIP chip, easy and quick to remove with a good solder sucker. I read it to see if the corruption was obvious and it isn't really. In fact it's mostly blank, which probably isn't a good sign.

I have re-fitted it in a socket in case I need to manually reprogram it. It's certainly not worth buying a working one just to get the working data from a non-corrupt chip, but it's certainly worth re-programming it if anyone ever reads one and makes the file available on the internet somewhere.

I have attached my dud file as a zipped .bin.