Separate installation from USB recovery
Our standard VNISH installation route uses Toolkit over the local network. Amlogic USB recovery is a separate route for a particular board and starting firmware. A general mention of AML does not make USB unlocking the first step for every miner.
On some later stock builds, access needed for a recovery procedure can be restricted. Our current installation notes flag AML stock from September 2025 for this possibility. That date is a reason to identify the exact build, not a universal instruction to alter every Amlogic board.
A Toolkit archive is not a USB recovery image
The tar.gz selected from our VNISH catalogue belongs to the installation route shown with it. Putting that archive on a USB drive does not turn it into a recovery image. Conversely, a recovery image for a different board is not an alternate VNISH package.
Before preparing removable media, confirm the full model, actual AML platform, current stock version and the purpose of the recovery step. If the supplied procedure does not match all four, bring the mismatch to us before writing.
If the miner still starts the same firmware
Record what you actually observed: current firmware version, whether the interface remained available, the image name and the procedure you followed. A USB drive light or a powered miner does not establish that a recovery operation completed. The resulting firmware and device state are the useful checks.
Do not move straight from an unchanged screen to UART commands found for another revision. A hardware unlock depends on the board and starting state. We handle the image and hardware procedure together after that identity is confirmed.
Give us enough information to choose the route
Send the exact model, board identification, full stock version or build date, and what you are trying to do. If a USB procedure has already been attempted, add the image filename and the observed result. Existing photos of the board label or the firmware version help.
Stock dated August 2026 or later remains outside our standard installation route. Keep that boundary visible when choosing the next step. We can then distinguish a supported network installation from an image or hardware recovery task instead of asking you to repeat unrelated attempts.
Questions and answers
Is USB unlocking required before every Amlogic Toolkit installation?
No. The network installation and board-specific USB recovery routes are different. The requirement depends on the exact stock build, board and intended operation.
Can I copy the VNISH tar.gz onto USB and boot from it?
Not as a substitute for a recovery procedure. Use each file for the installation method stated with that package.
Will changing the USB drive always fix a failed recovery?
No. Media is only one possible part of the problem. First confirm the board, image, procedure and starting firmware; otherwise another drive repeats the same uncertain attempt.
Confirm the AML route before the next attempt
Send us the exact board and stock build. We will work out the relevant installation or recovery route with those details.