Frequently Asked Questions

If you want to know the most popular mods for your drone, this is the place to start. All of the resources and instructions below are raw DIY solutions. If you prefer, other commercial point-and-click solutions are available as commercial products.

DUMLdore V3.20 from Jezzab is the latest version at the time of writing these instructions. Version 3.x is a complete re-write. The app has an about button where you can show appreciation for his hard work.

The latest version includes anti roll-back techniques which allow you to downgrade firmware to versions that DJI have blocked from your equipment. You will not be able to downgrade below v01.04.0100 without unlocking first.

How to unlock from and downgrade firmware? It's as easy as 1 2 3.

1. Get Dumldore: https://github.com/jezzab/DUMLdore/releases
2. Get firmware: http://dankdronedownloader.com/ or use this windows tool https://github.com/cs2000/DankDroneDownloader
3. Watch this EXCELLENT video by digdat0.

1. Before you start, confirm that DJI Assistant is working and can detect your aircraft. If it doesn't work, DUMLdore won't work either.
2. Get DUMLdore: https://github.com/jezzab/DUMLdore/releases
   • Unzip DUMLdore to its own folder. You need ALL THE FILES, not just the EXE file.
3. Get firmware: http://dankdronedownloader.com/ or use this windows tool https://github.com/cs2000/DankDroneDownloader
   • If using the Windows program, Download the ZIP, save it, unzip and run it.
4. Click on the firmware you want and save the files.
5. Power up the aircraft, but do not connect to the computer yet. Let it fully boot up and connect to the PC and let Windows discover it.
   • Make sure your battery is more than 50%
6. Go to the DUMLdore folder and run DUMLdoreV3.exe as an Admin.
7. Keep your aircraft cool. Sometimes, the firmware flashing process stalls due to known bugs in DJI flashing code, and this problem is unrelated to your use of third-party tools. Use a small fan to direct some airflow to the aircraft to keep it cool during the process.
   • These issues have nothing to do with using DUMLdore. Once the upgrade/downgrade process starts, the drone takes over to complete the process; DUMLdore only starts the process.
8. Click on Load Firmware, select a path of the firmware file you want to load, and click on the firmware file. You will get a status box from DUMLdore confirming the Firmware file is loaded.
   • DUMLdore will confirm that the firmware file matches the connected device!!
9. Click on Flash Firmware. The firmware file will begin uploading, and DUMLdore will display status messages for the file transfer. The process is automated and takes about 10 to 15 minutes for a Mavic from this point. You will see the front red light flash, stay on solid, dim, and flash some more. The fan will come on, and the Mavic gets hot. Ensure you have proper space for airflow to the Mavic, and you may want to consider directing a fan on the underside of the Mavic to help with cooling. The fan will turn off during the process, and the Mavic can get pretty hot. Be patient. Once the aircraft restarts for the final time, the front red lights are on continuously, and the upgrade process is finished.
   • You can reinstall the same version a second time to ensure all modules are updated. When you reinstall the same performance, the aircraft will validate the various firmware modules to ensure they are correct. The 2nd pass only takes about 3 minutes.

DO NOT RUN ASSISTANT AT THE SAME TIME AS DUMLdore. You will see the progress of the flash AND the firmware version it detects. Be patient and wait. If the front red lights are not solid, it is still upgrading/downgrading. DO NOT JUST DISCONNECT AND TURN OFF THE AIRCRAFT. Let it do its thing. BE PATIENT If you are upgrading the controller, the same steps apply. You will see the screen show Connecting, Upgrading, then back to Connecting, and it is finished. Follow the same steps for goggles. To check your firmware version, connect back up to DUMLdore.

You will also find an “unlock” button in DUMLdore. DJI in all their infinite wisdom forced a firmware upgrade on Spark owners and locked the craft if you didn't do the upgrade. You are locked no more. Connect the locked Spark up to DUMLdore, hit unlock and within seconds it will be ready to fly again. This also works to unlock the Mavic. Yes, there have been reports of LOCKED Mavics. No worries, this works.

Want to activate your aircraft? DUMLdore has you covered. Click the button and follow the prompts.

Something failed during an upgrade? Click Pull Upgrade Logs, and find out what went wrong.

This one will help if you are having connection issues to your bird. Not just for unlock or firmware upload, but to make it more stable in general.

Later version Mavics are shipped without an internal SD card. Newer firmware from 1.03.1000 and up write to the internal memory and NOT to the SD card. Older firmware requires the SD card, so thats the reason for the error when trying to run older firmware. In order to downgrade and FLY WITHOUT the dreaded SD card error on earlier firmware, you will need to open your aircraft up and put in a SD card. Special thanks to dwallersv and the OG's for help in their detective work to solve this issue.

What is the DJI Dashboard? How do I change parameters like turning off NFZ?? The DJI Dashboard is a hidden menu available in the DJI Assistant 2 software that has been there all along, just hidden by DJI. With access to this menu, you have direct access to your DJI quad to change parameters as you see fit. Be careful what you change.

Is this considered hacking? Or Illegal to access this menu and make changes? Absolutely not. All you are doing is using a keyboard key combination to access the menu. You are not changing any files that DJI installed on your computer. You have free access to change them.

On 28-Jun-17, DJI blocked this technique. Later versions of DJI Assistant will not work with this procedure. You need to find and download DJI Assistant 1.1.2.

This method works with Windows 7, 8, and 10, and this guide is specific to Windows users, and Mac users can use the same principles. After downloading, you should consider disabling internet access on your computer to avoid any auto-updates or other communications back to DJI.

The last known link is listed below. However, this is no longer working. You will need to search for an alternate source for this application. https://dl.djicdn.com/downloads/dji_assistant/20170527/DJI+Assistant+2+1.1.2.573+2017_05_27+16_41_02+6e0216bf(b21de8d8).zip

or

https://www.mavichelp.com/Mavic-2/#SoftwareArchive

Assistant MUST detect your Mavic connected to your PC for any of this to work. DJI uses “unsigned” device drivers, and some versions of Windows will not install them when you install Assistant. If your drone is not detected, you will need to research how to install unsigned device drivers for your version of Windows.

You need to be using .400 or .700 firmware on your Mavic. Use tools described elsewhere to change to these versions. Note: If you change firmware versions, you will need to reapply parameters to your equipment.

If you want the dashboard to be available each time you use Assistant, you can modify one of the files in the DJI Assistant application.

Go to the Assistant directory:

C:\Program Files (x86)\DJI Product\DJI Assistant 2\AppFiles

Using a text editor like Notepad++, open main.js. Search for a line that looks like this

// mainWindow.webContents.openDevTools()

and remove the two slashes from that line and save the file. After editing, it will look like this.

mainWindow.webContents.openDevTools()

Connect the USB cable to your aircraft and power it up. Wait for the rear lights to be flashing in standby (indicating it is ready to link to the remote control), and then connect the other end of the USB cable to your computer.

Right-click the Assistant and run as Administrator - once Assistant starts, you should see your connected Mavic on the left side of the screen.

If you have already modified the application, the dashboard will automatically open. If not, hit CTRL-SHIFT-I to open a window in Assistant. Click on the Resources tab. Go to Local Storage\file, change the debug from 0 to 1, and press enter to save the change. Now close that window, NOT the Assistant program. Connect to the Mavic.

You will see the DJI Dashboard with many options. On the left menu, you can scroll down and go into Parameters. Be extremely cautious about what you change. Search the net to find the parameters that you need to change. There are some examples below. However, this is now your aircraft. Research parameter changes to suit your requirements. Hit enter after making any parameter change for it to activate. It writes directly to the aircraft, and there is no “save” button. You can now fly and test your changes. Congrats!! You are one step closer to being in control of your aircraft.

Fly responsibly! Fly Safe!! Test your changes in a controlled environment before going on a longer flight.

Need an overview of what is available and how to proceed?:

Check out the awesome summaries by QUAD808 Here and by StevenLawyer Here

Have a question about something or need some advice?:

Check out the RCGroups thread Here BE SURE TO USE THE SEARCH FEATURE AND READ BEFORE ASKING A QUESTION! If you just show up and ask a question because you are too lazy to READ and SEARCH first, you will likely be IGNORED!

Looking for a video on how to mod your firmware or app?:

Check out the awesome videos made by digdate0 Here

Looking for a way to just pay for an service to do all this for you?:

NoLimitDrones No Limit Drones Here

Drone-Hacks Drone-Hacks Here

DJI Go Versions:

Have a question about what DJI Go4 version does what or is modifiable? Go Here

Firmware Versions:

Looking for firmware or have a question about the firmware rev history? Use DankDroneDownloader available here

Have questions about what specific modules in the firmware do what? Go here

Have a question about how to easily bypass DJIs No Fly Zone Restrictions:

Ok, lots has changed on this recently. There have been a few OGs (and honorary OGs ;) ) working on this behind the scenes lately. NFZ can completely be removed on ANY FW now and this info is being released to the public! It goes without saying but here it is; DON'T DO ANYTHING STUPID IF YOU PROCEED WITH NFZ UNLOCKING! All info is located on THIS page. Scroll to the bottom and look for “NFZ Removal Tutorial” for the meat and potatoes.

You will not find a detailed how-to for NFZ bypassing here. It can be done but you will have to do the work yourself. DON'T DO ANYTHING STUPID IF YOU PROCEED WITH NFZ UNLOCKING! If you get in trouble for flying somewhere that it dangerous or prohibited by law, suck it up and pay the fine or do the time! To learn how to do this you need to review QUAD808's overview here and the Module Mixing tutorial available here if you want to have NFZ mods on later firmware versions. Also see StevenLawyer's Rooting Mavic Pro in Latest Firmware with Force FCC and Boost and No NFZ.

If you have a question, please go to the RCGroups thread linked above or join the Slack channel