EOS R7 "Firmware cannot be downgraded"

[hahacky]

I downloaded the new EOS utility and the 1.3 firmware. When I use Canon Conn etc on my Mac to connect via wi-fi, the connection seems solid. I get to browse for and select firmware 1.3 to install over 1.2 But every time I get the message that the firmware cannot be downgraded..... Please advise.

[shadowsports]

Greetings,

There is.  These errors were due to the presence of an older .FIR file.  This is supported by the update completing successfully after removing the card with the older firmware version.  The EOS Utility does work,  It downloads a copy of the latest firmware.  It will not however remove older firmware versions.  This is why formatting a card first is recommended.  It ensures a "blank slate" and a file / folder structure the camera expects.

I just upgraded from 1.0.2.1 > 1.0.3.1

I used my SDXC card.  I copied the FW to it using a card reader.  I did leave my CF Express B card in the camera.  Upgrade ran without issues.  I am certain the other card in my camera did not contain a .FIR file. If an earlier firmware version is present, the error will display.  

[hahacky]

Right, that is what I figured but you confirmed it, see my reply above.

[joliveira29]

I also tried with just an SD card, freshly formatted in the Camera and it always locks in the same place.

Unfortunately I can't get the EOS Utility to work either. I can only connect on the iphone and it blocks in the same place, during the update.
In my case, the EOS Utility doesn't work at all, on my mac, even with Wifi and Bluetooth turned off, when connecting the USB I can't get the EOS recognized by the EOS Utility. Interestingly, Mac "Image Capture" identifies the EOS and allows access to the photos.

Unfortunately it seems that Canon's Software has been stuck in time, little or nothing has evolved in terms of ease of use and configuration!

[simon_chen · Accepted solution]

I encountered a similar problem with the R3 while upgrading from version 1.3.0 to 1.4.1. Initially, I discovered that I couldn't transfer files via Bluetooth + Wifi. However, when I shifted to using a direct USB-C connection, I came across the same error message as mentioned earlier.

In order to resolve this, I removed the SD card from the device, which seemed to rectify the situation. After doing this, I was able to use the Windows EOS Utility flawlessly without any error messages. I hope this solution proves useful for others who may be dealing with the same problem.

[Kettle2636]

Another solution is to initialize the card.  Once it's been erased, the update works as expected.

[shadowsports]

Greetings,

"Format" and "Initialize" are interchangeable in this case.  Both accomplish the same thing, removing the older FW file from the card prior to performing an upgrade.