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Updating S-PLAY Firmware via USB

ENTTEC Tech Department
Updated Jul 19, 2026
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s-play firmware usb show-controllers enttec

The S-PLAY's firmware can be updated from a USB thumb drive using the front panel LCD menu, with no computer connection to the unit required. This is useful when the S-PLAY's web interface is not reachable, for example on a closed installation network.

Before you update

Read these prerequisites before starting the procedure below.

  • Take a backup first. See USB Restore for restoring a backup from a USB drive.
  • If your S-PLAY is still running v1 firmware, contact ENTTEC support before updating. Moving to v3 firmware is a one-way update.
  • Do not downgrade firmware without consulting ENTTEC support first, as it may affect playlists, schedules, events and triggers.

Prepare the USB thumb drive

  1. Wipe the memory stick and format it as exFAT or NTFS.
  2. Plug it into the S-PLAY and leave it for 10 seconds, then unplug it and connect it back to your computer.
  3. Check the drive for a hidden file named .mounted. If the S-PLAY has created this file, it can read the drive and you are ready to proceed.

Note: if the drive is formatted as FAT32, the S-PLAY will only be able to write to a 4GB sector. This limit comes from the 4GB maximum file size of the FAT32 file system, so exFAT or NTFS is recommended.

Update the firmware

  1. Download the latest S-PLAY firmware from the ENTTEC website.
  2. Copy the firmware file onto the USB thumb drive and rename it to firmware.bin.
  3. Insert the drive into the S-PLAY and select Firmware update from the LCD menu.
  4. Wait for the progress counter to pass 70%. At that point the file has been copied across and validated, and it is safe to remove the drive.

After the update completes, power cycle your S-PLAY. The next time you open the web interface, clear your browser cache with Ctrl+Shift+R so nothing is left over from the previous firmware version.

For the full procedure, including updating via the web interface instead of USB, see the S-PLAY user manual.

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