Manual USB Flashing
Flash a downloaded GhostESP release when the web flasher is unavailable.
What this does
Manual USB flashing installs a downloaded release bundle with ESP Huhn Tool. Use it when you need a specific release file or the recommended web flasher is unavailable.
Before you start
- A compatible board and USB data cable.
- The firmware
.zipfor your board from GhostESP Releases. - 7-Zip or another tool that can extract the release archive.
- Chrome, Brave, or Edge for ESP Huhn Tool.
On-device steps
- Hold BOOT, connect USB, then release BOOT.
- If that does not work, hold BOOT, tap RESET, wait 1-2 seconds, then release BOOT.
Flashing steps
- Extract the downloaded firmware archive.
- Open ESP Huhn Tool and click Connect.
- Select the board’s serial port.
- Add the three release binaries using the offsets below.
| Chip | bootloader.bin | partitions.bin | firmware.bin |
|---|---|---|---|
| ESP32-S2 | 0x1000 | 0x8000 | 0x10000 |
| ESP32-S3 / C3 / C6 | 0x0 | 0x8000 | 0x10000 |
- Click Flash and wait for it to finish.
- Unplug and reconnect the board.
Expected result
GhostESP starts and creates the GhostNet access point. You can verify boot output with a serial console at 115200 baud.
Troubleshooting
- The board is not detected: Use a data-capable cable, close other serial apps, and retry bootloader mode.
- Flash fails: Confirm that each binary came from the same release archive and uses the matching offset.
- The board loops after flashing: Check that the downloaded release matches the exact board and chip.