SDK Manager USB Connection Error: Jetson Orin Nano Not Ready for Flash [WSL/Windows]

[vijay.jangra2002]

Post:
I’m attempting to flash JetPack 6.2.1 onto my Jetson Orin Nano 8GB Developer Kit using SDK Manager under WSL (Windows Subsystem for Linux) on Windows 11 (Acer Aspire 7).

Issue:
SDK Manager successfully detects my Jetson Orin Nano in recovery mode before flashing—it’s listed as an APX device in both Windows Device Manager and via lsusb from within WSL (Bus 001 Device 003: ID 0955:7523 NVIDIA Corp. APX).
However, when I proceed to the flashing step, SDK Manager immediately reports:
“The connected Jetson device is not ready for flash. The issue is likely related to a non-optimal USB connection.”
This error appears every time I try to flash, even though the device is consistently detected right before this phase. (Screenshot attached.)

What I’ve Tried:

• Verified Jetson is in recovery mode each time.

• Used usbipd-win to properly forward the APX device to WSL.

• Swapped multiple USB data cables (USB-C to USB-C, USB-A to USB-C), tried various USB ports (including direct USB 3.0 and USB 2.0), and avoided hubs/adapters.

• Unplugged/replugged Jetson power, entered recovery repeatedly.

• Reset USB controller, rebooted laptop.

• Retried with different WSL distributions and fresh installs.

• Each time, lsusb in WSL shows APX/NVIDIA device present, but SDK Manager always fails at “ready for flash”.

Additional Info:

• Target: NVMe SSD.

• The error persists regardless of cable, port, WSL setup, or storage device.

• Issue begins after successful device detection, at the actual flashing step.

Question:

• Has anyone overcome this USB/WSL flashing issue in SDK Manager?

• Are there alternative solutions or drivers for reliable flashing under WSL/Windows?

• Is native Ubuntu (bare metal or live USB) the only practical way?

Any advice or guidance is appreciated!

[DavidDDD]

Hi,

@vijay.jangra2002

• Is native Ubuntu (bare metal or live USB) the only practical way?

Yes, instead of fixing the detection issue in the virtual environment, setting up a native Ubuntu 20.04 or later system is a more efficient and recommended way to flash the device.

Thanks

[vijay.jangra2002]

Hi, thanks for the response.

Previously, I was attempting to flash my Jetson Orin Nano from a virtualized Ubuntu environment or live USB setup, which I now realize was suboptimal.

Currently, I am using a native Ubuntu 22.04.5 LTS installation on my Acer Aspire 7 a715-41g laptop, not running in any virtual machine or live environment.

My SDK Manager version is 2.3.0 installed directly on this native system.

Despite this native environment, I am still encountering the same error:
“The connected Jetson device is not ready for flash. The issue is likely related to a non-optimal USB connection.”

Here’s what I’ve done so far:

• Using a certified USB 3.1 Gen1 A-to-C cable (HOTRON E246588) known for high-speed data.

• Verified Jetson Orin Nano is properly entering recovery mode (detected as 0955:7523 NVIDIA Corp. APX in lsusb).

• Used different USB ports on laptop (USB-A 3.2 Gen1 and USB-C 3.2 Gen1).

• Ensured Jetson is powered with official adapter.

• Updated Ubuntu fully (apt update && apt upgrade).

• Reformatted NVMe SSD target drive.

• Tried SDK Manager “Reset USB Controller” and multiple reboots.

Despite all these native environment and hardware verifications, the flashing fails with the same USB cable/connection error.

I will attach screenshots showing this error message, cable details, and full setup.

Could you please advise if there are further steps or tools available to diagnose this issue on a native Ubuntu system? Any help is much appreciated.