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[Reply #15 on:]

Since it worked at least once it's probably a timing issue.

I had similar (although not nearly as severe) problems occasionally when using a slow, old computer (400MHz with WinXP).

This is how it works for me almost every time:
1) verify/compile
2) click upload button
3) reset arduino board after a second or two

On this old, overloaded computer the IDE obviously needs a little time to do its work, and if you reset the arduino board first it won't work. The above procedure works almost every time for me.

[Reply #16 on:]

no, it's actually on the plastic bag that it came in, on a wood desk. I got the board pre-assembled from sparkfun. When I first got it, it worked just fine. Then it started do this. I haven't even had the board a week yet.

[Reply #17 on:]

Have you tried pressing the reset button after the upload button (with different pauses between)?

[Reply #18 on:]

yes many times. I just tried again and got this weird message:

Binary sketch size: 4300 bytes (of a 7168 byte maximum)

Atmel AVR ATmega8 is found.
Uploading: flash
Firmware Version: 1.18
Firmware Version: 1.18
Programmer is not responding.

[Reply #19 on:]

just trued again and got:

Binary sketch size: 4300 bytes (of a 7168 byte maximum)

Atmel AVR ATmega8 is found.
Firmware Version: 1.18
[VP 1] Device is not responding correctly.

[Reply #20 on:]

Or again and got a different firmware??

Binary sketch size: 4300 bytes (of a 7168 byte maximum)

Firmware Version: 64.137
Programmer is not responding.

[Reply #21 on:]

Sounds like a bad connection between the board and the computer.  Is this an Arduino NG?  It's possible that something came loose on the board in shipping – sometimes working, sometimes not.  Maybe you can get it replaced?

One thing you can try to get a bit more information is changing upload.verbose from false to true in your Arduino preferences file (http://www.arduino.cc/en/Hacking/Preferences).  It will dump every byte of data going between the computer and the board.  But a flaky connection is a flaky connection, so I'm not sure it will help to know exactly which byte is wrong.

[Reply #22 on:]

no, it's actually on the plastic bag that it came in, on a wood desk. I got the board pre-assembled from sparkfun. When I first got it, it worked just fine. Then it started do this. I haven't even had the board a week yet.

That is a static dissipative bag, meaning it conducts electricity and should not be under the board.

[Reply #23 on:]

I've got the Arduino NG. Nothing looks loose, nothing moves when I try to wiggle it. I did get it working again, but it's back to doing the same thing again.

I'm gonna look into getting a replacement.