Bootloader issues.

So I am pulling the Arduino off of its board, and to do so I first need to write a different bootloader to it. I have been having a lot of trouble with this, and I don't know why. The actual error the burner gives is that the chip isn't in sync. When I first saw this, I assumed that the chip already had a different bootloader and that I needed to disable the oscillator on the board, so I did that, and it didn't work.

I am using an Arduino Uno (not a chinesium knockoff), and I am going for operation at 8MHz. Any help would be appreciated.

Go through this:

.

I agree with LarryD but I already have this typed out and I think it's still useful:

lsp425:
So I am pulling the Arduino off of its board

The correct term is microcontroller, most likely ATmega328P. The term "Arduino" as it refers to hardware would consist of a microcontroller on a circuit board with all the necessary support components.

lsp425:
The actual error the burner gives is that the chip isn't in sync.

I'm sure the actual error provides much more information than that. It's always a good idea to provide the full output:

  • File > Preferences > Show verbose output during: > upload (check) > OK
  • Tools > Burn Bootloader
  • After the process fails you'll see a button on the right side of the orange bar "Copy error messages". Click that button.
  • Paste the error in a reply here using code tags (</> button on the toolbar).

lsp425:
I am going for operation at 8MHz. Any help would be appreciated.

Using a crystal or the internal oscillator? If the microcontroller is configured to use a crystal (as it will be on an Uno) and you want to switch to using the internal oscillator you need to leave it connected to a crystal until you have changed the configuration to using the internal oscillator, otherwise the process will fail. Please provide a complete description of the steps you are following.

I do have verbose output on actually, and the full error is

vrdude: stk500_recv(): programmer is not responding
avrdude: stk500_getsync() attempt 1 of 10: not in sync: resp=0x00
avrdude: stk500_recv(): programmer is not responding
avrdude: stk500_getsync() attempt 2 of 10: not in sync: resp=0x00
avrdude: stk500_recv(): programmer is not responding
avrdude: stk500_getsync() attempt 3 of 10: not in sync: resp=0x00
avrdude: stk500_recv(): programmer is not responding
avrdude: stk500_getsync() attempt 4 of 10: not in sync: resp=0x00
avrdude: stk500_recv(): programmer is not responding
avrdude: stk500_getsync() attempt 5 of 10: not in sync: resp=0x00
avrdude: stk500_recv(): programmer is not responding
avrdude: stk500_getsync() attempt 6 of 10: not in sync: resp=0x00
avrdude: stk500_recv(): programmer is not responding
avrdude: stk500_getsync() attempt 7 of 10: not in sync: resp=0x00
avrdude: stk500_recv(): programmer is not responding
avrdude: stk500_getsync() attempt 8 of 10: not in sync: resp=0x00
avrdude: stk500_recv(): programmer is not responding
avrdude: stk500_getsync() attempt 9 of 10: not in sync: resp=0x00
avrdude: stk500_recv(): programmer is not responding
avrdude: stk500_getsync() attempt 10 of 10: not in sync: resp=0x00

To test if it would work, all I've done is attempt to reupload the correct bootloader for the atmega328, which is where I've been trying to fix the problem. I am attempting to use the internal 8MHz RC.

That might be the full error but it's not the full verbose output, which would include the avrdude command used. Please follow my instructions above when you post console output.

lsp425:
To test if it would work, all I've done is attempt to reupload the correct bootloader for the atmega328, which is where I've been trying to fix the problem.

That's just gibberish to me. I asked you to provide a complete description of the steps you're taking to get to this problem, that wasn't it. Pretend I'm stupid and you are giving me instructions, "step one, do this"... "step two, do that"... Don't leave anything out.

Ok.

Full Output :

avrdude: Version 6.0.1, compiled on Apr 14 2015 at 16:30:25
         Copyright (c) 2000-2005 Brian Dean, http://www.bdmicro.com/
         Copyright (c) 2007-2009 Joerg Wunsch

         System wide configuration file is "/Applications/Arduino.app/Contents/Java/hardware/tools/avr/etc/avrdude.conf"
         User configuration file is "/Users/LP/.avrduderc"
         User configuration file does not exist or is not a regular file, skipping

         Using Port                    : /dev/cu.usbmodem1421
         Using Programmer              : stk500v1
         Overriding Baud Rate          : 19200
avrdude: stk500_recv(): programmer is not responding
avrdude: stk500_getsync() attempt 1 of 10: not in sync: resp=0x00
avrdude: stk500_recv(): programmer is not responding
avrdude: stk500_getsync() attempt 2 of 10: not in sync: resp=0x00
avrdude: stk500_recv(): programmer is not responding
avrdude: stk500_getsync() attempt 3 of 10: not in sync: resp=0x00
avrdude: stk500_recv(): programmer is not responding
avrdude: stk500_getsync() attempt 4 of 10: not in sync: resp=0x00
avrdude: stk500_recv(): programmer is not responding
avrdude: stk500_getsync() attempt 5 of 10: not in sync: resp=0x00
avrdude: stk500_recv(): programmer is not responding
avrdude: stk500_getsync() attempt 6 of 10: not in sync: resp=0x00
avrdude: stk500_recv(): programmer is not responding
avrdude: stk500_getsync() attempt 7 of 10: not in sync: resp=0x00
avrdude: stk500_recv(): programmer is not responding
avrdude: stk500_getsync() attempt 8 of 10: not in sync: resp=0x00
avrdude: stk500_recv(): programmer is not responding
avrdude: stk500_getsync() attempt 9 of 10: not in sync: resp=0x00
avrdude: stk500_recv(): programmer is not responding
avrdude: stk500_getsync() attempt 10 of 10: not in sync: resp=0x00

avrdude done.  Thank you.

Problem uploading to board.  See http://www.arduino.cc/en/Guide/Troubleshooting#upload for suggestions.

These are all of the steps I've taken :
(by 'default' below, all I mean is the bootloader saved under Arduino/Genuino uno)

  1. attempted to burn the default bootloader to the atmega328, failed.
  2. attempted to upload a program to that chip, succeeded.
  3. attempted to burn the default bootloader to a different atmega328, failed.
  4. attempted to upload a program to that atmega, succeeded.
  5. attempted all of the above with a different arduino and the same 2 chips, same results.

And I'm here now.

@LarryD.

I got a friend to loan me his arduino, and I went though the link you sent and I got it uploading bootloaders correctly. This link was helpful after I got the second arduino.