My mega stopped working the other day mid-project. It showed this error:
"Binary sketch size: 1,632 bytes (of a 258,048 byte maximum)
avrdude: stk500v2_ReceiveMessage(): timeout
avrdude: stk500v2_ReceiveMessage(): timeout
avrdude: stk500v2_ReceiveMessage(): timeout
avrdude: stk500v2_ReceiveMessage(): timeout
avrdude: stk500v2_ReceiveMessage(): timeout
avrdude: stk500v2_ReceiveMessage(): timeout
avrdude: stk500v2_getsync(): timeout communicating with programmer"
This shows up both on Ubuntu 13.10 and Windows Vista (different machines)
When I try to use re-burn the bootloader via an Uno I get the following:
"avrdude: verification error, first mismatch at byte 0x1e0000xff != 0x0d"
This is with and without the auto reset turned off on the Uno, the Mega, and both.