avrdude: stk500_recv(): programmer is not responding

Hi. Would love some help with a 'avrdude: stk500_recv(): programmer is not responding' error message. I saw another post with this message as a title, but didn't see any responses. Brand new Arduino R3. Soldered on a Adafruit 1.8" TFT Shield. Plugged into an iMac running OS X 10.9.4 w/USB, and I downloaded the latest version of Arduino and the relevant libraries. Under tools in Arduino I chose Board > Arduino Uno and Serial Port > /dev/tty/usbmodem641. I've tried restating the computer, Arduino and un/re plugging the USB. Any ideas of what else to try would be great. Thanks kindly.

I am having the same issue with 10.10. Did you select the correct board under the options menu and the correct processor? I have found that unplugging it and plugging it back in fixes the issue. However every time you want to upload a new sketch you will have to do this.

Very annoying. You can also hit the reset button three times moderately quickly after you press the upload button. This should also work, but is also very annoying. I am hopping someone has figured this out besides my terribly fixes.

Try and instal the correct drivers for your mac.
http://www.ftdichip.com/Drivers/VCP.htm
Works for me running Yosemite. Works perfectly now.

Hi, I was having a similar problem (namely 5b below) with the Duemilanove on an OSX 10.9 iMac, and I finally got the upload to work reliably, like this:


  1. In Arduino app preferences, make sure it is set to show verbose output during upload.

  2. On Arduino board, hold reset button down with finger.

  3. In Arduino app on computer, click the "Upload" button (right arrow icon) with your other hand.

  4. When avrdude prints its start-up message, wait exactly one more second and then release the reset button.

  5. You should release the button just before it prints this:

	avrdude: Send: 0 [30]   [20] 
	avrdude: Send: 0 [30]   [20] 
	avrdude: Send: 0 [30]   [20]

5a. Now it should work. Hundreds of lines get printed, starting with:

	avrdude: Recv: . [14] 
	avrdude: Recv: . [10]

5b. Or perhaps it did not work. In which case just two more lines get printed:

	avrdude: ser_recv(): programmer is not responding
	avrdude: stk500_recv(): programmer is not responding
  1. It finishes with:
	avrdude done.  Thank you.

Even when it is not working, step 4 occurs and the RX light on the board blinks three times very quickly when those three lines are printed. If that is not what happens when it doesn't work for you, then you don't have my problem. For me it always works if I get the timing of step 3 right.

Good luck!

Doesn't work. What exactly is the problem. It seems the arduino is not responding correctly ?

I installed Yosemite 10.10 few days ago and didn't arrive to see my arduno uno in tool>port... Only bluetooth...
Itried to install FTDI driver but it doesn't works.
After two days I finally return on the website I bought my card ( ebay) and I saw that in the description of my objet they put a link to download the driver on a Russian website!!!
I tried....and that's it!!! That finally works!!
Link : Модуль CH340G. Переходник USB COM TTL (RS232).
Sorry for my english, I'm french.
Goog chanse.

The CH340 is Chinese, you should check this thread here if you have a CH340 and are on an Apple Mac.

thanks AreYouDino

It was a combination of selection the right board (i have freeduno) and holding the reset long enough.
In love with my arduino again !!!
running BS18D20 sensor