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Visitor II
July 7, 2025
Question

ST-LINK V2 not entering DFU mode / gdb not found during STM32 upload (using STM32CubeIDE)

  • July 7, 2025
  • 2 replies
  • 726 views

Hi,
I'm using STM32CubeIDE with an ST-LINK V2 debugger (possibly a clone). When I try to upload my program to the STM32 board, I encounter the following issues:

1. ST-LINK not entering DFU mode, so I can't update firmware.
2. STM32CubeIDE gives this error:
Error with command: GNU debugger version --version
Cannot run program GNU debugger versi: Launching failed

Setup:
- STM32CubeIDE 1.18.1
- ST-LINK V2 
- Board: STM32F103C8T6
- Windows 10

Things I tried:
- Installed ST-LINK drivers (STSW-LINK009)
- Installed STM32CubeProgrammer
- Checked Device Manager: ST-LINK appears
- Tried STM32CubeIDE reinstall

Need help with:
- Forcing DFU mode for ST-LINK V2
- Resolving GNU debugger version - issue in STM32CubeIDE

Thanks!

2 replies

Andrew Neil
Super User
July 7, 2025

@mariam-varkey1234 wrote:

 an ST-LINK V2 debugger (possibly a clone). !


How to check for sure:

https://community.st.com/t5/stm32-mcus/how-to-recognize-a-genuine-st-link-v2-versus-a-cloned-one/ta-p/49471

 

TL;DR: 

https://community.st.com/t5/stm32-mcus/how-to-recognize-a-genuine-st-link-v2-versus-a-cloned-one/tac-p/703663/highlight/true#M965

 


@mariam-varkey1234 wrote:

- Board: STM32F103C8T6


That's just a chip part number - it doesn't identify a board.

Are you sure the chip isn't (also) a clone/fake?

 


@mariam-varkey1234 wrote:

- Installed STM32CubeProgrammer


And were you able to do anything via CubeProgrammer?

A complex system that works is invariably found to have evolved from a simple system that worked.A complex system designed from scratch never works and cannot be patched up to make it work.
TDK
Super User
July 8, 2025

STM32CubeIDE doesn't work well with non-genuine chips or programmers.

Forcing DFU mode for ST-LINK V2

This doesn't make sense. DFU is a USB-peripheral that lets you update firmware over USB without a programmer. If you're using an ST-Link, it's not involved here. Are you connecting over SWD?

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