Compiling from source on Windows requires a complex MinGW toolchain. Fortunately, the open-source community maintains updated, pre-compiled Windows binaries.
The sunxi-tools package contains several critical utilities for Allwinner SoC devices:
Your compiled Windows executables will be available directly inside the folder. Installing the USB Driver for FEL Mode
Look in community SDKs (like those from Orange Pi) or older forum posts. But I don't recommend this for critical work.
¹ WSL2 cannot access raw NAND controller without custom kernel module. sunxi-tools windows
Three practical approaches exist, each with trade-offs:
Download the .zip archive containing the Windows executables (including sunxi-fel.exe and libusb-1.0.dll ).
The sunxi-tools suite communicates with the device over USB while it is in FEL mode. The toolkit consists of several primary utilities:
For most users, the quickest path is to download a pre-built Windows executable, such as sunxi-fel.exe . These can be found in community-maintained archives like sunxi-tools-win32_f1_flash.zip , a 271KB package intended for Allwinner F1C100s chips. However, be cautious: many of these pre-built binaries are version-specific and may not support your particular Allwinner SoC. Compiling from source on Windows requires a complex
The your device uses (eMMC, NAND, SPI flash, or MicroSD card).
The flagship tool. It allows you to read/write device memory, upload and execute code (like U-Boot), and query SoC information.
This will produce the sunxi-fel.exe file in the directory. To use it conveniently from any command prompt, add that directory to your system's PATH environment variable.
Use a Linux virtual machine
A Beginner’s Guide to Using Sunxi-Tools on Windows Sunxi-tools
Running sunxi-tools on Windows is a "set it and forget it" process. Once Zadig installs the libusb driver, the tools act just like any other command line utility. Keep your binaries updated, and always double-check that your board is actually in FEL mode before blaming the software.
Use usbipd-win (Windows USB passthrough for WSL):
To ensure your Windows PC successfully sees the board over USB, open a command prompt and run: sunxi-fel version Use code with caution. Installing the USB Driver for FEL Mode Look
For standalone configuration modification, lightweight tools can be found in repositories like the J-Rios Sunxi-Tools Windows project . Option B: Compile from Source using MSYS2 or MinGW J-Rios/Sunxi-Tools-Win-src - GitHub