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Ok, so this is my first ever time using a raspberry pi and I really need some help with the setup.

I am connected to a monitor and trying to install the NOOB and Raspbian software on to the rPi. I have reformatted the sd card twice (each time on a different computer) using the recommended SD Formatter 4.0 that is recommended by https://www.raspberrypi.org/help/noobs-setup/. I then download the zip file for NOOB from the raspberry pi website. After this, I drag and drop the files from the zip files into the sd card, eject it, and then insert the micro sd card into the rPi. I am using the most recent version of the raspberry pi.

Then, when I plug in the power supply to turn on the rPi, I receive a BLINKING rainbow screen that does not go away. Please note (although I don't know if this is actually important or not) that the rainbow screen is flashing on and off, not just constant.

I have looked up a variety of other online sources about people having similar issues and have tried nearly everything I can think of. I am sure the power supply is delivering enough power so I don't think this is the problem.

I have seen some people saying that there should be kernel.img and config.txt files in the zip download, but I do not see either of these files. However, I have compared my downloaded files with those shown in the video here https://www.raspberrypi.org/help/noobs-setup/ , and they appear to all be identical.

Please also note that I am using the most recent version the raspberry pi (raspberry pi 2).

Also, the sd card that I am using is an 8gb card from element14 that was supposed to have NOOBS preinstalled on it. But I found out from online sources that this card has been known to have rainbow screen problems with the preinstalled software (as I did), so I formatted it and reinstalled the software as I said above. I hear some people saying to try a different sd card, but I don't see how this could be a problem for me since this card is literally made to work with the raspberry pi.

Please help me out. Really have no idea what to do. Thanks in advance for everything!

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  • How do you know that the power supply is good have you measured the actual voltage? or are you believing what is on the label?
    – Steve Robillard
    Commented May 15, 2015 at 11:03
  • How many times does the green ACT light blink when you power on?
    – goldilocks ♦
    Commented May 16, 2015 at 12:49

2 Answers 2

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You need better power supply. My recommendation is 5V 2.5A power supply.

For more info read here : https://www.raspberrypi.org/help/faqs/#powerReqs

The device is powered by 5v micro USB. Exactly how much current (mA) the Raspberry Pi requires is dependent on what you hook up to it. We have found that purchasing a 1.2A (1200mA) power supply from a reputable retailer will provide you with ample power to run your Raspberry Pi for most applications, though you may want to get a 2.5A (2500mA) if you want to use all 4 USB ports on the Model B without using an external powered USB hub.

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  • Same issue, solved by changing power supply. Thanks!
    – Zack Teater
    Commented Mar 16, 2017 at 18:41
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I have seen some people saying that there should be kernel.img and config.txt files in the zip download, but I do not see either of these files.

I guess you're using Windows Explorer to drag the files to the SD card. Maybe, Windows explorer is set to hide some files, like the *.img file (Control Panel > Folder Options > View tab > check Show Hidden files folders and drives..). Try to unzip the NOOBs ZIP directly to the SD Cards root directory.

If this does'nt work at all, try to use windisk32imager in order to write raspian wheezy to the SD card.

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