Tascam 2488 "Not Stopped" error but its stopped

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to preface, I just got this 2488 from someone on marketplace, he had never used it and this is my first time booting it up. After booting, it starts in a normal song screen similar to my dp02. After messing around, the menu is not able to be opened, and i cannot really do anything on the current screen, as it thinks its playing i believe???
I read a few things on this forum site about exit or stop buttons causing the system to get stuck in transport and show an error stating "Cannot do this when not stopped. Stop the transport. Press Exit". this error pops up anytime i click Menu or track edit, however the transport appears fully stopped. the time at the top is still at 0.0:00 and everything. I know the exit and stop buttons at least partially work, as when i use the exit button to close the error it works; and when i click the play button it flashes a green light, which is turned off when i click the start button. So im pretty sure its not an issue with the actual buttons. Any ideas on how to get past this error and access the menu?

 

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ive reset the device a bunch, tried booting into what chat gpt calls "safe mode" by holding stop and exit while starting up the machine, and none of this appears to work or change anything. Chat gpts last recommendation was removing the HD completely and trying to boot again, but i have no idea if its even worth trusting Ai's advice on this

 

[shredd]

I'm not a tech - and you're about as likely to get an answer from TASCAM on a device this old as you are inquiring why the US's voters backing our new "leaders" are OK with losing their businesses, their jobs, their ability to support their families, etc etc...
And - to be blunt - I'd sooner sign up for a chain-saw pedicure done by serial killer than trust ChatGPT (or any AI, for that matter) for reliable answers to ANYthing of consequence...maaaaaybe for suggestions for an oatmeal recipe...

BUT: I did run 2488's for ages and have experienced a lot of what they kick up.
There's no specific/technical info in your description, nothing tested...but it doesn't sound like your transport/function buttons.
And I'mma pretty sure that trying to boot w/o the HD present is likely to lead to OTHER error messages, as it's part of the boot process (detecting drive).
If I were me, tryin' to figger this out: I'd probably start with the firmware - even if the rig is up to date, download and re-install it, in case your unit's FW is corrupted. Next would probably be: remove the HD and test it separate from the 2488. Last-ditch effort would probably be to open 'er up and do an internal inspection for any apparent physical evidence of malfunction.
Last resort: searching out a tech who'll look at it...since getting TASCAM to do it would be a long shot (they've been out of production for 15-20 years) and would cost you more than buying a working unit (or a nice DP).

Good luck - and let us know what you did & how it goes!