A fatal error occurred: Unable to verify flash chip connection #ESP32

Are you getting this error while trying to upload code to some generic ESP32 clone?

A fatal error occurred: Unable to verify flash chip connection (Invalid head of packet (0xE0): Possible serial noise or corruption.).

Failed uploading: uploading error: exit status 2

It says it’s unable to verify flash chip connection, and mentions an Invalid head of packet followed by a hex code?

My guess is that maybe you’re being driven a little crazy trying different ways to get your annoying little ESP32 clones to just upload code.

I have enough trouble writing code, I don’t want trouble uploading code – it is just so dang annoying.

I think we can get you fixed, in hopefully the next couple of minutes – let’s go.

OK, first off, I am assuming you have tried a couple of things first, with no success

Tried a different USB cable or a different USB port on your computer
You have triple-verified that you have the correct board selected from the board drop-down in the Arduino IDE
1. If you don’t know what to select for your dev board – which isn’t uncommon as the cheap ESP32 dev boards have very little documentation from vendors, then you need to check different ones – that could be the issue.
If you are seeing the … when uploading, you are holding the boot button
1. If you’re getting the error above, I don’t think the boot mode is the current issue (though it might be after you solve this!)

So if you’ve already tried these troubleshooting steps, here is what I recommend.

In the Arduino IDE go to Tools > Upload Speed and select 115200.

Click upload and then… pull out your handy chicken claw and scratch the board of the ESP32 dev board.