# Balena local flash errors when Etcher does not **URL:** \ **Category:** Product support\ **Tags:** balena-cli, balenaetcher\ **Created:** [October 7, 2025, 3:59pm UTC](https://forums.balena.io/t/balena-local-flash-errors-when-etcher-does-not/374902 "2025-10-07T15:59:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![bora](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e56c9b/32.png) [@bora](https://forums.balena.io/u/bora)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2025, 3:59pm UTC](https://forums.balena.io/t/balena-local-flash-errors-when-etcher-does-not/374902/1 "2025-10-07T15:59:19Z")
UPDATE: Running balena-cli using the last release of node.js 22 fixes the error. node v22.20.0 , balena-cli v22.4.9 I am trying to use the balena CLI to flash images locally. I am essentially trying to use this as an alternative to Etcher as this will be part of some automation workflow. The process works on Etcher (although with issues, for example I need to run it multiple times until it accepts my image file, or flash sometimes fails with “Connection to sidecar flasher process failed” – in case any of these provides helpful context). However, with Balena CLI using the commands I paste below in the log, this errors. Could you please offer me some help about this issue? “ C:\Windows\System32\>balena util available-drives DEVICE SIZE DESCRIPTION \.\PhysicalDrive1 7.8 GB Compute Module C:\Windows\System32\>balena local flash “C:\flash\image.img” --drive \.\PhysicalDrive1 --yes --debug [debug] new argv=[C:\Program Files\balena-cli\client\bin\node.exe,C:\Program Files\balena-cli\client\bin\run,local:flash,C:\flash\image.img,–drive,\.\PhysicalDrive1,–yes] length=7 [debug] Deprecation check: 0.17684 days since last npm registry query for next major version release date. [debug] Will not query the registry again until at least 7 days have passed. [debug] Event tracking error: Timeout awaiting ‘response’ for 0ms **EIO: i/o error, open ‘\.\PhysicalDrive1’** DISKPART\> list disk Disk ### Status Size Free Dyn Gpt * * * Disk 0 Online 476 GB 1024 KB \* Disk 1 Online 7456 MB 7455 MB ” ---
**Author:** ![bora](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e56c9b/32.png) [@bora](https://forums.balena.io/u/bora)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2025, 11:22am UTC](https://forums.balena.io/t/balena-local-flash-errors-when-etcher-does-not/374902/2 "2025-10-08T11:22:23Z")
I found some useful further information. An issue exactly about this was reported on balena-cli Github on 2 July 2025: [Balena local flash failing · Issue #2959 · balena-io/balena-cli](https://github.com/balena-io/balena-cli/issues/2959) Balena team investigated this “After further investigation, we found out this issue is incoming from a NodeJS bug: [nodejs/node#55623](https://github.com/nodejs/node/pull/55623)”, and also said “The bug has been solved for nodejs 24 (not yet stable) and not yet backported to node 22. We will update the CLI (with a fix) once upstream nodejs 24 is stable or backported.” I found that the mentioned bug fix (PR#55623 of node.js) is now backported to node 22. ---
**Author:** ![drskullster](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/balena/user_avatar/forums.balena.io/drskullster/32/10218_2.png) [@drskullster](https://forums.balena.io/u/drskullster)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2025, 10:07am UTC](https://forums.balena.io/t/balena-local-flash-errors-when-etcher-does-not/374902/4 "2025-10-09T10:07:33Z")
Hi, Thanks for reaching out, and for doing your own investigation! As you discovered the issue was due to a bug in NodeJS that had been fixed in NodeJS v24 and was just backported to v22. We have a PR open to fix the issue for our CLI packages: [Build with node 22.20.0 by otaviojacobi · Pull Request #2999 · balena-io/balena-cli · GitHub](https://github.com/balena-io/balena-cli/pull/2999), which should be merged soon. ---
**Author:** ![bora](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e56c9b/32.png) [@bora](https://forums.balena.io/u/bora)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2025, 3:13pm UTC](https://forums.balena.io/t/balena-local-flash-errors-when-etcher-does-not/374902/5 "2025-10-09T15:13:57Z")
Thanks for shipping the new release fast! ---
**Author:** ![drskullster](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/balena/user_avatar/forums.balena.io/drskullster/32/10218_2.png) [@drskullster](https://forums.balena.io/u/drskullster)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2025, 6:29pm UTC](https://forums.balena.io/t/balena-local-flash-errors-when-etcher-does-not/374902/6 "2025-10-09T18:29:28Z")
The PR has been merged, [v22.4.10](https://github.com/balena-io/balena-cli/releases/tag/v22.4.10) shouldn’t have the issue anymore.