Raspberry Pi not booting "recover4.elf is not compatible"

Question

I've bought x3 Raspberry Pi 4 4GB Model sets a while ago and was very happy with it. I've been working on the one and cloning the same SD-Card onto other 2, so I could have the same system state on every RPI. Few days ago I've bought another sets, this time RPI4 2GB Model and pluged my curent Raspbian SD-Card into it just to find out, it does not boot at all. I've tried it on another RPI4 2GB Models with the same outcome. SD-Card works for every 4GB Model of RPI perfectly fine. Just for the test I've burned a fresh Raspbian on another SD-Card and plugged it into 2GB Model and ...it worked. I then plugged it into 4GB Model, and it worked as well. I'm desperetly in need to make it work, as I do not have time nor patience to start with fresh Raspbian on the 2GB Models.

I've sunk at least 4h into searching for an answer, but could not find any valid solution. Does anyone have any ideas what could help me in this situation?

Another Information:

-I've used Win32DiskImager and built-in in Raspberry Pi4 Image Cloner to clone my SDs.

Thanks alot!

EDIT:

CPU Information from my 2GB Model:

processor : 0 model name : ARMv7 Processor rev 3 (v7l)

BogoMIPS : 108.00

Features : half thumb fastmult vfp edsp neon vfpv3 tls vfpv4 idiva idivt vfpd32 lpae evtstrm crc32

CPU implementer : 0x41

CPU architecture: 7

CPU variant : 0x0

CPU part : 0xd08

CPU revision : 3

processor : 1

model name : ARMv7 Processor rev 3 (v7l)

BogoMIPS : 108.00

Features : half thumb fastmult vfp edsp neon vfpv3 tls vfpv4 idiva idivt vfpd32 lpae evtstrm crc32

CPU implementer : 0x41

CPU architecture: 7

CPU variant : 0x0

CPU part : 0xd08

CPU revision : 3

processor : 2

model name : ARMv7 Processor rev 3 (v7l)

BogoMIPS : 108.00

Features : half thumb fastmult vfp edsp neon vfpv3 tls vfpv4 idiva idivt vfpd32 lpae evtstrm crc32

CPU implementer : 0x41

CPU architecture: 7

CPU variant : 0x0

CPU part : 0xd08 CPU revision : 3

processor : 3

model name : ARMv7 Processor rev 3 (v7l)

BogoMIPS : 108.00

Features : half thumb fastmult vfp edsp neon vfpv3 tls vfpv4 idiva idivt vfpd32 lpae evtstrm crc32

CPU implementer : 0x41

CPU architecture: 7

CPU variant : 0x0

CPU part : 0xd08

CPU revision : 3

Hardware : BCM2711

Revision : b03114

Serial : 1000000077f67514

Model : Raspberry Pi 4 Model B Rev 1.4

CPU Information from my 4GB Model:

processor : 0 model name : ARMv7 Processor rev 3 (v7l)

BogoMIPS : 108.00 Features : half thumb fastmult vfp edsp neon vfpv3 tls vfpv4 idiva idivt vfpd32 lpae evtstrm crc32

CPU implementer : 0x41

CPU architecture: 7

CPU variant : 0x0

CPU part : 0xd08

CPU revision : 3

processor : 1

model name : ARMv7 Processor rev 3 (v7l)

BogoMIPS : 108.00

Features : half thumb fastmult vfp edsp neon vfpv3 tls vfpv4 idiva idivt vfpd32 lpae evtstrm crc32

CPU implementer : 0x41

CPU architecture: 7

CPU variant : 0x0

CPU part : 0xd08

CPU revision : 3

processor : 2

model name : ARMv7 Processor rev 3 (v7l)

BogoMIPS : 108.00

Features : half thumb fastmult vfp edsp neon vfpv3 tls vfpv4 idiva idivt vfpd32 lpae evtstrm crc32

CPU implementer : 0x41

CPU architecture: 7

CPU variant : 0x0

CPU part : 0xd08

CPU revision : 3

processor : 3

model name : ARMv7 Processor rev 3 (v7l)

BogoMIPS : 108.00

Features : half thumb fastmult vfp edsp neon vfpv3 tls vfpv4 idiva idivt vfpd32 lpae evtstrm crc32

CPU implementer : 0x41

CPU architecture: 7

CPU variant : 0x0

CPU part : 0xd08

CPU revision : 3

Hardware : BCM2711

Revision : c03111

Serial : 100000004bb2ebba

Model : Raspberry Pi 4 Model B Rev 1.1

Answer 1

The short answer is: download the latest version for the OS instead of cloning existing SD cards.

The longer answer:

Read the last two lines in the output. It says:

This board requires newer software
Get the latest software from https://www.raspberrypi.org/downloads/

From time to time, there are updates of the Raspberry Pi board. These may result in some changes in the software too. The version number of the board is, sadly, not printed on it. There are some ways to recognize versions with close visual examination (see f.e. https://core-electronics.com.au/tutorials/Versions-Raspberry-Pi.html), but the best way is to do a cat /proc/cpuinfo, which will give you the revision of the board at the bottom of the output. Of course, you need a running OS to do that.

EDIT: Your output shows that this is a b03114, which is (according to Raspberry pi.org):

Code    Model  Revision  RAM  Manufacturer
b03114  4B     1.4       2GB  Sony UK

And that is the newest version of the board.

So, download the latest version to get your new Pis running, and compare the revision of the board in /proc/cpuinfo.

Some have reported, that copying the files

start4*elf

from the boot-partition of the newest distribution to the cloned boot partition is sufficient to get it booting.

Answer 2

Not very helpful comments chaps! There are is some software written and was running on an older Pi4, the Pi4 has been replaced and the new one exhibits this problem. The software CANNOT BE REWRITTEN. The fix is to download and temporarily write the last version of Raspbian before the latest bookworm and others. Before having to install a new operating system and get someone to fix it to install the old software and dependencies, try this: - Open the Boot directory and copy the Start* and fixup* files to your old microSD - (the one with the problem)and try booting again. If it works you're in luck, if it doesn't, like the other posters say (the unhelpful ones), you have to install new OS. Please chaps, stop being toffy-nosed, know-it-all unhelpful folk. If you've got the time to troll and make an unhelpful comments, you've time to make a good one too, to help someone else out (or keep quiet).