Metro ESP32-S2 Express opens file explorer when plugged in

[npcostes]

I've been using this thing just fine, uploading sketches. Suddenly after months, now it gives me this message when I try to upload a sketch

Leaving...
WARNING: ESP32-S2 chip was placed into download mode using GPIO0.
esptool.py can not exit the download mode over USB. To run the app, reset the chip manually.
To suppress this note, set --after option to 'no_reset'.
An error occurred while uploading the sketch

I used to see a COM port for the Metro, but now I do not. instead, when I plug it in, it opens windows file explorer and shows me a folder with AUTORUN.INF, CURRENT.UF2, INDEX.HTML, INFO_UF2.TXT etc.

Also it keeps switching between COM7 and COM6.

I saw the instructions for loading a bootloader here
https://learn.adafruit.com/adafruit-met ... bootloader

And I got the esptool.py updated but I don't know what to do with it. I just want the thing to work like it did before, where I could just upload a sketch from the Arduino IDE and it would just run

I googled and read that if GPIO0 is held low then it goes into this mode, but I'm not doing that. The button is not being touched.

Thanks for your help
Nick

Update: If I take the AnalogInOutSerial sketch and build/upload it, first time I need to pick Port -> COM7 (ESP32S2 Dev Module). Otherwise esptool.py complains that it can't confgure COM 6.

So I switch port to COM7 (ESP32S2 Dev Module) and upload the sketch again, and this time it works. But port COM7 is now gone. To get Serial Monitor to work, I must now pick Port -> COM6 (Adafruit Metro ESP32-S2).

Now serial monitor works.

Now if I want to change and upload the sketch, it will fail, and then i must again choose COM7 (ESP32S2 Dev Module), the COM6 option is gone from the menu.

The Port menu either shows COM6 or COM7, never both.

Update: Now it's stuck always opening the file explorer window showing me the bootloaders. How can I get it to work normally?

[mikeysklar]

Lets focus on the bootloader for a moment.

When you switch into bootloader mode holding BOOT and pressing RST can you show the output of the INFO_UF2.TXT file? I'd like to confirm you have 0.11.0 installed.

There is a note about update.uf2 not working so make sure to use the combined.bin.

Note: update.uf2 files are not currently working on ESP32-S2 or ESP32-S3 boards.

https://circuitpython.org/board/adafruit_metro_esp32s2/

What OS are you running on your PC and which version of the Arduino IDE are you using?