Uploading new firmware

I am helping my nephew get a hand-me-down Solidoodle 2 running. I want to use the Repetier Host and I'd like to also use the Repetier Firmware. I'm attempting to load v0.91 and it compiles fine, but won't upload. I consistently get this error from the Arduino 1.0.5 IDE. I'm on a Mac and can upload to Arduinos. And yes I've selected the correct board.

avrdude: ser_recv(): programmer is not responding
avrdude: stk500_recv(): programmer is not responding

Any ideas what it could be?

Thanks, David

Do you get it right away or after a few seconds?

There is a known problem with the Arduino Bootloader that it can not upload files that contain "!!!" as data. Depending on computer, compiler version and selected modules it can happen that the firmware has somewhere that sequence. It normally happens after around 3 seconds of uploading since that memory area can have !! as address plus one more from a command and you have it. Try e.g. disabling sd support. You should see the file size goes down (or you do not have deselected it) and most probably the error is gone. To solve it including sd card you could enable/disable unused features (arc support, servo support, watchdog) and hope that shifts addresses enough to solve the problem without removing wanted features.

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Would adding a small array variable or padding a display string with an extra space fix this problem without losing functionality?????

Everything that splits the !!! into something different helps. The first problem is to detect which code part creates the !!!. Normally it is a address containing one or two ! and then one from a string (here adding space after it helps). Adding some nonsense code befor ethat pointer would move pointer to a different address and also helps. The is why I said add unneeded features to hopefully cause a shift. That works only if the new cod eis before that code part. It also helps to burn a bootloader without that porblem or uploading with an isp but that is often hard if you can not reach the isp terminal on the board.

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Repetier-Software - the home of Repetier-Host (Windows, Linux and Mac OS X) and Repetier-Firmware.
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When I turn verbose logging the complete message is:

avrdude: Version 5.11, compiled on Sep  2 2011 at 18:52:52
         Copyright (c) 2000-2005 Brian Dean, [www.bdmicro.com]
         Copyright (c) 2007-2009 Joerg Wunsch

         System wide configuration file is "/Users/david/Downloads/Arduino.app/Contents/Resources/Java/hardware/tools/avr/etc/avrdude.conf"
         User configuration file is "/Users/david/.avrduderc"
         User configuration file does not exist or is not a regular file, skipping

         Using Port                    : /dev/tty.usbserial-A501E9XC
         Using Programmer              : stk500v1
         Overriding Baud Rate          : 57600
avrdude: Send: 0 [30]   [20] 
avrdude: Send: 0 [30]   [20] 
avrdude: Send: 0 [30]   [20] 
avrdude: ser_recv(): programmer is not responding
avrdude: stk500_recv(): programmer is not responding

I have a hard time believing it's a "!!!" problem as the software I'm uploading is from Repetier and I assume they've compiled and uploaded it before. I am configured for no SD support (MOTHERBOARD = 62 for Sanguinololu v1.2 or later). I also serached the code for '!!!' and didn't find anything obvious.

Any other suggestions?

Thanks!