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Resetting failed Sky+ boxes
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Just been on phone with Sky Tech Support, after I lost recording capability on v1 box, with both of my 2 different 120 drives.
As my v1 box has been VERY temperamental lately, and in the past 2 days it's been difficult to keep it going. I suspect it crashed during the download (20th). Last night (22md) I forced a download, not knowing then that there had been a new s/w release on 20th and not knowing that you cannot force a download of the new s/w as it's not yet on the transport stream.
After downloading the current transport stream s/w version again... the box now plays live broadcasts OK, appears to be stable so far - BUT
- lost signal on feed #2
- nothing in programme planner
- cannot record
Tried it with both my 120 GB disks (Maxtor & Seagate) with same result. NEITHER disk is running. Tried the Maxtor as slave in the HCPC and it works there, although it stops the PC from booting (different formatting ?) but at least it spins & gets warm. So the disk is working - it's just the Sky+ box won't fire it up.
Back to Sky Tech Support.
They said that such a system fault requires a reset and if that doesn't work then a Full system reset from the services (4-0-1-select ) menu.
The reset, being more than just unplugging from mains is:
- go to standby
- remove viewing card
- unplug / disconnect power, wait half a minute or so
- re-plug / reconnect power, wait half a minute or so
- switch on
- insert viewing card
If this works - you're lucky - you may get your planner items back again and be able to record again.
If it DOESN'T work you have to do a Full system reset, then of course you REALLY lose all your planner contents.
At the time of my call - the tech supports did not have any info about when the new s/w release will be added to the Transport Stream, which would then enable a forced download to be made. He said it's typically a couple of weeks after it first goes out that it goes into the Transport stream.
To answer a comment on one thread about record functions not working on the new software version if Phone line is not connected - Tech Support said this should not be the case.
Should still work as before even without a phone line - which is how I've been running mine so far.
Steve
As my v1 box has been VERY temperamental lately, and in the past 2 days it's been difficult to keep it going. I suspect it crashed during the download (20th). Last night (22md) I forced a download, not knowing then that there had been a new s/w release on 20th and not knowing that you cannot force a download of the new s/w as it's not yet on the transport stream.
After downloading the current transport stream s/w version again... the box now plays live broadcasts OK, appears to be stable so far - BUT
- lost signal on feed #2
- nothing in programme planner
- cannot record
Tried it with both my 120 GB disks (Maxtor & Seagate) with same result. NEITHER disk is running. Tried the Maxtor as slave in the HCPC and it works there, although it stops the PC from booting (different formatting ?) but at least it spins & gets warm. So the disk is working - it's just the Sky+ box won't fire it up.
Back to Sky Tech Support.
They said that such a system fault requires a reset and if that doesn't work then a Full system reset from the services (4-0-1-select ) menu.
The reset, being more than just unplugging from mains is:
- go to standby
- remove viewing card
- unplug / disconnect power, wait half a minute or so
- re-plug / reconnect power, wait half a minute or so
- switch on
- insert viewing card
If this works - you're lucky - you may get your planner items back again and be able to record again.
If it DOESN'T work you have to do a Full system reset, then of course you REALLY lose all your planner contents.
At the time of my call - the tech supports did not have any info about when the new s/w release will be added to the Transport Stream, which would then enable a forced download to be made. He said it's typically a couple of weeks after it first goes out that it goes into the Transport stream.
To answer a comment on one thread about record functions not working on the new software version if Phone line is not connected - Tech Support said this should not be the case.
Should still work as before even without a phone line - which is how I've been running mine so far.
Steve
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Comments
just to say we're in the same boat - just as you describe it. Fixed once with a full reset, now it's happened again and the reset didn't work. We also run the box without phone connection, and after the full reset we had to do the 'new installation' where you can choose not to have a connected phone. The phone thing seems to be relevant cos even between crashes it sometimes popped up messages saying 'connect a phone line to enjoy the interactive crap' (or something like that...)
About to do a full reset again, anyone know what this 'planner rebuild' feature is about? should it work after a full reset? anyway, will let you know how I fare and whether my 'the bill' episodes are gone forever...
nice to know it's prob not the box itself at least - didn't fancy dragging it back to currys.
Colin
When you swap drives in your Sky+ box do you perform a full destructive housekeep from the installers menu?
If not you may be asking for trouble especially if you have hooked the drive to a pc running windows.
The Sky+ drive format is not quite the same as that used by a normal pc and thus may not work correctly in sky+ without it first being intialised by Sky+ via the install menu.
Automan.
I tried the system reset recommended by the Sky Tech Support, but it didn't do anything.
I'd ordered another Maxtor 120 drive this morning and it was alrady here when got home from work. Put that in and tried to do Full Syst Rest (FSR) but box just powered off, as the HDD was still not powering up. (All 3 120's were not being powered up).
Emptied the original Maxtor 40 GB in my main PC, ripped that out,
Re-inst in Sky+ and tried FSR... again nothing - although it DID POWER UP (good sign !)
Tried various system rests (with card out) and FSR's, but couldn't get the Sky+ to format the old disk (now formatted as a NTFS windows disk). Forced a current s/w download (not the new s/w).. follwed by system reset and FSR, still nothing.
THEN - put the new 120 (blank) disk in, it POWERED UP (great !), did FSR and it worked. Could immediately afterwards get full signal again on both tuners and RECORD.
Moment of truth:
Took new disk out, put one of the used 120 disks back in... powered up (!!!) and after restarting - all programmes were there... full signal on both tuners.
Repeated with other used 120 disk with same result.
All recordings SAVED.
Will put the new 120 in PC, leave the original 40 gig out for system re-starts and continue usingthe other 2 120's and try and watch the recordings.
Summary:
Object: get a disk to power up. Use original 40 gig to get the box to power up the disk. (may need to attempt reset / FSR / forced download).
Put new blank disk in and power up. try to do FSR. Should work. Check 2nd tuner signal and record function.
If works put used disk back in and should power up with recordings still intact.
All I have to do now is stop the damn thing from repeatedly crashing, which is back where I started yesterday.
I hav extra cooling fans (on the HDD) so its maybe drawing too much current. I also suspect the flexible connector between PS board and mainboard.
Automan: No I never do a system reset when swapping used drives. I have 2 main 120's I swap in and out. The PC test was just to see if it was still alive after the big crash... it did power up but the PC wouldn't boot prob bec of incompatible formatting, even tho it was set as slave)
Steve
Did you get any '17 min bug' problems after your reset?
In the past when I found 17 min probs, I power off - disconnect the connector strip between PS and main boards and restart.. then would be OK again.
(Actually not sure if it's really necessary to disconnect the connector strip though, now)...
Steve