# Trying to update to L.274, keeps restarting, help needed



## brettbolt (Feb 22, 2006)

I purchased a 921 yesterday (used). Its hooked up to my Dish 500 with a DishPro Plus Twin LNB pointing at 110/119. The signal strengths for 110/119 are 92/100 respectively.

It works OK and shows the free NASA channel and a few others (I haven't subscribed it yet). But I'd like to get the software updated from L2.73 to L2.74.

The power light has been blinking for hours. I checked the progress screen (Menu 6, 7) and it keeps going part way to 29 and then starts over at 1 (never gets all the way through step 29)  It doesn't always restart at the same point.

I have done a "check switch" and its OK. Also, I have tried taking out the DishPro Plus Separator and running 2 separate satellite cables to the receiver inputs. Still no L2.74.

I've tried everything I know. Any suggestions on how to get it to complete the update?


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## boylehome (Jul 16, 2004)

The flashing green light means that it is trying to receive a software download from the satellite. This download may take up to 50 minutes. The 921 should not be disturbed when the green light is flashing. It may be best to leave the receiver in the standby (off) mode. If it goes to 29 this means you are watching the progress of the down load but something is interfering with turner taking the download.


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## brettbolt (Feb 22, 2006)

boylehome said:


> This download may take up to 50 minutes. The 921 should not be disturbed when the green light is flashing.


I only looked at the progress briefly, and then turned it off. It was flashing last night when I went to sleep. When I woke up, 7 hours later, it was still still flashing! It had 7 hours of standby time to get the download.

I've also tried unplugging it for 30 minutes and then plugging it back in. It automatically re-attempts the download with no success.

Any ideas?


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## boylehome (Jul 16, 2004)

brettbolt said:


> I only looked at the progress briefly, and then turned it off. It was flashing last night when I went to sleep. When I woke up, 7 hours later, it was still still flashing! It had 7 hours of standby time to get the download.
> 
> I've also tried unplugging it for 30 minutes and then plugging it back in. It automatically re-attempts the download with no success.
> 
> Any ideas?


I would be best to contact E* and talk to someone in advanced tech. support.


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## brettbolt (Feb 22, 2006)

Will E* tech support be willing to help me since I am trying to perform the 501 to 921 upgrade myself, or will they insist on having an installer come out?

They did originally install the Dish 500 which works fine with my 501, and I've been an AT180 subscriber for a long time. But I swapped the legacy LNBs with a DPP Twin myself (it wasn't difficult). The 501 works fine with the new DPP Twin, so I assume the problem is with the 921.


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## David_Levin (Apr 22, 2002)

Strange. Yea, tech support should help you. Do you have a service contract? They may offer to send someone out.

So it's working fine (both tuners), except it will not take the update? It's a long shot, but I suppose you could try reinstalling your legacy LNB.

Otherwise, all I could think of is to clone to OS partitions from a working 921 with Norton Ghost. This is also risky and could easily leave you worse off then you are now.


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## brettbolt (Feb 22, 2006)

I am beginning to think there is a problem with the hard drive.

I tried the hard drive diagnostic test and it took about 20 minutes to count down from 249 to 247. It wouldnt let me cancel the test (would have taken forever), so I unplugged it.

So I plugged it back in and after a lengthy boot process it briefly flashed a screen showing "Channel 77 .. Unknown recording", like I was playing a recording or something.

The person I bought this 922 from said he bought it in June 2005. Would it still be under warranty or is that only for the original purchaser?


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## boylehome (Jul 16, 2004)

brettbolt said:


> I am beginning to think there is a problem with the hard drive.
> 
> I tried the hard drive diagnostic test and it took about 20 minutes to count down from 249 to 247. It wouldnt let me cancel the test (would have taken forever), so I unplugged it.
> 
> ...


I would think that your suspicions about the hard drive may be correct, but I think it may be tuner related. I did have similar problems as you have described. It took about a month for the hard drive to fail. Hopefully you are not hearing any loud clunking sounds. It usually takes an EON for the completion of the diagnostic test that you performed. The, "Channel 77" is common with the 921.

Because you got it used, a reset to factory defaults to start-up followed by a power cord reboot may help. After doing the factory defaults and rebooting, then you will need to perform a check switch. Hopefully then the software will fully download. If you got it authorized I wonder too if the warranty would still apply? I have doubts but it would not hurt to check.

I still think that you should talk to someone in advanced tech. support. They can walk you through the procedure I described to ensure that the procedure is followed properly.


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## knasty2 (Mar 10, 2006)

Did you try the switch check with the sat feed cable (s) disconnected. The 921 has a habit of remembering the last switch and lnb setup. Since this is a used unit, it still might be trying to us the old setup, even thought the check shows what is currently connected


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## brettbolt (Feb 22, 2006)

I had it "reset to defaults" and did the disconnect / switch check / reconnect, . Unfortunately, this somehow resulted in additional corruption to my 921. Now it does not display any video at all -- both satellite and OTA are gone. But most of the menus still work. I verified that the sat cables were connected by looking at the signal strength screen and 110/119 were still at 90 to 100. Then I checked the System Info screen and it now has the word "ERROR" superimposed over the software version. I've tried numerous cold starts, double checked the cabling, etc., and still no video.


boylehome said:


> I still think that you should talk to someone in advanced tech. support. They can walk you through the procedure I described to ensure that the procedure is followed properly.


After I lost all video I called them. They walked me through some tests and came to the same conclusion - dead. The tech said that I shouldn't have done the reset to defaults. I asked why it was in the menus at all if it would further corrupt the system?


boylehome said:


> If you got it authorized I wonder too if the warranty would still apply? I have doubts but it would not hurt to check.


Fortunately the 921 is less than 1 year old. The advanced tech guy wasn't sure if the warranty was transferrable. He said the only way to find out would be to activate and add it to my existing account. So I said OK and he activated it. After holding for about 5 minutes he informed me that it was still eligible for warranty service!  So they will let me exchange the 921 for one that works, I just have to pay shipping and an extra receiver fee for a week or so. Oh well, better than buying a new HD PVR.

Thank you all for your help.


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## Gorefest (Oct 13, 2005)

Normally its no problem to do a reset to factory defaults. What the tech said was not true.


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## boylehome (Jul 16, 2004)

brettbolt said:


> Fortunately the 921 is less than 1 year old. The advanced tech guy wasn't sure if the warranty was transferrable. He said the only way to find out would be to activate and add it to my existing account. So I said OK and he activated it. After holding for about 5 minutes he informed me that it was still eligible for warranty service!  So they will let me exchange the 921 for one that works, I just have to pay shipping and an extra receiver fee for a week or so. Oh well, better than buying a new HD PVR.
> 
> Thank you all for your help.


It is good they are covering it under warranty. Since you bought it used, did you have any conversations with the person you bought if from? It sound like who ever sold it to you unloaded a lemon. Hopefully you got it for pennies to the dollar!


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## brettbolt (Feb 22, 2006)

Gorefest said:


> Normally its no problem to do a reset to factory defaults. What the tech said was not true.


You're right, upon reflection I think I misunderstood and miscommunicated here what the tech was saying. Now I think the reset to factory defaults somehow helped it detect that the software was already corrupt (due to failed upgrade attempts). Then upon detecting corrupted software, it disabled video. 


boylehome said:


> It is good they are covering it under warranty. Since you bought it used, did you have any conversations with the person you bought if from? It sound like who ever sold it to you unloaded a lemon. Hopefully you got it for pennies to the dollar!


I paid $275 (not cheap). The guy said it worked fine, but I would need to reset it periodically. When I asked for a cash receipt he wrote a big "AS IS" on it. That was a red flag and I should have walked away from the deal at that point. Lesson learned.

On page 127 of the 921 User's Guide it says "The warranty extends only to the original user of the equipment ..." So they were not legally required to cover my system. Maybe being a Dish customer for over 8 years helped me here? All I know is that I described my experience well without getting upset. I helped him imagine how it would feel if the same thing happed to him.

He really tried to talk me into the 622 for $299 deal. But I don't want my options limited by an 18 month lease, especially while they're still working out the bugs.


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## brettbolt (Feb 22, 2006)

In case other's have the same problem, I thought I'd post the resolution to this:

I received the replacement 921 and connected it up. Same problem -- would not take the update. The System Info screen showed that the "refurbished" replacement was shipped with L0.55 software. Why I ask, do they not ship the current software with replacements from the factory?

I figured that the software it shipped with might not be able to handle the DPP Twin and DPP Separator. So I replaced them with 2 Legacy LNBs (on a Dish 500) and 2 SW21s (one for each tuner). Fifty minutes later it had L2.74, finally!

Now I'm wondering if it would be OK to re-install the DPP Twin and separator since it the software should be able to handle it?


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## David_Levin (Apr 22, 2002)

Yea, if you haven't done it already, you should be fine reinstalling the DPP.

There have been reports like this before. In the DPP44 days I believe you could also fix it by running two lines from the switch. (I believe there's was even a comment in the DPP44 manual that the 921 couldn't take the download with the separator).

I agree. It's really lame that they are still shipping 921's with L0.55. There's just way too many problems with the initial download.


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