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View Full Version : Can't execute kickstart on DRT800


miketx
08-31-2009, 09:06 AM
I'm trying in vain to get my DRT800 to go into kickstart mode. I've tried every permutation of the instructions I've seen on the forum: I unplug the Tivo, plug it back in and press my Pause button (I've held it before plugin, after, etc..). The two orange lights will go red, then the right red one will light, at which point I try the codes......nothing. Red light goes out, orange light goes on and Tivo continues booting just like normal (btw, this is the normal sequence of lights regardless of Pause).

What the heck? I'm beginning to think kickstart is a myth. I even tried pushing the Pause button on the console. Nothing. These are the instructions I found:

How to Perform a Kickstart Code:

1. Reboot the TiVo - This can be done by pulling the plug and waiting at least 10 seconds before plugging it back in, or you can use the menus under Message and Setup to tell the machine to reboot itself.
2. As soon as the machine begins the reboot, hold down the yellow Pause button on the remote. Make sure the remote is aimed at the TiVo.
3. For most machines: Hold this down until a yellow light shows on the front of the unit.
For units with DVD: Hold Pause until both lights go out, then the right light goes red.
4. Now enter the kickstart code from the list below. In most cases, the light will then turn off and in many cases (depending on the code and the model) the unit will then reboot. If on the reboot, you don't get the expected behavior, try again, and try to enter the code sooner after the light change.

windracer
09-02-2009, 08:46 AM
I don't know how similar the LED sequence on the DRT800 is to the TX20, but here are the steps I wrote for the TX20 kickstart:

http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?p=6655221#post6655221

miketx
09-02-2009, 02:49 PM
Yeah, I tried your procedure. Biggest difference I noticed was that my Humax had two orange LEDs at the beginning of the sequence (versus 1 orange, 1 red). After the RED DVD LED lit and the screen flashed, two orange LEDs came on. I let go of PAUSE and tried to enter the codes...any of them. Nothing. Tivo just keeps on booting. I repeated this 4 times.....same result each time.

I did noticed that two different times.....yesterday and today, during the booting sequence Tivo said "installing service update.....a few more minutes". I found that odd......I know I didn't receive two back-back service updates.

I'm about to give up.....I'm probably causing more damage than good from unplugging my Tivo so many times.

windracer
09-02-2009, 03:25 PM
You might have triggered the "Installing a service update" message if you tried a kickstart 51 or 56. So maybe it is working. I take it you're trying to do a disk check (i.e., 54)?

miketx
09-02-2009, 06:17 PM
Yeah....I was actually trying a 57 or 58, which I thought were the disk/file system check codes. I know I didn't hit 51 or 56. I wonder if different systems have different codes? I didn't think so, based on my research, but everytime I tried 57 or 58, no love (but something did trigger the service update message).

windracer
09-02-2009, 07:29 PM
I wonder if different systems have different codes?
There are some different ones across platforms, but for the most part, the basic ones are the same.

http://www.weaknees.com/tivo-kickstart-codes.php

57 or 58 should force a GSOD. 54 should initiate the manual disk tests (user-selectable). I'm not sure what's wrong ...

miketx
09-03-2009, 01:00 PM
Update: I was able to get code 54 to execute this morning. I didn't do anything different except restart the Tivo via menus (versus unplugging), but I could definitely tell when the code executed......the hard drive immediately spun down and the black screen came up.

So, here's my results:

Initial state: Pass
Short test: Pass
Conveyance test: No start
Extended test: Nosupport
Offline scan: Done

My HD is a 3 year old Maxtor 300gb L01R300 (7200rpm, 16mb). The Offline scan took 2 hours....not sure what it was trying to do...."Done" was the only message.

Any idea what "Conveyance test" is? Searching the web, it seems to have something to do with checking for damage of a transported drive.....ie doesn't seem applicable. I'm guessing that Maxtor didn't fully implement the SMART standards on this drive, hence the Nosupport for Extended test.

I may try 57 or 58 again and see what happens. All of my efforts are mainly to check the health of my Tivo, since I am having sporatic remote control issues (already cleaned the Tivo, tested two different remotes). After all my restarts, it actually seems to be getting better.....I may just have a failing IR sensor (hope not).

windracer
09-03-2009, 04:35 PM
It's been a while since I did a kickstart 54 on an S2 box, but I believe those are the normal results for the conveyance and extended tests. Looks like your drive is fine, although an mfscheck can't hurt.

miketx
09-03-2009, 11:22 PM
Yeah, I'll try the mfs test tomorrow.....giving the box a rest tonight. Thanks for the responses so far!