Wot No Program Data

dragonlord666 · 11-21-2005, 03:01 PM

HI
New here but I have a big problem.
I have a "basic" Tivo - no upgrades or anything.
I few weeks back my tivo (named dobby) had major problems downloading program data, I called Tivo Customer Services and they said that they had no Idea why and I should find a local repair guy to fix it as it's basically a computer and their deal with thompson to repair them is over.

I managed to get the program data by "formatting" the hard drive (resetting the tivo and deleting all data)
Now my tivo is doing it again (bad dobby!!) and is going to run out tomorrow - 22 November 2005.

When I force a phone call I get told it completed OK but that no program data is available.

I really don't want to delete any programs I have on the tivo as if this is what I have to do each month or so then there is no point in having the tivo.

Anyone have any Ideas?

I don't have a PC that I can connect to the tivo either - unless someone can tell me in step by step how to set up my XP home laptop to do this.

Thanks

Gaz(UK)

Tony Hoyle · 11-21-2005, 03:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dragonlord666

When I force a phone call I get told it completed OK but that no program data is available.

Thanks

Gaz(UK)

I just looked in with *exactly* the same problem.

My Tivo has been getting its data faithfully for years... it's now stopped. It says the call is successful but no program data is updated. I now have a permanent 'you have less than 7 days data' error and rerunning the daily call won't remove it... looks like tivo have changed something at their end & it's broke.

cwaring · 11-21-2005, 03:16 PM

I think it's some sort of database corruption and I seem to recall that the way this is fixed is by re-running Guided Setup with a *different* postcode then again with your own; if you see what I mean.

I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong

Tony Hoyle · 11-21-2005, 03:29 PM

Hmm would never have thought of that. I'll give it a try...

cwaring · 11-21-2005, 04:06 PM

Neither would I

Luckily it hasn't happened to me, yet

Tony Hoyle · 11-21-2005, 05:24 PM

Uh oh. Bad move.

I got a 'failed while indexing data' error, and now have no programme data at all

Automan · 11-21-2005, 05:37 PM

Perhaps time for a new hard drive.
Several sources on offer with the Tivo software pre-loaded.

This will also give your box a new lease of life and increased recording capacity.

Automan.

cwaring · 11-21-2005, 06:37 PM

Uh-Oh! Perhaps my future posts should have an indemnity clause attached as a sig

blindlemon · 11-22-2005, 07:23 AM

Have you tried "Clear guide data and ToDo list" ?

dragonlord666 · 11-22-2005, 07:36 PM

thanks for the suggestions.
Tried the clear data & to do list -worked the first time now nothing.
Tried the clear all - worked first time but now I don't want to loose all my stuff.

On the hard drive front this is the 3rd hard drive I've had in dobby.
the other two died, dobby starts up I get a pink flash screen then dobby goes back to the start and starts up again, and again, and again and (you get the idea)

Once I get this up and running for a few months without all this trouble I "might" get a 2nd drive or maybe a bigger one.

When I restart dobby I get a message that he is installing new software - when I spoke to the guy at Cust.serv he asked me what software I had requested, When I said none he said it should not install new software without it being requested.
This is when the problem started - wonder if they had a bug but don't want to admitt it!!??

Will try the guide thing and see what happens - have nothing to loose but my sanity.

Gaz

dragonlord666 · 11-23-2005, 01:05 PM

well I was up untill 1:45am last night running the guided setup twice and it seems to have worked. I now have guide data until 14 Dec (when it could all start again LOL)

Thanks for the info guys.

I wonder if it worked out for me but not for Tony as I was on my last day of guide data?

SO now I guess it's keep an eye on this and maybe send tivo CustServ a few emails/calls to find out what this "new software update" is.

Gaz

dragonlord666 · 01-07-2006, 07:15 PM

Hi guys,
Well I'm still having to repeat "guided setup" every month to keep my data up to date. I have noticed I can repeat it with the same postcode and it will work (so far anyway)

BUT does anyone know what this new software is dobby is installing - I get the message he is installing new software each time he starts up?
Could this be something from SKY, who now run the tivo service, to bugger up the tivo's and make us buy sky digi boxes?

Thanks in advance for any info on the new software problem.

Gaz

6022tivo · 01-07-2006, 07:34 PM

Only two versions of SW from tivo at the moment

2.5.5 and 2.5.5a

If you have brought/installed a HDD with 2.5.5a and the tivo servers think you should have 2.5.5 it will download a update everynight (2.5.5) and then install/restart every night at 2am. Maybe when it is downloading the operating system it does not do the data??

cwaring · 01-07-2006, 07:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dragonlord666

Could this be something from SKY, who now run the tivo service, to bugger up the tivo's and make us buy sky digi boxes?

Just to point out that this is mis-information. Sky run Tivo's Customer Service in the UK. That's all. Tivo are still in charge of everything else.

dragonlord666 · 01-29-2007, 05:39 PM

Hi thanks for the info
I'm about ready to blow up tivo in scotland.
THEY WILL NOT UPDATE MY SOFTWARE. They say TIVO will not release the NEW software unless you are having a technical problem (the won't say what these are) that needs the new software. SO BASICALLY I'M SCREWED AND HAVE TO REPEAT THE GUIDED SETUP EVERY MONTH - I'M GONNA CALL THEM EVERY TIME AND ASK FOR MATTHEW!!!
Tonight a Matthew said as I upgraded my tivo they will NOT provide technical support.
I tried to explain that 1) the hard dRIve died so I HAD to replace it &, more important, 2) they sent me the upgrade to 2.5.5a over a year ago during a reboot but it seems did not update THEIR database.
OK I understand they won't give technical advice for something I upgraded but what's the big deal about changing their database to say I have 2.5.5a - would it kill them?

I cannot call them as it's an internal thing (so says Matthew) and they say there is no way for me to contact them!! DOES ANYONE KNOW AN EMAIL OR POSTAL ADDRESS I CAN WRITE TO AND WHO I SHOULD ADDRESS IT TO?
So I seem to have paid for a service they are unwilling to give.

I used to tell everyone to buy a tivo - not any more. the device is great, the customer support (?) is sh**

Seems like every other company - once they have your money don't care about you anymore.

Maybe I'll phone them every night, ask to speak to a manager and see if they get fed up with my calls before I do.

I AM SO PI**ED AT TIVO RIGHT NOW!!

Pete77 · 01-29-2007, 06:43 PM

Suggest you keep on trying to escalate with Tivo customer services. There are some people at Sky who totally understand the Tivo machines and the technical issues but it is now sadly only a minority of those on the customer service line. Many of them support Sky+ most of the time and are not too well versed in Tivo these days.

You say you have upgraded your hard drive twice before. How exactly did you do this and where did those drives come from?

Cainam · 01-30-2007, 05:39 AM

Dragonlord,

As angry as you are (and rightly so), it might be worth trying it one more time but on a different tack.

As 6022Tivo says above the problem is almost certainly becausese of the different versions of the Tivo OS. What is on your hard drive at the moment is 2.5.5a, and what is on the Tivo servers as the version you 'should' have is 2.5.5.

Each night you dial up for program updates it sees the versions are different, and downloads the 'new' version (2.5.5). But when it comes to process it it sees the version on your hard drive is newer, and aborts the upgrade. It does this every night until you run out of data.

So the 'easy' (hopefully) solution is to phone Tivo CS, tell them you have just bought a new TV, and that the Tivo is causing problems with the new TV (and you can tell them Tivo is working perfectly with your old TV). Tell them after reading this forum you believe it is because of the Teletext bug, and can you request that they update you to 2.5.5a?

Once they do this, and they update your servers, then everything should be OK. Each time you download program listings it will see the version on your hard disk and the version on their servers are the same, and it will just download the listings.

Good luck! (and let is know how you get on)

Cainam

mikerr · 01-30-2007, 06:12 AM

Restoring from a standard 2.5.5 image available here would fix the problem too (but lose all recordings & SPs...)

Raisltin Majere · 01-30-2007, 07:08 AM

Wouldn't have to restore from a 2.5.5a image?

mikerr · 01-30-2007, 07:28 AM

No, as Cainam says, tivo is stuck in a loop as its trying to "upgrade" from 2.5.5a to 2.5.5 (and failing because 2.5.5a is more recent - the dialup check just checks whether they differ, the later install on reboot checks version numbers).

Solutions:

1. Ring tivo CS and get someone to change his account to read 2.5.5a (which relies on getting someone with a clue)

2. Install 2.5.5 manually (assuming he doesn't need the teletext bugfix).

ColinYounger · 01-30-2007, 08:53 AM

OFF TOPIC:

Carl - your link to 'Tivo TV Ads & PDF Manuals' no longer exists.

cwaring · 01-30-2007, 09:10 AM

Yeah. I know. I'm going to fix it later today. Thanks

Edit: Fixed!

6022tivo · 01-30-2007, 11:50 AM

Quite a simple one really, have a search for a TV model number with the teletext bug, (Maybe someone will post a model number for you)

Call tivo customer services and say you have a new television that keeps going into standby and muting when the tivo is connected and looking at some forums I have been told to call customer services and ask for the 2.5.5a software as this will fix my issue, they will flag your tivo system number as should have the 2.5.5a software and then it will not try and change version every time it does a download.

dragonlord666 · 01-30-2007, 01:05 PM

Thanks guys, all of you, I really needed to rant and, althrough I'm still pi**ed at Tivo, I'm gonna leave it a couple days (might get a different lot and when I do call I'll ask to speak to a supervisor) then try the TV teletext bug.
Seems stupid that they will flag my account to have new software for this but not otherwise!

Oh well, I'll let you all know what happens (possibly next week ) unless you hear a loud bang in Scotland or hear of said explosion!! <grin>

dragonlord666 · 01-30-2007, 01:53 PM

[/quote]You say you have upgraded your hard drive twice before. How exactly did you do this and where did those drives come from?[/quote]

Pete77, I brought the last one from TIVOHEAVEN (tivoheaven.co.uk)
The others I can't remember but think it was 9thtee (http://www.9thtee.com/tivoupgrades.htm)

The thing that gets me is that TIVO upgraded my software to 2.5.5a in the first place. I looked at TIVO one morning and noticed it had 2.5.5a on it.

Pete77 · 01-30-2007, 02:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dragonlord666

The thing that gets me is that TIVO upgraded my software to 2.5.5a in the first place. I looked at TIVO one morning and noticed it had 2.5.5a on it.

That doesn't sound right to me but I suppose if a customer service rep got the wrong account up on his screen then may be it could some how happen?

Mike Jones · 01-31-2007, 12:06 PM

If you need a tv name, tHe Sony 40" Bravia LCD tv has the teletext bug.

TIVo customer services were really quick to sort this for me a year ago.

Only problem is it overwrites the cachecard dial up instructions, but these are easy enough to fix.

Pete77 · 01-31-2007, 12:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mike Jones

If you need a tv name, tHe Sony 40" Bravia LCD tv has the teletext bug.

TIVo customer services were really quick to sort this for me a year ago.

Only problem is it overwrites the cachecard dial up instructions, but these are easy enough to fix.

Surely it also downgrades you to a non LBA48 enabled version of the Tivo kernel which you need to immediately update again with copykern before your Tivo does any more recordings if you have a drive over 137Gb in size in the machine?

Of course if the existing drive is under 137Gb in size then no problem.

dragonlord666 · 01-31-2007, 01:13 PM

Pete77
Yeah this was a bit of a supprise to me as it was before I knew anything about hacking a tivo. Hell I did not even know you could open the damn thing LOL
I just thought it was something they did and as everything was working I left it - it was only after a few weeks that the guide data did not download and I found this group I began to work out the problem.

So when I call TIVO I just tell them I have a tv that keeps going into standby mode and muting the sound when TIVO is working?
If they push for a TV name I say a ???
Mind you, if I get the two idiots I've spoken to so far they'll possibly say to use the OLD tv.

I have a 250gb harddrive with a cachecard in the tivo at the moment from tivoheaven.

Pete77 · 01-31-2007, 01:22 PM

dragonlord,

Yes I suppose if you can persuade Tivo to change their records to 2.5.5a this should actually be fine as the software you have will then match what they expect so they won't try to "upgrade" you and nor will it stop your daily program data downloads.

The mystery though is how Tivo came to think you have version 2.5 on your Tivo though? How long has this problem been going on.