How can I force a 6.3.(any) upgrade from 3.1.5f ?

1364 Views 14 Replies 8 Participants Last post by cheddarspaz2, Aug 28, 2007

MisterEd

Discussion Starter · Aug 26, 2007

I picked up a couple "dead" HR10's from where I work and made one working one out of it. I used an original hard drive from a good one that had a hacked 3.1.5F on it and it's working fine after being activated by D*. Problem is, it won't upgrade to 6.3.whatever. It's been 2 weeks. I ran ADD6X.TCL and it never upgraded (slices are not in SwSystem). Other then pulling the drive and reimaging with CAKE is there another way to force the upgrade?

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sk33t3r

· #2 · Aug 26, 2007

PLug in the phone line and phone home or wait and I will have a virgin 63e image up on the web

MisterEd

Discussion Starter · #3 · Aug 26, 2007

It's been sucessfully dialing in for 2 weeks, no upgrade. I was just trying to avoid pulling the drive again and wanted to "slicer" it. I have a couple HR10's with "D" & "E" but didn't want to shut them down and pull the drives.

sk33t3r said:
PLug in the phone line and phone home or wait and I will have a virgin 63e image up on the web

BTUx9

· #4 · Aug 26, 2007

you said the drive was hacked... in that case, it's probably set NOT to allow upgrades... there are plenty of threads here dealing with that situation.

re: slicer... I'm pretty sure that runs on a working tivo, not on a PC

MisterEd

Discussion Starter · #5 · Aug 26, 2007

Yes, it is set not to allow upgrades TO INSTALL but it will still download the slices. Then you run SLICER via TELNET to the HR10. I'm quite aware it doesn't work via a PC, I've hacked many TiVo's.

My point was, I DO NOT want to pull the drive and have to hook it to a PC. I want the slices to download to the box so I can upgrade it using slicer WITHOUT removing it and without losing the existing hacks.

I can easily obtain an image and go that route but I want to leave it in place and in service since I have bash access via both serial and/or network. I have tried GET6X.TCL which is supposed to force a download....it didn't.

All I want is the slices to download which hasn't happened in 2 weeks hooked to the phone line.

So my original questions remains .... the box is still at 3.1.5F, why won't 6.anything download after 2 weeks?

BTUx9 said:
you said the drive was hacked... in that case, it's probably set NOT to allow upgrades... there are plenty of threads here dealing with that situation.

re: slicer... I'm pretty sure that runs on a working tivo, not on a PC

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BTUx9

· #6 · Aug 26, 2007

many people have complained of not getting slices on a dtivo box... I'm not sure a phonecall actually gets the slices for dtivos since satellite downloads have proven basically reliable.

Unfortunately, if the slices are no longer in the stream (like with plain 6.3), you end up in this situation.

At this point, your best bet may be to see if you can track down somebody with the original slices (I'm pretty sure it has to be the pure 6.3, because of the major changes to mfs)

of course, it is POSSIBLE to mfsbackup and mfsrestore on running tivos (without pulling the drives), but is likely to involve much more work than actually pulling them.

p.s. I'm sorry I misread your intent on your first post, but we're just trying to help, so you may want to tone down the responses

captain_video

· #7 · Aug 26, 2007

If you have another HDTivo with the current software then shut one down and make a backup image (you should have done this already if you do any sort of Tivo hacking). Creating a backup image won't put your other HDTivo out of service for more than 20 or 30 minutes, worst case. I just don't understand why you're screwing around with getting the slices when you can restore an image from another unit that already has the latest software. You can rehack your new drive using the Zipper or do it manually, whichever you feel the most comfortable with. If you've hacked as many Tivos as you claim then this should be a snap for you (although the use of an automated script really doesn't constitute hacking in any real sense).

MisterEd

Discussion Starter · #8 · Aug 27, 2007

BTUx9: I apologize for the "tone" of the message, but I assumed you had read my message fully and I was just trying to clarify my point.

Sir Captain_Video: With no disrepect intended (well, maybe just a little

) it wasn't my intent to use the word "hacking" to insult those that devote their lives 24/7 to this nor was I looking for a definition of the difference between hacking in the purist sense vs. modifying a TiVo using a script. I guess I should have said "I have modified many TiVos over he years." Whether I did it by script or the manual method or a combination of both isn't the issue. But since you seem to need a reason, at this time there are medical issues that prevent me from easily pulling my existing boxes off my shelf, digging my WIN98 box out of the attic, removing 2 hard drives. connecting them to the WIN98 box and putting it all back together again. Yes, it would be "a snap" .... if I wanted to deal with the pain.

captain_video said:
If you've hacked as many Tivos as you claim then this should be a snap for you (although the use of an automated script really doesn't constitute hacking in any real sense).

Meanwhile, my original question remains ... is there a way to force the slices to download - ADD6X.TCL didn't work - or even copy them off another HR10 via the network so I don't have to tear everything apart. If the answer is NO I guess I'll just have to wait another 6-8 weeks and do it "the old fashioned way."

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100Tbps

· #9 · Aug 27, 2007

I recently migrated from 3.1.something (on an unhacked drive) to 6.2a by forcing daily calls several days in a row. I started making the calls on Monday or Tuesday, and the slices appeared by Friday. This was before the 6.3e roll-out.

Even though you've had the phone line connected, you didn't mention if you were forcing daily calls. If you start this process today and force one or two calls each afternoon, perhaps this might work for you. If nothing else, it's easier than the drive pulling you're trying to avoid.

My 3.1.something was on the original drive from several years ago. BOTH upgraded drives in the unit failed (2 months after the warranty expired; amazing how the drive people plan their MTBF) so I replaced them with the original. I laughed out loud when it complained about the 1000+ days since the last daily call when it booted up.

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MisterEd

Discussion Starter · #10 · Aug 27, 2007

At least 2 calls per day.

It's basically a "virgin" HR10-250 drive with only Telnet/FTP on it and nothing else and never used except to activate the box. I found it in a drawer so I dropped it in this box I am working with hoping it would quickly update to 6.something before I "zippered" it.

Ed

100Tbps said:
I recently migrated from 3.1.something (on an unhacked drive) to 6.2a by forcing daily calls several days in a row. I started making the calls on Monday or Tuesday, and the slices appeared by Friday. This was before the 6.3e roll-out.

Even though you've had the phone line connected, you didn't mention if you were forcing daily calls. If you start this process today and force one or two calls each afternoon, perhaps this might work for you. If nothing else, it's easier than the drive pulling you're trying to avoid.

My 3.1.something was on the original drive from several years ago. BOTH upgraded drives in the unit failed (2 months after the warranty expired; amazing how the drive people plan their MTBF) so I replaced them with the original. I laughed out loud when it complained about the 1000+ days since the last daily call when it booted up.

Da Goon

· #11 · Aug 27, 2007

Look at this post here for a pointer to 6.3c slices : http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?p=4973418#post4973418
It has you download a script which then initiates a wget download and dbload of the 6.3c slices. Or you could just follow the trail and download, dbload, and upgrade yourself.

BTUx9

· #12 · Aug 27, 2007

Da Goon said:
Look at this post here for a pointer to 6.3c slices : http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?p=4973418#post4973418
It has you download a script which then initiates a wget download and dbload of the 6.3c slices. Or you could just follow the trail and download, dbload, and upgrade yourself.

as I said in post #6, I don't think you can jump major s/w versions because of the mfs changes involved.
If I'm right, he'd have to upgrade 3.1.5f -> 6.3 -> 6.3c (or d or e), so the 6.3c slices aren't enough.
If I'm wrong, please let me know (and provide a link, if available) because I HATE disseminating inaccurate info.

puffdaddy

· #13 · Aug 28, 2007

I'm not sure it's necessary to step from 3.1.5x to 6.3 before going to 6.3x. What makes you think that it is?

Even the most minor steps (6.3c to 6.3d for example) display the "updating database," so I was under the impression that included in the slices were any MFS changes.

I'm trying to think of the biggest jump that I've taken a box through. Perhaps it was 4.0.1b to 7.x or 8.x? That should be nearly equivalent to 3.1.5 to 6.3x (~7.2.1).

I'd recommend the OP get the 6.3c slices as advised and install.

Da Goon

· #14 · Aug 28, 2007

BTUx9 said:
as I said in post #6, I don't think you can jump major s/w versions because of the mfs changes involved.

I've done it on a few times on a few of my boxes. I've never run any 6.3x version that was previous to 6.3b.

cheddarspaz2

· #15 · Aug 28, 2007

I made a call in with a backup image restored to a new drive, and after a restart, it went from 3.1.5e to 6.3e in one call. And now another fresh backup.

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