can't get my set top box to switch on /out of maintenance mode

[pdbmn1]

please can someone help ,  i've had 3x 1 hour+ conversations with the call centre and on tuesday the 2nd call ,  they managed to resolve and a factory reset (keep recordings)  was successful and all was well .   but today it's not working again  and after  a very stressful call with the advisor asking me the same things over and over    i'm back to square one . 

i DON'T want to lose my recordings but i can't access them to watch them or transfer them anywhere if there's a way of doing this . 

so i DON'T want a replacement box at this time UNLESS they can help transfer the content . 

does one of you know what i can do please ? 

[Karl-TalkTalk]

Hi

If a hard drive has failed within the legacy youview box, nothing can be done to repair this.

TalkTalk no longer issue a recordable TV Box.  The previous Netgem box mentioned, that would record to a USB stick is no longer provided and TalkTalk now only provide a single box to customers and that is the Android based TV HUB.

Thanks  

Karl. 

[pdbmn1]

acknowledging the time you've taken to reply to this - thanks.   would a computer or TV specialist be able to use linux and /or take the D370 apart or whatever,  to repair the hard drive?     and what i've read about the replacement tv hubs that only record  what you're watching if at all ,  it's a serious backward step .   

[Futaura]

It is not a software issue - nobody from tech support, or anywhere else is going to be able to fix a faulty hard drive. It is highly likely that the box cannot load the software because it cannot read the hard drive due to the failure. Often hard drive failures are gradual. Resetting things can often get things working for a while, but sooner rather than later, a failing hard drive will get progressively worse as more bad sectors develop.

Unfortunately, these devices are badly designed in some ways. For example, the XFS filesystem they use can sometimes develop errors or corruption (even on a healthy drive). Unlike many other manufacturers, the Huawei boxes are not able to run a filesystem repair to fix such issues.

The recordable box you refer to is I think the only box they support now. It is a single tuner box with no hard drive. You need to buy an external USB hard drive to attach to the box in order to record anything and even then you can only record one channel at a time (and if watching live TV, you can only record the channel you are watching).

I'm not even going to go into the Linux solutions for diagnosing issues with the hard drive, or transferring files, because that is a complex task. Besides, it would need you to open the box and connect a SATA to USB adapter in order to read it on a laptop.

[pdbmn1]

hi back again .  i just read some other threads and there IS a recordable box that is available .... contrary to what i was told . 

however,  i Strongly believe that there IS a way for someone in Technical Support to GET THE OLD software and MAKE IT AVAILABLE TO MY STB to get it to come back to life.    

if you/they are UNWILLING to do this  i will DISCONTINUE my service and move elsewhere  EVEN IF  it is more expensive . 

i have been a TalkTalk customer for about 10 years and have been treated like *@#][!![]'#[@#]!* in this matter ,   3 painful noisy 1 hour + phone calls to an overseas NOISY call centre  and a very tedious online livechat when i finally got past the 'bot' 

don't start  "telling me off"  for   "swearing"  or  Pretend  you can't do anything . .   please PULL OUT ALL THE STOPS ,  GET THE software and  please  GET MY OLD BOX working again .    YOU KNOW YOU Are able to do this SOMEHOW    

(AND whoever is reading this -    don't say  'you'  can't ...   just make sure this is PASSED ON  to someone who WILL ) 

[pdbmn1]

hi , i tried this option several times but like  software reset,  and factory reset ,  it just ignored everything and went back to maintenance mode .  unlike one time last week when under the instruction of the advisor, she suggested Something different and the factory reset worked.       i don't know Linux,  would i need to instal it on my laptop ?   i don't mind transferring recordings to the laptop ,   i wanted to do that anyway but never knew how to .      if you are able to provide some step by step instructions ....?     T I A 

[Futaura]

"Internet/USB Recovery, keep recordings" from maintenance mode is the only way to reinstall the software - the box will fetch it itself  The last ditch option would be to use "Internet/USB Recovery, delete recordings" which will completely erase your drive and recordings (this is the option you have to use after installing a new hard drive). If either option works for a while, before it gets stuck at "Waking up", etc, the hard drive has developed bad sectors and needs to be replaced.

I could tell you how to copy the SD recordings off the hard drive (HD recordings are encrypted so can't be retrieved), but unless you know Linux, it is going to be difficult. Even after transferring them off, you can only ever watch on your PC - they can't be transferred back to a working box to be played. And as others have said, if the drive is too far gone, it may be a struggle to read the recording files anyway.

Your options are therefore limited. If you want to keep using your box, the only option is to forget about your existing recordings, buy a new hard drive and fit it yourself (it is relatively easy, if you know how to use a screwdriver!). If you want to take this option, I can advise further.

[pdbmn1]

i think i have had all the  official  'support'  i am going to get  .     i am asking Someone to pull out All the stops to please help me get this sorted as  TT obviously Even if they could ,  just want to move me on to the newer much more inferior service .     

[Gliwmaeden2]

Support staff will respond after the weekend, @pdbmn1.

Among us customers, @fr8ys is probably the most experienced I have come across with these sorts of problems. His advice is well worth heeding. 

[pdbmn1]

please is there Somebody Anybody  on here  who can help get this sorted for me ?   i don't want to keep repeating everything ,  but last Tuesday the advisor i spoke to successfully helped me to get the STB working again - so something must have worked At the time , and surely it Must be possible that all hasn't changed in under a week .      please please  help .  i don't care who it is   please . someone there Must Know what to do .  please . 

[fr8ys]

Back again.

TalkTalk do not offer a repair service.

The best they offer is a new box but it doesn't record and you need to phone and recontract.

As you said there are YouTube tutorials.

[pdbmn1]

no HD , all  SD .   if it definitely IS the hard drive ?    thanks for your responses. i don't mind who i hear from  but i hope someone else on here see this and can follow it up somehow and get me a link to some software  that TT Probably Could  help me with in the circumstances IF they wanted to .    so if there is an insider on here with some knowledge of this  PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE get me a link  and/or some instructions of Exactly what to do   i've been with TT many years so i must be in some small way be in the valued customer category 

[fr8ys]

SD recordings may be recoverable and transferred to a computer but given the hard drive failure it's doubtful.

HD recordings have not, to my knowledge, ever been successfully transferred to a computer.

I'll leave this thread now and leave you to try and find someone to help you.

Good luck.

[pdbmn1]

thanks ,  but i'm wanting to retrieve the recordings from my old box.    i'm trying to get some continuation with these posts,  i might have gone down some rabbit hole with hard drives and software issues -  whatever it is ,  the main thing i want to do is get some software on to my old box so i can use it again!    i know you said i probably can't but reading other posts today leads me to believe that someone somewhere knows a way to make it happen .      

[fr8ys]

Once a new hard drive is installed it will run the set up procedure and download the software. No manual intervention is required.

To be honest, once you find someone to do this and paid them and for parts, if you want a recordable box, you'd be better off buying an EE (BT) pro box from somewhere like CeX who provide a guarantee too. These are sub £100. Also there are Freeview Play boxes available too.

[pdbmn1]

ok . thankyou .  but someone who knows what they're doing Would be able to replace the HD and get some software updates even if they are old ones?    do You know where i could find the updates Please ??

[fr8ys]

Your box searches for it and downloads as part of the set up procedure.

Your box either isn't getting that far in the process, or if it is can't proceed due to your hard disc failure.

[pdbmn1]

thankyou .  do you know how i can get the software reinstated ?   where can i find a link for that ?   .

[fr8ys]

Thanks @Futaura for your insight.

Most customers are not willing to poke about and change hard drives and whilst an option, not one I recommend. I used to see this on the old YouView forum and people bought incompatible drives or formatted incorrectly instead of letting the box do it, and sometimes even a new drive did not work as it was a hardware fault.

Offering this advice raised people's expectations and often resulted in disappointment.

I also note on the other thread referenced that the software was reinstated, and presumably this is still the case, in which case I concur that the hard drive has failed.

[pdbmn1]

hi  Oliver  (?)  thanks for this - the problem is that it is just not updating at all by doing any of the things suggested which i've now tried countless times .   the suggestion about getting a HD off ebay for £10  -  i don't feel qualified enough to take anything apart . i just looked at a YT video where they did that and 8.5 minutes later  even that guy hadn't succeeded   (runtime  not actual time he spent in real life doing it) 

[Futaura]

Some of the advice given above is incorrect. It does sound very much like the hard drive has failed to me. This can be verified if you are technical enough, but that's quite an advanced topic to learn for what I suspect will only confirm the suspicion.

A failed hard drive means you will unfortunately have lost all your recordings. The only solution is take the box apart and replace the hard drive yourself (£10 from eBay). Once connected to the internet, the box will then format the drive and download the software to it.

Through my experience of DN372T failures, I collated all my knowledge at youview.futaura.uk   before I had a chance to forget it!