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bill3579

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Hello, I am new here and hope I am doing the right thing.

I have an HDR Fox T2, bought from John Lewis in March 2013. Until a few days ago ak=ll was well until this fault occurred. I found the following when browsing the forum in a topic that described the problem exactly.

Barry
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Don't worry about the greyed out options.

Download and install version 1.01.09 from the link below, boot box after update, all should be well, then upload the latest again from the same link 1.02.28

Instructions for updating are included in the zipped download files.

http://beta.humaxonline.co.uk/freeview-hd-t2

If that does not work then post again.

I followed the procedure described, and installed version 1.01.09. All appeared to go well but when the HDR was restarted, the signal was reported to be absent or too weak. At the same time the signal passed through to the TV was normal. My attempt to go back by installing version 1.02.28 failed, it did not really begin.

My HDR is now completely non functional. Can it be recovered, or is it junk? I think I will have to buy another model but I will need a lot of persuading to buy Humax

| Sun 24 Jan 2016 19:22:48 #1 |
Martin Liddle

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bill3579 - 12 minutes ago »
My HDR is now completely non functional. Can it be recovered, or is it junk?

It sounds as though you have one of the late production models with different hardware for the tuners. This requires the latest software. I suggest you install version 1.03.12 before doing anything else and see if that resolves the problem. The post you have quoted was made before the late production models existed.

| Sun 24 Jan 2016 19:38:52 #2 |
Luke

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bill3579 - 3 hours ago »
Can it be recovered, or is it junk? I think I will have to buy another model but I will need a lot of persuading to buy Humax

Just a side comment from me:
Yes it can be recovered, but if Martin's initial suggestion does not fix then it will take a bit of your time to go through a known process to fix the disk.

| Sun 24 Jan 2016 22:55:52 #3 |
MontysEvilTwin

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The latest official version of the software (1.03.12) can be found here (instructions and link to download). The software can be downloaded directly (as a ZIP file) from this link.
Installing this version should get your tuner working again. If you still have a delete loop it can be fixed using custom firmware: let us know how you get on.

| Mon 25 Jan 2016 5:03:26 #4 |
bill3579

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Thank you all.

I found my way to a version 1.03.12 download and installed it before seeing MontysEvilTwin's helpful link.

I am relieved to tell you that I no longer have a heap of junk, the problem is as it was before. The Deleting message is still there. Instructions to record are still accepted, the HDR starts if in Standby, but recording does not happen. In the Settings menu, Edit Channels and Installation are still greyed out. Can anyone guide me through the process that Luke mentioned?

I think I was unjust to suggest I had a heap of junk. I was influenced by my own experience of Humax email support about six years ago - it ignored my messages - and the frequent comments on the web that Humax uses cheap, unreliable electronic components.

Thanks again.

| Mon 25 Jan 2016 9:22:10 #5 |
Martin Liddle

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bill3579 - 3 hours ago »
Can anyone guide me through the process that Luke mentioned?

The FAQs on this site for this issue is Link to FAQ on using Custom Firmware to fix hard drive problems

and the frequent comments on the web that Humax uses cheap, unreliable electronic components.

I don't think Humax have a significant track record of using unreliable components; the first Youview box seemed to have a problem with something in the hard drive interface and there is an ongoing issue with the HDR Freesat boxes which may be software or may be hardware; what else did you have in mind? I do think Humax are less interested in fixing software issues than they used to be.

| Mon 25 Jan 2016 12:53:12 #6 |
MontysEvilTwin

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You have a corrupt database file 'filebglastop.dat' which has to be deleted. You will need the HDR-FOX to be linked to your network (Ethernet or wireless dongle): note the IP address of the unit. You will also need to install the custom firmware to run this procedure. If you don't want to keep the custom firmware you can remove it afterwards by reinstalling the standard firmware again (1.03.12).
The custom firmware forum is over at hummy.TV. You can download the latest custom firmware (1.03.12/ 3.03) using this link. The custom firmware is installed from a USB stick. If you want to fully install the custom firmware and all its features, open a web browser window (PC or tablet etc.), type in the IP address of the HDR-FOX and follow the instructions. You don't need to do the full install via the web browser to fix your problem, the initial install from the USB stick is enough to give you Telnet access.
Now the unit has the basic custom firmware installed and is connected to your network you need Telnet access to it. Use a Telnet client: Putty is good on a Windows PC. You can also use an Android or iOS device: Mocha Telnet Lite is a good app. Open a Telnet session and connect to your HDR-FOX (IP address). You will be prompted for a passcode: this will be 0000 if you have not changed it.
Select the 'maintenance mode' option and the unit will reboot into a special mode. Sometimes WiFi does not work in this mode: it is supported but if you have a problem, temporarily switch to Ethernet. There are notes on maintenance mode here. Then reconnect to the unit with Telnet. You would be best to select the fix-disk option as this will also fix any filesystem errors. This will take a while to run and can appear to stall at certain points: be patient. During the fix-disk procedure you will be asked if you have a delete loop: answer yes and the corrupted database file will be deleted during the run.
Alternatively, if you are in a hurry, you can delete the file from the command line. Select the 'cli' option in maintenance mode and then type in the following instructions one by one when prompted (humax#):
humax# /etc/init.d/S90settop shut humax# rm /mnt/hd1/filebglastop.dat humax# sync humax# reboot
I know the above can sound like a bit of a faff but it is not too bad: just take it a step at a time.

| Mon 25 Jan 2016 12:59:12 #7 |
bill3579

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I sent an interim thank-you message yesterday, but it has been lost. At that stage I had progressed as far as opening the Putty window. The following step failed. as you warned it might, because my laptop is on wirwless. I have setup a temporary all ethernet rig and was confident all would be well. It is not. When the Putty window opens, it is empty apart from the title and a cursor. I have checked and checked but cannot find any mistake

| Tue 26 Jan 2016 11:17:49 #8 |
MontysEvilTwin

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bill3579 - 31 minutes ago »
I sent an interim thank-you message yesterday, but it has been lost. At that stage I had progressed as far as opening the Putty window. The following step failed. as you warned it might, because my laptop is on wirwless. I have setup a temporary all ethernet rig and was confident all would be well. It is not. When the Putty window opens, it is empty apart from the title and a cursor. I have checked and checked but cannot find any mistake

To clarify, it is fine for your laptop to be connected wirelessly to your network. For the initial connection it is also fine for the HDR-FOX to be connected wirelessly too. After the initial Telnet connection, the HDR-FOX has to be booted into a special maintenance mode: it is at this point where you might encounter problems with the WiFi connection between the HDR-FOX and the network, the laptop is fine on wireless. With Putty you need to connect to the HDR-FOX by inputting the IP address of the HDR-FOX. There are also several connection type options (Telnet, SSH etc.) You need to select a Telnet connection on port 23.
There is a brief guide to setting up the Telnet connection here. By default you should be asked to input the passcode and then get a list of options, rather than going straight to the command line.

| Tue 26 Jan 2016 12:02:51 #9 |
bill3579

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Thank you. I had already followed the advice and after I encountered the wifi problem yesterday, I set up the all ethernet rig today. I tried again just now and stll get the Putty window with only a cursor. Yesterday, as I recall, the Putty window was OK and I could see the menu. The process failed after I has selected the fix disk option.

| Tue 26 Jan 2016 12:50:19 #10 |