# Bolt Won't Complete Guided Setup- TiVo says "Known Issue-Wait 48 Hours"



## MichaelAinNB (Dec 28, 2013)

We had a Premiere die recently and it was replaced with a 500GB Bolt bought via Amazon. The Bolt arrived today but when I tried to install it, it would not complete the "Guided Setup," process. It proceeded through preparing, connecting, getting info, disconnecting, and loading info with no issues. However, when it reached the "Verifying" stage, it would show "(preparing)" for several minutes and then an error msg appeared that read, "Unable to Verify." I followed the "Press SELECT for more information" option and the next screen read "Connection Problem. Please check your cable connection and try again. If you continue to experience this problem, please call 1-877-367-8486." After several failed attempts to complete the guided setup, I called Tech Support and got the usual person who only knows how to read an algorithm. Ask this, if the answer is this, then ask this. If the answer is this, then ask this. After answering 3 or 4 questions, I was put on hold for a few minutes. When the tech came back she said, "I am very sorry but this is a known issue. You must unplug the Bolt, reboot your modem and router, and in FORTY-EIGHT HOURS (yeah, you read that right), plug the Bolt back in and it should be fine." The tech had a pretty heavy accent and I asked, "Did you just say this is a known issue and I must unplug the Bolt for 48 hours and that will correct the problem?" She said yes, and repeated, word for word (like reading from a script) this is a known problem and I have to unplug the Bolt and let it sit for 48 hours. Has anyone heard of this? Needless to say, the Bolt is going back today.


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## JoeKustra (Dec 7, 2012)

MichaelAinNB said:


> Needless to say, the Bolt is going back today.


Smart move.


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## kpeters59 (Jun 19, 2007)

If you didn't send it back yet, you might consider running a couple Kick Start Codes on it. It might have just done a bad download of the OS or something.

TiVo Kickstart Codes and Information

-KP


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## MichaelAinNB (Dec 28, 2013)

kpeters59 said:


> If you didn't send it back yet, you might consider running a couple Kick Start Codes on it. It might have just done a bad download of the OS or something.
> 
> TiVo Kickstart Codes and Information
> 
> -KP


Thanks KP for the response and suggestion. It has not gone back yet. But I have already picked up a DVR from Spectrum to use in its place. I figure for giggles, I'll boot the Bolt up on Monday and I am sure it will work flawlessly. Wait 48 hours. What a crock.


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## Fant (Sep 1, 2016)

That seems like a tactic if they don’t know what’s wrong to get you to another rep in 2 days.


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## MichaelAinNB (Dec 28, 2013)

Fant said:


> That seems like a tactic if they don't know what's wrong to get you to another rep in 2 days.


That was exactly my first thought. But why such a long wait time? If her ploy was to pass me off to another rep, why not say something like 30 minutes? The chances that she'd answer
my call again 30 minutes later have to be slim unless TiVo only has 2 or 3 techs on duty.

Speaking of customer service, after this fiasco, I called Spectrum to ask questions about their DVR. I spoke with a guy who was in Colorado and, unlike the TiVo rep, he was very easy to understand and not once did I have to say, "I'm sorry, I couldn't understand you, what did you say?" I asked about 10 questions about functionality which he fully answered and after hanging up, I drove to the local office and picked up a 6 tuner DVR. $19.99 a month. However, when I installed it, it was only receiving local channels. I called tech support and this time I got a guy in San Antonio TX. The error had something to do with the CableCard that is still on my account and after 5 minutes or so of him doing some remote work, the DVR was restarted and I was good to go. Granted, a cable DVR doesn't have all the bells and whistles as TiVo but it works. And I'm guessing if it stops working, I won't have a tech give me some BS story about waiting 48 hours for the problem to correct itself.

If I sound a little bitter and anti TiVo right now, so be it. It's not without merit. "Unplug your Bolt and wait 48 hours." Really?


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## aaronwt (Jan 31, 2002)

Still though, $20 a month!?!? Ouch!!!


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## krkaufman (Nov 25, 2003)

MichaelAinNB said:


> It's not with merit.


without


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## MichaelAinNB (Dec 28, 2013)

krkaufman said:


> without


Corrected. Thank you.

So, about an hour ago my cell rings and I see "TiVo" on the screen. I answer and a female with a heavy accent (I think Asian) says, "We are going to troubleshoot your issue." Not Hello, not This is TiVo, not This is TiVo is this a convenient time to address your issue, not even a Go screw yourself, enjoy your cable DVR loser. She then began reading from a script about how the call may be monitored for quality assurance, blah blah blah. She then said "I need you to plug your TiVo back in." I said, "This isn't a good time for this" and hung up. What the hell is going on at TiVo customer service???


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## MichaelAinNB (Dec 28, 2013)

aaronwt said:


> Still though, $20 a month!?!? Ouch!!!


I know but I didn't want to go without cable and Spectrum isn't open on weekends (that will change next month). So I figured the $20 and a cable DVR would buy me some time until I can figure out what I want to do. As bad as this Bolt experience has been, I've been a TiVo customer since about 2002 I think (whenever the Series 2 came out) and, for the most part, I've been happy with the service.


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## MichaelAinNB (Dec 28, 2013)

kpeters59 said:


> If you didn't send it back yet, you might consider running a couple Kick Start Codes on it. It might have just done a bad download of the OS or something.
> 
> TiVo Kickstart Codes and Information
> 
> -KP


Tried the kickstart for guided set-up (code #59) as that was the only one that seemed applicable. Re-executed that but still getting the "Could not verify info" error message.


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## MichaelAinNB (Dec 28, 2013)

***UPDATE***

And I hope this saves new Bolt owners some grief. I called TiVo back and when I told the tech the error msg I was seeing, she said, "You're using a wireless internet connection during the initial setup, aren't you?" I replied yes. She said for the initial setup, a wired connection must be used because a wireless signal typically isn't strong enough. I hooked up an ethernet cable and voila', the setup was completed flawlessly.


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## dave13077 (Jan 11, 2009)

So are you keeping the Bolt or Spectrum DVR?


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## chiguy50 (Nov 9, 2009)

MichaelAinNB said:


> ***UPDATE***
> 
> And I hope this saves new Bolt owners some grief. I called TiVo back and when I told the tech the error msg I was seeing, she said, *"You're using a wireless internet connection during the initial setup, aren't you?"* I replied yes. She said for the initial setup, a wired connection must be used because a wireless signal typically isn't strong enough. I hooked up an ethernet cable and voila', the setup was completed flawlessly.


I'm impressed. It seems that much maligned TiVo shed has at least one sharp tool left in it!


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## MichaelAinNB (Dec 28, 2013)

dave13077 said:


> So are you keeping the Bolt or Spectrum DVR?


I honestly don't know yet. I basically have 30 days to give both of them a try.

On that note, does the Bolt require a tuning adapter? I've read conflicting reports. Some say the adapter is built in, others say I need a traditional tuning adapter from Spectrum.


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## MichaelAinNB (Dec 28, 2013)

chiguy50 said:


> I'm impressed. It seems that much maligned TiVo shed has at least one sharp tool left in it!


Perhaps. It still doesn't change the fact that I was purposely blown off by TiVo TS. "Wait 48 hours." Uh huh.


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## HerronScott (Jan 1, 2002)

MichaelAinNB said:


> On that note, does the Bolt require a tuning adapter? I've read conflicting reports. Some say the adapter is built in, others say I need a traditional tuning adapter from Spectrum.


It will need a TA if you have SDV channels that you want to receive.

Scott


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## MichaelAinNB (Dec 28, 2013)

HerronScott said:


> It will need a TA if you have SDV channels that you want to receive.
> 
> Scott


Thanks Scott. 
So, just when TiVo finally got their act together, Spectrum decided to screw things up. I didn't actually test all of the channels on the Bolt after getting it to successfully complete the setup process. I let it sit and do the channel guide and whatever other updates were needed. It was a couple hours later when I took it out for a spin and that's when I realized I wasn't getting all of the channels (I didn't have a TA attached to the Bolt due to what I had previously read). I called Spectrum and their TS said I did need a TA. So I used a TA attached to one of our Premiere's. It was working fine with the Premiere but when I connected it to the TiVo, I got nothing but a blinking amber light. The tech did some stuff on her end but wasn't successful. 45 minutes into that phone call the tech said, "I may have found the problem. Your CableCARD isn't paired." Turned out that when Spectrum activated their DVR they unpaired the CableCARD I had moved from the dead Premiere tot he Bolt. She took care of that but still couldn't get the TA to work correctly. And when I reinstalled it on the Premiere, it wouldn't work with that device either (blinking amber light). So, I currently have a Bolt and Premiere that are only partially functional. A Spectrum tech is coming out tomorrow morning. What a frickin' headache.


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## lafos (Nov 8, 2004)

I was very happy when, a few years ago, I moved away from TWC country and their Tuning Adapters to a place where they don't need them (yet, anyways)


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## MichaelAinNB (Dec 28, 2013)

lafos said:


> I was very happy when, a few years ago, I moved away from TWC country and their Tuning Adapters to a place where they don't need them (yet, anyways)


I just want all my stuff to work. Nothing more, nothing less. Hopefully, the tech they send will be worth his salt.


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## ej42137 (Feb 16, 2014)

MichaelAinNB said:


> I just want all my stuff to work. Nothing more, nothing less. Hopefully, the tech they send will be worth his salt.


The only thing the guy onsite can do is call the right phone numbers. Pairing CableCARDs and reloading the software in the Tuning Adapter can only be done by the guy on the other end of the line. What you want is a guy that will make the right calls and won't try to bull shirt you about TiVos not working etc.

(By the way, pairing is to a specific TiVo; when you moved the card from the Premiere to the Bolt it became unpaired. Depending upon the cable company, some or all channels will stop working with an unpaired card.)


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## MichaelAinNB (Dec 28, 2013)

ej42137 said:


> The only thing the guy onsite can do is call the right phone numbers. Pairing CableCARDs and reloading the software in the Tuning Adapter can only be done by the guy on the other end of the line. What you want is a guy that will make the right calls and won't try to bull shirt you about TiVos not working etc.
> 
> (By the way, pairing is to a specific TiVo; when you moved the card from the Premiere to the Bolt it became unpaired. Depending upon the cable company, some or all channels will stop working with an unpaired card.)


Thank you for the heads up. Supposedly the tech will call when s/he is an hour away. I'll make sure s/he's bringing two TAs; one for the Bolt and one to replace the one that ceased working with the functioning Premiere.

When I got the Bolt and transferred the M card from the dead Premiere, I called Spectrum and they said they paired the card with the new device. During a subsequent conversation with Spectrum, I was told that the card had been unpaired when I installed the Spectrum DVR. Hopefully, tomorrow's tech will have his/her stuff together.


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## MichaelAinNB (Dec 28, 2013)

Spectrum arrived 15 minutes ago and, as suggested, the tech is clueless about CableCARDS and TAs. He's currently outside checking the cable connection.


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## MichaelAinNB (Dec 28, 2013)

So far so good. The tech found a TA in his truck. He called an associate who is savvy in CableCARD and TAs and he gave my tech the number to call. The tech installed the TA, called the CC number, got it paired and all is good with the Bolt. All channels are up and running. But he only had one TA so I have to head to the local Spectrum office for an additional TA. One odd thing this tech said, though. He said I should take the CableCARD from the Tivo I was getting the TA for with me to Spectrum. He said they could pair it with the TA at their office. Never heard of that. In the past, I've either picked up the TA or had it shipped to me. I don't recall ever taking a CC with me when I got the TA. Thoughts?


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## ej42137 (Feb 16, 2014)

MichaelAinNB said:


> So far so good. The tech found a TA in his truck. He called an associate who is savvy in CableCARD and TAs and he gave my tech the number to call. The tech installed the TA, called the CC number, got it paired and all is good with the Bolt. All channels are up and running. But he only had one TA so I have to head to the local Spectrum office for an additional TA. One odd thing this tech said, though. He said I should take the CableCARD from the Tivo I was getting the TA for with me to Spectrum. He said they could pair it with the TA at their office. Never heard of that. In the past, I've either picked up the TA or had it shipped to me. I don't recall ever taking a CC with me when I got the TA. Thoughts?


Yet another clueless cable guy. The CableCARD has to be paired with the TiVo, in the TiVo. Taking it out of the TiVo can unpair the card. Nobody in a local Spectrum office can do anything at all, like everyone else they would need to call the control center that manages the network.


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## MichaelAinNB (Dec 28, 2013)

ej42137 said:


> Yet another clueless cable guy. The CableCARD has to be paired with the TiVo, in the TiVo. Taking it out of the TiVo can unpair the card. Nobody in a local Spectrum office can do anything at all, like everyone else they would need to call the control center that manages the network.


I've said all along their feigned ignorance about TiVo, CableCARDs and TAs is exactly that, feigned so that you'll just give up and go with their DVR. And, of course, when I got the TA home after picking it up at Spectrum (no, I didn't take the M card with me), it wouldn't sync. Constant blinking amber light. So I called Spectrum and after getting transferred three times, I got "Steve." He sent some signals and had me reboot the TA a few times then had me unplug then replug the connections in different sequential orders (power, USB, then USB and power, etc...) and that didn't work. I could tell he was getting flustered but the icing on the cake was when he pulled the, "You're breaking up...are you still there sir" ploy. I am dead serious. I changed nothing on my phone settings and didn't change my location and I had 4 solid bars of signal the entire time but he finally said, "OK, I can no longer hear you so I have no choice but to end this call" and he hung up. Unbelievable. So, I called back a few minutes later and got a different tech who had me do the same things without success and a tech is coming out tomorrow afternoon.


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## MichaelAinNB (Dec 28, 2013)

So the tech is here and, of course, is clueless about TiVo and even TA's. He actually said, "I've never seen this style of adapter." And even though I told Spectrum yesterday to be sure the tech they send is TiVo/CableCARD/TA savvy and has a TA with him, he doesn't have one (and likely can't even spell TiVo). Idiots! He's trying to find a tech in the area that can swing by with an adapter.

Update: No tech was in the area with a TA. I told him the last time there was an issue with a TA, the tech installed a splitter. He asked me to see the TiVo/TA that had a splitter. I showed him. He duplicated that configuration and voila', the TA sync'd and all is good. 

Other than the California DMV, what other business tolerates this level of incompetence?


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## JoeKustra (Dec 7, 2012)

MichaelAinNB said:


> Other than the California DMV, what other business tolerates this level of incompetence?


There is a forum for that. It is not free. But you can watch cable news for examples.


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