# HELP!!! Need to DOWNGRADE a Mini VOX (WITHOUT finishing Guided Setup)



## BSMirsky (Jun 21, 2015)

My first ever time where calling customer service has failed...

I'll try to summarize best I can, but also want to be thorough. We have in our house a Premiere, a Roamio and a TiVo Mini (non VOX). The Premiere and Roamio are both over 18 months old (the Premiere obviously longer) and we just added the Mini for my daughter's room at Christmas. All works great with those 3 devices. Realizing what the Mini does, we opted to buy an additional mini and ditch our last Comcast box, leaving us only with two CableCards from them (in the two full-size TiVos)

For the purposes of providing all details that will be pertinent, I grabbed this last TiVo Mini VOX from my BANK via credit card points in their rewards program. I only mention that because it makes the return process impossible and the exchange process tricky, at best. Anyway, we got the Mini VOX, unboxed it, plugged it into a CAT5 cable, HDMI and powered it up. It did everything it was supposed to, just as the last one had EXCEPT... at some point (and I can't recall if it was forced or if I just assumed I should click NEXT or something) but it upgraded to the latest version of the software. As it turns out, that version is NEWER than what my 3 boxes have... so on the last portion of Guided Setup, when it asks you to choose a box to use for program guide and streaming, etc... they are both NOT AVAILABLE FOR SELECTING.

I am told that I can downgrade the software, but only after finishing guided setup, using the on screen menus. I can't finish setup... UNLESS I first UPGRADE my Roamio to the NEWEST software... which will orphan my Premiere (and maybe my older Mini - though I can't confirm that yet) But we KNOW the Premiere won't upgrade to the latest software... AND I am led to believe that, if I upgrade the Roamio, connect the Mini VOX, I can then DOWNGRADE BOTH... BUT, if I do that, it will lock them in the lower version forever. I'm frankly concerned about even trying it, because I don't want to lose my Premiere access or make things worse.

So far, I see my options as:
1) Do what I've just described and take that chance
2) Sell the Mini VOX on EBay for a slight loss and buy an older Mini
3) Drink heavily

Is there not some way to downgrade or FACTORY RESET a Mini VOX **WITHOUT** using the on-screen menus??? Seems like a major oversight to me. Would really love some help!! Hell, I'll send my device to somebody, have them downgrade it and pay to have it sent back if I need to. I just don't want a $179 device sitting around as a brick.


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## man cave (Nov 15, 2014)

I would buy and trade with you if you want.


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## krkaufman (Nov 25, 2003)

By the way, the other downside of using either of your own DVRs for the temporary-Hydra workaround is that you'd lose all content from them in the downgrade process back to pre-Hydra.


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## ej42137 (Feb 16, 2014)

The Mini Vox comes at the Hydra level, you didn't do anything wrong to make that happen. I had exactly your experience when I got my Mini Vox, I several TiVos at Gen3 and I wasn't going to stink them up with Hydra.

In any case, a Mini Vox should connect with Gen3 TiVos. But those TiVos need to become aware that your new Mini is active in your account. The TiVo help directs you to run a network connect twice on the target TiVo and then restart it; I did that for each of my TiVos, and one by one they became visible to my Mini. After the first one, I was able to complete Guided Setup and revert my Mini Vox to Gen3.

There are several other things that can prevent this process from completing; I drove myself crazy during this process because I had forgot to plug in the power to an Ethernet switch. But you should be able to connect first, then revert from Hydra to Gen3.


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## krkaufman (Nov 25, 2003)

Wait, if this is a new Mini, are you sure the other DVRs are marked as not available because they're not Hydra, or could it just be the typical Mini activation hassles?

See the following post and follow the instructions to make sure one or both DVRs have been made aware of the new Mini on your account:

Expediting Mini Activation

edit: Yes, what @ej42137 said. And once the DVRs are visible to the Mini VOX and you connect to one, you'll be notified that your Mini is on a different software version and will be presented the opportunity to downgrade it.


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## BSMirsky (Jun 21, 2015)

First, thanks all for replying.
Second, I *did* finally get it to connect. I left the new TiVo Mini VOX unplugged overnight... forced connection on the Roamio twice... and very ironically, had a 45 second power outage in my neighborhood which made everything reboot. As has been said above, the VOX said it had to be downgraded, I did that, and it latched onto the Roamio. BUT, now I have a new issue... so if anyone has any thoughts...

The new VOX is working flawlessly. It can stream from the Roamio... it can stream from the Premiere... and it can use the GUIDE from the Roamio. The ORIGINAL MINI however, which has been working flawless since day 1, now continually reports it can't access it's master (the Roamio) - if I restart it, or change it's IP address manually, it will work for a bit... then disconnect again. Keep in mind, this is the one that's been working fine, though I did swap the rooms they were in. (The Mini VOX ONLY has HDMI so I put that in my daughter's room since it's a newer TV - and I moved the Mini NON VOX to the old CRT in the family room using the yellow and green component jacks. Otherwise though, the CAT5 network is one and the same)

Thoughts welcome!


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## Brandon Vaughan (Dec 16, 2017)

I have had this same problem for 3 years. I have called them at least 20 times with no solution. I have had every mini in my house replaced and my bolt replace with no solution. I have switched from Ethernet to moca with no solution. They simply tell me it is my network. I live in a house that is 3 years old and every other connection in the house works but this one. I am at my wits end and I am looking for a better option than TiVo.


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## krkaufman (Nov 25, 2003)

Brandon Vaughan said:


> I have had this same problem for 3 years. I have called them at least 20 times with no solution. I have had every mini in my house replaced and my bolt replace with no solution. I have switched from Ethernet to moca with no solution. They simply tell me it is my network. I live in a house that is 3 years old and every other connection in the house works but this one. I am at my wits end and I am looking for a better option than TiVo.





Brandon Vaughan said:


> Guys, I was reading this thread and I just spent several hours on the phone with Tivo. Bill, would love to get those instructions that you used and what you ran into as I have pretty much the exact same setup as you and everything. I have 4 minis and a Bolt. Ever since I got this thing the minis work fine then after say 20 min they drop the connection to the bolt. I have to go in and refresh the IP and then it works again for another 20. This happens on everyone of them. I have tried different switches with no success. Tivo basically is no help and they said for the first time in 2 + years yesterday that with that many minis that moca is better. I was so pissed that this is the first time I have heard of this. Before I go out and struggle with getting this thing converted over to moca, can I get any insight into dealing with this and have you guys heard of this before?





> can you help instruct me on your procedures in getting your moca set up with your fios gateway? Would love you forever as I want to strangle Tivo.


Are you looking for help with your setup? If so, you'd want to provide specific details on all the coax and network components that are part of the setup, including brands/model # where possible, how the locations & devices connect, etc. Text description works, but diagrams, however rough, typically are better.

Starting a new thread on your issue would probably get the most eyeballs.

p.s. But try to follow up if/when people respond to your request for help. (x x)
.


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## rgura (Feb 21, 2005)

I purchased an additional Mini to connect with my existing Roamio (non Hydra). The following worked for me:

Run through guided setup on the Mini, eventually connecting with the TiVo service
Mini reboots and asks me to register my TSN
Goto Activate a TiVo device - TiVo, enter the TSN
Go to main Roamio and manually connect to service (did this 3x for good measure)
Manually rebooted the mini, upon restart it asked if I wanted to Downgrade (follow the prompts)
Mini restarts and all is good...took about 1 hour start to finish.


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