# How long until system upgrade?



## dunhamd (Feb 14, 2006)

Last week my (120G) upgraded drive in my Hughes (40G original) model died after almost 4 years of service.

I put in a 320 imaged from the original 40G and things seem okay. But I still have 3.1.1 on the box after several days of running.

How long does it normally take for the system to upgrade itself? Or is there anything I need to do (I'm assuming not).

I've verified that phone calls and service downloads are both successful in the info screen. 

Thanks!
-- 
Darren


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## JimSpence (Sep 19, 2001)

It may never upgrade because the version you have is so old. 

Exactly, what model do you have? We need to know this so we can tell you what the latest version is. 

You might be better off getting and installing the latest InstantCake version.


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## dishrich (Jan 16, 2002)

It's probably a series I; the latest ver is 3.5
It's probably CAN be upgraded, but it's probably going to have to be done via phone (as opposed to a satellite download) because D* probably doesn't have it in the stream any longer.
I just upgraded a virgin R10 all the way from 6.1 to current, but it took a LONG 3.5 hours to do via phone.


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## dunhamd (Feb 14, 2006)

JimSpence said:


> It may never upgrade because the version you have is so old.
> 
> Exactly, what model do you have? We need to know this so we can tell you what the latest version is.
> 
> You might be better off getting and installing the latest InstantCake version.


Darn. I was hoping it would just happen automatically. It's a "series 2" (SD-DVR40). I can't remember what it had before the crash (6.3a or something?)

Phone line is hooked up, and daily calls are successful.

Thanks!
-- 
Darren


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## JimSpence (Sep 19, 2001)

Maybe a call to DirecTV can help get it started.

Let it stay connected to the phone line and wait.


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## dunhamd (Feb 14, 2006)

JimSpence said:


> Maybe a call to DirecTV can help get it started.
> 
> Let it stay connected to the phone line and wait.


That's what I'm doing now. I posted mainly for reassurance, or if there were a technical reason that it *shouldn't* work, I could start working on alternatives. I'm usually scared of calling DTV with TiVo issues and getting someone that understands what I'm talking about (especially since I'm the one that restored the old version to the system).

Naturally it had to happen *this* week, so I've got the screwed-up DST offset. 

-- 
Darren


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## JimSpence (Sep 19, 2001)

This isn't really a TiVo issue. It's an issue with getting the latest software for your DVR40.
I believe the latest is 6.4a for that box.


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## DreadPirateRob (Nov 12, 2002)

6.4a is still in stream. I upgraded both my R10s to it a few nights ago - one was running 6.3e, the other 6.1. All I had to do was force a call, and it downloaded to both boxes.


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## dishrich (Jan 16, 2002)

DreadPirateRob said:


> 6.4a is still in stream. I upgraded both my R10s to it a few nights ago - one was running 6.3e, the other 6.1. All I had to do was force a call, and it downloaded to both boxes.


But do you really know HOW long that call was?
And are you sure it didn't download the upgrade over the phone overnight BEFORE the call you made to activate it the upgrade?

Last night, I just did another virgin R10 from 6.1 & I KNOW that it was on the same phone call for hours - but it did succeed & went straight to 6.4a when I came home tonight.

Another person here seems to agree with me here:
http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?p=6805560#post6805560

I wish that is was still in the stream, but after doing a couple of these recently, it sure doesn't look like it...got another one to do; I'll see what happens on it.


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## DreadPirateRob (Nov 12, 2002)

dishrich said:


> But do you really know HOW long that call was?
> And are you sure it didn't download the upgrade over the phone overnight BEFORE the call you made to activate it the upgrade?
> 
> Last night, I just did another virgin R10 from 6.1 & I KNOW that it was on the same phone call for hours - but it did succeed & went straight to 6.4a when I came home tonight.
> ...


Since neither R10 has been connected to a phone line in months (years for one), I'm pretty sure the phone call was less than 15 minutes.


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## dishrich (Jan 16, 2002)

DreadPirateRob said:


> Since neither R10 has been connected to a phone line in months (years for one), I'm pretty sure the phone call was less than 15 minutes.


Oh, your post sounded like your R10's were not connect AT ALL. (as in, NOT even being used) That's a TOTALLY different situation then. Your units then ALREADY had 6.4a sitting on your hard drive for MONTHS now when D* WAS sending it out thru the dish - all that happened by you NOW making a call, is "activating" the upgrade. This doesn't mean that D* is, in fact, STILL sending out 6.4a thru the dish. The phone call that you forced did NOT make the download come thru the dish - it was already sitting on your drive.

The situation myself & the others are discussing are units that have not been hooked up AT ALL for eons, or in my case, virgin units NEVER, EVER put in the sat stream...


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## dunhamd (Feb 14, 2006)

JimSpence said:


> This isn't really a TiVo issue. It's an issue with getting the latest software for your DVR40.
> I believe the latest is 6.4a for that box.


Yeah, the rep I talked with had a troubleshooting list that basically had no information other than "make sure the phone line is connected".

However, she also said that my account hasn't called in since Oct 19th (prior to the crash). I don't know what that means since my unit says successful call today. I've never had a "foreign" image in this unit, and I've never touched the access card since the installer inserted it years ago.

She did ask if I "wanted a callback to the device". I don't know what that means, but I said yes. She said it should happen within 24 hours, and that I should restart the unit after that time passes. Guess I'll try that tomorrow....
-- 
Darren


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## marrone (Oct 11, 2001)

dunhamd said:


> She did ask if I "wanted a callback to the device". I don't know what that means, but I said yes. She said it should happen within 24 hours, and that I should restart the unit after that time passes. Guess I'll try that tomorrow....
> --
> Darren


Anyone else hear of this term?

I wonder if this is the key to getting 6.4a on the boxes that for some reason can't seem to download it.

-Mike


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## DreadPirateRob (Nov 12, 2002)

dishrich said:


> The situation myself & the others are discussing are units that have not been hooked up AT ALL for eons, or in my case, virgin units NEVER, EVER put in the sat stream...


My apologies. I didn't catch that before I answered the first time.


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## Bob Coxner (Dec 1, 2004)

DreadPirateRob said:


> 6.4a is still in stream. I upgraded both my R10s to it a few nights ago - one was running 6.3e, the other 6.1. All I had to do was force a call, and it downloaded to both boxes.


I've been through several levels of Tech Support and everyone tells me it's no longer in the stream. I can't get a 6.1 to upgrade.


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## dcstager (Feb 16, 2002)

If you are going to all the hassle of re-imaging, you may as well support one of our sponsors and purchase the new 6.4a instant cake upgrade disk. You are obviously very advanced if you can re-image from the original drive. Support our sponsors and breathe easy -- the software works great and worth the $20.


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## dishrich (Jan 16, 2002)

Bob Coxner said:


> I've been through several levels of Tech Support and everyone tells me it's no longer in the stream. I can't get a 6.1 to upgrade.


Read my post above & his response, Dead's was ALREADY downloaded when it WAS in the stream - his phone call just did the activating of it.
If you want 6.4a, you're gonna have to do it via a 3-4 dial-up call, sorry. (or do an instant cake upgrade, if you're inclined to do that...)


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## dunhamd (Feb 14, 2006)

Yeah, as expected, a daily call and a reset last night did nothing new. Certainly no magic.

-- 
Darren


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## unclemoosh (Sep 11, 2004)

If you don't want to lose your recordings using Instantcake, you can use Slicer and do a slice upgrade. The slices are readily available.


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## dunhamd (Feb 14, 2006)

And as the final followup (hopefully)... had problems with my upgraded drive, ran on the original 40G for a week. Last night re-upgraded the drive again and as part of that sequence, the machine upgraded to 6.4a. So it must have finally pulled it down this week.

Whew. 6.anything is *so* much faster than 3.1.1. That was painful.

Thanks everyone!
-- 
Darren


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## dishrich (Jan 16, 2002)

dunhamd said:


> the machine upgraded to 6.4a. So it must have finally pulled it down this week.


So did it pull it down over the dish, or phone line? I realize you may not know, but normally if it comes over the phone line, it would have tied it up for at least couple+ hours.

I'm having an issue trying to get a couple SII units upgraded from 6.2a, so that's why I'm asking...


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## dunhamd (Feb 14, 2006)

Can't tell.

For several days I did the daily call myself. It was always about 60 seconds every day I did it manually. However, I knew I was going to do a drive upgrade again pretty soon, so I stopped paying attention about 3 or 4 days ago. So if it did a big download overnight, I wouldn't have noticed.

Before my last reboot, I did check the information panel and specifically did not see "pending restart" or anything like that. I don't know that that phrase is used any more. I was planning on forcing a daily call after the drive switch, but that wasn't necessary.

If I had to guess, I'd guess it came down the sat, but I have no evidence for one or the other.

-- 
Darren


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## coachO (Nov 26, 2004)

I have 6.2 on my Phillips Series 2. I just connected the phone line for the first time in over a year and did the call in. It did not upgrade the software. Do we know if 6.4 is still in the stream? If I call D* can they force a download? Thanks?


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## ridethefence (Dec 15, 2007)

dcstager said:


> If you are going to all the hassle of re-imaging, you may as well support one of our sponsors and purchase the new 6.4a instant cake upgrade disk. You are obviously very advanced if you can re-image from the original drive. Support our sponsors and breathe easy -- the software works great and worth the $20.


I have (2) HR10-250's and 2 Phillips 6000's. How do I know I need a software update to the latest? I am thinking about moving the HR10-250's to rooms where there are no phone lines connected and want to do the upgrade before the move. Help me out with the $20 Cake upgrade....what do you mean, how do I get it, what does it do? Thanks


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## unclemoosh (Sep 11, 2004)

ridethefence said:


> Help me out with the $20 Cake upgrade....what do you mean, how do I get it, what does it do? Thanks


DVRUpgrade


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