I take it that we still follow these same intructions? to the T, I have only done this once before and it went well.. Cya Slick
Before you download, please read the inherent risks at Cutting Edge Risks and Guidelines. Here's how to force download it.
First, you will need to restart your receiver. There are multiple methods to accomplish this goal, but the preferred method is to use the menus. Also, make sure its in a format that can be read on whatever TV you need. I usually set mine to 480p since that is available on all my TVs. To restart your receiver, you can do one of the following:
Using the remote control, select Menu -> Help & Settings -> Setup -> Reset, and then choose Restart Recorder. You will also need to press the DASH (-) key to confirm. This is the safest way to do a reset.
If the Menu reset fails, then try a Red Button Reset (RBR). Press the Red Button behind the access card door on the front of the receiver.
If all else fails and you are unable to initiate the download process, you may need to unplug the receiver from the wall outlet, wait for 30 seconds and then plug it back in.
Once you have restarted your recorder, make sure you can access the receiver. In a few seconds, you will need to type in a special code to start the download process:
When the reset process starts, the LEDs on the front of the receiver will turn off.
Once the LEDs on the front of the receiver illuminate again *OR* the the first blue screen is displayed (whichever comes first), you can start keying in the special code. I prefer using the LED if you can see the receiver. If you do this remotely over Slingbox or from another room, you have to wait for the first blue screen to appear.
Press 0 2 4 6 8. You will need to press the keys slowly and deliberately. An easy way to think of this is zero-one-thousand, two-one-thousand, four-one-thousand, six-one-thousand, eight-one-thousand. Make sure that you ONLY type in the 5 numbers and nothing else.
After a few more seconds, you should see a screen that indicates that the download process has started.
Now, just sit back and relax as the update process will take about 15 minutes to complete. It may appear to "stick" at 97%, this is normal.
If you have your receiver defined at AV1/AV2, you may need to control the receiver at DirecTV mode on the remote. Try AV1/AV2 first as you normally would to control the receiver.
Note: Do not restart the system again after the download process is complete. The normal download process includes an automated restart which is desired, but additional restarts are unnecessary and only serve to taint the debug process. If you find the download is NOT the LE version as anticipated, RBR the unit BEFORE it reaches 90%. This will revert the unit back to your currently defined software version and will not harm your receiver. After 90% could cause problems. It is safer to let the download process finish.
Note: If you reach the screen that says "checking satellite settings step 1 of 2" BEFORE you see an indication that the new software is downloading, then you will need to start over. The downloading screen should show up within a few seconds (it's not immediate). If it does go too far, then a Red Button Reset should make it start over without going through the entire startup process.
I forgot to mention the process goes better with a few beers on hand.