Did I brick my S9 ? Please help

[utah2]

Hello all looks like I created big problem.

Openbox S9 110815 with American Satellites : This is the SKYBOX_S9_110815 with American Satellites and also set to 1080 - 60 mode (1.70 MB)

Please Help ! I loaded the above firmware to my S9 and then loaded my TP-Prog list to above firmware. Did all this through usb upgrade. When firmware (skybox was loaded s9 menu system performed as normal , as did remote to control box. I then loaded my chan list (which was made with 9-27 firmware) and my box just keeps going to on + boot then to channel 676 and keeps repeating this. Box does not respond to remote. I shut off from back of unit, go bak on & just keeps rebooting.

I have usb to serial port ( on com5 verified) yet when I attempt to use to connecty to serial port of s9 all I get is Open Serial Port..
Sync to serial port..Target not connect or target is error status! This happens no matter how I try to time shutting on & off & hitting connect. I cannot connect thru serial port. Which may allow me to reload good f/ware .
[FONT=&quot]Any help would be much appreciated[/FONT]

 

[brentb636]

It doesn't sound good . If you PM me with your email, I'll send you a serial programmer that may work better than the one you're using. Make sure that you set up the download to the receiver before you turn the receiver on. Also make sure you are using a null modem cable. [edit]
I just looked at the Download area and the file is here, http://www.satelliteguys.us/downloads.php?do=file&id=225 . It has worked in the past, but there are no guarantees .

 

[Jim S.]

I had heard that there were problems loading old channel lists into new firmware, but I never experienced it myself. I think that it's because I loaded my channel list into one of the super-buggy transitional firmware versions, around early June I think, when they were claiming that firmware that looked like an S10 would work on an S9 (it didn't, at least not if you wanted to do anything interesting with it) and then saved it back out in the new format which, luckily, was compatible with the old versions. (Whew!)

 

[chapelrun]

I did not know that - - -

I had heard that there were problems loading old channel lists into new firmware, but I never experienced it myself. I think that it's because I loaded my channel list into one of the super-buggy transitional firmware versions, around early June I think, when they were claiming that firmware that looked like an S10 would work on an S9 (it didn't, at least not if you wanted to do anything interesting with it) and then saved it back out in the new format which, luckily, was compatible with the old versions. (Whew!)

Jim, That is good information. Do you know any technical reasons why the old channel list may not work with the new firmware? I did not run into this issue because I setup everything new after loading this one.

Utah2, I sure hope you can get this fixed - - - using the serial cable as Brent suggests.

 

[greg harris]

Hello all looks like I created big problem.

Openbox S9 110815 with American Satellites : This is the SKYBOX_S9_110815 with American Satellites and also set to 1080 - 60 mode (1.70 MB)

Please Help ! I loaded the above firmware to my S9 and then loaded my TP-Prog list to above firmware. Did all this through usb upgrade. When firmware (skybox was loaded s9 menu system performed as normal , as did remote to control box. I then loaded my chan list (which was made with 9-27 firmware) and my box just keeps going to on + boot then to channel 676 and keeps repeating this. Box does not respond to remote. I shut off from back of unit, go bak on & just keeps rebooting.

I have usb to serial port ( on com5 verified) yet when I attempt to use to connecty to serial port of s9 all I get is Open Serial Port..
Sync to serial port..Target not connect or target is error status! This happens no matter how I try to time shutting on & off & hitting connect. I cannot connect thru serial port. Which may allow me to reload good f/ware .
[FONT=&quot]Any help would be much appreciated[/FONT]

Unplug the receiver and disconnect the coax for the lnb. See if the rebooting stops.
Your computer is not communicating with the loader program. Verify that the loader program is set to the same com port (com5) as your usb to serial device. The settings on the loader program should not be changed except for the com port. If you changed any of the settings then the loader may fail to connect to the computer. Try another loader program as a last resort. GregH

 

[carlospr43]

Make sure you check the INCLUDE BOOTLOADER option , hit NEXT and immediatly turn on the box in the back.

 

[Raysat67]

I too experienced a problem with my S10 due to the power fluctuating on and off during the storm. When I turned it on the display would just show "on" thats it, no display on the TV either. I tried unsuccessfully many times with the updater program to get it to load the firmware. I know everyone stresses the use of a null modem adapter, but after many failed attempts I tried to load without it (null modem adapter) and it worked for first time!!! I used a usb to serial adapter since my laptop doesn't have a serial port. Just thought I'd throw that out there.

 

[utah2]

BTW Thanks to all who replied. I still have had no luck...S9 just continually boots. The loader I use from Brent has no Bootloader option to chk.? I am using L/top with usb to serial adapter from R/shack I use device manager to chk all settings & com port same as on loader still no luck. Does anyone know where to obtain different loader for S9??.
Thanks again

 

[brentb636]

PM me your email and I'll send you the one with the bootloader option .

 

[Jim S.]

Jim, That is good information. Do you know any technical reasons why the old channel list may not work with the new firmware? I did not run into this issue because I setup everything new after loading this one.

Sometime over the summer, firmware versions started appearing that run with an old channel list loaded, but wouldn't let you access any satellites unless you went into the satellite list, deselected all your satellites, saved the list, reselected all your satellites, then saved it again. Obviously something changed in the format of the satellite list.

Maybe they've fixed it in the newest versions, because I haven't heard of anyone bricking their unit with an old satellite list lately, but I could swear that I read at another forum that some versions would crash if you loaded an old-format satellite list. I really don't know what versions it was. I have a habit of trying everything that comes out unless someone says it's a sure-fire failure. I should probably stop doing that, since I don't have any serial cables with appropriate ends. But usually I don't find the updates before others have found them and tried them.

 

[Pixl]

All in all it's just another brick in the wall.


Pink Floyd- Another Brick in the wall Song and lyrics - YouTube

 

[chapelrun]

Somehow - - - I believe this receiver will not be a brick in the wall - - - somehow - - - don't know how Utah2 will get this one back.

Keep trying Utah!

 

[yankee495]

BTW Thanks to all who replied. I still have had no luck...S9 just continually boots. The loader I use from Brent has no Bootloader option to chk.? I am using L/top with usb to serial adapter from R/shack I use device manager to chk all settings & com port same as on loader still no luck. Does anyone know where to obtain different loader for S9??.
Thanks again

I have flashed a S9 until it is blind! Haha!

Really...

Mine had beer in it and shorted out. If yours is just stuck this is the best advice I can give you and I have never seen anyone recover one like I did.

FIRST: Even with a new motherboard you have no serial port...but you have a header. Get a really old computer with the header cable and connect it. USE a NULL cable from the back plate to the box.

SECOND: I tried several loaders and none wanted to work. I DID FLASH MY S9 with FW for other boxes because it was dead anyway....mine had beer in it.

THIRD: UPLOAD a channel list...a blank one...may fix your 676.

HERE are the steps:

Hook it to a real RS-232 with a NULL cable and know that you can't hurt it. IT IS DEAD, right?

It takes several times to get it to take a flash and flash it all...boot loader and all...but start with the blank channel list from the channel editor! It has RS-232 also.

If you can make it stupid again...then it'll come back...

This is all hoping nothing is broken.

Mine is not a clone and I prayed for it for dead but I am watching it now after flashing it to 9500HDX and Megasat and back to S9.

It will take a beating but use a real RS-232 and try over and over again...

Brent does give some good advice on loaders and it seems to me the one that didn't wanna work, did in the long run.

Nothing against Brent, but the easy one didn't work for me. I had to go to an old Solomend, found under different names....it was a pickey bth but I got it.

I hope it goes for you...the flip of the switch is the key...but use the channel loader to load a blank list.

The channel editor will load a blank one. I forget, but it has different .filename for what you want to load to it.

I'll promise you that you'll be all kinda mad...but fight with it...it'll go...

 

[yankee495]

I'm sorry, just a shot in the dark, but if it is stuck on a channel at boot hold the up/down channel at boot and see if you can change it. I have a little experience with computers and boxes and sometimes you just have to out smart them for 1 second.

 

[yankee495]

Utah,

Hang on to it...I bet it works. You need someone that knows what a RS-232 header is and a NULL cable and how to use it...

Like I said, I have flashed mine to a different box FW and got it back. Wife is in bed and I just built a 2nd X4 so I can still play when she is in bed.

BRENT,STONE, ain't flashed it back to PS FW yet...

This guy just needs a proper flash...with a real RS-232.

 

[utah2]

Hey all.. thanks again I am going to keep trying to flash S9. Especially will try yankee495 suggestions. I will connect to rs232 port on desktop when I can get old emachine pc to boot right. I agree this box not dead & trying some other tricks as suggested with front panel switches if I hold standby & channels down at same time I get red standby lite to go on & booting stops. However lite goes away when I let up on buttons, I tried to start flashing while holding buttons down .. no luck. Also thanks again to Brent for PM ing loader. My problems all started with the impossible hope to improve PVR functions & possibly have timer work(not a chance) with different F/ware. I flashed unit many times by usb with no problems.. except this time!!! I knew s9 clock did not work when I purchased unit but thought f/ware fix would take care of it in over the past 12 months time. I know better now. I am also told the new S10 clock does work ??

 

[a_hockeynut]

Hello all looks like I created big problem.

Openbox S9 110815 with American Satellites : This is the SKYBOX_S9_110815 with American Satellites and also set to 1080 - 60 mode (1.70 MB)

Please Help ! I loaded the above firmware to my S9 and then loaded my TP-Prog list to above firmware. Did all this through usb upgrade. When firmware (skybox was loaded s9 menu system performed as normal , as did remote to control box. I then loaded my chan list (which was made with 9-27 firmware) and my box just keeps going to on + boot then to channel 676 and keeps repeating this. Box does not respond to remote. I shut off from back of unit, go bak on & just keeps rebooting.


[FONT=&quot]Any help would be much appreciated[/FONT]

Hmm, this is exactly what I planned on doing!!!

Seeing what happened to you I am now afraid to load a channel list from an older firmware version.

I hope you are able to get it going. I was afraid I had bricked mine when I accidentally loaded my renamed channel list (when I had the editor that you needed to do that with). Fortunately I was able to reload the firmware via the COM port, and was back in business.