Firmware Update problem

[glen4cindy]

Just downloaded the newest firmware from Fortec website for my Lifetime Ultra in hopes that it would update the list of satellites to a more current one.

The firmware update process seemed to go just fine. It loaded to 100% then rebooted, and showed the Fortec Star blue screen and was asking for a language to be selected.

Here is the problem. The box will not respond to the remote any more. I even tried my NA remote and that did not work either. This box only has Channel up & down and power buttons! This leaves me with no way to do anything at all with it!

I was sort of afraid of something bad happening, but, with all the positive comments I got when I originally asked about this led me to believe that nothing bad would happen.

Not sure what to do now. Any ideas?? This was the only NTSC bin showing on the FortecStar site for my box. It has a PAL version, the updater and gTools, no more. Would there be a legimitate source for an earlier factory version that would not hose the remote?

 

[Mr Tony]

weird....I downloaded the "newest" for the Ultra (May 05) and it worked fine

Here is the copy. You might want to retry to flash it again

 

[SatelliteAV]

I am a bit confused about which receiver you own. In some of your posts you refer to your receiver as a NA that you bought as the M1 package (which is a Fortec Lifetime Classic NA and in this thread as an Ultra.

Do you own a Lifetime Ultra or a Lifetime Classic NA? Are you absolutely sure that you loaded an unzipped version of the correct firmware?

I think that you just loaded the Ultra Firmware onto a Classic NA. If this is the case, hopefully you should be able to install the correct firmware and get it to live again.

We have received many units in for repair over the years that had the wrong bin installed and made the unit impossible to update due to the RS232 no longer functioning.

 

[glen4cindy]

I am a bit confused about which receiver you own. In some of your posts you refer to your receiver as a NA and in this thread as an Ultra.

Do you own a Lifetime Ultra or a Lifetime Classic NA? Are you absolutely sure that you loaded an unzipped version of the correct firmware?

I have 1 of each. They are slaved for viewing in 2 rooms.

The firmware I trird to update was the Ultra. I made sure to get the right one.

 

[Mr Tony]

uh oh

that may not be good

Glen4Cindy
What does the box look like?

1st is a Lifetime Classic NA (no the christmas tree doesnt come with it)
2nd is the Lifetime Ultra

The 1st is the newer box

 

[voomvoom]

Hopefully you may have done what I do (too often), my fat finger will touch one of the other function buttons, like TV, or VCR, or AUX. Then, without realizing what has happened, I'm in "WTF" mode. I have changed batteries, slapped the receiver, and cursed an awful lot before realizing what I've actually done. Then I press the STB button, and all is well.

Al

Edit: not to mention, I have done a power off, and once even did a master reset.

 

[SatelliteAV]

The Ultra remote is not multi-functions, so that is not a possibility.

Download the file again and unzip. Make sure that you allow the receiver a little extra time after it has downloaded and restarted. If the remote functions properly after the download, make sure to do a factory reset before programming.

Usually problems like this are caused by interrupted downloads or bad firmware or channel lists. Corruptions of the firmware often originate from bad or corrupted channel lists.

 

[glen4cindy]

uh oh

that may not be good

Glen4Cindy
What does the box look like?

1st is a Lifetime Classic NA (no the christmas tree doesnt come with it)
2nd is the Lifetime Ultra

The 1st is the newer box

The problem child is the 2nd box. The first one is my new baby, and I'm not toughing her!!!!

 

[Mr Tony]

OK so we have the right box then

 

[glen4cindy]

Thanks for the firmware Ice, but still no go!

When I updated it with that file, the first screen I got was different. It did not have a Fortec splash screen asking for a language, it simply went to the last channel it was on before the update and had a blue bar in the middle with "No Signal" in it.

I'm going to e-mail Fortec and see what they think.

 

[rdel]

I would try using a jtag, there may be something in the e prom that's not being over written.
Or maybe try using an older version of the software.

 

[brentb636]

The "no signal" may be a sign that you have to re-do your antenna settings. They may have been initialized in the process.
:?

 

[glen4cindy]

The "no signal" may be a sign that you have to re-do your antenna settings. They may have been initialized in the process.
:?

The part that makes this hard is that once I did the firmware update, the remote control stopped working.

 

[glen4cindy]

I would try using a jtag, there may be something in the e prom that's not being over written.
Or maybe try using an older version of the software.

I thought that was a hacker tool to get "free" TV.

If I could find a legitimate place to get one and if I knew how to use it, that would be something that might work.

 

[SatelliteAV]

J-tagging is not a "hacking" tool. It is a way to reinstall the firmware programming to allow your receiver to once again operate. Often the receiver's RS232 port will be disabled by bad data or improper programming technique and the only method of restoring the receiver is to write the firmware directly to the flash.

Satellite AV has restored operation to several thousand MPEG2 receivers using this type of process. It is a legitimate and necessary tool of the repair industry.

Before you try J-Tagging .... have you attempted to reload a new download of the firmware from the Fortec Star website?

 

[glen4cindy]

J-tagging is not a "hacking" tool. It is a way to reinstall the firmware programming to allow your receiver to once again operate. Often the receiver's RS232 port will be disabled by bad data or improper programming technique and the only method of restoring the receiver is to write the firmware directly to the flash.

Satellite AV has restored operation to several thousand MPEG2 receivers using this type of process. It is a legitimate and necessary tool of the repair industry.

Before you try J-Tagging .... have you attempted to reload a new download of the firmware from the Fortec Star website?

Thanks, now I know there is a valid use for a Jtag.......did not know that before!

I did use the .bin file from the FortecStar website.

I've also sent them an e-mail to see what they say. I am willing to get a Jtag and try it. Are all of them the same, and is E-Bay a good source?

 

[digiblur]

FYI... if you wanted a new list of satellites I would have used Channel-Master instead to make your own custom list.