What is a "recovery mode" on a VIP722?

[TheForce]

My VIP722 has been working fine until today. It just started to make a whirring sound and the green light on TV1 is flashing 1 flash per second. None of the controls work. The TV screen shows no Video input signal.

Called Tech support and they said the receiver is in recovery mode and it will take 4-5 hours to complete.

So what is it doing for 4-5 hours? Low level hard drive format? What would cause this? The VIP 722 is several years old.


Wife wants to know if she will lose all her stored programs. I told her most likely but won't know until it "recovers"

 

[KAB]

Yeh, this has been talked about before somewhere, some time ago. It's a boot recovery and IIRC, it does take several hours. But it begs the question, why?

 

[navychop]

You sure it's flashing once a second? It's not sending in Morse "Hopper Hopper Hopper?"

 

[TheForce]

Yeh, this has been talked about before somewhere, some time ago. It's a boot recovery and IIRC, it does take several hours. But it begs the question, why?

Thanks. Sounds like an electric drill or high speed motor. Unusual sound even for a hard drive or fan.

 

[KAB]

Thanks. Sounds like an electric drill or high speed motor. Unusual sound even for a hard drive or fan.

Something tells me it's probably your "dearly departed".

 

[MattG@DISH]

This is likely Boot Recovery mode. You can wait the 4 hours but if nothing changes do a hard reset on the receiver. If still nothing we likely need to replace the receiver

 

[primestar31]

I had mine do this once. Do NOT touch it for at least 24 hours, as it may take longer to recover completely. Anything you try will just delay it's recovery. It's likely due to a corrupted firmware load, and it's attempting to repair itself.

I did NOT lose any programs on my drive when it happened to me.

 

[TheForce]

Wow! 24 hours. ?? I called tech support back again and went through the same Q&A and testing as the other tech yesterday. I did the 5 hour wait and then unplug-plug 3 times with an hour unplug in between. This time, just a few minutes ago the tech decided to send me a replacement 722 and told me to unplug it until the new one arrives next week. I'm good with TV because I have a 722K in the Home Theater room which I watch most of the time.

From my own testing, each time the DVR shuts down, LED light off, it looks like a power supply overload and reset but I didn't open it up to check the DC voltages on the board. I did check the AC power cord current load and it drops to zero during the cycles. I don't want to open the 722 because I want full credit and this is a lease. My only reason to try to save the 722 would be to recover my recordings, but truthfully, they are not critical. Besides, what in there could make such a noise other than the hard drive? If the hard drive is bad, I won't be able to recover any recordings anyway. Time to get a replacement, I think.

Have I missed anything?

 

[klang]

Have I missed anything?

Don't think so. You should try leaving it unplugged for a few days and then try one more time. I had a similar situation a few years back and after sitting powered down a few days it came back up long enough to copy my recordings to an EHD.

 

[TheForce]

This is likely Boot Recovery mode. You can wait the 4 hours but if nothing changes do a hard reset on the receiver. If still nothing we likely need to replace the receiver

Hey Matt, thanks for checking in. On another matter, I volunteered to take that 3 question survey from the call back. I get the call back but in about 5 seconds after I answer, the robo call hangs up. No one seems to be there and no recording. You may want to report this.

 

[TheForce]

Don't think so. You should try leaving it unplugged for a few days and then try one more time. I had a similar situation a few years back and after sitting powered down a few days it came back up long enough to copy my recordings to an EHD.

OK, did your hard drive make a loud high speed whirring noise and the DVR shut down every few seconds? I don't see how a DVR can go into recovery mode with the power off? Cool down to room temperature, which I did 3 times seems to be the only advantage of power plug pulled.

I think the tech also tried to ping the DVR while I was on the phone because he asked me to check the ethernet connection while I held my phone next to the side of the DVR so he could hear the noise. He got nothing. I checked my router and the 722 is off line during the cycles. Even the connect link and data lights on my router are cycling same frequency as the TV1 light on the DVR and the sound. Everything indicates a power supply overload in the DVR.

 

[klang]

OK, did your hard drive make a loud high speed whirring noise and the DVR shut down every few seconds? I don't see how a DVR can go into recovery mode with the power off? Cool down to room temperature, which I did 3 times seems to be the only advantage of power plug pulled.

I think the tech also tried to ping the DVR while I was on the phone because he asked me to check the ethernet connection while I held my phone next to the side of the DVR so he could hear the noise. He got nothing. I checked my router and the 722 is off line during the cycles. Even the connect link and data lights on my router are cycling same frequency as the TV1 light on the DVR and the sound. Everything indicates a power supply overload in the DVR.

I don't recall the specifics just that it revived for awhile after being unplugged for a few days. I think over the years I had three hard drive failures.

 

[TheForce]

While I waited for the new 722 to arrive, I did leave it off for a day then left it do the same thing for 24 hours before giving up.

The refurb 722 arrived yesterday and I installed it with no problems, Back in business!

The latest replacement process sure is great. Instructions simple and it just takes about an hour to download and install everything including latest guide and restore all my DVR timers. Fastest and easiest yet! Seems they could even eliminate the phone call but maybe that is for security purposes. At least there is nothing really to do in the phone call but answer the questions. Now, just need to return the bad one.

 

[dishdude]

How did you restore the timers? Did you save them to the remote before it bit the dust or did you have to manually add them back?

 

[TheForce]

save them to the remote

?
I never knew that was possible. Care to explain how?

 

[primestar31]

?
I never knew that was possible. Care to explain how?

It's easy, the only problem is they NEVER made a way to transfer them BACK to the receiver! lol

So, no use explaining how to get them into the remote, as you can't get them back out again.

 

[KAB]

?
I never knew that was possible. Care to explain how?

With a 722K it is. Non-K, no.

 

[dcubed]

It sure worked for me with 2 replaced 722K'S .

 

[KAB]

It sure worked for me with 2 replaced 722K'S .

Like I said Ks yes, non K no.

 

[Bobby]

^^^^^^^
What he said.....