Black Hole
May contain traces of nut
Isn't it easy to disprove that the CF is responsible? Put it back to standard firmware and see whether the problems remain.
FOXSAT HDR locking up
- Thread starter Peso
- Start date
deafray
New Member
Thanks for the info graham, I don't know how to do a maintenance mode disk check, but will look into it.
My hard disk is pretty old now, It was an upgrade after the original failed after the one years warranty had just ran out. Can anyone recommend a replacement model (bearing in mind that I'm an old pc builder, the last pc I built had the old eide hard drives, so I'm very rusty when it comes the latest tech)
I can't put in the original firmware from Humax as the box won't accept it, (after a stupid mistake by me) but it will accept raydon's.
Thanks to all for the help.
Ray
grahamlthompson
Well-Known Member
Flashing the CF updates the Humax software at the same time.
Details of maintenance mode.
Documentation (Books Icon)
Custom Firmware Tab
Custom Apps Pre-Installed Tab
Maintenance Mode 'fix disk' check and repair utility.
OP
Peso
Member
I'm back from an Easter break and ready to get this sorted. Grrrrrr!!!
Quick recap
Upgraded HDD at Xmas install CF fresh, had left SATA cable pinched. End of Feb started getting corrupt .ts files that gave no or bad signal when played to a certain point. Over Easter discovered my bothers machine (only installed CF at Xmas, no other hardware changes) was having the same problem.
Had already come up with a 3 point plan, some points possibly mute given an unrelated box also has it, but what the hey!
1. Uninstall CF see if problem persists. No convinced this is it, but it is a common denominator.
2. Jumper the HDD down from SATA II to SATA I.
3. Replace SATA cable.
Before proceeding I really want to be able to reproduce the problem at will. So have spent the last couple of days of mimicking the conditions that seem to cause it. Recording two channels at once and playing a recording. To my memory most failings happened when one channel as ITV HD. My bother noted that as being a channel it happened to him on too. So far testing has not reproduced it and all recordings made while away, including some ITV HD, are all fine. Though it did this last time I was testing, then happened on a real recording.
NEW THEORY. I have just read that ITV HD last week has been reshuffled on the satellite and is now split in 3 regions. Could there have been some "stuff" (sorry if thats a bit technical) going on with the old the ITV HD signal before they pulled the plug that could have caused some machines in some specific condition to cause this error?
If a learned person and shoot that theory down in flames I will move onto my 3 point plan. Otherwise I will keep testing for wait for a re-occurrence.
Quick recap
Upgraded HDD at Xmas install CF fresh, had left SATA cable pinched. End of Feb started getting corrupt .ts files that gave no or bad signal when played to a certain point. Over Easter discovered my bothers machine (only installed CF at Xmas, no other hardware changes) was having the same problem.
Had already come up with a 3 point plan, some points possibly mute given an unrelated box also has it, but what the hey!
1. Uninstall CF see if problem persists. No convinced this is it, but it is a common denominator.
2. Jumper the HDD down from SATA II to SATA I.
3. Replace SATA cable.
Before proceeding I really want to be able to reproduce the problem at will. So have spent the last couple of days of mimicking the conditions that seem to cause it. Recording two channels at once and playing a recording. To my memory most failings happened when one channel as ITV HD. My bother noted that as being a channel it happened to him on too. So far testing has not reproduced it and all recordings made while away, including some ITV HD, are all fine. Though it did this last time I was testing, then happened on a real recording.
NEW THEORY. I have just read that ITV HD last week has been reshuffled on the satellite and is now split in 3 regions. Could there have been some "stuff" (sorry if thats a bit technical) going on with the old the ITV HD signal before they pulled the plug that could have caused some machines in some specific condition to cause this error?
If a learned person and shoot that theory down in flames I will move onto my 3 point plan. Otherwise I will keep testing for wait for a re-occurrence.
OP
Peso
Member
It happened again last night on a BBC4HD recording while watching another HD recording. ITV HD was not involved, so that theory can be thrown out.
Its worked without error since 14th March till 11th April, 4 weeks. Last time it lasted 5 days. My hope of being able to reproduce this at will to test fixes is clearly not going to work.
As for my 3 point plan...
2. Tried sticking a jumper on to turn the drive into an SATA I. Set two HD recordings going, played a HD file and streamed a further 2 HD files to my laptop, all with no problem (what a great machine).
3. If it can do all that with the original cable I don't see any point replacing the cable.
1. Given the transient nature of this foregoing the CF for a month, maybe more, to see if it happens is too long as we use its features daily. Plus my easy test at the moment if a file good is to run the convert files plugin. Without that I will have to play every recording promptly to test its integrity. Or can you FTP the box with just the original firmware and copy stuff off with filezilla? Copying like this also fails with a faulty .ts file.
I'm still bugged by the fact my brothers machine has done the same thing. The CF and my grubby fingers being the only common thing that has happened to them. Or could it just be coincidence that we both have a failing PSU or failing tuner giving the same issue? The boxes are of similar vintage.
I think my next step is swap this box round with my secondary one, for reliable family recordings. I will move the HDDs over (not cables though) as the other is pretty full. As I have all the same packages on each machine and same firmware should just swapping the drives rounds work?
Its worked without error since 14th March till 11th April, 4 weeks. Last time it lasted 5 days. My hope of being able to reproduce this at will to test fixes is clearly not going to work.
As for my 3 point plan...
2. Tried sticking a jumper on to turn the drive into an SATA I. Set two HD recordings going, played a HD file and streamed a further 2 HD files to my laptop, all with no problem (what a great machine).
3. If it can do all that with the original cable I don't see any point replacing the cable.
1. Given the transient nature of this foregoing the CF for a month, maybe more, to see if it happens is too long as we use its features daily. Plus my easy test at the moment if a file good is to run the convert files plugin. Without that I will have to play every recording promptly to test its integrity. Or can you FTP the box with just the original firmware and copy stuff off with filezilla? Copying like this also fails with a faulty .ts file.
I'm still bugged by the fact my brothers machine has done the same thing. The CF and my grubby fingers being the only common thing that has happened to them. Or could it just be coincidence that we both have a failing PSU or failing tuner giving the same issue? The boxes are of similar vintage.
I think my next step is swap this box round with my secondary one, for reliable family recordings. I will move the HDDs over (not cables though) as the other is pretty full. As I have all the same packages on each machine and same firmware should just swapping the drives rounds work?
Last edited:
grahamlthompson
Well-Known Member
Apols for late reply (been away). The change to ITV should only have effected anyone who lives in the Tyne Tees TV area. There were 3 additional ITV HD regions added but apart from above all were added to the existing ITV HD freesat transponder. Tyne Tees is on a transponder new to Freesat so a few problems arose no doubt due to adaptation hub issues with adding the Freesat epg data streams to the existing Sky data.
For info (any errors please post) current ITV HD UK regions are :
ITV HD Central West 11097 V 23000 3/4 DVB-S2 8PSK
ITV HD Granada 11097 V 23000 3/4 DVB-S2 8PSK
ITV HD London 11097 V 23000 3/4 DVB-S2 8PSK
ITV HD Meridian South 11097 V 23000 3/4 DVB-S2 8PSK
ITV HD Anglia East 11097 V 23000 3/4 DVB-S2 8PSK
ITV HD Yorkshire West 11097 V 23000 3/4 DVB-S2 8PSK
ITV HD Tyne Tees 11053 H 23000 3/4 DVB-S2 8PSK
OP
Peso
Member
Thank you Graham. My ITV HD is one of the 11097MHz ones. So nothing much should have changed if I understand you correctly. Given I have now definitely had various events that did not involve ITV HD I have struck them off my list. Though still waiting for the Default Authorisation to be updated for 119 ITV HD. Can't currently schedule recordings from the WebIF.
So I swapped my two Foxsats over, though at the last minute in the interested of better fault finding, did not swap the drives the straight away. My secondary Foxsat is now the primary with two sat feeds. The suspect one now only has one feed. In the last few days the new primary Foxsat has had no problems. phew! The suspect one I set up lots of recordings and one or more failed per day.
As the problem followed the machine its not a cable/multi switch/LNB problem.
As I still have the original 320GB HDD for it I have today put that back in. The 1TB drive that I fitted in the suspect machine before Xmas is now in a caddy. Had the foxsat recording stuff all day, then running the convert file plugin. So far all have been fine. It has taken between 5 and 30 days to it again, so I'm not counting chickens yet.
I have just pulled the SMART data off the 1TB drive. I am not good at interpreting that stuff, even after reading some online guides. I have attached a capture of the report and ask if some knowledgeable person can tell me if its pointing to a problem that could lead to writing corrupted files. My interpretation is no (but what do I know, I'm a penguin).
So I swapped my two Foxsats over, though at the last minute in the interested of better fault finding, did not swap the drives the straight away. My secondary Foxsat is now the primary with two sat feeds. The suspect one now only has one feed. In the last few days the new primary Foxsat has had no problems. phew! The suspect one I set up lots of recordings and one or more failed per day.
As the problem followed the machine its not a cable/multi switch/LNB problem.
As I still have the original 320GB HDD for it I have today put that back in. The 1TB drive that I fitted in the suspect machine before Xmas is now in a caddy. Had the foxsat recording stuff all day, then running the convert file plugin. So far all have been fine. It has taken between 5 and 30 days to it again, so I'm not counting chickens yet.
I have just pulled the SMART data off the 1TB drive. I am not good at interpreting that stuff, even after reading some online guides. I have attached a capture of the report and ask if some knowledgeable person can tell me if its pointing to a problem that could lead to writing corrupted files. My interpretation is no (but what do I know, I'm a penguin).
Attachments
OP
Peso
Member
Better just add...when I first started getting faulty .ts files the machine appeared to freeze, so I pulled the plug on power a few times. Later I discovered if you waited long enough the box would respond to the front power button. Thought I'd better mention that as I guess the SMART data might show it.
grahamlthompson
Well-Known Member
Might be making silly comment here.
You did fit the tuner 1 to tuner 2 link to the now single fed Foxsat and change connection mode to single cable mode, and set the now dual fed box to two cable mode ?
OP
Peso
Member
Not silly at all.
As it happened I started with the other Foxsat changing it from single cable to dual via the secret menu (shhhh). But it just wouldn't stick, so did a factory reset and that go it. So when I came to the suspect box I didn't mess around and did a factory reset there too and it recognised a single cable feed.
As it happened I started with the other Foxsat changing it from single cable to dual via the secret menu (shhhh). But it just wouldn't stick, so did a factory reset and that go it. So when I came to the suspect box I didn't mess around and did a factory reset there too and it recognised a single cable feed.
OP
Peso
Member
Sooooo....
The suspect Foxsat has its original 320 HDD back in. This did have a problem of its own if you go back to the start of the thread. I had run the fix-disk from Maintenance Mode on it, but after 4 days it was not done and I ended up getting a new, bigger, shinier drive. I have now rerun fix-disk on this drive back in its old Foxsat and it finished after 22hrs. So ran it again and it was done in under 2. No problems reported. It has been recording without error for 9 days.
If I'd just been patient.........
The Western Digital 1Tb drive I took out I have run the Quick and Extended SMART tests on it offered by the Western Digital Lifeguard software. Both failed to complete, with the Extended test reporting too many bad sectors. So it looks like the failed recording problem is a duff HDD bought 5 months ago. Contacted seller with screen-shots of the failed tests and they have sent me sticker to send it back with and a replacement is on the way. I shall be running the SMART tests on it before I fit it. Once bitten, twice shy. Though not with women.
I have one important question for the community. Sending the disk back with a partition full of Monty Don recordings is of no consequence. But in there somewhere is my email and password for the pushchair facility. Please could someone tell me where it is exactly so I make sure it is well overwritten?
thank you
The suspect Foxsat has its original 320 HDD back in. This did have a problem of its own if you go back to the start of the thread. I had run the fix-disk from Maintenance Mode on it, but after 4 days it was not done and I ended up getting a new, bigger, shinier drive. I have now rerun fix-disk on this drive back in its old Foxsat and it finished after 22hrs. So ran it again and it was done in under 2. No problems reported. It has been recording without error for 9 days.
If I'd just been patient.........
The Western Digital 1Tb drive I took out I have run the Quick and Extended SMART tests on it offered by the Western Digital Lifeguard software. Both failed to complete, with the Extended test reporting too many bad sectors. So it looks like the failed recording problem is a duff HDD bought 5 months ago. Contacted seller with screen-shots of the failed tests and they have sent me sticker to send it back with and a replacement is on the way. I shall be running the SMART tests on it before I fit it. Once bitten, twice shy. Though not with women.
I have one important question for the community. Sending the disk back with a partition full of Monty Don recordings is of no consequence. But in there somewhere is my email and password for the pushchair facility. Please could someone tell me where it is exactly so I make sure it is well overwritten?
thank you
Trev
The Dumb One
What is the pushchair facility? Or is it the dreaded auto-correct knowing better than you?
grahamlthompson
Well-Known Member
What is the pushchair facility? Or is it the dreaded auto-correct knowing better than you?
Didn't you know the CF includes a baby sitting package
The pushmail package uses the ssmtp package to actually send the emails. The configuration is in /opt/etc/ssmtp/ssmtp.conf. This is the file you're looking to delete.
Black Hole
May contain traces of nut
I take it you mean via the custom firmware web interface (WebIF)? Try doing it with the standard user interface (SUI).
Technically, yes, I know what would need to be done. Practically, no, as I don't have access to the master repository to make the relevant updates. It's one for raydon/af123 I'm afraid. I'm sure raydon will sort it in due course but I know he's busy with other things at the moment so you'll need to give him some time to get to it.
Just to make sure it hasn't already been done, the required update is downloaded when you go into the "Package Management" page and click the "update package list from Internet" button. I would recommend doing this (followed by a box reboot) just to check it hasn't already been fixed.