• The forum software that supports hummy.tv will be upgraded to XenForo 2.3 on Wednesday the 20th of November 2024 starting at 7pm

    There will be some periods where the forum is unavailable, please bear with us. More details can be found in the upgrade thread.

HDR-FOX T2 possible hard drive failure

J

johnnywozere

New Member
Our HDR-FOX T2 does nothing when you select Video which means we can't access recordings or record anything. I have tried cycling the power and returning the unit to default settings but it makes no difference.

The PVR makes a couple of soft beep sounds on power-up.

At the moment I'm trying to run Fix Disk from the custom firmware. I have succeeded in installing the 1.03.12 version and I'm now trying to install the web interface. I've logged onto the unit via a hardwire Ethernet cable and plugged a USB flash drive (formatted EXT2) into the USB socket on the back but when I connect to it via Ethernet I get this message:

To install the full web interface and supporting packages a suitably formatted internal hard disk must be present and none was detected.

Does this mean the PVR can't access its own hard drive at all? Does this indicate a total HDD failure?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Johnny
 
Your box is behaving like there is no hard drive connected. It is possible you have had a hard disk failure or a disk controller failure. It still is a good idea to try any run fix-disk though. You won't be able to install the full web interface with the disk unrecognised, but you don't need to. If you connect to the box using telnet you can then reboot into maintenance mode and from there, there is an option to run fix-disk.
 
You don't need to install the full web interface in order to run fix disk, there are some instruction on fix disk in the WiKi HERE (scroll down to fix Disk), however your Humax needs to 'see' it's internal hard disk, you could check for loose HDD connectors as one possible fix
 
johnnywozere said:
I have succeeded in installing the 1.03.12 version
Click to expand...
Which version? 3.0.3? Try 3.0.2 or the standard Humax kernel.
and I'm now trying to install the web interface.
Click to expand...
Why? The important bits are in flash. You don't need the WebIf and shouldn't try to install it when trying to rescue the disk.
I've logged onto the unit via a hardwire Ethernet cable and plugged a USB flash drive (formatted EXT2) into the USB socket on the back
Click to expand...
What for?
Does this mean the PVR can't access its own hard drive at all?
Click to expand...
Looks like it.
Does this indicate a total HDD failure?
Click to expand...
Maybe. Maybe not. Try the options listed at the top first.
 
Thanks everyone for your suggestions.

I connected to the box using Telnet and put the box in maintenance mode. Attempting to run option 1 (fix disk) in the maintenance menu resulted in this:

Unable to find the internal hard disk

A few more tests plus results below. Can anyone work out what's going on with this hard drive?

Thanks once again, Johnny.

humax# fdisk -lu

Disk /dev/sda: 202MB, 2029518848 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 246 cylinders, total 3963904 sectors
Units = sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sda1 * 2048 3963903 1980928 83 Linux
Partition 1 has different physical/logical endings:
phys=(245, 254, 63) logical=(246, 189, 7)
humax#

humax# df -h
Filesystem Size Used Available Use% Mounted on
/dev/root 21.3M 21.3M 0 100% /
tmpfs 61.0M 32.0K 61.0M 0% /tmp
tmpfs 61.0M 0 61.0M 0% /media
/dev/mtdblock1 2.0M 528.0K 1.5M 26% /var/lib/humaxtv
/dev/mtdblock2 2.0M 1.2M 812.0K 60% /var/lib/humaxtv_backup
/dev/sda1 1.9G 2.0K 1.8G 0% /media/drive1

humax# diag general
Running: general

*** Directory Structure ***

df: /mod: can't find mount point
Checking /mod partition type : Fail:
bytes
cylinders
bytes

System
Linux
endings:
7)
Checking /mod filesystem type : Pass:
Checking /mod/tmp directory exists : mkdir: can't create directory '/mod/': No such file or directory
Fail
Checking /mod/var/opkg/tmp is a directory : ls: /mod/var/opkg/tmp: No such file or directory
Fail:
Checking /mod/boot is a symlink : ls: /mod/boot: No such file or directory
Fail:
Checking /var/lib/humaxtv/mod is a directory : Pass
Checking /var/lib/humaxtv_backup/mod is a directory : ls: /var/lib/humaxtv_backup/mod: No such file or directory
Fail:
Checking /mod/boot/2 is a symlink : ls: /mod/boot/2: No such file or directory
Fail:
Checking /mod/boot links correctly : ls: /mod/boot: No such file or directory
ls: /mod/boot: No such file or directory
Fail:
Checking /mod/boot/2 links correctly : ls: /mod/boot/2: No such file or directory
ls: /mod/boot/2: No such file or directory
Fail:
humax#
 
Did you try my first suggestions in #5?
/dev/sda is only showing as 202MB with 246 cylinders. Are you absolutely sure this is the internal disk?
It may provide a clue. It's not right anyway. Have you powered off completely at the mains switch?
 
Hi prpr

Not yet tried 3.0.2 or the standard Humax kernel - but will do.

I don't know whether /dev/sda is the internal disk but I haven't got anything else connected to it so I guess it is.

I have powered off completely (plug out of wall or rear panel) many times. Now when I power up I get some odd clicking noises. Not looking good!

Thanks,

Johnny
 
I made sure the flash drive was disconnected and ran some more tests, results below.

Johnny

Some areas of the hard disk are not mounted

humax# diag general
Running: general

*** Directory Structure ***

df: /mod: can't find mount point
Checking /mod partition type : Fail: jffs2
Checking /mod/tmp directory exists : mkdir: can't create directory '/mod/': No such file or directory
Fail
Checking /mod/var/opkg/tmp is a directory : ls: /mod/var/opkg/tmp: No such file or directory
Fail:
Checking /mod/boot is a symlink : ls: /mod/boot: No such file or directory
Fail:
Checking /var/lib/humaxtv/mod is a directory : Pass
Checking /var/lib/humaxtv_backup/mod is a directory : ls: /var/lib/humaxtv_backup/mod: No such file or directory
Fail:
Checking /mod/boot/2 is a symlink : ls: /mod/boot/2: No such file or directory
Fail:
Checking /mod/boot links correctly : ls: /mod/boot: No such file or directory
ls: /mod/boot: No such file or directory
Fail:
Checking /mod/boot/2 links correctly : ls: /mod/boot/2: No such file or directory
ls: /mod/boot/2: No such file or directory
Fail:
humax#

humax# df -h
Filesystem Size Used Available Use% Mounted on
/dev/root 21.3M 21.3M 0 100% /
tmpfs 61.0M 32.0K 61.0M 0% /tmp
tmpfs 61.0M 0 61.0M 0% /media
/dev/mtdblock1 2.0M 528.0K 1.5M 26% /var/lib/humaxtv
/dev/mtdblock2 2.0M 1.2M 812.0K 60% /var/lib/humaxtv_backup

humax# fdisk -lu
humax#

humax# smartctl --all /dev/hda
smartctl 6.0 2013-04-25 r1189m [7405b0-smp-linux-2.6.18-7.1] (local build)
Copyright (c) 2002-12, Bruce Allen, Christian Franke

Smartctl open device: /dev/hda failed: No such device or address
humax#
 
Also checked inside unit for dodgy connections - all appear sound. Checked supplies to HDD: 12V and 5V are present and correct voltage.

Seems odd the unit doesn't report 'Hard drive failure' or similar instead of doing nothing on trying to access Video, and blanking Data Storage. If I wrote code that bad I'd be out on my ear.

Johnny
 
You cannot disconnect the Flash storage I was talking about - it holds the operating system and Humax software, and has the custom firmware loaded into it which provided your Telnet session.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top