Updates - should I leave well alone?

G

grumpy jim

New Member
Hi, I have 3 identical machines (pvr-9300T) purchased recentlty. They are all working perfectly - should I resist trying to do a downloaded software file update and leave well alone and just wait for a OTA auto update?
Have read some horror stories about people buying these RS-232 gismos that do not work and then find the attempted upgrade has failed and corrupted their system, and am very very reluctant to fix something that ain't broke.
Machine 1. Rev 1.0/ver 1.00.26/loader ver a4.37/sys id 3023.0000/update date July 7, 2011.
M/c 2. Rev 1.0/ ver 1.00.24/ Loader ver a 4.39./sys id 3023.0000/ Update date Jan 18, 2011.
M/c 3. Rev 1.0/ ver 1.00.24/ Loader ver a 4.39/ sys id 3023.0000/ Update date Jan 18, 2011.

Have received OTA updates on m/c No.1 - but have not had the opportunity on No2 or No.3. Can I assume M/C No.1 is up to date (bearing in mind the loader version is only a 4.37)? or will this m/c need a fix as well?

I have futher questions on this subject, but would like to take it in stages for simplicity.

Advice and patience apppreciated as this is a bit over my head.
Thank you.
Jim.
 
grumpy jim said:
Have read some horror stories about people buying these RS-232 gismos that do not work and then find the attempted upgrade has failed and corrupted their system, and am very very reluctant to fix something that ain't broke.
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Can you point me at such a report? I am aware of many thousands of software updates without problem and I can only recall two reports of bricking. In one case the hardware was a pre-production unit with non standard hardware and in the other case someone had deliberately changed the system ID; neither of these are routine software updates. Personally I think updating from a PC is slightly safer than OTA.
grumpy jim said:
Have received OTA updates on m/c No.1 - but have not had the opportunity on No2 or No.3. Can I assume M/C No.1 is up to date (bearing in mind the loader version is only a 4.37)? or will this m/c need a fix as well?
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I think that should be fine.
 
MartinLiddle said:
Can you point me at such a report? I am aware of many thousands of software updates without problem and I can only recall two reports of bricking. In one case the hardware was a pre-production unit with non standard hardware and in the other case someone had deliberately changed the system ID; neither of these are routine software updates. Personally I think updating from a PC is slightly safer than OTA.

I think that should be fine.
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Martin, thanks for your input.
I am afraid I cannot point you at a direct report. I tend to use google when investigating a potential problem with anything I own or am intenting buying, and just follow any links to sites where people may have had a problem (usually some forum or other).
I also look at sites that sell a product I am considering buying, and then look at most of the comments left by people who have bought that item.
With regard to the RS-232 bad experiences quoted by buyers for non working cables, that would have been on amazon when I was searching for a RS-232C cable, and would not necessarily have been for use on a humax, as lots of people seem to buy this type of cable for various uses on non humax equipment. Unfortunately again I could not point you at a direct quote. Perhaps I misunderstood what they were complaining about.
No matter, I bow to your obvious experience and expertise and accept that (providing the cable connector is the right one, and works correctly), the software should update without problems.

This leads me nicely to my next request:- can you please point me at a specific site and specific product (a RS-232C) which will work on a windows 7 Home edition 32bit and preferably out of the box -plug and play.
For what it is worth, have looked on humax, they don't seem to sell them, and my observations tell me if they did they would be expensive. They don't seem to like replying to email help questions, and finally, I really don't fancy paying their 0844 high price phone charges - Yes I am careful (tight) as well as grumpy lol.

P.S. Apologies in advance if I appear slow in replying. I tried to log in 3 times and failed after a pop up "An add on for this site failed to run" -unquote. I will post this problem in the correct secton as soon as I get a chance.
Thank you.
 
Have a look at Flash9200 by Martin Liddle, I have used this many times and can recommend it for updating the 9200 and 9300 boxes.
 
brian said:
Have a look at Flash9200 by Martin Liddle, I have used this many times and can recommend it for updating the 9200 and 9300 boxes.
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Brian thanks for that - have just had a quick look at the link page. Man this is heavy stuff and I will need time to digest and investigate the other links on the page. I just hope the OTA update comes before I finish digesting it lol.
Cheers.
 
Reports of USB to RS232 converters being hit and miss were common when they first came out. But I haven't seen people reporting problems in the last few years. Check the dates of anything you Google as they are probably out of date.
 
gomezz said:
Reports of USB to RS232 converters being hit and miss were common when they first came out. But I haven't seen people reporting problems in the last few years.
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Problems are still common as my email inbox will attest but most are soluble fairly easily.
 
MartinLiddle said:
It isn't difficult. Buy a USB to RS232 converter with Windows 7 drivers such as http://www.tronisoft.com/prod.php?id=2441 and a null modem cable such as http://www.tronisoft.com/prod.php?id=3210. Download the software from the Humax web site and flash9200 from the link brian provided. Install the driver for the USB to RS232 converter. Run Flash9200. With luck job done.
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Thanks for that Martin, I went to the tronisoft site via your link to order the 2 items - so far so good. I then went through the complete order process (and by order of google had to use the google order system), I got right to the point of pressing the place your order button, and guess what? As Victor Meldrew would have said" I don't believe it" - ERROR -( order not processed). On checking why, I was told that you may need google chrome or firefox browser to solve the problem. They might have warned me before I put in all my financial data which is now out there somewhere in cyber space. Now that is the sort of thing that really makes me grumpy.
If that was not an omen to give up my quest, I don't know what would be.
You may as well just put me down as a lost cause - there are just too many hoops, hurdles, and obstacles for a mere old mortal as myself. I give up, and will conclude by answering my own post - "Just leave well alone".
Thanks for all your help.
 
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