AZBOX AZBox Channel List Corruption..........AGAIN???

[Lone Gunman]

After spending multiple days last fall completely re-doing my Ultra's channel list because of corruption problems, I have problems with it yet again?? Spent the better part of the afternoon yesterday messing with it and it's still screwed??? WTF??

Ennywho, I ran across this procedure in my AZBox file folder on my computer and was wondering if anyone had actually done this?? I'm thinking that there's something else in it that's corrupt that doesn't get replaced with a "application area format" or "firmware reinstall"??

Any help?

Complete clean-up of Azbox firmware, settings and plugins
This procedure will allow you to completely clean your Azbox HD. All configuration, plugins and firmware will be lost.
So use it with caution and follow it carefully.
When do you need to use this procedure?
- If you feel that your Azbox no longer works properly and behave totally at random.
- Problems with plugins that can no longer read your card.
- If you have a bug that nobody else experience or can reproduce.
Pre-requisite:
DO NOT SKIP THIS PART.
- Download the latest firmware with Firefox from http://fw.azupd.com
- Check the MD5 signature
- Rename the file to patch.bin and nothing else (so azbox-0.9.4890-patch.bin is not a valid name it should be
renamed to patch.bin, so suppress "azbox-0.9.4890-").
- Format an USB key to FAT file system
- Copy the file patch.bin to the newly formatted USB key
- Power off your Azbox
- Connect the USB key
- Restart your Azbox
- In the upgrade screen select 1 - upgrade USB (the firmware you copy on the USB should be detected and installed).
- This process should end normally during the countdown remove the USB key.
- You Azbox will restart with the firmware you select.
Clean-up
- Please DO NOT SKIP PRE-REQUISITE!!!
- Enable Telnet server on your Azbox (11. Setup - Network Services - Telnet server : Enabled).
- Connect to your Azbox IP address with a telnet client
- Type the following command.

mount -o remount,rw -t ext3 /dev/hda1 /MMP
rm -rf /PLUGINS
rm -rf /DISK2
rm -rf /MMP
sync

You will probably read some error messages, don't care about this.
- Power off your Azbox (switch off) (if you press the power key on the RCU the end menu will no longer appears
since we just delete it).
- Put the USB key that we prepare in pre-requisite in the Azbox USB slot.
- Power on your Azbox
On the upgrade screen select:
4 - Format application Area
Followed by:
1 - upgrade USB
Let the upgrade process run (DO NOT POWER OFF your Azbox during this process) and wait for the final countdown
and remove the USB key.
If you miss the final countdown at the Azbox reboot select 5 - Continue without upgrade.
Your Azbox is now brand new with a fresh firmware without any old stuff on it.
Then you will need to reconfigure all your Azbox like you first power it up.

 

[migold]

Well, senior citizen memory problem aside, I think that I had to "redo" my Prem Plus a couple of years ago. I did something to "clean up" my channel list, and then everything was - as you say "SCREWED"... Apparently, there are some things that you can do to the channel list and somethings that you should NOT do. I keep a good copy of my channel list on PC and use MAZ for (only) MINOR edits, and never delete a satellite. My Prem Plus has been very stable since I did that, but I don't recall the exact details of the process. I can only say that I had a good result. Now, the only thing that I delete are transponders and then only on the AZ, not in the editor. I am very careful with it, as I still consider this box as my #1 STB.

 

[Lone Gunman]

migold I don't use mine all that much and after it horked up again the other day I thought I'd just set it up with a few CBS Satellites specifically for 422 feeds, but, I can't even get it to do that without problems now?? It seems the more I mess with it, the worse it gets.

Yesterday I did a final application area format and reinstalled firmware 5020, then did a factory reset which is "suppose" to clear out the channel list stuff. Then I went in Antenna settings and configured 97W then deleted all but ONE transponder on that Satellite. Rebooted it then blind scanned that single satellite afterwards and when it got done there were NO channels listed, but something like 14 new transponders??WTF?? So went and did a satellite scan (not blind scan) and it found like 42 channels???

According to that procedure I posted, there's some other areas in those things that have stuff that might get corrupted so I'm actually looking for someone who has successfully done it before before I turn mine into a "brick".

Another thing, at one point I had that 5402 crapware in it and I'm thinking these problems might have shown up some time AFTER I had reverted back to the old standby 5020 and it's channel list??

Ennywho, if this keeps up, eventually it might end up as a target for my LR308!!!

 

[Keith Brannen]

Haven't tried the procedure you mention (have never had any problems that would require it), but I do recall you had this problem before and had figured out a workaround.

http://www.satelliteguys.us/xen/threads/az-box-finds-tps-but-no-channels-on-blind-scan.307878/

I use 5402 and find it works better than any of the previous firmwares. According to the above thread, you had the problem before you updated to 5402.

Looking back at that thread, I still think that one thing that possibly could be causing the problem is the fact that you don't delete channels before you delete a transponder (even though it also deletes the channels). It may be something as simple as that. I always delete channels before I delete a transponder (either manually deleting or restoring the back up channel list).

As an aside, just the other day I found out (by accident!) how you can do a block move of any number of channels at once! Don't recall seeing it mentioned before that you could do it. LOL!

 

[beavs2112]

After spending multiple days last fall completely re-doing my Ultra's channel list because of corruption problems, I have problems with it yet again?? Spent the better part of the afternoon yesterday messing with it and it's still screwed??? WTF??
Ennywho, I ran across this procedure in my AZBox file folder on my computer and was wondering if anyone had actually done this?? I'm thinking that there's something else in it that's corrupt that doesn't get replaced with a "application area format" or "firmware reinstall"??
Any help?

Lone Gunman I donèt recall ever using that restoration procedure before. It seems to me all that it is doing is reloading the software via USB and not correcting the channel list corruption. also there is a backup file in the AZ software that I cannot remember if it has the channel list in it or not. I have not used either of my two AZ pluses in like two years since I got my TBS tuner card so my memory on how to fix the corruption is fuzzy. I might try to hook mine back up to help ya out. Just a suggestion check over at Ricks forum they have a whole section on the AZ boxes. If you cannot get it running smooth again maybe put it up for sale rather than shoot it (in case you werenèt kidding)

 

[migold]

I think 'Up for Sale' is a good idea..

 

[Lone Gunman]

Haven't tried the procedure you mention (have never had any problems that would require it), but I do recall you had this problem before and had figured out a workaround.

http://www.satelliteguys.us/xen/threads/az-box-finds-tps-but-no-channels-on-blind-scan.307878/

I use 5402 and find it works better than any of the previous firmwares. According to the above thread, you had the problem before you updated to 5402.

Looking back at that thread, I still think that one thing that possibly could be causing the problem is the fact that you don't delete channels before you delete a transponder (even though it also deletes the channels). It may be something as simple as that. I always delete channels before I delete a transponder (either manually deleting or restoring the back up channel list).

As an aside, just the other day I found out (by accident!) how you can do a block move of any number of channels at once! Don't recall seeing it mentioned before that you could do it. LOL!

At 70 years old my memory isn't working as well as it has in the past. I remembered "some" of that stuff in that thread but not all of it and the search I did didn't bring that one up? C. R. S. applies here I guess, and it's getting worse!

Another major problem for me though is that I don't use either of those AZ receivers that much any more. I mostly use the Openbox S9s because they are so much more "user friendly" and the record timer works so much better than the one in the AZs. I have more money in the 2 AZ receivers I have than all 4 of the others (2 Micro HDs and 2 Openbox S9s) and the only advantage the AZ has at this point is 4.2.2.

Ennywho, I think I'm going to try the next released firmware after 5020, which was 5209 and see how that one does since I got nothing to loose but more time.

Oh, and thanks for the replies guys and for refreshing my memory on this. Hopefully I'll be able to get this thing where I can use it for those CBS feeds.

 

[migold]

Have you tried the firmware 0.9.5402?
Latest release per website http://forum.azboxamericas.com/azbox-ultra/
I have not tried this, I am still running 0.9.5309.

 

[papabruski]

After using the MicroHD for the last few years, I dusted off the AZBox Premium HD+ to see if it was worth keeping. With that box, I learned a great deal about FTA, buggy software and corruption, linux, FTP, and the personalities that wanted to protect their niche in the market.
I think it was Thomas Jefferson that said "A tool built for more than one purpose will do neither one well" and that became my take on the box I have. The browser and utube features were touted as features, but neither worked well. I think I spent more time keeping it working than watching television.
I was looking to see if the Premium+ had much value on the used market, but I'm not seeing any for sale.
That said, I'll probably keep it as a backup.

 

[HelderLuis]

Doesn't that company closed or something? (AZbox)

I think all available stuff today comes from users and aficionados.

 

[KE4EST]

Yes, AZbox closed its doors a few years ago.

 

[migold]

My AzBox Premium Plus HD is my main box, and it is running very stable for me, 24/7. I have 2 tuners in mine, using one for C-Band, and the other for Ku-Band. The biggest problem that I have with it is that when there is a very quick AC power drop-out, for a second or less, then it loses the network connection, and the time relies on the www. So I have to go in and reset the network and get the time. Since this doesn't happen very frequently, more in the stormy weather, I don't consider it a great problem.