Boot up loop of death

[jax]

I've just for the first time installed my new TM Twin and during set up came across the plug ins so decided to install those also. The first one on the list went into error with a message saying the unit would now restart, which it did and continued to restart for about 30 mins when I realised something was wrong. It was continually changing from the winter scene with the % progress bar to the error message then back and forth between the two Nothing I've tried will stop the process. Not exit from the remote or the box controls. Switching off/on from the box or remote just restarts the whole thing over again. I tried removing the mains cable waiting for a few minutes (a la Sky) and switching back on. There must be some way to force this unit to exit and to start normally. I'm not really an expert on satellite equipment as I've only just changed from Sky and this is my replacement for that box. Didn't realise it would be so complicated. Any advice would be appreciated. Thank you in advance.

[Larry-G]

Sounds like something you have installed has caused the bootloop but without the corresponding crashlogs from these crashes there is no real way to know what has caused this. Re-install the image again but this time do not restore any thing and install your plugins one at a time to see which if any of them have caused the problem.

How to flash a TM-TWIN-OE
Click Here

[jax]

Sounds like something you have installed has caused the bootloop but without the corresponding crashlogs from these crashes there is no real way to know what has caused this. Re-install the image again but this time do not restore any thing and install your plugins one at a time to see which if any of them have caused the problem.

How to flash a TM-TWIN-OE
Click Here

Thanks for your reply. Yes, that's right, One of the optional plugins caused the box to enter this mode. I haven't installed anything other than what's there to install in the first place. I'm not able to restore the image or anything else as the box will not exit start up/error message mode. It's stuck in a loop and nothing I do will force it out. That's what I want to know. How can I force a normal restart so that I can access the set up again and probably do a factory reset (which I assume is possible).

[Larry-G]

without knowing what exactly caused the bootloop in the first place there would be no way of knowing how to stop the bootloop unless you can either FTP into the receiver to retreive a crash log or tell us exactly which plugin you installed rite before this started to happen.

unless there are files you can not loose in this image the best and easiest solution would be to just reflash the image from scratch and start again.

[jax]

without knowing what exactly caused the bootloop in the first place there would be no way of knowing how to stop the bootloop unless you can either FTP into the receiver to retreive a crash log or tell us exactly which plugin you installed rite before this started to happen.

unless there are files you can not loose in this image the best and easiest solution would be to just reflash the image from scratch and start again.

I'm inclined to go down the reflash route and have loaded up a USB stick, but after reading the instructions which say (in red caps) not to power down during the process as serious damage could occur (which is standard for any software install) I think I'll hold off for a while until I've contacted Technomate and see what they think. It could be that the reflashing wouldn't get me out of the reboot loop and I'd have to extract the USB before completion. Don't want to get into a warranty invalidation situation. Thanks for advice which seems to be the best idea.

[Larry-G]

That waning only applies to powering the receiver down while flashing the receiver or bootloader, your receiver already has a fully flashed image on it, the standard fix for a bootloop is to reflash a new image over the top to wipe the old one and replace it with a new clean image.

[jax]

That waning only applies to powering the receiver down while flashing the receiver or bootloader, your receiver already has a fully flashed image on it, the standard fix for a bootloop is to reflash a new image over the top to wipe the old one and replace it with a new clean image.

This definitely seems the best advice, but I'm a belt & braces type, so will hold off until I have a word with Technomate. When I came on here earlier I knew nothing of reflashing, So I'm already more knowledgeable on satellite boxes. Thanks so much.

[Larry-G]

no worries if you'd rather wait for TM to set your mind at ease, although i will point out that i have flashed both my TM-TWIN and TM-2T several hundred times each using the method as described in my tutorial all without a hitch so it's safe to go down that route and you will be up and running again in under 10 minutes if you do decide on this course of action. ( This is also the exact same advice TM will give you, to reflash the receiver ).

[pooface]

Also, to iterate some of what Phoenix says, I've had problems where the box goes in to a boot loop, and will not get passed the bootloader. To fix this, I've had to flash an older 4d image, then reflash the new boot loader, and then the vix image... Weird one, but only thing actually revived the box...

[no1baggiesfan]

Also, to iterate some of what Phoenix says, I've had problems where the box goes in to a boot loop, and will not get passed the bootloader. To fix this, I've had to flash an older 4d image, then reflash the new boot loader, and then the vix image... Weird one, but only thing actually revived the box...

LOL, I had EXACTLY the same problem last week, flashed my box 4-5 times but it still locked/crashed/looped, flashed the bootloader x2 and the new image x2 and my box has been perfect since.

A bootloop is only fixable by reflashing IMO.

Its very simple to do, the only risk is losing power during flashing, it doesnt take long anyway, TM will most likely say exactly the same, flash to fix.

[jax]

Worked like a charm. It's a bit a maze though isn't it? I've come straight from Sky and find the interface a bit confusing, but will no doubt sort it all out in time. Thanks for everybody's kind help & advice.

[Larry-G]

Worked like a charm. It's a bit a maze though isn't it? I've come straight from Sky and find the interface a bit confusing, but will no doubt sort it all out in time. Thanks for everybody's kind help & advice.

It can be a wee bit daunting at first but once you adjust you will soon come to wonder how and why you put up with such a restrictive and closed platform as offered by sky's own branded receivers. I know I could would not go back to a sky branded receiver unless absolutely necessary. Any hoo, if you have any questions or need help, we are always here.

[abu baniaz]

Have a read of the following guide. Will clarify a lot of things.

http://www.world-of-satellite.com/sh...x-set-up-guide

[jax]

I find the official Manual hard work due to the poor translation. This one is rather confusing from when it gets to the part where you have to use your PC, so I wont bother with most of that although I'm finding some useful stuff in the plugs ins/extensions. The one thing I'm looking for is how to back the system up. I suppose it must be like backing up a computer to a external hard drive and then booting from the hard drive.

[BubbleBalls]

I find the official Manual hard work due to the poor translation. This one is rather confusing from when it gets to the part where you have to use your PC, so I wont bother with most of that although I'm finding some useful stuff in the plugs ins/extensions. The one thing I'm looking for is how to back the system up. I suppose it must be like backing up a computer to a external hard drive and then booting from the hard drive.

Menu->Setup-> Vix-> backup manager->green button -> saves your plugins/settings. These can be applied to an updated image, dependent on kernel.
Menu->Setup-> Vix->image manager -> green button performs a total backup of your settings and any changes you personally made to the image - this can be crucial as it is a complete recording of your system.


This is a very basic view but it has served me well.


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