Please help ... Have I really destroyed my DM500?

[mahouligan]

Hi All,

I tried to set up my DM500 for the first time yesterday. I got the latest image from Dreambox manufacturer site and was eventually able to flash it over LAN using Dreambox Control Centre. I was initially following Klona's Guide (you know?)

Prior to this, the box seemed to just hang when I tried to do an automatic scan of Hotbird. Now, with the new image, it went nearly all the way through the scan ("20 secs to go"), then gave the error message:
Fatal Error
Couldn't open service file
create /var/tuxbox/config/enigma!

So then, it being the end of a long and frustrating day of trying to get it to work, compounded by several hours fighting with a terrible Thompson router I did some stupid stuff (I know....)
I didn't really know how to act on the error message so I flashed Digital Kaos v1.1 Image, thinking it would probably be better and make the problem go away. There was no sign that the flashing process failed in Dreambox Control Centre but that is what I assume has happened because the DM500 now reboots itself over and over about every 15 seconds, showing the DigitalKaos.co.uk blue logo for about 5 seconds each time. I don't think I can ftp or telnet into it anymore.
Can anyone help me please?
Sorry for the dumbness.

[Dreamer]

read through this it may help

http://www.digital-kaos.co.uk/forums/f34/guide-flashing-dreambox-dreamup-33/

there are other stickis in red at the top of thie sections which cotain guides and important info there are also guides in the download section and if you don't understand something or get stuck then just ask

[firestorm]

you need to use dreamup with a null cable and reflash it ,dont forget to unplug everything apart from your null cable then when dreamup say conect the box plug in the power lead then it will say your box is alive and speaking to us now flash it when complete (this will take longer than flashing by lan) unplug and plug back in the power lead

[LENNY1]

hi look in forum plenty of threads to assist you

[mahouligan]

Thanks Dreamer, Lenny1 and Firestorm.
I'll give it a go.

[mahouligan]

Hello again,

Please help me if you can folks,

(To recap: My DM500s was broken before I began the following - it rebooted aproximately every 15 seconds, just showing the opening artwork screen. I got it into this state by a failed flash via wifi LAN - at least that is when it went wrong. I was trying to flash the DK image.)

I really expected it to come back to life when I did the Dreamup / null modem thing but it hasn't:

I followed Devilfish's guide to Dreamup (thank-you for that) - zero sign of anything wrong there.

Using Dreamup:
1. I flashed the erase image.
***** all looked ok

2. I flashed nabilosat Darkstar II (downloaded from here)
***** dreamup process looked fine but after powering up the box it is re-booting every 15 secs exactly as before.

3. I flashed erase image again.
***** all looks fine

4. I flashed the latest (2006) DM500s image from Dreambox site.
***** still re-boots every 15 secs.

Well, I don't need to say ... I'm out of ideas and options too huh?

Is there anything else I can do? Is it scrap and if so, it would at least be good to have an idea to know how I killed it so I don't ever do it again once I've saved up for another one.

Despairing Mh

[westkill]

i think youve tryed every thing right m8
all i can think of is flash the original firmware then nabilosat again :)
or it could be ~~~~ed :(

[mahouligan]

Hey Westlife,

What is the original firmware then? Isn't it the latest (and only available) image from dream-multimedia-tv.de (which I already tried)?

If it's knackered, I really want another one, cos I was enjoying the process so far. Can you (or anyone out there) give me a good tip on where to buy one from? ... as I would much rather pay more to have a decent (even genuine?) one with no mac address problems and so on.

I see people online selling the DM500s for 200 pounds sterling ... is that what you have to pay for a proper one?

If so, I'll be out of the game for a while - and I'd hardly started!

Mh

ps
I have a 1080p projector here so it would actually be better for me to get something like a DM500s (as I did like it, especially as it could do 12v / outdoors) but with HD capability and preferably HDMI

[krazylegz]

at present m8 the only HD dreambox out is the dreambox 800 which you can get for ?359 from satstore http://www.satstore.co.uk/digirec.htm

you will find it difficult buying a genuine 500s now as they are no longer made only clones are..............have a look at satstore m8.....these are official sellers for dream and only sell genuine units......and next day delivery you cant go wrong m8.

you can get a clone dm800 for 321 but for the extra 40 quid i'd rather a genuine with a full guarantee m8

[mahouligan]

"for the extra 40 quid i'd rather a genuine with a full guarantee m8"

I'm with you there Krazylegz.

Thanks.

[krazylegz]

no probs m8...as i stated every box from satstore is genuine m8 thats where i'll be getting my next one;)

[mahouligan]

I'm going to have a few more goes at Dreamup-ing erase then an image before I bung it (recycle I mean, of course).

BTW, having said I knew it was a genuine DM500s, I now have good reason to think that it wasn't: Mark Hemming's
eBay.co.uk Guides - Fake Dreambox and how to spot them - a quick guide. (http://reviews.ebay.co.uk/Fake-Dreambox-and-how-to-spot-them-a-quick-guide_W0QQugidZ10000000004673955)
...says that a genuine one would not come with plastic film over the metal case (mine did). Neither would it have uk mains and scart cables (ditto) nor would it have a ropey remote (ditto).

I can't remember where I bought mine now - it was a uk online shop, not ebay but it was well over 12 months ago.

Thanks again to you all,
Best wishes,

Mh

[westkill]

this ones legit :)
SMS The Dreamboxshop official distributors of Dream- multimedia satellite receivers. (http://www.dreamboxshop.co.uk/)

[mahouligan]

Stop press,
A happy ending (or is it a beginning?)

Somehow, I hadn't seen the button called 'Erase' in Dreamup. That was partly because I had understood that you needed to use the 'erase image' to wipe the box clean before adding a new image.

Once I'd clicked 'Erase' and it had done its thing, I flashed Darkstar II and it works ... hooray !!
It does make me wonder, what does the 'erase image' do?

We haven't got round to seeing any TV yet but I suspect that's going to be a bit of an anticlimax after all the fun we've had getting this box to work.

Gracias again folks,

:D
Mh