Sky + box dead?

[andygo]

Hi, any sky+ experts around?

Switched on the telly this morning but the sky+ box is stuck on standby. The red light is on and thats my lot. Tried unplugging and plugging back in, tried cleaning the viewing card but nothing. The box is about 4 years old, with loads of good stuff on the hard drive that needs backing up. (muppetry I know)

The really weird thing is that I was lying in bed this morning idly thinking, 'Wonder what the best way is to sort a new Sky box when ours packs up'. Bit scary that.

Any suggestions gratefully recieved folks.

[audidoody]

http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/forums/forumdisplay.ph...

Edited by audidoody on Saturday 3rd January 11:28

[Kinky]

When you plug it out - leave it plugged out for a minute - then try it - as opposed to a quick plug out/in.

Then leave it for about 2 minutes, then keep pressing the on/off button - for a minute or 2. If nothing happens, then resport to plan B.

Which is what audidoody posted. Search on there for the buttons to press to reset the box - it's something like keeping the backup button pressed for 30 seconds and stuff ......

K

[Big Al.]

I've had a similar problem before, got mine back to life after unplugging it from the mains for about half and hour. When I plugged it back in All was fine, it may have got a little overheated me thinks.

[E31Shrew]

Search on google for Sky Plus reset...Involves taking the power oout...holding down the back up button while reconnecting until all the lights come on ...then releasing when they go off....Better check first though

[dern]

Try pulling the phone lead out and pressing the button. Read it on a forum and it worked for me.

[madala]

andygo said:

Hi, any sky+ experts around?

Switched on the telly this morning but the sky+ box is stuck on standby. The red light is on and thats my lot. Tried unplugging and plugging back in, tried cleaning the viewing card but nothing. The box is about 4 years old, with loads of good stuff on the hard drive that needs backing up. (muppetry I know)

The really weird thing is that I was lying in bed this morning idly thinking, 'Wonder what the best way is to sort a new Sky box when ours packs up'. Bit scary that.

Any suggestions gratefully recieved folks.

...time to bin it and get a life....

[andygo]

hi,

tried the reset instructions from digitalspy but get absolutely no response from the box. Can't even get a menu up on screen. Looks like its seriously popped its clogs.

Bit miffed, got loads of my sons races from Men and Motors on which look like they might be lost forever.

[Burba]

i've heard you can upgrade sky boxes with PC hard drives, so why could you not take out the hard drive and back it up using a pc? therefore not losing your recordings?

[dpbird90]

Hmm, I have had this problem before. If the unplugging method doesn't work, then it's something else. I have telephoned Sky with the same problem, he tried to take me through a full system reset. Here is how you do it (WARNING: anything you had recorded will be deleted):
1. hold the left and right buttons simultaneously
2. Keep them held in and get someone to turn on the mains
3. keep them held in until the green ring of light starts going around (this can take up to 5 minutes, be patient)

I think you press select after that, but not competely certain. Google "Sky plus stuck in standby" and it will tell you.

This SHOULD fix it, as the Sky phone man tried to tell me. When it didn't, he tried to fob me off with some tale that an engineer will have to be called out and there is a £65 callout charge. I asked why should I pay when it isn't my fault that the damn thing isn't working? He again gave me some st again, so I said I was going to cancel it, putting it in writing. I hung up, 2 minutes later it was working perfectly again, with all my programmes still there.

So me and my dad think it's a conspiracy by Sky to get more money out of you, and apparantly most people on one forum I looked at think there was a bug/software spike sent in the software upgrade when they put the Sky Anytime on there. But it looks like they would rather keep a monthly subscription than get no money out of you altogether because of a disagreement over £65

[andygo]

I've tried the button reset thingy, but nothing happens at all.

[chris watton]

andygo said:

I've tried the button reset thingy, but nothing happens at all.

We had the exact same problem a few weeks back. We cut the power off for a while, and then reconnected it - it still took a good 5-6 hours for the light to turn green!

[Nickyboy]

dpbird90 said:

Hmm, I have had this problem before. If the unplugging method doesn't work, then it's something else. I have telephoned Sky with the same problem, he tried to take me through a full system reset. Here is how you do it (WARNING: anything you had recorded will be deleted):
1. hold the left and right buttons simultaneously
2. Keep them held in and get someone to turn on the mains
3. keep them held in until the green ring of light starts going around (this can take up to 5 minutes, be patient)

First 2 are right, when the green ring lights up then press the select button and it should reset and switch off. leave it off for 5-10 mins befroe turning back on. Did it to mine after 6 months not working

[pgilc1]

madala said:

andygo said:

Hi, any sky+ experts around?

Switched on the telly this morning but the sky+ box is stuck on standby. The red light is on and thats my lot. Tried unplugging and plugging back in, tried cleaning the viewing card but nothing. The box is about 4 years old, with loads of good stuff on the hard drive that needs backing up. (muppetry I know)

The really weird thing is that I was lying in bed this morning idly thinking, 'Wonder what the best way is to sort a new Sky box when ours packs up'. Bit scary that.

Any suggestions gratefully recieved folks.

...time to bin it and get a life....

from the man whos put 1160 posts on this forum alone....

[senninha1994]

IIRC, ring SKY tell them you wish to cancel due to your box being dead.
They will offer you a refurb box for £65.

[mcflurry]

dpbird90 said:

But it looks like they would rather keep a monthly subscription than get no money out of you altogether because of a disagreement over £65

They wanted £65 to fix my POS box, 6 weeks out of warranty.
I advised the cancellations team to either fix for free or lose £500 odd over the next 12 months. Oddly Sky was fixed for free the next day

[andygo]

pgilc1 said:

madala said:

andygo said:

Hi, any sky+ experts around?

Switched on the telly this morning but the sky+ box is stuck on standby. The red light is on and thats my lot. Tried unplugging and plugging back in, tried cleaning the viewing card but nothing. The box is about 4 years old, with loads of good stuff on the hard drive that needs backing up. (muppetry I know)

The really weird thing is that I was lying in bed this morning idly thinking, 'Wonder what the best way is to sort a new Sky box when ours packs up'. Bit scary that.

Any suggestions gratefully recieved folks.

...time to bin it and get a life....

from the man whos put 1160 posts on this forum alone....

Hehehehe.

Nice point, well made.

[Dogwatch]

'Stuck on standby' is not unusual for a Sky+ box. Certainly wouldn't give up trying to get it back to life as suggested by various posters.

Crucial thing seems to be NOT to do a quick switch off - switch on.