Sky+ not coming out of standby

[Golf18]

Hi,
following the upgrade to add anytime to sky+ box, would not turn back on in morning from standby. To get around this stopped box going into standby, is there anything to cure this?
Can I do a forced software update or is it a problem with the box

thanks

[Koala5]

I think you can force another update by pressing and holding either the backup or information button on the front of the box "cant remember which" whilst turning the power on then continue to hold button after power is switched on until a message appears on the screen saying "updating software"

[HarryBosch]

Have you tried switching the box off at the mains and removing the card, leave for a couple of minutes then switch the box back on and wait to be prompted to insert the card, its worked for me in the past

[Tezcatlipoca]

From what I've read at DigitalSpy, lots of people have been having this problem, with Sky+ & also SkyHD, since the Anytime update.

Powering off & on tends to cure it, as HarryBosch said above.

There is allegedly a work-around to stop it happening: Turn off Anytime, but leave Auto Standby turned on. Apparently if both are turned off it may still play up.

Sky are supposedly aware of the problem & working on a fix (from what someone at DS said they'd been told).

I think you can force another update by pressing and holding either the backup or information button on the front of the box "cant remember which" whilst turning the power on then continue to hold button after power is switched on until a message appears on the screen saying "updating software"

It's the Backup button.

[pedders]

I had the same problem (look at thread Warning To All Sky + owners) I got a new box as no matter what Sky suggested if did not work, but my box was unable to do a full reset so it must have been the hard drive at fault.

If you have tried all possibilties, which are not many if your box does not come out off standby then you have no alternative but to get another sky + box.

Once your hard drive has a fault powering it off & on again does not save it, same applies to laptop & pc's.

[Lexxy_703]

i think i'm another with this...(i have posted on DigiSpy, so sorry for any repeat!)

I've had this Thomson + box for about 18 months & until recently, it's been trouble-free.

Auto-standby is enabled, but it's always put in standby at night anyway, & Anytime is disabled.

I've been having the Blue Screen/ITV recordings problem, but not a major issue as i only record 1 or 2 programmes on ITV a week.

Last night all was fine, i went out of the room for a while & when i came back the box had gone into standby - i know we didn't switch it off. this was around 7-7.30pm.

didn't come to turn it back on until a few hours later & it just refuses to come back to life. the red LED power light just flickers as if it's trying to do something but no whirring or any other noises like it normally makes after a re-boot.

i've tried main power supply off (10 mins & left off over-night), all the cables are ok & the power socket. the red light on the remote is working (definitely on sky & not TV!) but no corresponding light on the box when you press any keys. tried the buttons on the box & to force an update - nothing worked.

it's connected via scart & while watching tv thru the normal ariel, the tv kept auto switching to the sky+ channel as if a signal had been found, but then nothing happened.

i spent 23 mins on the phone to a lovely man at sky who was no use whatsoever! "try this now please" - "sorry, i've already done that 3 times!!"

BUT, whilst on the phone to sky, when he got me to power off the box again, i noticed it's causing interference on our phone line too - the background noise on the phone line disappeared when the box was un-plugged & then came back again when connected?! (for info, we've got sky broadband) very odd

so i've paid my £65 & an engineer is booked for tomorrow - i'd only thought yesterday morning, i MUST watch some recordings soon as only 28% disc space free... i suppose it is all lost for good isn't it...

[tootingjo]

I found my Sky + box stuck on standby last night, and that red light stays on no matter what I do. I phoned Sky who gave instructions on doing a forced software update, but that didn't work. The only thing is, my phone line isn't connected. Is this why that update failed? Sorry if it's a dumb question! :-)

If I can't get the stupid box working again it looks like I have to pay £65 for an engineer to come out. :-( I wonder if it might even be better to buy a new Sky + box, it's not so much more than the engineer call out.

[pedders]

No the update comes in through the dish.

[tootingjo]

Well, we have our Sky + box working again. I don't mean to be a peddlar of conspiracy theories..! but the engineer said there'd been a load of these box on standby problems, all from people who'd unplugged the phone line. He put my phone line back in and soon got it working again. He told me it was up to me whether I kept the line in again after he'd gone. He hinted quite seriously that Sky knew when their customers took out the phone line, didn't like it, and wanted them to 'call Sky' and get an engineer to put it back in again. And I thought you only 'had' to have the phone in for 12 months?

I wouldn't even mind having the phone line in, but for some reason my Broadband won't work when the Sky line's in the socket too.

[Koala5]

Whatever he did I dont think it was related to the phone line, mines been unplugged for about a year and I've suffered no ill effects.