Firmware Failure?

[uncontrolled]

Hello,

I've got a major problem with my Music Keg 710. A short story.

System is a Kenwood KDC-W6527 and the Music Keg C710 with a 10G DMS, firmware version 13.01 and running for a couple of years with no problems at all. 2 weeks ago i skipped to a next track in 'shuffle mode' and nothing happened. 2 minutes later 'Eject' appeared. Re-inserting the DMS, still 'eject'. Next thing i did was a reset on my HU. result was that the Music Keg wasn't recognized by the HU. Repeated this a couple of time , still nothing.

So i went searching on your (great) forum and did all the simple solutions (unplug the Keg a couple of seconds/minutes/hours etc.) The next thing was reinstall the firmware with the DMS-Tool (tried 13.01 / 13.00 / 12.00) without hack first and maybe the 13.01 with the hack by accident. (i'm not sure i checked the non-hacking box properly)

When i loaded a new firmware(s) according to the manual the Keg shows the normal signs (red powerLED on, the yellow LED flashes). But after a 6 to 8 minutes it goes wrong. The red LED goes on and off for 10 seconds (DMS also spinning up and down) and doesn't stop until i pull the plug from the Keg after an hour or so.

DMS is working fine on the computer. I can access both maps and PMM works normal.

Did I kill my Music Keg or is there still hope? I Hope that somebody can help me.....THX in advance
Ed.

[VorTechS]

I'm wondering if perhaps there's a problem on the disk where you have file corruption(s) causing the firmware update to fail.

Do you know what version of firmware was the last version to successfully upload to the box, that is, what the box was running before it first started to fail?

My sugggestion would be to run the DMS tools, applying that version of firmware using the DMS repair (PHTSYS) option and selecting 'Install non-hacked firmware' and unchecking the option 'Reflash Box'.  Throw on a single playlist, and see how things go.

[uncontrolled]

Well, i don't know how long version 13.01 exist but i think it's running at least for 4 years on that version with no problems at all. The last time i put some new Mp3's on the disk was a week before the problems. Could it be a corrupted mp3-file??

I tried the DMS tools several times to update the non-hacked 13.01 firmware (also tried rolling back to 12.00 and 13.00) . There is a possibility that i tried to update with a hacked version of 13.01, i think if forgot to check this.

I will try it again later today. Thanks for your support...

[uncontrolled]

Well, i did run the DMS tools, applied non hacked version 13.01 on it with the "reflash the box" option unchecked. After inserting the box did something (i think updating again) by showing a red LED continuously and a flashing yellow LED. After a liitle crap and a shower i went back to the car and result: Red LED on for 10 seconds, red LED off for 10 seconds, yellow LED stays off, so still the same problem.

Re-inserting won't help, i pulled the plug from the Keg again, nothing......
Put the DMS in the cradle and running DMS Doctor, all tests succesfull!! PMM also runs normally. Two partitions showing in My Computer.

So i think the Keg is rejecting my firmware-updates. Is there any way to do a 'full hard reset' ?

[VorTechS]

The firmware either uploads or doesn't, there is no middle ground.  It has built-in protection to prevent failure so the box is in a good state, and it'll be a file related issue at a wild guess.

Try installing the Level 10 RC Pairs: http://downloads.phathack.com/bushing/rc_pairs.zip

You'll get a nice big log file the next time you boot up the box, I think on the PHTSYS partition.  I forget the name though.
Mail me a copy of the file once you get back to the LED OFF situation, let's see if we can find anything in there.

[Terry_Kennedy]

System is a Kenwood KDC-W6527 and the Music Keg C710 with a 10G DMS, firmware version 13.01 and running for a couple of years with no problems at all. 2 weeks ago i skipped to a next track in 'shuffle mode' and nothing happened. 2 minutes later 'Eject' appeared. Re-inserting the DMS, still 'eject'. Next thing i did was a reset on my HU. result was that the Music Keg wasn't recognized by the HU. Repeated this a couple of time , still nothing.

Sometimes the Kenwood head units get lost in the weeds and forget how to talk to the PhatBox/Keg. They usually have a reset button somewhere on the faceplate. Try pressing it and then selecting the Aux/Ext HD/whatever the PhatBox shows up as.

If that doesn't work, try disconnecting the data cable from the PhatBox, waiting 5 minutes, and re-connecting it. You may need to do the reset again.

[uncontrolled]

Thanx for your support guys!!

Now the keg is not responding at all. I tried to reinstall 13.01 with the Level 10 RC pairs but the only thing i see on the keg is the slow flashing red LED (keg starts up and turned down every 10 seconds). Also  i pushed the reset button of my HU several times but this has no effect at all. The keg isn't recognized by the HU and when i select the HDD it shows CD Changer and skipped to EXT....

I pulled the keg and the Kenwood HU out of the car and will try again tomorrow.

I did read something about pulling the JP1 jumper while power was applied to the keg. Any comments about that? I still think the Keg is in some kind of loop...

(can't find a log file either on the DMS created by the RC paires)

[uncontrolled]

Okay here we go again......

Pulled the Keg out of the car 2 days ago and keep it out. Also repaired the DMS with 13.01 (no hack, no reflash checked). Today i reset the HU and mounted the Keg. This time i see the red LED goes on steady and the yellow LED flashes (first slow, then faster). Happy as i am thinking the keg was reflashing again. At this time i did not turn the HU on again because i thought this behaviour was OK. 

After 15 minutes i checked the status of the LEDs and i am back to my old problem. (red LED on for 10 sec./off for 10 sec.) Leave it at this state for 45 minutes, still the same. HU says still no HDD (skipped from cd changer to ext).
Reset the HU again, still nothing.

I think i have to wait for almost a day to reset the Keg to accept another firmware update so I pulled the Keg out of the car again and try another firmwareversion tomorrow with the RC-pairs (because i forget it this time )


If somebody has more ideas , please let me know......

[VorTechS]

With the option 'No reflash' on, you will NOT get a firmware update (that's the whole point of the option!).

So the problem lies elsewhere, and the RC pairs should let us know where....

[uncontrolled]

With the option 'No reflash' on, you will NOT get a firmware update (that's the whole point of the option!).

So the problem lies elsewhere, and the RC pairs should let us know where....

Thank you for the reminder, VorTechS .  But i'm sure i tried this before and didn't work also....will try it again later today!!

[uncontrolled]

Ok, this didn't work either....New firmware/  checked non-hacked version / checked update the box / put RC Pairs on it / lay it aside for a day / reset the HU before mounting the Keg / ignition on / ............................nothing.................


Well, i give up for this time. I think i tried all the actions to make this Keg to work according to your  suggestions and nothing works.

Before i get really mad and throw it to a brick wall or something i put it away for a couple of weeks......
Off course you can give/send me any other suggestions....

Thanks for all the input so far, guys!!!!

[sbingner]

Sounds like a problem with the boot files to me... bootload.log and logfile.txt would be helpful. 

[uncontrolled]

i know but these files aren't present on the keg .....

Anyway, i have bought a used Music Keg with 10gig DMS on ebay this weekend so maybe i have a complete system running within a few days  !!!

[sbingner]

You have to create bootload.log for it to write to -- you can copy one of the .xml files or something and rename it to bootload.log

[Brian C]

Just my twopenneth, your problem sounds similar to what I had when I created a new DMS using a disc taken out of my laptop. Though the disc passed all tests when connected to a PC/cradle - it would load up with songs, pass chkdsk etc., it would variously fail in the Keg most usually resulting in the Keg not being visible to the HU, lights flashing as you say as if it was trying to be read. The long and short of it was the disc was on the way out and the symptoms were arising from seek/read errors on the disc.

[uncontrolled]

Thanks Brain!!

I think you right about the read/seek errors. I remember now that the problems started when suddenly stopped and and i skipped to the next track. Nothing happened for a while and display shows 'eject' ...the keg didn't work anymore after this event. I completely forgot this now you mentioned it!!!

Now i have a used Keg with 10Gb DMS from Ebay and is running perfect (firmware Kenwood 12.01 but is good enough for me)

So now i have a Keg which doesn't respond and a  DMS which is propably dead.
Leaving me a couple of options:
- try to repair the old Keg with the working DMS (risking the keg will kill my only working DMS?)
- hack the new Keg and put a new and bigger drive in the dead DMS (risking the hack procedure will kill my Keg?)
- do nothing, keep it safe, avoid new problems and learn to live with 'only' one 10 Gb DMS

[VorTechS]

Running the hack, or performing firmware updates will do nothing adverse to your Keg.  The Keg, like all PhatBoxes, has a built in protection on firmware updates so that there is no such thing as a 'failed update'.  It either works, or doesn't and reverts to the previous firmware.

The hack is 100% perfectly safe, the worst that can happen is that it doesn't complete and you may need to run a single additional step (ramdisk.sig workaround)

Assuming there's nothing wrong with the 'non-working' keg, I would try upgrading the firmware to the version being used on the working keg.  It's a simple enough process to do manually, just add two files into the root of PHTSYS of the working DMS called 'forceupdate' and 'forcesettings' and stick the DMS in the non-working box.  You should see the green LED flashing rapidly for upwards of 15 minutes.  If the problem lies with only the DMS, the non-working Keg should instantly start working once the firmware update is complete.

Then you are left with a spare.....

[uncontrolled]

Well, You can assume the keg is really dead now .

Put the new working DMS with the 'forceupdate' and 'forcesettings' in the non-working keg, watching the keg doing the update but after that the same old problem for this keg....red led on/off forever.

Btw, working DMS in the working keg again, no problems (i removed the 2 files again to be sure). maybe the old DMS isn't dead after all...not going to try because i still think this one killed my old KEG).  Hacking the keg and replace the drive in the old DMS is the final solution.

Thanks again.

(Anyone interrested buying a dead keg?? )

[VorTechS]

If the red LED is the one flashing, could this just be a dodgy power connection?  Worth opening up the Keg and taking a look inside to check the pins/connections at the cable point to see if anything is obviously wrong?

[sbingner]

If you want to send me your 'dead' keg I can try to fix it -- if I can, I'll send it back and you just pay shipping... if not I'll toss it for you

I live in Hawaii, but the shipping shouldn't be all that bad.