Downgrade to official firmware How to?

[RMerlin]

Ok, I'm having real issues downgrading. A few days ago I upgraded to the latest version 1.03.49_V-WDLXTV-Live-0.4.5.3

I'm still having issues with network shares, never have worked no matter what, so I thought I'd go back to the WD software and if worse came to worse call tech support. I followed the directions and changed the version in the WDLIVE files to VERSION='1.20.04.WDLXTV_LIVE-0.4.2.0 from VERSION='1.01.77', but the system does not see the new firmware on the USB stick when booting, and when I go to system update, it tells me I have the latest software. I unplugged the network cable and tried as a last resort, now I get a message that it can't check for new firmware since the network cable is unplugged. It obviously is not looking of the usb stick for firmware it's going online.

I'm stumped, what do I need to do to revert to factory firmware?

Make sure you have all three files (.fff, .ver, .bin) on the disk
Make sure you do change the version in the .ver file on your disk
Make sure they are for the correct device (G2 vs Live vs Live Plus)
Make sure the USB disk only has one single partition (U3-compliant flash drives won't work as they have a hidden partition), and that it's formatted in FAT32 (NTFS will not work)
Make sure you used `Safely Remove`on your PC before unplugging the disk to ensure Windows has finished writing to it
Try the other USB port
Try plugging the key after the WDTV is done booting
As a last resort, try if possible a different USB disk.

[zack832]

Thanks, I found my problem, I had downloaded the wrong firmware. Once I corrected that the directions works as they should.

One thing of note, once I downgraded to the WD firmware my network shares started working, they had never done that before with the original Wd firmware or the WDLXTV firmware. Weird.

[neo05]

hey guys im having trobule wth 0.4.3.3 is there any way to downgrade to 0.4.2.2 or do i have to go to factory firm ware first?

[RMerlin]

hey guys im having trobule wth 0.4.3.3 is there any way to downgrade to 0.4.2.2 or do i have to go to factory firm ware first?

Quite a few online features do not work on WDLXTV below 0.4.5.3 (such as YoutubeHD and Shoutcast). It is strongly recommended that you upgrade to 0.4.5.3.

In any case if you still want to downgrade, you can downgrade directly to any WDLXTV version - just modify the .ver file as explained in the README.

[grandprix]

I've decided to go the route of XBMC after all, unfortunately, because that means building a machine just for the purpose. After trying to my wits end and not being successful, I'd just like to revert back to the factory version. However, it doesn't seem as though WDLXTV is interested in doing this. I've followed the procedures outlined to a T, changed the version number to 1.05.00, 1.40.00 and then 2.00.00 with no avail. It's as though WDLXTV is ignoring the files on the USB thumbdrive. It just never pops up with the firmware being recognized as an update.

.....

[grandprix]

To add onto this, the only thing that seems to happen is that a .wd_tv directory with the contents of a wdtv.cas and wdtv.cas.md5 appear on the thumbdrive.

?

[recliq]

- Make sure you have the right firmware file! (Plus firmware won't work on Live and vice versa!)
- Edit the .ver file to a version higher than the currently installed version.
- Make sure the USB drive is FAT32 formatted
- Try different USB drive
- Try different USB port on wdtv

In 99.8% of the cases it's one of the above issues preventing firmware up-/downgrade...

[grandprix]

- Make sure you have the right firmware file! (Plus firmware won't work on Live and vice versa!)
- Edit the .ver file to a version higher than the currently installed version.
- Make sure the USB drive is FAT32 formatted
- Try different USB drive
- Try different USB port on wdtv

In 99.8% of the cases it's one of the above issues preventing firmware up-/downgrade...

Yes, I've done that 20 times over. The official version is already higher than the version being used by WDLXTV. Again, I want to revert back to the official (or as you guys refer to it "base") firmware. I've tried switching to USB2, no success. The thumbdrive is the one I used to convert from the official firmware to wdlxtv, so I can only assume it's just fine and that that is not the issue. The drive is FAT32 formatted as has been.

-Something- is going on with it, as it goes in with nothing but the .BIN, .FFF and .VER files on it, but then the WDTV module (or something) is adding a

Code: Select all

.wd_tv

directory to the thumbdrive and within that directory is:

Code: Select all

wdtv.cas
wdtv.cas.md5


[recliq]

The dir and files you see are always added to a new usb drive, it's the wd database.
But I don't understand why the upgrade won't start...

Does your usb drive have a LED which displays drive activity, if so does it show drive activity?
If there's no drive activity, have you tried removing and re-inserting the usb drive when it hangs on upgrade screen?

[hexluther]

The dir and files you see are always added to a new usb drive, it's the wd database.
But I don't understand why the upgrade won't start...

Does your usb drive have a LED which displays drive activity, if so does it show drive activity?
If there's no drive activity, have you tried removing and re-inserting the usb drive when it hangs on upgrade screen?

Well interesting, my original account doesn't seem to want to log in, the site rejects me. That said..

My USB drive does have a lite and momentarily flashes upon entering it, as well as time to time... however, still no recognition of the firmware and no presentation with "Upgrade".. so I'm completely unsure what you mean by "tried removing and re-inserting the usb drive when it hangs on the upgrade screen?" As it never gets to that point.. it just reads the USB drive, makes that directory and files and that's it. I've got to say, I do surely hope it's something simple on my end... but, cannot see what. Doesn't take a genius to copy over three files on a newly FAT32 formatted USB drive. More over, didn't take alot of brain power to edit the .ver file about three times changing the version parameter in hopes that increasing it will really matter. Even though, I -believe- that shouldn't even need done, since 1.03.49_B is the version of WDLXTV, whereas the new factory version is 1.04.xx -- but I changed the version anyway just incase.

This sucks I've got to say, I'm "stuck" with WDLXTV and while it's clearly a nice firmware, it simply didn't work out for me (CIFS and I'm not going through the trouble with NFS on windows). If I change my file server to Linux, I'm going to just stick with a HTPC w/ XBMC and Win 7.

So yeah, any help regarding this is greatly appreciated...