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#172420 - 29/07/2003 07:15 Empeg is broken! Hard drive failure
thedon
journeyman

Registered: 18/08/2002
Posts: 65
I don't know what I up and did... All I know is that my empeg says "No Hard Disk Found Contact Support" every time I start it...

Now some people would say, "Well, get a new hard disk" or "Maybe it's a bad cable" but the problem is that I have already replaced the cable 9 months ago... I also have tried multiple hard disks that detect just fine in my PC - with no love on the empeg...

I did notice however that it had become disgustingly slow (as stated in previous posts) to the point where it would take multiple minutes to change tracks... This occured in the past few weeks before it died...

Also, when I pulled it out of the dock today, I literally, burned my hand on the underside... I'm sure that's not good for it...

I honestly can't say weather or not it's something on the inside of the unit that is producing the heat or if the 90+ degree temperature out here the last few days and a car with no AC had anything to do with it...

Although, either way, i'm sure it didn't help anything...

It does seem to run cool inside my house, so i'm leaning towards the sun baking it nice and toasty...

I have tried to put a new hard disk in, and when I try to run the builder software for formating new drives, it can't find my empeg on the normal COM port I used to always connect to it on... I've even tried changing those too!

Help!

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#172421 - 29/07/2003 07:19 Re: Empeg is broken! Hard drive failure [Re: thedon]
andy
carpal tunnel

Registered: 10/06/1999
Posts: 5916
Loc: Wivenhoe, Essex, UK
Now some people would say, "Well, get a new hard disk" or "Maybe it's a bad cable" but the problem is that I have already replaced the cable 9 months ago... I also have tried multiple hard disks that detect just fine in my PC - with no love on the empeg...


It could well be bad solder joints on the IDE header on the mainboard then.
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#172422 - 29/07/2003 07:23 Re: Empeg is broken! Hard drive failure [Re: andy]
thedon
journeyman

Registered: 18/08/2002
Posts: 65
So - What are my options? If that's the case, or if it's not? I'm SO not hoping to hear someone say, "Throw it out" or "Paper weight"

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#172423 - 29/07/2003 07:29 Re: Empeg is broken! Hard drive failure [Re: thedon]
andy
carpal tunnel

Registered: 10/06/1999
Posts: 5916
Loc: Wivenhoe, Essex, UK
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Remind me to change my signature to something more interesting someday

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#172424 - 29/07/2003 07:32 Re: Empeg is broken! Hard drive failure [Re: thedon]
robricc
carpal tunnel

Registered: 30/10/2000
Posts: 4931
Loc: New Jersey, USA
Whatever you do...

DO NOT EVER THROW OUT AN EMPEG!!!!

As far as I know, every empeg that has been in for service has come out working. Contact [email protected] for your service options, or try and fix it yourself by reading this BBS and the FAQ.
_________________________
-Rob Riccardelli
80GB 16MB MK2 090000736

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#172425 - 29/07/2003 07:34 Re: Empeg is broken! Hard drive failure [Re: thedon]
JeffS
carpal tunnel

Registered: 14/01/2002
Posts: 2858
Loc: Atlanta, GA
I'm SO not hoping to hear someone say, "Throw it out" or "Paper weight"
Rest assured that that will not likely be said here. There almost always seems to be recourse no matter how dire the problem, and yours doesn't seem to be too bad (like having run over it with your car or something). I don’t really have any help to offer; only the encouragement that I have seen very few empegs left for dead.
_________________________
-Jeff
Rome did not create a great empire by having meetings; they did it by killing all those who opposed them.

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#172426 - 29/07/2003 07:42 Re: Empeg is broken! Hard drive failure [Re: JeffS]
thedon
journeyman

Registered: 18/08/2002
Posts: 65
Darn PocketPC Software wanted to use the Serial Port... Got that taken care of... Now i'm running the builder software...

*Feels Warm Fuzzy Feeling Inside*

Honestly though - I am SOOOO glad I bought this...

I can't think of one other product that has so many people behind it offering their help to keep it going... And it's DISCONTINUED!

I only wish I was as savey as some of you guys!

But I'll keep chuggin on getting this thing working...

Stay tuned!

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#172427 - 29/07/2003 08:05 Re: Empeg is broken! Hard drive failure [Re: thedon]
tfabris
carpal tunnel

Registered: 20/12/1999
Posts: 31594
Loc: Seattle, WA
Also, when I pulled it out of the dock today, I literally, burned my hand on the underside... I'm sure that's not good for it...
And also, likely, the whole reason the hard disk is failing.

When you say "pulled it out of the dock", you're referring to a dock installed in the car dashboard, correct?

Are there two stereos installed in your dash? Or perhaps no room for air around the player in the dash? Those things can cause heat buildup and kill a hard disk rather effectively if you're not careful about keeping it cool.
_________________________
Tony Fabris

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#172428 - 29/07/2003 08:23 Re: Empeg is broken! Hard drive failure [Re: thedon]
thedon
journeyman

Registered: 18/08/2002
Posts: 65
Okay... so I overeacted a bit

I got the new drive built out... Got hijack installed... But I stsill have a problem I can't figure out... I can't connect using emplode via ethernet... When I connect to my player via serial cable in emplode, and try to see what the problem might be in the config.ini file... There, quite simply, isn't one... It's just blank... What did I do wrong?

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#172429 - 29/07/2003 08:25 Re: Empeg is broken! Hard drive failure [Re: tfabris]
thedon
journeyman

Registered: 18/08/2002
Posts: 65
Yes, car dock... There is another head unit right below it... I do have a cooling fan installed... But it can only put out so many "mini-CFM"

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#172430 - 29/07/2003 08:45 Re: Empeg is broken! Hard drive failure [Re: thedon]
pgrzelak
carpal tunnel

Registered: 15/08/2000
Posts: 4859
Loc: New Jersey, USA
You ran the builder, you installed the 2.0 car player software and then hijack? Just checking - it sounded like you missed the 2.0 developer version in there...

Also, after running the builder, that would completely wipe your music and configuration (if you rebuild the disk). If so, it also wiped any ethernet configuration you may have had.
_________________________
Paul Grzelak
200GB with 48MB RAM, Illuminated Buttons and Digital Outputs

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#172431 - 29/07/2003 08:58 Re: Empeg is broken! Hard drive failure [Re: pgrzelak]
thedon
journeyman

Registered: 18/08/2002
Posts: 65
Thanks for the help everyone...

It appears to be working now... I got the old hard disk going out for RMA (That appears to have been the problem all along) and tunes are uploading to the temp hard disk as I type via ethernet!

Again, the empeg community has calmed my fears and brought my empeg and I into a closer relationship... Erum... Minus any sort of "sensual" feelings, of course

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#172432 - 29/07/2003 09:28 Re: Empeg is broken! Hard drive failure [Re: thedon]
Ezekiel
pooh-bah

Registered: 25/08/2000
Posts: 2413
Loc: NH USA
Hey, what you do with your stereo equipment in the privacy of your own home (or car) is your business, sensual feelings or not.


-Zeke
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WWFSMD?

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#172433 - 29/07/2003 12:02 Re: Empeg is broken! Hard drive failure [Re: thedon]
tfabris
carpal tunnel

Registered: 20/12/1999
Posts: 31594
Loc: Seattle, WA
There is another head unit right below it... I do have a cooling fan installed... But it can only put out so many "mini-CFM"
Interesting. Well, it looks like you're doing everything you can. But yeah, a hot head unit (lots of CD players run really hot) right below the empeg can cause problems sometimes. It's good you've got a cooling fan, it's the best you can do in that situation.
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Tony Fabris

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#172434 - 29/07/2003 12:06 Re: Empeg is broken! Hard drive failure [Re: tfabris]
pgrzelak
carpal tunnel

Registered: 15/08/2000
Posts: 4859
Loc: New Jersey, USA
Is it possible to swap the positions of the two units in your installation? The player may run a bit cooler on the bottom, depending on where your head unit is generating its heat.
_________________________
Paul Grzelak
200GB with 48MB RAM, Illuminated Buttons and Digital Outputs

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#172435 - 29/07/2003 12:13 Re: Empeg is broken! Hard drive failure [Re: pgrzelak]
tfabris
carpal tunnel

Registered: 20/12/1999
Posts: 31594
Loc: Seattle, WA
Is it possible to swap the positions of the two units in your installation? The player may run a bit cooler on the bottom, depending on where your head unit is generating its heat.
Yeah, unless they're mounted so close together that the cooling fan doesn't have anywhere to exhaust the air. But if there's a bit of a gap between the two, then yeah, headunit on top is the way to go. That way the heat from the head unit doesn't rise into the player and cook it.
_________________________
Tony Fabris

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#172436 - 29/07/2003 15:14 Re: Empeg is broken! Hard drive failure [Re: robricc]
Waterman981
old hand

Registered: 14/02/2002
Posts: 804
Loc: Salt Lake City, UT
Rob sorry to disappoint you but one of mine died. It fell off the bed in an unfortunate accident. The IDE header was pulled away from the mainboard in that David could not repair it. I ended up needing a new mainboard. I have the same display board, HD cradle etc, just the mainboard and main housing was replaced. Yes the empeg lives, but it is a new one, different S/N. But praises to Car Support! I still have an empeg! An empeg is never a paperweight (Unless of course its a trophy for the worst install). They can be repaired!

Moral: Never pull a blanket off your bed until you locate your empeg first.
_________________________
-Michael

#040103696 on a shelf
Mk2a - 90 GB - Red - Illuminated buttons

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#172437 - 29/07/2003 17:05 Re: Empeg is broken! Hard drive failure [Re: Waterman981]
pgrzelak
carpal tunnel

Registered: 15/08/2000
Posts: 4859
Loc: New Jersey, USA
Moral: Never pull a blanket off your bed until you locate your empeg first.

A valid moral lesson for us all. But it makes you wonder how the empeg got on/in the bed in the first place... To quote Zeke:

Hey, what you do with your stereo equipment in the privacy of your own home (or car) is your business, sensual feelings or not. -Zeke
_________________________
Paul Grzelak
200GB with 48MB RAM, Illuminated Buttons and Digital Outputs

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#172438 - 30/07/2003 07:05 Re: Empeg is broken! Hard drive failure [Re: pgrzelak]
mwest
old hand

Registered: 01/05/2003
Posts: 768
Loc: Ada, Oklahoma
That's the first time I've laughed this morning... Bravo.
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-Michael West

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