Hi! I have read the FAQ and I have searched Sonic Blue's support area but I can't find a way to contact tech support for the RioCar that I purchased in February. Would somone send me the e-mail address. Thanks.

The problem relates to upgrading my software from 1.03 that came with the unit to 2.0beta 11 the current release. As I understand it I should uninstall emplode before upgrading emplode but my Windows 2000 box doesn't have emplode as an option to uninstall in add/remove programs like the help says it should have. I went ahead and tried to install the new version of emplode and didn't get any error messages but I can't get beyond the finding unit screen in the update wizard. Perhaps there is a problem with the mix of the different rev levels of the emplode software but I will need to get manual uninstall instructions since the automated uninstall process isn't available to me.

Or perhaps just help learning about how to make the upgrade wizard locate my riocar. Whichever, any help would be appreciated. Thanks.

Traci

How do I contact Rio/empeg if I need support? (from the FAQ)

It's unclear whether you've installed emplode before or not. Emplode is the PC software only. There is completely separate software that needs to be installed on the empeg itself. This software will not show up in your ``Add/Remove Programs'' dialog.

You should read the detailed instructions on upgrading the software, also in the FAQ.

If you never installed emplode onto that computer before, it won't show up in the Add/Remove screen and you don't need to worry about uninstalling it.

Remember that Emplode went through a couple of name changes during its development. I don't remember the exact names, but at one time it was "Rio Car Emplode" and another time it was "Rio Emplode" (I think that's what version 2.0 is), and maybe even just "Empeg Car" at some point in its history. So make sure to scroll carefully through the whole list of names in the Add/Remove screen.

I'm sorry I wasn't more specific, yes, I did install the 1.03 version of Emplode on that computer previously. It was not there in the Add Remove Programs screen, honestly, I searched diligently. When I look in it's subdirectory under the Program Files directory it doesn't have the uninstall datafile the way other programs which can be removed do.

I don't mind leaving it there except that I suspect it may be responsible for the fact that I can't establish contact with the Rio Car via the upgrade wizard to get the new software into the Rio Car.

Anyway, I'll probably need to work closely with a tech via e-mail to troubleshoot the problem and get my system where it needs to be. I realize when I get a letter from you Tony, that this is better than getting a random tech at Sonic Blue but I hate to bog you and this forum down in the troubleshooting. If you are willing to go for it, please do, if not, if you could give me the e-mail address of the people who are supposed to do that I would be happy to work with them.

My bottom line is that whenever I try to upgrade the software in the Rio Car from the original 1.03 to the current beta 2.11 I hang at the place where it is attempting to contact the car and never contact it. I'm using the cable that came with the Rio Car, I'm following the directions in the FAQ and on the screen with the upgrade Wizard and I never happens. Since I had to install the newer version of Emplode without uninstalling the older version of Emplode I thought that might possibly account for the symptoms. It may have nothing to do with it but it is one thing that went wrong and I thought I would eliminate it before moving on to other hypotheses. If there are more productive avenues to explore I would appreciate being pointed in the right direction. Thanks.

Traci

I realize when I get a letter from you Tony, that this is better than getting a random tech at Sonic Blue but I hate to bog you and this forum down in the troubleshooting.

Well, it won't be a random tech at SonicBlue. There's actually only one person handling support for the car player, and that's David Moss ( carsupport@riohome.com goes straight to him). And I am pretty sure he's grateful for any help this forum can give in reducing his workload.

I don't mind leaving it there except that I suspect it may be responsible for the fact that I can't establish contact with the Rio Car via the upgrade wizard to get the new software into the Rio Car.

Heh, actually, if the upgrade wizard can't talk to the player, it's probably a cable/serial-port issue, unrelated to emplode.

See if you can connect to the player with Hyperterminal (instructions here), and if that doesn't work, then that's also the reason you can't run the upgrade wizard. Let us know how that goes first.

In reply to:

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And I am pretty sure he's grateful for any help this forum can give in reducing his workload.

---

Anyone want to take on a couple of repairs? Only simple faults. Just a bit of soldering and stuff... no? Oh well.

You may wish to re-install the 1.03 software to see if the uninstall file appears. I've done this before to uninstall programs that I have deleted portions of and then not been able to delete using the proper methods.

Anyone want to take on a couple of repairs? Only simple faults. Just a bit of soldering and stuff...


Would I have to return the units after I had repaired them?

Another possibility regarding the installation of the software... You said it was on a Windows 2000 box? Perhaps it's related to user accounts or permissions. For instance, if you installed it under one user name and now you want to de-install it but you've logged in under a different user name. Or perhaps you installed it as Administrator, and now you want to deinstall it as a regular User.

Hey, David, I'll solder anything you want to throw my way. Don't think I can do it as fast at that capacitor video, though. (show off. )

I haven't spotted an email from you, so try the following:

If you have any software that uses the serial port installed - Palm sync is the usual culprit - disable it first.

Sorry, I have to ask this - as it is a fairly common mistake. You are connecting over serial and not USB?

The player may have a fault (albeit rare on the Rio-branded units) where it always thinks it is on car power. Go to the settings menu - if you see an option for 'dimmer' (which should only be visible when in the car) then your player needs to come in for service.

And lastly, are you applying power to the player when the upgrade wizard tells you to? The player can only accept an upgrade if it is interrupted in the first second or two of the boot process. If the upgrader doesn't detect the player after a couple of seconds, unplug the power and try again - there is no need to start the upgrader again unless it times out.

You don't have to uninstall the old software first and this won't be affecting the upgrade.

The player may have a fault (albeit rare on the Rio-branded units) where it always thinks it is on car power

Wow I never heard of that one! I thought it was the opposite, where it thought it was on home power in the car due to the leaf switch making contact when it shouldn't (or something like that.) I had this problem on my Empeg and had to send it in, and had it happen to my RioCar until I messed around and tweaked the leaf switch. Since then I haven't seen it.

Didn't know the reverse (thinking it's on car power all the time) was possible.

Both seem to happen, although the 'thinks in home when in car' is more common beacuse of the power jack problem, a buffer chip can blow causing either behaviour.

User accounts on Windows 2000. <sigh> I know this is a sin, but I run as administrator all the time on that box because half of what I need to do fails if I am logged in as a simple user. I did think of that possibility and even though I was sure I was logged in as administrator when I installed emplode I did go into all my old user accounts and look to see if the uninstall was available there. It wasn't. I will check the hyperterminal connection when I get back to my homebase and let you know how that worked.

Traci

I know this is a sin, but I run as administrator all the time on that box because half of what I need to do fails if I am logged in as a simple user.

I do not consider this a sin at all. I run an NT network here, and I am always logged in as administrator on any box I touch. Has never been a problem.

I was just looking to rule out different possibilities.

Chalk it up to Microsoft to not allow you to become an Administrator when you need the privileges without exiting every application you're currently working with.

Logging in as root all day long on a Unix machine is a HUGE no-no. But I can become root any time I want.

Chalk it up to Microsoft to not allow you to become an Administrator when you need the privileges without exiting every application you're currently working with.

Microsoft Windows 2000 [Version 5.00.2195]

(C) Copyright 1985-2000 Microsoft Corp.



C:\>runas

RUNAS USAGE:



RUNAS [/profile] [/env] [/netonly] /user:<UserName> program



   /profile        if the user's profile needs to be loaded

   /env            to use current environment instead of user's.

   /netonly        use if the credentials specified are for remote access only.

   /user           <UserName> should be in form USER@DOMAIN or DOMAIN\USER

   program         command line for EXE.  See below for examples



Examples:

> runas /profile /user:mymachine\administrator cmd

> runas /profile /env /user:mydomain\admin "mmc %windir%\system32\dsa.msc"

> runas /env /user:user@domain.microsoft.com "notepad \"my file.txt\""



NOTE:  Enter user's password only when prompted.

NOTE:  USER@DOMAIN is not compatible with /netonly.



C:\>

Basically "su" with no balls. It works, but it's no Unix shell...

Well, I'll be a monkey's uncle. (I seem to be batting about .050 today. ) There used to be 3rd party utilities to do that. I guess MS finally wised up that this would be a useful thing to be able to do.

In XP, you can right-click on an item in the Start menu, and you'll see a "Run As..." option. I think in 2K, you might have to hold down shift or something to get it to appear.

In XP you could always log in as administrator without logging the non-admin out. Just switch to a different session. (an alternative) You could also conceivably log in remotely if you're running Pro.

Calvin

This was my problem, the dreaded Palm Client. Ofcourse it would be hogging the serial port looking for a hotsync request. Once I disabled it the update of my RioCar software went smoothly.

I'll just let the fact that emplode 1.03 never got uninstalled slide by for now. It doesn't seem to be keeping anything from working properly.

Traci

I know that I can invoke administrative privileges like that, unfortunately, unlike Unix, not everything works when you invoke them that way. For that matter, many installations initially fail due to a lack of registry write privileges even when I am logged in as administrator. It is so weird because it will let me go into the registration editor and give myself write privileges over certain keys and branches of the registration database but it won't let the installation program I invoke from the administrative account just create the keys that it needs. Power is dangerous and you have to be careful, but power that only works intermittantly is even more dangerous because it creates a dangerous and frustrated administrator.
<sigh>

Traci

Although the Palm Client thing was mentioned in the Hyperterminal section of the FAQ, I just checked and noticed it was not mentioned in the Upgrade section of the FAQ. I will correct this ommision now.