Jeff and Michael, thanks for all your help with this. I'm about ready to scream. I woke up this morning and the "Please insert your access card" and "Please activate your DVR service" messages are back again.

I'm going to run a "Clear and delete everything" today. From what's been said previously it doesn't sound like that will work either, but what else do I have to try...and loose.

I've also sent a link to this thread to the individual that sold it to me so that he can follow along.

I'm sorry about your experience. I know it is too little too late for you, but to anyone else considering buying DIRECTV equipment on eBay, we get stories like this every day......

This DEFINITELY software related. You know how I know why...my HR10-250 that I have owned for 2 years just started having the EXACT same symptoms as others here and around the net subsequent to the downloading of the software. Here are the symptoms:

- System goes into 480i mode all on its own and then will come back to 1080i
- System flashes an overlay on the bottom of the screen "please re-insert your access card"
- Audio cuts out for a period of time and then comes back
- Picture freezes, stutters, then goes again
- Trying to pause and/or rewind liveTV will often only allow you to do so for a few seconds and then it "takes over" and starts playing again.
- Programs recorded while stuttering like above will play back fine sometimes

I have seen this before when they messed up my regular D-tv box and changed the way it interpreted the IR codes so my Tivo at that time was completely inoperable. I called tech support that time and told them it started happening immediately after the new software. I came online and saw many others with same issue getting the same erroneous advice only to have a new software payload come down in 5 weeks that fixed the issue.

When nothing changes in the config of numerous issues, they all get new software, and then they all start having similar symptoms, the coincidence is TOO GREAT!

It may be a situation where not everyones hardware is susceptible to this problem...there may be only 10% of us out here...regardless, someone at D-tv needs to take this seriously. I DO NOT want to switch to a new DVR.

I see no updates since 4/16. I'm having this problem as well. Did this problem go away for you? Did you replace any hardware?

Tell us which specific issues you are having, and we should be able to help.

Constant freezing, then eventual re-boot. No problems until the update - or at least when I noticed the update. I believe that the update just rolled around to me about a month ago or so. I had a weekend where it would pause a few times with a pixelated picture then totally freeze while watching a show, then it seemed to go away for a week or so. Today it's freezing over and over. It's running release 6.4a-01-2-357.

Sounds like a bad drive to me. That happens with updates, since the new OS version is written to a different part of the drive, highlighting problems in that area. A new "replace" kit should fix that:

http://www.weaknees.com/hr10.php

Been reading this thread and I am having the same issue from an HR10-250 i got from ebay. Everything looked good but then after about 2 minutes it starts to freeze every 2 seconds for about 3 seconds. remote control doesnt work, can't change display settings, etc.

if this sounds like a hard drive problem are they easy to install? Or does this sound like a different problem. right now im doing a clear and delete.

Yes - our kits are simple to install, and considering the unit is from eBay, it's likely the hard drive is pretty worn out at this point.

My guess is that your clear & delete may not even complete.

Hr10- 250 Rebooting

Last week one of my HR10-250’s started to reboot after the pitcher and sound would freeze.
This morning I decided do a (Clear program information & to do list) to see it this would fix the problem.
It has been on the (Clearing program information & to do list. This may take up to an hour) screen now for 4 hours.
Any suggestions?
The software ver. Is 6.3f.
The other HR10-250 is ver. 6.4a and it has no problem.
I know it could be a hard drive going bad.
Can I clone another hard drive from the good HR10-250 and use it in the one that keeps rebooting?
Thank
Bill

It can take a long time--more than an hour--so give it some more time.

You can try cloning the other drive using Linux tools, but you might be better off just getting a new drive kit for the nonworking HR10.

Jeff it took 5 1/2 hours to clear the program info and to due list.
When it rebooted ti run fine for 6 hours until 9 PM when it was due yo record a program. As soon as began to record the picture began to freeze then rebooted after about a minute.
BTW the to due list didn't clear.
I think I will manually clear the to due list and season passes to see if I can get by for the next week.
We are going to Florida for the winter, I'll deal with it down there.
Thanks
Bill