CaptiveWorks Dead Box,Red Light Only,or "I loaded the wrong Software"

Dead Box, No LCD display, Red Light Only, or "I loaded the wrong Software" How To

CW600-S PREMIUM RECEIVERS ONLY!

This How To is for anyone who has a box that appears to be 'dead'. Possible signs of a dead STB are:

Unit will not power on correctly.

Unit will not display anything on LCD.

Unit only shows a red light on the box.

Unit is stuck in boot mode.

Unit freezes during boot up.

If you are experiencing any of these problems or something very simple then the chances are, you have a dead STB . At the moment, there are no JTAG 'revival' techniques, that will repair dead boxes. However there may still be hope for you. If the receiver can be placed into boot mode, you may be able to fix your broken box by loading the factory software onto the receiver.

Things to know before trying to revive a dead box.

First of all, if your STB is brand new and has never been updated by anyone, then you need to send your Unit in for repair. CaptiveWorks has a 1 year manufacturers warranty on these receivers. Before attempting to 'fix' the problem yourself, contact CaptiveWorks via their website or phone number to see if you can have your box repaired.

Secondly, if you have killed your box by loading software onto it "PERIOD", whether this was factory software or not, you have violated your warranty agreement an forfeit any repair work that CaptiveWorks may have previously done for free within the warranty period. If you have only attempted to load factory software and have not attempted to load 'second hand' or 'non factory' software (such as the updates provided on this site), CaptiveWorks "WILL NOT" repair your Unit . They are bound by law, not to repair any Unit that has been modified to work outside of it's factory parameters. So don't send in your 'patched' Unit expecting CaptiveWorks to fix your mistake. It won't happen.

Last but not least, the following steps are not guaranteed to revive your STB . This is your last hope of reviving your receiver until a JTAG procedure is developed and even then it may not be possible to fix the problems with your STB . If the following steps do not repair your receiver, let me be the first to congratulate you on your new doorstop.


First you must check to see if you can get your receiver to stay in boot mode. This is done by powering off the receiver from the rear rocker switch and powering back on from the rear rocker switch while holding the power button on the front of the receiver.

If your receiver continues to display 'boot' on the LCD screen then there may be hope for you yet.

If you are not able to get the receiver to continue to show 'boot' but it does show when the Unit attempts to turn on, skip all of the following steps until you reach the section labeled 'No Boot?'

If you do not see 'boot' at all on the LCD screen of the receiver, congratulations, you may now throw your receiver away.

Next you will need to load the factory software for the premium receivers onto the box via RS232 Null Modem Serial Cable.

YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO LOAD ANY SOFTWARE ONTO THE BOX VIA USB TO SERIAL CABLE!

There is currently no way for you to load the receiver using a USB to Serial Cable, while the receiver is in boot mode. You will actually have to connect to a serial port on the computer or you will not be able to continue.

While the receiver is in boot mode, you will need to load the factory files starting with the V1.08 software, followed by the V3.01 CXLoader. It is best to load these files using the V1.06 software updater, however, the V1.05 updater will work as well.


If you are not able to get the software to transfer, check your settings and try again. If the software will not take, and you are sure that your settings are correct and the cable is good, you may now throw your receiver away.

If you are able to get the software to load, attempt to reboot the Unit . If the receiver still does not turn on correctly or continues to show signs of being dead, try to load the software again. If you continue to have problems once the software has loaded after a second or third time, congratulations you may now throw your receiver away.

If your receiver makes it all the way through the boot up and displays a channel or Menu Screen and you are able to navigate through your settings on the box, do a factory default ('All' option) and load the factory software again followed by another factory default ('All' option) before attempting to load the correct software for the PREMIUM receiver.

NO BOOT?

If you are unable to get the Unit to stay in boot mode, there is one last chance that you may be able to revive your receiver. Connect an RS232 Null Modem cable to the receiver and run the V1.06 software on your computer. You will need the factory software before continuing.


This contains both the V3.01 CXLoader and the V1.08 Factory Software.

You will need to prepare the updater for loading the V1.08 Factory Software.

YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO LOAD ANY SOFTWARE ONTO THE BOX VIA USB TO SERIAL CABLE!

There is currently no way for you to load the receiver using a USB to Serial Cable (this applies because you are attempting to load the receiver in boot mode). You will actually have to connect to a serial port on the computer or you will not be able to continue.

Once everything is ready to update the receiver, reboot the STB.

While the receiver displays 'boot' on the LCD screen, press the start button in the updater software on the computer. Hopefully your receiver will start to load the factory software.

If your receiver does not start the transfer, attempt this several more times because your timing, may be off and there is not an exact science as to when to press the start button on the software.

If you are not able to get the software to transfer, check your settings and try again. If the software will not take, and you are sure that your settings are correct and the cable is good, you may now throw your receiver away.

If you are able to get the software to load, attempt to reboot the Unit . If the receiver still does not turn on correctly or continues to show signs of being dead, try to load the software again. If you continue to have problems once the software has loaded after a second or third time, congratulations you may now throw your receiver away.

If your receiver makes it all the way through the boot up and displays a channel or Menu Screen and you are able to navigate through your settings on the box, do a factory default ('All' option) and load the factory software again followed by another factory default ('All' option) before attempting to load the correct software for the PREMIUM receiver.

Hopefully this has helped you and you are now enjoying TV.

For those of you whose receivers would not revive, I am truly sorry for your loss and hope that this has been a learning experience and you are able to learn from your mistakes.

For those of you who are still completely dumbfounded and there hasn't been a shred of light to explain why your box died, I hope this hasn't soured your taste towards the CaptiveWorks receivers and that you find joy in a new Fta Receiver (whether this one or another) that has no problems.