Upgrade Issue – Lost “Watched” Status

[Phydeaux]

As the subject suggests, the only thing I seem to have an issue with on my upgrade from the last version of SageTV v6 to the last version of SageTV v7 is that Sage no longer “knows” what I’ve already watched. Here’s the detail:

Current:
Working SageTV v6 server running XP and using R5000 to record TV on a local hard drive. Uses combination of XMLTV and XMLTV Import for SageTV for channel listings. No local client on the machine, we use a couple HDxx extenders. Works great, but tired of having to reboot it every few days and want to upgrade both hardware and OS, so might as well do SageTV software too.

General Plan:
New hardware is set up and Windows 7 64-bit installed. Want to do a clean install of SageTV v7, then shut down the old server, move the R5000 to the new one and copy wiz.bin from the old server to the new one. This should be easy to do in a two-hour window where there are no events scheduled to record. Then I can bring up the old server again, so that others in the house can continue watching other stuff in the Video library, and I can bring up the new server and configure/play/massage etc until I think it’s WAF is high before re-directing the extenders to the new server. Recording schedule should resume on the new server at the next scheduled recording.

Issue:
I followed the above general plan and everything is good – R5000 is working fine (live TV, manual scheduled recording etc), program guide is there after running an update, my favorites are all there and marked as such in the program guide, etc. However the first thing I notice is that there are a ton of recording conflicts, whereas there were none on the old server. Hmmmmm… further investigation reveals that NONE of shows that SageTV has previously recorded for me (and I’ve watched) are marked as watched. Therefore with the amount of multiple showings on many of the channels I frequent, the recording schedule is now clogged and there are a ton of conflicts.


Attempts to resolve:
Several strategies, such as copying over the entire SageTV v6 version and installing v7 on top etc. All to no avail. Another Sage Forum member – Fuzzy – has been patiently assisting, but I think he may be stumped now too. Help! I’ve got just over 100 favorites and if I can’t get my watched status back it’s going to mean a TON of baby-sitting and cross-referencing my long-term archives for every day of scheduling against conflicts for a long time and facing tons of recordings I’ll just end up deleting.

RLW

[MattHelm]

OK, I just this on my dad's server, except I was already on SageTV 7.x (whatever the latest is) on the old XP box, and we got all the "watched" shows.

You might try the following (backup first) Updated to SageTV 7.x on the XP box, then try the move.

[Phydeaux]

Thanks for the encouragement! I was thinking the same thing today. I've spent quite a bit of time the last few evenings attempting various approaches, but here is my plan for tonight:

• Backup of the entire SageTV directory on the old server (after stopping the service).
• Upgrade the old server to SageTV v7. Make sure the basics are working and the watched status is still there.
• Fresh install of SageTV v7 on the new server, bring it up and make sure the basics are working.
• Take the new SageTV service down and replace the wiz.bin file with the one from the upgraded old server.
• Cross my fingers and bring the new server back up.

Of course, to keep the other family members happy, after upgrading the old server I'll keep just the wiz.bin and blow away the rest, replacing it with the old (original) SageTV directory, so they can continue to experience the interface they're used to (SageMC) while I continue to tinker on the new box.

Hey, since I just have one SageTV server license... are these two servers both using the same license going to "collide" on the network and cause problems? I'll be decommissioning the old one once I've finished tinkering, but I hope this won't be an issue for a few days...

I'll report back my experience....

RLW

[stanger89]

Are you sure your favorites are there? Did you do anything fancy to get them there (like export/import them via the web interface)? Reason I ask is it sounds like you lost your wiz.bin, or perhaps more accurately, Sage (due to W7 and UAC) isn't looking in the location you think it is, which would mean all your history would be gone.

[Fuzzy]

Originally Posted by Phydeaux

Thanks for the encouragement! I was thinking the same thing today. I've spent quite a bit of time the last few evenings attempting various approaches, but here is my plan for tonight:

• Backup of the entire SageTV directory on the old server (after stopping the service).
• Upgrade the old server to SageTV v7. Make sure the basics are working and the watched status is still there.
• Fresh install of SageTV v7 on the new server, bring it up and make sure the basics are working.
• Take the new SageTV service down and replace the wiz.bin file with the one from the upgraded old server.
• Cross my fingers and bring the new server back up.

Of course, to keep the other family members happy, after upgrading the old server I'll keep just the wiz.bin and blow away the rest, replacing it with the old (original) SageTV directory, so they can continue to experience the interface they're used to (SageMC) while I continue to tinker on the new box.

Hey, since I just have one SageTV server license... are these two servers both using the same license going to "collide" on the network and cause problems? I'll be decommissioning the old one once I've finished tinkering, but I hope this won't be an issue for a few days...

I'll report back my experience....

RLW

There is nothing but the EULA that prevents you from running the same server license on multiple servers no the network. It doesn't go checking for it. You should be fine.

[Phydeaux]

Originally Posted by stanger89

Are you sure your favorites are there? Did you do anything fancy to get them there (like export/import them via the web interface)? Reason I ask is it sounds like you lost your wiz.bin, or perhaps more accurately, Sage (due to W7 and UAC) isn't looking in the location you think it is, which would mean all your history would be gone.

Thanks Stanger. This is an important piece of information I issed in my description. Yes, favorites are definately there. It was my first clue that watched status was missing - there were many conflicts showing in the recording schedule of the new server due to the repeat showing of shows that were not marked as watched. Whereas on the old server, I had zero conflicts when I shut it down and copied the wiz.bin file.

Thanks for the note Fuzzy. I have no intention of abusing the EULA, just need a bit of transition time before decommissiong the old box completely.

RLW

[Phydeaux]

OK, I'm thinking the universe does not want Robert to run SageTV v7...

I shut down and then backed up my existing Sage directory on the working SageTV server. I upgraded to SageTV v7. After rebooting, I tried to start Sage via the SageTV service control panel. After about 30 minutes of it saying "Starting..." I closed the control panel and restarted it. It showed the service as stopped. I tried from the Windows Services panel and it would begin starting for a couple seconds, then stop, with a generic Windows message about some services not starting if they have nothing to do. OK, then I tried starting the Sage app instead of the service. It informed me I could only run it for 30? days evaluation, but when I clicked on OK another message popped up saying my v7 pre-evaluation had expired. If I tried the Register option, it would ask my name and license, which I providd (the v6 license), it accepts it, but then gives me the message about it not being a valid v7 license.

Ok, fine. So I copied the sage.exe and sageservice.exe files (the cracked ones that accept v6 licensing) into the Sage directory, over-writing the standard v7 ones. Trying to start the Sage service now does the same thing (above). Starting the Sage app fails, claiming an error and the app had to close.

I've uninstalled and reinstalled several times. Same exact problem. It never creates a wiz.bin. If I put my old wiz.bin in the directory, same exact thing. The wiz.bin never gets touched (same size, date etc).

I'm stuck. What now? Only thing I can think is that a year or so ago I did install the v7 pre-release, but didn't like it and backed it out. Still remnants of that causing my problem?

All I want to do is upgrade my wiz.bin to the v7 version so I can use it on the new server, retaining my extensive Watched status so my Favorites don't start recording every re-run I've already watched and archived.....

Help? Or is there no hope for me?

RLW

[Fuzzy]

I don't know for sure, but it sounds like there is some corruption in your wiz.bin (it did use to happen with some frequency on earlier sage versions) that is hanging up the upgrade (and ultimately causing your problems). Either way, the proper way to do the upgrade, regarding the unlocked files, is to perform the upgrade, then copy in the new exe's, THEN start it up. That way it will still see your v6 registration and accept it as valid.

As for the wiz.bin, I'm not sure what else can be done. You can try contacting support, I'm not sure what tools they have to analyze the wiz.bin for corruption that could cause this.

[stanger89]

You could try exporting your history with the web interface, and then reimporting it. Thought it seems like I tried that once and it didn't do quite what I expected.

[Fuzzy]

Originally Posted by stanger89

You could try exporting your history with the web interface, and then reimporting it. Thought it seems like I tried that once and it didn't do quite what I expected.

I don't believe you can export watched history. I think the exports are limited to favorites, recordings, and file metadata.

[stuckless]

I'll just throw this out there....

In BMT, when you browse a view (TV Shows), you can use the Batch Operations to export .properties (which will create a bunch of .properties for each video file).

I'm pretty sure, that the .properties that BMT exports, it actually exports the watched status, and later when you re-import the files (and the .properties exists), then BMT will set the watched status as per the .properties. And once all the files are imported, you can then use the batch operations, to delete the .properties.

I haven't verified this... but i recall adding such features to the bmt export/import features.

#Created by sagex.phoenix.metadata.persistence.PropertiesPersistence
#Fri Nov 09 09:25:58 EST 2012
Actor=Nathan Fillion -- Richard Castle;Stana Katic -- Detective Kate Beckett;Molly C. Quinn -- Alexis Castle;Jon Huert
as -- Javier Esposito;Seamus Dever -- Kevin Ryan;Tamala Jones -- Lanie Parish;Susan Sullivan -- Martha Rodgers;Ruben S
antiago-Hudson -- Captain Montgomery;Penny Johnson -- Capt. Victoria Gates
...
SeasonFinal=false
SeasonNumber=2
SeasonPremiere=false
SeriesFinale=false
SeriesInfoID=200083462
SeriesPremiere=false
Stereo=false
Subtitled=false
Title=Castle (2009)
TotalParts=0
UserRating=76
Writer=Jose Molina
X-Watched=true
Year=0

You can see there is an "X-Watched" field in the property file... SageTV doesn't know about this, but the Phoenix/BMT mediafile added handler will actually read this file, and the X-Watched status and then update the media file's watched status.

[Fuzzy]

Originally Posted by stuckless

I'll just throw this out there....

In BMT, when you browse a view (TV Shows), you can use the Batch Operations to export .properties (which will create a bunch of .properties for each video file).

I'm pretty sure, that the .properties that BMT exports, it actually exports the watched status, and later when you re-import the files (and the .properties exists), then BMT will set the watched status as per the .properties. And once all the files are imported, you can then use the batch operations, to delete the .properties.

I haven't verified this... but i recall adding such features to the bmt export/import features.

#Created by sagex.phoenix.metadata.persistence.PropertiesPersistence
#Fri Nov 09 09:25:58 EST 2012
Actor=Nathan Fillion -- Richard Castle;Stana Katic -- Detective Kate Beckett;Molly C. Quinn -- Alexis Castle;Jon Huert
as -- Javier Esposito;Seamus Dever -- Kevin Ryan;Tamala Jones -- Lanie Parish;Susan Sullivan -- Martha Rodgers;Ruben S
antiago-Hudson -- Captain Montgomery;Penny Johnson -- Capt. Victoria Gates
...
SeasonFinal=false
SeasonNumber=2
SeasonPremiere=false
SeriesFinale=false
SeriesInfoID=200083462
SeriesPremiere=false
Stereo=false
Subtitled=false
Title=Castle (2009)
TotalParts=0
UserRating=76
Writer=Jose Molina
X-Watched=true
Year=0

You can see there is an "X-Watched" field in the property file... SageTV doesn't know about this, but the Phoenix/BMT mediafile added handler will actually read this file, and the X-Watched status and then update the media file's watched status.

Unfortunately, I don't think this will help in this case, as I think he's needing watch status for shows he no longer has on the system. Previously watched shows that would just not be recorded, but are with his upgraded wiz.bin.

[stuckless]

Originally Posted by Fuzzy

Unfortunately, I don't think this will help in this case, as I think he's needing watch status for shows he no longer has on the system. Previously watched shows that would just not be recorded, but are with his upgraded wiz.bin.

I see... yeah, i have no solution for that

[Phydeaux]

Fuzzy - Yes, I tried replacing the exe and service files immediately after installation also, on one of my many iterations of install, try, uninstall, registry clean, rinse & repeat! Doesn't matter, the result is the same - I simply cannot get v7 to run.

On the new server v7 runs fine and will use my old wiz.bin, but Watched status is missing. Everything else seems fine, including Favorites.

I have sent the basic information to SageTV support including a link to this thread. So I've got my fingers crossed that they have an answer or a magic wand.

Thanks for the ideas, folks. I've got nothing but time on my hands, so any suggestions or tests you can think of, toss them my way and I'll try. If nothing else, we've got a better appreciation of the problem!


RLW

[Fuzzy]

The is probably some way to use the sage API to pull all that watched history out, and somehow reinsert it into a new wiz.bin, but it would likely take longer to figure out than just going through the recording schedule and marking stuff watched...

[TwistedMelon]

I'm pretty sure I had the same issue when I moved from 6 to 7, though my memory may be going. If it wasn't at that precise time, it has definitely happened to me in the past. It was a huge PITA until it wasn't. After enough time passes and everything gets sorted.

[Phydeaux]

Just to close the loop on this thread, nothing I tried resolved the issue and I was tired of being in limbo between two servers. I just did a clean install of SageTV v7 on the new server, got it working with schedules and recording etc. Then replaced my wiz.bin file with the one from my old v6 server.

Everything is file and my favorites are all there. The watched status was lost, so I had to go through all the recording conflicts to spot the shows that know have been watched and manually mark them as such. It took a couple hours for 3 weeks of recording queue and I expect I'll have to do this regularly. But not forever. I'll get over it.

Thanks to all who assisted!

RLW