Unitiserve suddenly misbehaving

Not sure you have much choice but to switch off if it's not responding.  The Unitiserve runs Windows XP embedded so it's equivalent to switching off a Windows XP PC.  I've done that many times in my life and (touch wood) never lost any data from the hard drive.  Good luck!

You can 'kill' the switch at the back - it should not damage the data.

Following that, disonnect the power supply from the socket. Wait 1 minute. Plug it in again, switch it on at the back. Once it stabilises (i.e. logo stops blinking), I would go through the normal shutdown procedure and then start your US again normally. This may sound like an overkill, but at least all the data should be restored correctly.

As to why this happened - Unitiserve does not really 'like' ripping and serving music at the same time. It's got a bit of a one-track mind Best is to rip a CD and only then start a playback of something else.

Thank you both for the quick replies.  I shut it off using the back switch and then followe dthe steps you suggested, Adam.  It worked!  I'm back listening to music.  Really appreciate the help.

Happy to hear it worked

Very strange, I have always played music  ripped cds or internet radio, through the local psdif out on my ns01. Has never created any problems. Of course the hardware is different in the 2 units.

Just to say also Stebro, if you havent done so already, make sure you have a Back Up of your Unitiserve music....just in case.

Im sure you have and you know, but if not, you can automate the Back Up (of your CD rips only, not any Downloads you copy to your US) to a NAS to ensure you keep a fully up to date copy ready for when and if the worst case happens.

Building further on Chrish's recommendation:

I suggest backing up to an external drive on regular basis.
In my case I back up the entire NAS, unplug the disc and store it in a magnetically shielded case (it's completely off-line). I also keep a second copy handy, where I upload any new purchases of high-res music as soon as it's downloaded.

+1 to the back up precautions already suggested. I have a US and have twice suffered the same problem you have (the dreaded blinking logo and inability to shut down properly). On both occasions these problems preceded a complete failure of the US requiring two trips to Naim HQ to be sorted. To be fair the second repair 6 months after the first was free of charge.

Repairs usually require replacement of the logo unit (weird I know) and power supply replacement on one occasion. This used to be a rather too common problem with the US but Naim seem to have cracked it now and I have not had any further problems (dammit why did I say that!).

Hopefully you won't suffer a subsequent complete failure - i.e. Inability to switch off properly with the banking light continuing. But don't be surprised if you do.

One thing I would strongly advise (in addition to backing up) is using the correct shut down procedure if you need to turn the US off - i.e. touching the logo until it flashes, turns off and then flick the rocker switch on the rear. I realise this problem doesn't allow you to do this which I think may exacerbate the problem.

Thanks to all for your help.  I have the US 2TB hard drive model, if that makes a difference.  I back up everything on a WD MyCloud external NAS by manually going to "differential backup" after burning new CD's.  Chrish, you refer to an automated way to backup but I'm not familiar with this.  By the way, the differential backup can take forever, even for 10 or 20 discs.

I spoke to a Naim tech person some months ago who said that turning the US off with the rear switch, without first touching the front logo and waiting for it to stop blinking, could result in loss or corruption of all data. That's why I was reluctant to shut it off without doing the logo touch thing but, since it wasn't responding to the logo touch, I went ahead and it worked out.  Normally, I turn off the US by touching the logo but do not flick the rear switch.  Should I?

I've had the US for nearly 18 months and have always listened to stored music while simultaneously burning CD's.  Yesterday was the first time I encountered a problem.  Not sure whether I'll try the multi tasking again.

Overall, I love the Unitiserve.  It has really contributed to my enjoyment of music.  I'm using an Aurilac Vega D to A converter but comments about the Hugo tempt me to go do a comparison.

stebro posted:

 

Normally, I turn off the US by touching the logo but do not flick the rear switch.  Should I?

The shut down sequence for US is: 

1. Touch logo > blinking for several minutes > logo off
2. Rear switch into OFF position

Start up:

1. Rear switch into ON position

stebro posted:

Thanks to all for your help.  I have the US 2TB hard drive model, if that makes a difference.  I back up everything on a WD MyCloud external NAS by manually going to "differential backup" after burning new CD's.  Chrish, you refer to an automated way to backup but I'm not familiar with this.  By the way, the differential backup can take forever, even for 10 or 20 discs.

.....

Overall, I love the Unitiserve.  It has really contributed to my enjoyment of music.  I'm using an Aurilac Vega D to A converter but comments about the Hugo tempt me to go do a comparison.

that's good Stebro, I just wanted to be sure you were backing up as sometimes these hiccups can be a precursor to a HD failure, as nigelb posted. (I'm not saying this is what is going to happen though!)

The Differential back up seems to be taking a bit longer than normal if you say it takes an age, not sure why that would be.

But regarding the automated back up, you can find this in the Desktop Client software in the Maintenance & Settings tab (I think that's what it's called, it's the next tab to the Tab showing the music stored on the US). But it's really handy, avoids having to think about backing up, which suits me fine!

If you can't find it post back here and I'll look it up and post some screen shots for you.

But to your last point, I'm with you, Im very happy with it. Others have had issues with it, and there are of course other (cheaper) ways to do the same, but the convenience and reliability of it (some will laugh at me for saying this, but that's my experience!) wins out for me, especially as it avoids having to switch a PC or laptop on.

No worries Stebro, glad you found it!

Just to say that the recommendation is to leave the UNitiserve on rather than switching on and off. If you leave that on that's one of the time variables for the Auto Back Up out of the way and then you just need to pick the time when your NAS is on.

If you say it takes a long time be sure to leave the NAS on for long enough for the differential back up to take place!

Greetings from UK to SF, a fantastic city you live in.....

Thanks again Chrish.  Actually, I leave the NAS on all the time.  I put my desktop computer, with the Naim Desktop Client software, to sleep which may be preventing the scheduled backup.  I shut off my Unitiserve by touching the front logo figuring 1)it will prolong the life of the US hard disc; and 2)it will save a little power.  Is this wrong?  Glad you like SF.  I do too--but always enjoy the UK.

Leave the UnitiServe switched on all the time. It's made to be used that way. It's much more likely to go wrong if you keep turning it on and off. 

Leave the US on all the time. It is not designed to be switched off all the time.

Thanks HH and Adam. Sorry if I'm being a pain, but to clarify--I have been putting the US in shutdown mode when not in use but not switching it off from the rear power switch.  If I understand you correctly, I shouldn't even put it in shutdown mode (?). I just looked at the manual and realized that I used the wrong terminology in my previous postings. 

Adam Zielinski posted:

It is not designed to be switched off all the time.

I can't disagree with that.

stebro posted:

Thanks HH and Adam. Sorry if I'm being a pain, but to clarify--I have been putting the US in shutdown mode when not in use but not switching it off from the rear power switch.  If I understand you correctly, I shouldn't even put it in shutdown mode (?). I just looked at the manual and realized that I used the wrong terminology in my previous postings. 

If you don't switch it off, how do you switch it back on again?!

According to the manual, switching off is 'not normally necessary unless it is to be un-installed'. I never turn mine off unless I'm away from home for a couple of mights or more. Oh yes, and if there's an electric storm! I've already had one fried by a lightning strike and I doubt my insurer would cough up if it happened again.

That section in the manual (about switching off not being normally necessary) refers to turning the US off using the rocker switch on the rear.  I don't do that. I do put the US in "shutdown mode" by touching the Naim logo on the front until it blinks.  To take it out of shutdown mode, as it says in the manual, you have to flick the rear rocker switch off and on again. So my confusion is whether you shouldn't even put the US in shutdown mode by touching the front logo and should  just leave it in a state where  that logo in constantly illuminated. 

Hello Stebro

You should not be putting it into the shutdown mode. Just leave it on 24/7.

When you go on holidays: shut it down, by touching the logo, wwait for it to stop blinking and then flick the switch at the back into OFF position.

Adam

Hi Stebro

As others have said, leave on 24/7 and don't put into shutdown mode.

You may save a small amount of power, but it is designed to be left on all the time.

For the auto back up, your US will talk to the NAS and does not need your PC/laptop to be on, so you just need the US and NAS to be on for the duration of the back up.

Chris

stebro posted:

That section in the manual (about switching off not being normally necessary) refers to turning the US off using the rocker switch on the rear.  I don't do that. I do put the US in "shutdown mode" by touching the Naim logo on the front until it blinks.  To take it out of shutdown mode, as it says in the manual, you have to flick the rear rocker switch off and on again. So my confusion is whether you shouldn't even put the US in shutdown mode by touching the front logo and should  just leave it in a state where  that logo in constantly illuminated. 

Even if you do not shut it down, you have to shut it down´by using the rocker switch to get it back to live  again. A while back Naim explained that this is caused by some EU power saving regulation. If a standby could be stopped and the unit come back to livve without a power down this sleep mode would make more sense, but the solution is simple just  leave it on 24/7.

Claus