Support article

This article provides troubleshooting information for error messages and server issues. If you need help publishing music or photos, see How do I publish music and photos using TiVo Desktop?

Troubleshooting

Music Troubleshooting Tips
Photo Troubleshooting Tips
My DVR Cannot Find My Music or Photos Server
I Get Error #43-400 When Trying to View Photos From My PC
When I select HD Photos in TiVo Desktop, I get an error message indicating TiVo Photos 2.0 couldn't be launched.

Music Troubleshooting Tips

NOTE: For general information about the Music feature, see Getting started with music.

If you are experiencing problems with the Music feature, perform one or more of the following steps:

1.  If you receive an error that no servers can be found when you choose the Music & Photos option from TiVo Central, go to My DVR cannot find my music or photos server.

2.  If you receive an error stating a file is locked when trying to modify it on your PC, shut down and restart the TiVo Server.

• To shut down the TiVo Server: In the taskbar (next to the clock), double-click the TiVo icon to launch TiVo Desktop. From the Server menu, click TiVo Server Properties. Click the Exit button, and then click Yes to confirm.
• To restart the TiVo Server: From the Server menu, select Restart TiVo Server.

NOTE:  If you see error #43-400, go to I Get Error #43-400 When Trying to View Photos From my PC.

3.  If you move or delete files while the DVR is playing them, it may cause an error on the DVR. If an error is returned; shutdown and restart the TiVo Server (see Step 2).

4.  If the DVR responds slowly when you browse music files:

• Your music directory on your computer may contain a large number of files, causing the navigation on your DVR to be slow. For faster browsing, divide your music into different folders; for example, group songs by artist or album.
• Verify that there are only music files in the file directory that you have published. Move non-music files from your published music directories. Video files in a music directory can cause slow browsing on both TiVo Desktop and the DVR.

5.  If one of your songs sounds distorted or is cut off, try playing the song using a music application on your PC to ensure that the source file is not corrupted.

6.  If your music pauses during playback, it may be due to network congestion. Go to General network troubleshooting tips for information on how to optimize your network setup.

NOTE: For help with music playback software, contact the software publisher.

Photo Troubleshooting Tips

NOTE: For general information about using the Photo feature, see Getting started with photos.

If you are experiencing problems with the Photos feature, perform one or more of the following steps:

1.  If you receive an error that no servers can be found when you choose the Music, Photos, Products & More option from TiVo Central, see My DVR cannot find my music or photos server.

2.  If you receive an error stating that a file is locked when trying to modify it on your PC, shut down and restart the TiVo Server.

• To shut down the TiVo Server: In the taskbar (next to the clock), double-click the TiVo icon to launch TiVo Desktop. From the Server menu, click TiVo Server Properties. Click the Exit button, and then click Yes to confirm
• To restart the TiVo Server: From the Server menu, select Restart TiVo Server.

3.  If you move or delete files while the DVR is playing them, it may cause an error on the DVR. If an error is returned, shut down and restart the TiVo Server (see Step 2 for instructions).

4.  If the DVR responds slowly when you view photos:

• Your photo directory on your computer may contain a large number of files, causing the navigation on your DVR to be slow. To allow for faster browsing, divide your photos into different folders. Many customers group photos by theme.
  
• Verify that there are only photo files in the file directory that you have published. Remove any non-photo files from your published photo directories. Non-photo files in a photo directory can cause slow browsing on both TiVo Desktop and your DVR.
  
• Decrease the file size of your photo files to improve transfer speeds. Many digital cameras produce large, high-resolution photo files. Larger images can take longer to transfer from your home network to your TV. Keep in mind that many digital cameras are capable of taking pictures with a higher resolution than a TV can display. For assistance with decreasing the file size of your images, refer to the user guide or online help for your photo editing application.

5.  If your slideshow pauses, it may be due to network congestion. Go to General network troubleshooting tips for information about how to optimize your network setup.

6.  If the DVR is showing a broken picture icon when you are browsing or viewing photos:

• Using TiVo Desktop, unpublish and then publish the photos again.
  
• Verify that the file is not corrupt. If the photo displays correctly in the Preview frame of TiVo Desktop and still shows as a broken picture icon on the DVR, then it is possible the file is corrupt. You may be able to use a third-party photo editing application to fix the corrupt file.
  
• Network issues can also cause problems when viewing photos with the DVR. For more information, go to General network troubleshooting tips .

If your music or photos server is not listed in Music, Photos, Products & More on the DVR, perform the following steps:

1.  Verify that TiVo Desktop is installed on the PC that contains the music and photo files. For installation instructions, go to TiVo Desktop Download.

2.  Verify that the PC is turned on, and that the TiVo Server is running on the PC. Look for the TiVo icon in the system tray located at the bottom right of the desktop.

• If the TiVo icon has a red X over it, right-click the icon and select Restart the TiVo Server.
  
• If the TiVo icon is not showing in the system tray, start the TiVo Server: From the Start menu, select All Programs, then TiVo Desktop, then TiVo Server Properties, and then click the Start button.

NOTE: To have the TiVo Server load at startup, right-click the TiVo icon in the system tray and choose TiVo Server Properties. In the Configuration tab, select Start the TiVo Server when I log in to Windows.

3.  Right-click the TiVo icon in the system tray and choose TiVo Server Properties. In the Access Control tab, verify that your DVR appears in the list and is allowed to access files on the PC.

NOTE: If Only allow the selected TiVo DVRs to access media files is selected, only DVRs listed and check-marked can see music and photos from this computer.

4.  Verify that music or photos have been published. For information on publishing, go to How do I publish music and photos using TiVo Desktop?

WARNING: The following steps may require changes to your home network settings. Please refer to your home networking equipment manufacturer for specific help and information.

5.  If you have Virtual Private Networking (VPN) software such as Cisco VPN or IBM Netstructure installed on your PC, you may need to adjust your settings or turn off your VPN software in order to use Music & Photos. This is necessary because the VPN software masks the actual IP address of your PC and makes it impossible for your DVR to see TiVo Desktop.

NOTE: When upgrading the Cisco VPN software, be sure to uncheck the option Stateful Firewall On. This option is automatically enabled when upgrading, and prevents TiVoBeacon from operating properly.

6.  If you have a software-based firewall such as Black Ice, Norton Internet Security, ZoneAlarm, or McAfee Personal Firewall installed on your PC, it may be necessary to adjust your settings to allow the TiVo Server to broadcast the beacon signal to your DVRs. For more information on which ports need to be open, go to What network ports do I need open when using my TiVo DVR?

NOTE: For more information on configuring your firewall, refer to the documentation provided by the firewall manufacturer. If you are using the XP Built-In Firewall, your ports will be configured automatically during the installation of TiVo Desktop.

7.  Some routers have a setting called loopback that is usually turned on by default. If loopback is enabled, your TiVo DVR will not be able to see the Music and Photos servers. Try turning that setting off on the router configuration screens (see the manual that came with your router for details).

I encounter error "#43-400" when I try to view photos from my PC.

Starting with TiVo software version 7.2.1, error message #43-400 began occurring when customers try to view photos from a locally-networked PC. This only occurs if the PC uses TiVo Desktop Version 1.3, which was intended for use on computers running Windows 98 or Millennium Edition. If this error occurs on PCs running a more recent version of Windows, please update to the current version of TiVo Desktop.

Windows 98 and Millennium Edition

Error #43-400 displays when a network-enabled Series2 DVR tries to access photos from a locally-networked PC that is running TiVo Desktop software version 1.3, which is not compatible with the current version of TiVo DVR software.

If you experience this error while connecting to a PC that runs Windows 98 or Millennium Edition, you can still view your photos through your TiVo DVR by using Photos & Slideshows.

Windows 2000 or XP

If you experience this error while connecting to a PC that runs Windows 2000 or XP, you can upgrade to the latest version of TiVo Desktop by going to www.tivo.com/desktop. You can also follow the instructions below to use Photos & Slideshows on your TiVo DVR to share your photos with friends and family.

Error message, "Unable to launch the application" is displayed when the "Preview Photos 2.0 (with HD support) for Series3 HD DVRs" check box is selected in Tivo Desktop Server Properties.

If you have never used HD Photos 2.0, or have recently installed a new version of TiVo Desktop, you may encounter an error message when you attempt to use the HD Photos 2.0 feature. If you see the "Unable to launch the application" error message when you select the "Preview Photos 2.0 (with HD support) for Series3 HD DVRs" check box from the TiVo Desktop Server Properties window, it means that TiVo Desktop is unable to download a required file. This can happen if the download server is temporarily unavailable.

You will not be able to use HD Photos 2.0 until TiVo Desktop can download the file. To use TiVo Desktop and avoid this error message, simply remove the check mark from the "Preview Photos 2.0 (with HD support) for Series3 HD DVRs" check box and use the default TiVo Desktop photos functionality. You may also view your photos in HD by using the Photos & Slideshows on your TiVo DVR.

Display photos on your TV from your collection on Photobucket or Picasa Web albums using the Photos & Slideshows application.

NOTE: You must have a broadband connected Series 2, Series 3, or TiVo HD, DVR,  to use Photos & Slideshows. 

NOTE: You can use Photos & Slideshows to share your photos with any of your friends or family who own a broadband-enabled Series 2 or Series 3 TiVo DVR. They can use Photos & Slideshows to search for your Photobucket or Picasa Web Album user ID and view the photos you have placed on the site.

• Create a free account on either Photobucket (www.photobucket.com) or Google's Picasa Web Albums (www.picasaweb.google.com).
• Upload your photos to either or both sites.
• Go to TiVo Central, then select Music, Photos, Products & More.
• Select Photos & Slideshows and follow the instructions to access your photo account.