No Data Available after EPG123 install

[Toys7505]

Ok, I have downloaded and installed EPG123, I have followed the video posted for installation. I can see the EPG123 logo (bottom right hand corner) in WMC but my Guide data still says "No Data Available".......I am only using 1 machine for this so I did "Client side" only. On my Client Configurations & Actions window, the left side is blank while the right hand side shows correct Lineup for my area (Milford, Ma.) with correct call sign, number, and service name.

Please help, I am stumped at this point.....I took a pic to show the window screen I am talking about

Thanks
Toys

[garyan2]

Click the Match by: [# Number] button above the left side list. This wasn't done automatically because you disabled the option to 'Automatically match stations to channels' in the configuration GUI.

[Toys7505]

Click the Match by: [# Number] button above the left side list. This wasn't done automatically because you disabled the option to 'Automatically match stations to channels' in the configuration GUI.

That did it! Awesome!! Now I am not on the "____" list with the Wife Appreciate the QUICK reply too!!
Happy New year!!
Toys

[danomce]

Hi Gary (and all),

PREFACE:
You are a very generous and patient guy. I just spent almost an hour typing in a long synopsis of my attempts to install EPG123 which disappeared when I clicked 'Preview', and I am not in a good mood at all.
(Certainly not your fault. I should have copied the thing before trusting sites and browsers to respect my time and effort.)

Point is, I have read these threads for the past 1.5 days and doubt I could or would be able to keep the positive attitude you have (apparently). I watched you call it quits last night as I went thru installation steps, and see you are back at it today (as I am). So...

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

I am posting here because it is a recent thread, and the OP's subject line reflects my situation.


MY SITUATION:
I live in the western 'burbs of Chicago, and have Comcast/Xfinity cable service. I also get my internet from them. I have a SD HDHR Prime (3 tuners) and cablecard. WMC runs on an older laptop with Win 7 Premium, and very little else on it. The only other WMC-aware device is an Xbox 360 as an extender. The last listing in my guide was 6PM on the 31st.

I have been aware of your EPG solution, but could live with the built-in guide even as it deteriorated over time. All I want to do is record TV shows and maybe a movie now and then. I waited until the native guide went away to make changes to see what solutions appeared and were popular, avoid collisions, and be a general procrastinator. The water leak in my crawlspace requiring all water to be shut off since the 29th might have contributed a bit.

I DLed your version as of the 30th, but never got a chance to install it. With running water reestablished at the property last night, I noticed you had another version, so I DLed that one and have been running it (over and over). Since I have only one machine, I do 'Client Setup', 'Clean Start', 'Full install', etc. My long log shows some errors during my first attempts (external program exception, Failure to run a task or 2, etc.), but the most recent runs show nothing but Success, or Completed, etc.

I set up an account with a 7-day trial at Schedules Direct (2 gone already). My lineup is found and looks OK. It's loaded, saved, or subscribed to, whatever is the right term, both at their website, and in your tools.

I have read and followed the installation instructions in the PDF and at the website. For the most part, things seem to go smoothly, but I never get a guide in WMC, and my future recording requests are always empty (I had about 200). The only mistake I made (as far as I know) was to schedule a task at the beginning on my first go at it, instead of waiting until the last step.


MORE DETAILS:
I say for the most part because the log reflects some errors on the first attempts as mentioned above, and because it hangs at step 2 with the status message "Waiting for User to exit WMC", even tho I have finished the TV setup, and closed WMC. I need to kill it via the "X" on the window, and after asking if I really want to do that while it's working, it pops up the 'extended tuners didn't take' dialog, which shouldn't apply to my case, since i only have 3 tuners. I say sure, whatever, and it runs again, and proceeds to ask me to go thru WMC TV setup again, after which it seems to go along as intended.

My HDHR tuners are seen and work afterwards. They also work fine via SD's DVR app on various devices, including STARZ, so that includes DRM. In WMC, the first time I ran it I only had channel numbers, but with further attempts at install, I now have channel numbers, call signs, and signal details (like Dolby, HD, etc.).

My lineup appears in the Config Tool. I tick the 'include all' button. Save and Execute starts a multi-step process that seems to go to conclusion. My most recent 2 or 3 tries have not had errors in the log, as I read it. I have also tried 'Manual Import' which behaves the same way to my eyes i.e., it runs to completion and there are no obvious errors in the log, but I never get an EPG or recording requests in WMC afterwards. I also have set up a job to run a few minutes in the future. At first there were errors or failures of those to ever run even after the time had come and gone, but I now have had them run successfully twice (actually run, and no errors in the log afterwards). Still no EPG.

In the Client Guide Tool I can never be sure if I am 'Subscribed' or not (or what that means exactly), so on my most recent attempts I have been highlighting all the channels on the left and choosing 'Subscribe' from the context menu after right-clicking.

The schedule import or transfer tool shows most of my previous recordings as green, and I was able to 'Match' most of the red ones manually, and use >>> to move them over to the 'other side'. The rest can wait until I can watch and record TV again someday.

In a desperate attempt to try stuff, I ticked the option to make the other 2 XML files on my most recent try. It's all becoming a blur now, but I remember it added another step which ran without complaining - but ended up with the same result.

I do not have SD's DVR service, and have no desire to subscribe after playing with their brain-dead tiles in Discover as some sort of attempt to find and schedule TV programming. Just FYI. I am interested in the Schedules Direct solution thru EPG123.

I have restarted WMC over and over. I have made sure it was not running when running your software's processes. I have both agreed and not agreed to the terms of service for the guide listings. I have rebooted my computer. I have not yet uninstalled, reinstalled, and started all over with your software.

That's all the patience I have for typing now, and basically what I tried to say the first time. At this point, I don't know what to do. So, I humbly come here and ask for your advice. Sorry for the long post, but I'd rather read a longer post from someone, than go back and forth asking them over and over for this detail or that. Hope you agree, and there's something in there that helps us both to move on...

--dan

[garyan2]

I'm going to start with the short answer, and then if that doesn't work we'll dive into this some more.

With the EPG123 Comcast lineup showing on the right side pulldown, click the Match by: [# Number] button on the left side. This will "subscribe" the merged channels on the left side to guide listings shown on the right based on their channel numbers.

Verification: do you have 9,999 channels on the left side?

[danomce]

Thanx for the quick reply.

OK. Did M-by-#.
Saw 9999 on right once upon a time, but no more. ATM, Hi of 1995 on left, 3385 on right. (not contiguous)
Wadda ya think: Next step 'Client Setup' or 'Manual Import'?

PS, I never tried Rebuild Database')

[danomce]

Sorry, I see you were asking about 9999 on the left. Can't say for sure which side it *was* on, probably both when it was there...

[garyan2]

If you do not see 9999 channels on the left side with cable lineups, then you did not remember to deny the Program Guide Terms of Service when doing Step 2 - WMC TV Setup. If you do a [Client Setup] again, deny the ToS, and in the configuration GUI make sure the 'Automatically import...' and 'Automatically match...' options are enabled, then when complete you should be good-to-go.

A 'Rebuild' will simply take your current configuration without guide listings and create a new database. It will not help you with this.

[danomce]

OK. I see your reply as I preview this B4 submitting.
When this completes, I will do it again and deny ToS.
Maybe I never combined 'deny' with 'by #' in my previous attempts.
Fingers crossed...

======================== entered while you were replying =================================
Typing this as I do it for accuracy:

Quit existing instances of any of your tools.
Run EPG123 Client Guide Tool
Click on Match by: "# Number" (still not 9999 channels on either side)
Click 'Client Setup'
3-step tool starts - I click Step 1
I forgot to quit WMC, but it closes
WMC starts after a while, I verify that Step 1 is 'green'
I go thru TV setup
click 'Finish' at end, and also close via Tasks>Close>Close
Client setup stuck "waiting for user to close.."
I kill window, confirm, and say 'Yes' to extended tuner limit dialog
WMC reopens, and (counter to what I wrote originally) is at normal start screen.
I check, and step 2 is still not green, and "waiting for WMC to close" is still the status.
I close WMC gracefully via it's own menu.
Now step 2 goes 'green'
Step 3 begins.
I hit 'Save and Execute' after looking it over
It's building programs right now...

[garyan2]

When you say "kill window", what window did you kill? Note that because we don't get tuner configuration information anymore from MS/Rovi, and for cable systems it will now create 9999 channels, WMC can take some time to completely close and remove itself from memory. Patience can be key.

[danomce]

The 3-step window. That has the three steps that go "Green" as the procedure progresses. (Client Setup?)
It doesn't seem to move on automatically after the user (me) completes the TV signal setup for step 2.

I click the final 'Finish' button at the end of TV setup, and then exit WMC via Tasks>Shut Down>Close Window.
I was pretty patient for at least some of the passes. At the bottom of that 3-step window it says "Waiting for user to close WMC..." (I assume it's a status line.)

WMC is closed. Been closed. Even when I'm patient, it just sits there - like minutes - with a blue spinner, saying it's waiting for me to close WMC. So I eventually hit the close "X" at the upper right, and it responds as I have detailed.

Next time, I might wait patiently for about 3-5 minutes, then reopen WMC, wait, then close it without doing anything, and see if your software picks up the close that way.

Right now I am running WMC TV signal setup outside of your software - directly from WMC menus. I have denied the ToS. It just finished as I type this. I'll "finish" that process, Quit WMC, and then start again.

I will run your tools, and do 3 things:
1) look for 9999 channels;
2) choose match by # when appropriate (I need to consult the instructions again, It appears possible to do so right away, and again later);
3) deny the ToS when I am in TV signal setup again at your Step 2.

Well four things, keep my fingers crossed, too. It's working really hard, doing all sorts of things that look OK and right by the instructions, but it just doesn't seem to get the final result right. Not casting aspersions. Probably pilot error somewhere.

I'm about to take off again, let's hope I land at the final destination this time...

[garyan2]

Right now I am running WMC TV signal setup outside of your software - directly from WMC menus. I have denied the ToS. It just finished as I type this. I'll "finish" that process, Quit WMC, and then start again.

I will run your tools, and do 3 things:
1) look for 9999 channels;
2) choose match by # when appropriate (I need to consult the instructions again, It appears possible to do so right away, and again later);
3) deny the ToS when I am in TV signal setup again at your Step 2.

You don't need to "start again". If you complete a TV Setup again, and wait until WMC says there are 9999+ channels, then close WMC. Open the client, let it populate the left side, and click the Match by: [# Number] button. Step 1 and Step 3 are already completed so no need to do them again.

[danomce]

I'm cursed or something.
I got thru the procedure, all steps automatically start and proceed, no need to kill anything, and there are 9999 channels on the left, but none on the right after it's all over.
I check the log, and it says: "Failed to get account status, server offline for maintenance."
OMG,

Keeping with my analogy:
I guess i'll just do something else while I wait for Sched Direct to answer the radio.
I'm in a holding pattern, over the final destination, I think...

While I wait:
I assume the 'right' time to click Match by # is after the process has gotten past lineup choice, etc.
(Sorry, I can't remember the names of the various windows and tools that pop up at different times, I'm getting a bit loopey after seeing them all so many times.)
I ask because it is possible to choose it right at the very beginning, even before initiating the process with 'Client Setup', which is the first step in the instructions for a Clean Install. At least in my case where I have run the software previously.
I am avoiding doing it then, because the instructions don't say I should.
(But they also don't mention that option specifically, that I can see)

Thanx for your attention and help. Sorry it's not going as well for me as it seems for many others.

[danomce]

Just saw your reply. You answered my ? as I was typing it.

[garyan2]

That's too funny. Your previous mxf file should still be there so you can do a [Manual Import] to get your lineup on the right side. When the manual import is done, that is the time to click the Match by: [# Number] button. That button just does a compare of the channel numbers of what is on the left to what is on the right from the selected lineup.

[danomce]

OK! Here goes...

[danomce]

Just in case problem users like me keep you up at night (I mean even when you are offline):


SUCCESS!
I now have:
a guide with actual program data in it;
171 of my scheduled recordings restored;
and running water in my home.

I can't think of anything else I might need or wish for right now.

DECONSTRUCTION:
I know for a fact that I denied the ToS the first 3 or 4 times I ran the installation. But there were some sort of errors occurring then. I'm sure I tried [Match by #] at least once, since I saw you recommend it to other folks who weren't getting success, but I can't remember when I did it.
Perhaps it was a reboot of the machine + deny + [M by #] that was required, and I never stumbled on that combo.

No matter, just trying to summarize for folks who run into the same sort of difficulties, and might read this thread.

Thanx again. Give me a few days to actually use this, and then expect a more tangible expression of my gratitude.

Now, for a night of tweaking settings to get it all "just right"...

[Space]

Couldn't have been too bad if it only took to 37 minutes . Have fun tweaking!