SVAP Set up Problems

[scottf11961]

I'm trying to set up an AVP Reel.
I installed the ekey7 and diagnostic key. Wipe all 3. I get an error message that something didn't clear correctly. Power down and pull the diagnostic key and power back up install OS. Then power down and power back up with just ekey7, and I get this red screen. Can't get past it. To my understanding, at this point, here is where I set up the machine before the game gets installed, but instead I'm getting the red screen. So I power down, put the game launcher in just to see what happens,

It installs onto the hard drive..I power down and pull out the launcher key leaving ekey7 in and it let's me get into the settings when i power back up, but no place to enable game..most likely because I can't get into the initial settings before the game is installed.
Am I missing a step someplace that's causing the red screen?  I know there's a toggle switch h for a jumper. When does that get switched on and off?

Any help appreciated!!

[Stayouttadabunker]

What does it say when you click open this box I've drawn in red?

[sccarlso]

I haven't had this happen.   

Wondering if it can fail to clear safe storage if the batteries in the PCI card are dead?

If not, would seem to me that you might get that error if the PCI card is bad.

I'd make sure the batteries are new in the PCI card, and lift up the PCI card from it's slot (so you don't need to remove the ribbon cable...).  And just press it down firmly to ensure it's fully seated.

Just a guess though.   It's "something" with the PCI card since Safe Storage memory is on the PCI card.  If the cage switch was still seen as closed it would reject the ekey auth, and if the write protect switch was enabled, it would say so on clear NVRAM/SafeStorage/Hard Drive screen when booted with the diag key.

[scottf11961]

Error occurred during incremental pattern test. And if I click on that, it says safe storage error found

[sccarlso]

Another member had this same error (link below) and he asked if it was the batteries in the PCI card and I said "yep".

They followed up with a post about button replacement, so while they didn't say it fixed the problem.
Seems logical that it did or they would have posted back saying replacing the batteries in the PCI card didn't fix the problem.

https://newlifegames.com/nlg/index.php?topic=45081.15

So unless you have already replaced the two CR2450 batteries in the top battery holders on the PCI card with brand new ones.  I'd do that first.  It's simple, you should do it anyway so you know they are new and good.  Just ensure you put them in with the proper orientation and not backwards.   

You need a 2 pack of these if you don't know how old the batteries are.  If you can't wait and want those now, you can probably find CR2450's at a drugstore like Walgreens, they'll just cost a bit more.  And you need two of them.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CPWYVX6H

And in the attached photo.  You can replace the batteries without removing the card by just using a toothpick or some other small non metal pointy thing to press them up a little bit using the slots at the bottom so you can easily grab them.  And slide a new battery in each.  Do one at a time so you don't confuse the +/- orientation of the coin cell battery.   Do unplug the machine itself first though! 

With fresh batteries in there.  Plug it back in.   Then just boot with the diag again, and repeat the NVRAM/SafeStorage clear.  If SafeStorage now clears, good to proceed with loading the OS and then the game itself.

If the issue remains, do check the ribbon cable that connects to the PCI card closely to ensure it's fully seated, no bent pins, and is locked in place.  A lot of tiny pins on the ribbon cable.  One bent or loose pin not connected and goofy things can happen.     

Still no joy.   Then I'd suspect a faulty PCI card.   But they are common, and inexpensive.

If that's the case, you'd just need to get a replacement PCI card, and plug the bios chip from your old PCI card into the new card (carefully, and with the proper orientation).  Then install the new PCI card in, and connect the ribbon cable to it.  Then proceed to do the clear operations again.  Can't think of anything else that would cause the error if the batteries are new and the ribbon cable is securely connected. 

[scottf11961]

I appreciate the info, but all batteries were changed to new when I purchased it. I never removed the ribbon cable. Won't hurt to check it though. Right now it's stuck on the red screen in the picture. No matter what Key or Keys I put in, it's boots up to the red screen and it gets stuck there

[sccarlso]

I've not setup a SAVP machine, but the process should be the same as any other AVP.

But the Safe Storage has to clear.  It doesn't just clear that NV memory, it also formats it.  So if you were to just remove the batteries in the PCI card, the data is gone.  But now it isn't formatted which usually results in a red screen with a Safe Storage error.  You might try removing the batteries for like 30 sec, then putting them back in.  Then boot with the ekey and diag key and see if then all 3 will clear, including the Safe Storage.  Never had that occur when loading any AVP machine myself.

If you still get the error when clearing for the Safe Storage, the PCI cards NVRAM is questionable.

If you repeat the clearing of all 3.    Seems like your loading process is correct, but you can always repeat it after repeating the clearing with the diag key to see if the same red screen pops up.  Red screens usually indicate an unrecoverable error.  But in some cases, like corrupt NVRAM/Safe Storage, the error might advise to turn the jackpot key to clear Safe Storage, and it wipes the Safe Storage and reboots, but that doesn't always work.  If you get a red or blue screen error, the text is usually readable.  If nothing is readable, unless the top screen was readable when it booted, make sure your video cables are secured tightly. 

With either a red or blue error screen, you always turn the jackpot key to proceed.  If it can fix something, or thinks it can.  When you turn the jackpot key it should fix if it can, and reboot.  But if it goes to that red screen again each time.   It's something deeper.

For a load of the OS from a total wipe.  After clearing all 3 options with the diag, you should reboot from the diag key menu and as soon as you hear the beep of the CPU, switch the power off.

Then remove the diag key and plug in a USB flash drive that's formatted as FAT32, which has ONLY your OS loader file on it, leaving the ekey plugged in as well.  And power on, it formats the drive and installs the OS fairly quickly, then tells you to remove the keys and reboot.  Looks like you have an original OS loader flash drive so that should be just fine.   

When you reboot after the OS install, either quickly remove the ekey and OS loader flash drive, or power off and remove both the ekey and OS loader, power it back on and just let it load.

At that point it should initialize the machine until you reach the Configuration Required screen.  Where you need to plug in your ekey to configure the basic machine settings. 

If you do get to that point, that's a good sign.  Complete setup, but skip game setup as you haven't loaded it yet.  Then it should say No Games Configured.   Where you can plug in your ekey to get the ekey menu up.  And also plug your game loader flash drive in.  Then in the ekey menu, you can go to Game > add/remove packages and it should display the game that's on the game loader USB drive you have plugged in.  If nothing is displayed, look for a refresh button so it sees the USB drive with your game on it and lists it.  Then you can select it to load to the machine.  Once it completes loading the game in, then back out to the Game > Enable/disable menu, and enable your installed game with the denominations/paytable you want on it and save the changes.

Pull the game loader and ekey, and close up the machine, ensuring all security switches/doors are closed and indicate they are closed on the screen.

If all security switches indicate closed, the machine should now be in normal play mode and ready to go.

[scottf11961]

I think my PCI card is no good. When I wipe everything, I get an error message for safe storage.  After wiping everything, I boot up with the EKEY, and the OS. It installs the OS, I power down and reboot with just the EKEY. It goes to a red screen and won't let me do anything. So I power down and power back up with the game launcher. It goes to install it but says " find no AVP files". .so not sure if my game USB is good or not. BUT when I remove the game launcher..i reboot with just the ekey again, and it goes to the screen calibration..then it goes into the settings...but there's no game to enable.

This picture is what I get when put in the EKEY and Game Launcher. Does this mean there's no game on the USB..? It was purchased from a fellow NLG  member. I have no reason to believe it's not on there

[sccarlso]

Ok, you said after you load the OS, you do get to the screen calibration screen.   That's what should come up if you cleared, then rebooted with the OS key and ekey plugged in, the OS loads and prompts you to reboot.  You should power off, remove both the ekey and OS loader and power on and let it load so it gets to the first configuration screen.  That means the OS loaded ok.

You mentioned:

"So I power down and power back up with the game launcher. It goes to install it but says " find no AVP files". .so not sure if my game USB is good or not. BUT when I remove the game launcher..i reboot with just the ekey again, and it goes to the screen calibration..then it goes into the settings...but there's no game to enable."


Right, with OS version 14BOE which you have (and is the OS you should use).  You do NOT install games by plugging in the game loader USB and the ekey, then booting the machine.  It's never worked for me.  And I believe that only worked with OS's 14AXXX.  But now the newer OS's are 14BXXX.

When you boot after the OS loads, and no ekey or any other USB drive plugged in. It should display the Configuration verification required, NO GAME ENABLED.  That doesn't mean you load your game now...

Plug in the ekey. and complete screen calibration, and configure the basic machine settings, which allows you to complete basic machine setup (without a game installed yet).  If you reach a screen to configure games, just continue without installing/configuring a game just so the machine setup is complete, you can add/enable games at any time once the basic machine setup is complete.

When you complete "basic machine setup" with no game loaded or configured, setup is complete but the screen will say "No Games Configured".  Great.

Now you can plug in your ekey.  If it's still plugged in, unplug it and plug it back in, which takes you to the ekey menu, where you can go to Setup>Game>Manage Packages on the ekey menu.

insert your USB flash drive with the game loader you want to load to the machine on it into the open USB plug next to the ekey7.  A list of game ID’s will show up on the left side of the screen.  There should only be one since your loader only has that one game.  Select the game ID listed, and press the arrow key to move it to the right install screen and tap ADD to load the game to the machine.

When the game has finished loading to the machine, remove the game loader and press EXIT.  Remove the ekey7.  You should now get a message that says NO GAMES ENABLED.  Reinsert the ekey7 and the setup screen should show again.

Then press screen buttons in this order--- Setup > Communication  > Protocol > G2STransportG2S6 >
Advance > Protocol that controls Legacy Meter
Change Setting to ------“Not required” ------then press SAVE    This is important as until it's set to "not required" it won't let you install a game later if you don't do this, a simple setting to do right away.

Then return to the main ekey menu with the back button.

You are now ready to activate your installed game. Press Setup—Games—Enable/Disable and press the type of game you want to setup.  To select a game to activate simply touch the game name and it will highlight and then press the Enable button.

To setup the game, you select the allowed denomination(s) for the game on the right side by checking the box(es).  Then select the payback percentage on the left side, and press enable game unless it already shows enabled.  Press SAVE. The game is now activated and the box around the game next to it should have a green dot around it.  Press Back and it goes back to the game screen.  Now the game is enabled, and when you exit the ekey menu and remove the ekey, when you close up the machine it should be in normal play mode.

There's an attached doc that has step by step instructions from Tito@home that shows everything from clearing, loading the OS, configuring the machine settings, then loading/enabling games, you're only loading one so it should be easier to understand. I had to use 7-zip so it's small enough, as well as add a .doc extension to allow it to upload, so just save it, and rename the file so it's file extension is just .7z.  Then download 7-zip if you don't have it to extract the .doc file inside.  You can skip and ignore the Tito config sections if you don't have a Tito card installed.  The guide isn't perfect, but most can get a machine running by referencing it. 




 

[sccarlso]

Also, just in case.  If you try to load your game to the machine and it gives an error.

Do this part below I mentioned first.

Setup > Communication  > Protocol > G2STransportG2S6 >
Advance > Protocol that controls Legacy Meter
Change Setting to ------“Not required” ------then press SAVE   

Then repeat the process to load the game in Setup>Game>Manage Packages and you shouldn't get any error.

[scottf11961]

Ok
 I followed your directions and you said:

Now you can plug in your ekey.  If it's still plugged in, unplug it and plug it back in, which takes you to the ekey menu, where you can go to Setup>Game>Manage Packages on the ekey menu.

insert your USB flash drive with the game loader you want to load to the machine on it into the open USB plug next to the ekey7.  A list of game ID’s will show up on the left side of the screen. 

But on the left side of the machine..there's nothing there. No game id's at all

[sccarlso]

You're close!  If your PCI card was bad, pretty sure that you wouldn't even get this far.

But that screen is Package Requirements.

Did you plug in your game USB drive and go to go Setup>Game>Manage Packages on the ekey menu.

That page should look like the attached pic, the game should show up on thr left side menu, with a name like GI014-004XXX-XXX

So you can just tap the -> ALL button so it moves the Game file in the Game Packages list over to the "Game Packages to Add" list on the right side pane.

Then press the Add button to load it to the machine and it should say it is copying the package to the machine.  Once that completes, you can exit the add/remove packages menu page, and go to Setup>Games>Enable/Disable to enable the game, it will be the only one listed.   

If it doesn't display in the "Available Game Packages" list in the attached pic.  Unplug the game USB loader and plug it into the other available USB port by the ribbon cable on the brainbox, wait for it to be detected, and see if it then shows up.

If it still doesn't show up.  Check your blue game loader flash drive in a PC to ensure it's there, and the flash drive is FAT32 formatted.

The ONLY USB flash drives you can plug into a PC (preferably a Win7 laptop or desktop if you have one) are the OS and Game loader flash drives.  Never plug an ekey or diag key into a PC.  It will corrupt a diag key and "possibly" mess up an ekey.   The Game and OS loader flash drives are just FAT32 formatted drives with one file on them that should be named "igt_full_install_gameID-gameName.zip"  or it might just be named "igt_full_install GI014004NHF001.zip". or even named just "igt_full_install.zip".   But it should just have one zipfile on it.  And if any extra junk is written to it by a Win10 or Win11 machine, it doesn't cause problems.

In a PC, if the blue game flash drive shows up when plugged in is blank and doesn't have this file it of course won't display when plugged into the SAVP.  Or if the game loader file is corrupt, or if the blue game flash drive is NTFS formatted.  You can right click on the game loader flash drive when it's in a PC, then select Properties and you should see "File System:  FAT32" on the properties page of the flash drive so you know it's FAT32 formatted.  The game also won't show up in the list if it's NTFS formatted, as the Fam14 OS can only read FAT32 formatted flash drives.