Harman Kardan AVR1700 Rcvr BCO update

[root]

A friend has an AVR1700 receiver which displays a
BCO Update message
and locks up. A google search reveals this problem
has affected others, but no solution other than returning
the unit for service has emerged.

Does anyone here know what BCO update means? Anyone
know of a fix?

We have tried just waiting it out, no good after several
days. One person suggested repeatedly turning it on and
off: again no solution.

There is nothing in the user manual about this problem.

Any help?

TIA

[Arfa Daily]

"root" <NoE...@home.org> wrote in message
news:kr76sk$2lh$1...@news.albasani.net...

The HK website says the following about this problem :

< My AVR 1700 shows an update warning screen "BCO UPDATE" and freezes. What
can I do? >

"Please perform a reset. 1: Press the front-panel Standby/on switch to place
the unit in the Standby mode (the power Indicator LED will turn amber). 2:
Press and hold the front-panel Surround Mode Button for at least 5 seconds
until the RESET message appears on the front-panel message display. Now the
receiver should function correctly. (Radio presets and other adjustments
will be lost, so these must be re-entered). If this reset does not solve the
problem, please contact the Harman Kardon helpdesk. Please note that a
software update can only be performed with a USB memory stick with files
downloaded from the Harman Kardon web site. It is not possible to update
through direct web connection. We are sorry for any inconvenience you may
have experienced."

Any use ?

Arfa

[root]

Thanks. I tried to find any mention of the problem on the HK site and
I didn't find this. I also called but couldn't get to a person and
they haven't returned my call.

I will tell my friend to try what you have found.

[Mark Zacharias]

"root" <NoE...@home.org> wrote in message

news:kr85r1$q56$1...@news.albasani.net...

I see an AWFUL LOT of these being sold "as-is" and for "parts-repair" on
eBay.

Must be a pretty crappy model.

Mark Z.

[root]

Question has become academic: my friend returned the Harman Kardon and
bought a Denon at twice the price.

[root]

In my searches for a fix I too saw that model for sale in the
same condition. There is something pretty fishy about it:
Best Buy took the unit back without question after my friend
had used it for 6 months. It must be an arrangement between
BestBuy and Harman Kardon. I still don't know what BCO stands
for.

[videoma...@gmail.com]

For anyone who has found this thread because their AVR 1700 is stuck in BCO Update mode, I wanted to post a the solution that worked for me this morning:

Connect your AVR 1700 to your home network. For me, this meant temporarily moving my cable modem and wireless router into the living room and connecting the receiver to my router with an ethernet cable.

Using your computer, determine the IP address of the AVR 1700 on your local network. You can do this by logging into your wireless router's web interface, or by using a utility like this one: http://www.nirsoft.n...rk_watcher.html

Type the IP address of your AVR 1700 into a web browser on your computer (it should like this: 192.168.1.xxx, with the last three digits based on your individual network). If done correctly, you will be looking at the Harman Kardon web interface for the receiver.

Click the Choose File button and choose any random file on your computer. I picked a small txt file. Now click the Upload button. Dont' worry about what file you choose. The operation will fail, but you will have jolted the receiver out of update mode.

You're done. BCO Update message should disappear, and life is good again!

I hope this helps!

[videoma...@gmail.com]

http://www.nirsoft.net/utils/wireless_network_watcher.html is the URL for the utility I mentioned.

Or Google Wireless Network Watcher if I can't post URLs :-)

[msch...@nerinxhs.org]

Thank you so much for this solution! This worked perfectly and I actually had to do it a couple of times while I was setting it up so I know it will work every time. Thank you for letting me avoid sending this back for a new one.

[matthew...@gmail.com]

On Sunday, October 20, 2013 12:26:59 PM UTC-4, videoma...@gmail.com wrote:
> For anyone who has found this thread because their AVR 1700 is stuck in BCO Update mode, I wanted to post a the solution that worked for me this morning:
>
>
>
> Connect your AVR 1700 to your home network. For me, this meant temporarily moving my cable modem and wireless router into the living room and connecting the receiver to my router with an ethernet cable.
>
>

> Thank you very much for this information! Followed exactly what you said, and it worked PERFECT!!!!

[moon...@gmail.com]

So, after you did this, did it help for a few minutes, or several months?
I have been getting it intermittently. It will show up, then go away for several weeks or months, then show up. It's been very persistent lately.

[hassm...@gmail.com]

>
> I use a bridge to connect the AVR. I logged into my router and found the IP address and followed your advice and it worked. No need to connect the AVR directly to the router. Thank you for this post. I have been struggling with this for a year and a half.
>

[hassm...@gmail.com]

On Sunday, October 20, 2013 12:26:59 PM UTC-4, videoma...@gmail.com wrote:

Thanks for your post. I did what you suggested but wirelessly and it worked immediately but it came back the next day. now I don't have to turn the receiver off an on, I just go to the computer and get rid of it.

[mirza.a...@gmail.com]

Perfect solution.
Thanks

[anthonysh...@gmail.com]

Thank you very much... This was driving me crazy and the BCO issue is now remedied. I wanted to throw the receiver through the window.

[aj43...@gmail.com]

I tried but it won't even let me turn it off like that

[doug...@gmail.com]

On Friday, December 12, 2014 at 9:43:14 PM UTC-7, aj43...@gmail.com wrote:
> I tried but it won't even let me turn it off like that

Though I'd share my experience with my first (and last) Harman Kardon product...

I bought this a couple years ago from Best Buy. After some months of buying the AVR-1700, a 'BCO Update Please Wait...' message came up, essentially locking the receiver. Following the reset steps didn't work... leaving it powered off for a long period didn't help. After much google searching and working to find a solution, I tried to update the firmware. Because of work and family obligations, this self-fix-it troubleshooting took me a couple months before I finally decided to take it back to Best Buy.

But... alas... it is out of warranty.

My continued searches discovered that I was not alone... several others experienced the same issue, with no help from Harman Kardon. I finally came across a work around (posted here) that walked me through how to 'pretend' to update the firmware (it always says 'failed'), but this process alone does some sort of 'reset', and the receiver begins working normal again.

We sort of got used to this 4-6 month ritual of resetting the receiver when this message would appear. However, I suddenly lost video. Sound was there, but no video output (HDMI - I didn't try the other outputs) from the receiver. At all. I decided to buy a $20 optical cable to at least allow me to connect my HDMI resources to the TV then pipe the sound from the TV to the receiver. But... guess what? Getting the 'BCO Update' message suddenly. Coincidence? Doubtful.

I tried our tried-and-true method of resetting the receiver. Did not work. BCO Update message will not go away.

I can honestly say I have exhausted nearly every available resource to get the AVR-1700 working, to no avail. Contacted the Harman Kardon 'tech support', who directed me to contact a local service place. I called them, and they said $40 to do a diagnostic, and from my description he's guessing between $150 and $200 total to get it working again.

I'm excited to get home today and try out my new Yamaha receiver that just showed up today!

I think that if Harman Kardon had taken more responsibility for this product and corrected the problem, I would feel differently. However, with the experience I have had, Harman Kardon is unfortunately no longer a list of future viable options. On top of that, my children now feel the same way I do, having witnessed my quiet fits of rage with this product.

As of this moment, the Harman Kardon AVR-1700 is officially a boat anchor... now all I need is a boat...

You may ask, "Why is this guy writing us all this stuff?" It's because I believe in making ourselves better. Without feedback on experiences such as this, how can we possibly improve? I do want Harman Kardon to succeed -- I think it is a great looking, sounding product. I wish they would stand by their product when there is a seriously obvious issue.

If you are experiencing the same thing I am, I suggest you stop wasting your time with trying to fix it and just 'start over' with something else. Good luck to you all!

[msuko...@gmail.com]

e man thanks
you are king

tnx from croatia

[rdraw...@gmail.com]

I had the same BCO Update message, then eventually the amber light was just stuck on, even when I unplugged power. And it still wouldn't turn on.

Here's what I did to fix it. There's an power on/off switch in the back, next to the power cable input. Turn it to off, then unplug the power cable. Then plug it back in, flip the switch back to on, then hold the Surr Mode button for 5 seconds. Suddenly, it came back to life.

I suspect that that on/off switch is what holds on to some reserve power (why the amber light stayed on even when it was unplugged) and it was froze up in that mode. I think by both unplugging it and flipping the power mode to off, it releases that reserve power and then you can successfully reboot it using their recommended "Surr Mode for 5 seconds" technique. Just a guess, but it worked for me!

[sva...@gmail.com]

I had this happen to me yesterday and tried the last method mentioned, flipping the power switch in the back then unplugging the power cord, then plugging it back in, flipping the power switch back on and holding the surround sound button in for 5 seconds, and.........IT WORKED!!! Thanks so much for the help!!

[cree...@gmail.com]

Yes, I had this same issue and I called Harmon support and they resolved it for me. You have to do a FULL reset. This is how it is done.

1. The unit has to be in standby. Push the button standby/on button until the light turns amber.

2. Press the 'surround mode' button for five seconds, until the word 'reset' appears.

3. Don't touch anything for at least a minute. This is critical. Harmon support said the reset takes at least a minute to clear everything. If you push any buttons on the remote, or the TV, or the receiver, the reset will fail, without giving any indication that it failed, and the BCO message will return.

If for some reason this doesn't work for you, here's another possible fix sent to me by Harmon Support:

Thank you for contacting us. We apologize if you are having issue with our product AVR1700.

BCO update, is an error caused by a network software update attempt which is stuck waiting for a file. This has to be cleared by running a browser like Internet Explorer on another device (compute) that is connected to the same network as the AVR. You must first connect the AVR to your router or Home network with an Ethernet cable (RJ45 connection). You will then need to find the IP address that is assigned to the AVR. The IP address is usually 192.168.1.x with x being a number between 2 and 254. You will not be able to access the AVR to determine the IP address of the unit. This must be done by accessing your router/network administration and configuration pages to view a list of assigned IP addresses and devices on your network. You should refer to the instructions provided with your router for more information on this process or contact your internet service provider if the router was provided by your cable/internet provider.

Once you have the correct IP address assigned to the AVR, you can enter the IP address into your browser. This will load a Harman Kardon webpage on the browser. From there, click the Browse button on the HK webpage to locate a file on your computer. Select any file on your computer and then click the Upload button. It does not need to be a valid Harman Kardon update file. Any random file will work. The Harman Kardon unit will reject the file as not valid and clear the BCO update error. Your unit should return to normal operation once this process is complete.

We would recommend using only the USB firmware update method if there is any future need to update the software on your unit.

NOTE: This may be a temporary fix. If the AVR continues to go into BCO UPDATE mode repeatedly, it may be necessary to repair or replace the unit.

I hope this helps.

Best Regards.

Adrian Reynaldo US
Technical Support
Harman Lifestyle Division

[gome...@gmail.com]

I have tried this, But after i turn off the receiver it comes back on the same. And i do the ip reset again. Any permanent fix?

[neptal...@gmail.com]

Two thumbs up to you Videoman... You're the man!!! Try it folks, it really works...Thanks a lot!!!

[thumpe...@gmail.com]

On Sunday, October 20, 2013 at 10:26:59 AM UTC-6, videoma...@gmail.com wrote:
> For anyone who has found this thread because their AVR 1700 is stuck in BCO Update mode, I wanted to post a the solution that worked for me this morning:
>
> Connect your AVR 1700 to your home network. For me, this meant temporarily moving my cable modem and wireless router into the living room and connecting the receiver to my router with an ethernet cable.
>
> Using your computer, determine the IP address of the AVR 1700 on your local network. You can do this by logging into your wireless router's web interface, or by using a utility like this one: http://www.nirsoft.n...rk_watcher.html
>
> Type the IP address of your AVR 1700 into a web browser on your computer (it should like this: 192.168.1.xxx, with the last three digits based on your individual network). If done correctly, you will be looking at the Harman Kardon web interface for the receiver.
>

> Click the Choose File button and choose any random file on your computer. I picked a small txt file. Now click the Upload button. Don't worry about what file you choose. The operation will fail, but you will have jolted the receiver out of update mode.

>
> You're done. BCO Update message should disappear, and life is good again!
>
> I hope this helps!

There is another problem, however -- if you use this method, you will permanently disable USB and from what I understand, also AirPlay (I don't have any Apple Products, so I don't really know).

[bach...@comcast.net]

This worked perfectly for me. I did not unplug the unit from the wall however I just turned the power off for a few minutes, turned it back on and held the Surr Mode button for > 5 seconds and the reset came on. I have also done the network version of the fix as well and that has succeeded also.

Does anyone have an idea why this happens during a power outage?

[pauly...@gmail.com]

[see...@gmail.com]

Hi every one that has a BCO update problem I called Harman Kardon an they had me to take my receiver to a repair shop at there cost an they repaired my receiver an my bco update problem is fixed my receiver is working like new. So you all can call them to get that problem fixed for free... it took the repair shop about two weeks exact. Hope this is helpful.

[kapita...@gmail.com]

Hello, thank you for participating in the problem that torments many people !!! After the holidays, I will seek justice even though I live in Russia. The HK is obliged to cover all the problems by selling me such a defective receiver.

[tdbri...@gmail.com]

Thank you! Turning off the switch AND unplugging the unit and waiting until the amber light went out, then plugging back in and turning on the switch, then holding surround mode for 5 seconds for reset worked! It ONLY worked when I followed that procedure. You have to BOTH un plug AND flip the switch off next to the plug.

[abhiji...@gmail.com]

Another method would be to unplug the cord for 3-5 minutes or so and then turn it back on. The BCO update screen should be gone. Just wanted to share as this works for me so far.
Regarding the file upload method, strangely when I went to Harmon Kardon webserver, it does show the "Status Information" and 'Network Configuration' but no where I can find any upload button. Not sure if I am the only one not seeing something obvious.

[germanre...@gmail.com]

Thank you very much for sharing the solution to this problem. It works immediately, but then V-Tunner disappear from the screen, the rest of functions keep normally working.
Any additional suggestion?

[cjmh...@gmail.com]

how to reset
BCO Update

[Sjouke Burry]

On 04.08.20 17:50, cjmh...@gmail.com wrote:
> how to reset
> BCO Update
>

Invert the synaptic relay, them remove the stutter pin,
and press the bi-lateral flightcontrol stick.

[peterw...@gmail.com]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RXJKdh1KZ0w

Peter Wieck
Melrose Park, PA

[DeeAnne Lujan-Ferguson]

What a bunch of crap. H/K won’t even stand behind their own product and issues! I am very surprised there isn’t a class action law suit.

[Peter W.]

Only a couple of years late... On an item that is likely over ten (10) years old. One wonders....

[Victor Shiguiyama]

Just unplug the unit until the lights go out. Then everything works again. It worked for me.

[From: Another idiot on google groups]

Victor Shiguiyama <vshig...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> Just unplug the unit until the lights go out. Then everything works
> again. It worked for me.

Do you honestly believee that after almost 10 years that the origional
poster has not already tried your rather obvious advice?

Do note that replying to a ten (or more) year old post makes you look
like a total idiot.