Atari VCS operating system won’t update. Help!

[DoesItMatter]

I just set up my new console and everything is working fine....except for the fact that I can’t update the operating system.

 

It keeps giving me an error and saying that the update failed. It starts to update, showing a box that says “Downloading new update - Step 1/4”, then it gives me error each time.

 

How can this be fixed? And I’ve downloaded and tried to launch the Atari 7800 Emulator, but it takes me to a screen with loud noise and a bunch of colorful lines. I believe the 7800 emulator isn’t launching because of the failed OS update. Please help.

[MarcelM]

The emulator is there to run the 7800 games you can buy in the store.  I don't think you can do anything else with it.

[DoesItMatter]

4 hours ago, MarcelM said:

The emulator is there to run the 7800 games you can buy in the store.  I don't think you can do anything else with it.

So I have to purchase 7800 games first in order for the emulator to launch? Because when I launch the emulator, it takes me to a screen with colorful lines then starts making a loud long beep (similar to the same loud sound you hear when the Emergency Broadcasting System us running a test on your TV). Why is it doing that? 

 

But right now, my main focus is my operating system update failing. I need to know how to stop it from failing. 

[NPM1973]

You will find the Atari Technical support team very helpful. Any little issues I have encountered since receiving the VCS on Xmas eve 2020 have been quickly resolved by Atari. I have to say the system has run smoothly for over 12 months with only an issue when purchasing a game and more recently an update on my modern controller. Go to https://atari.gamecentergroup.com/index.php?/VCS/Tickets/Submit and raise a ticket with your issue. 

[Atari Nut]

I had an issue where the system wouldn't update.  They had to replace the unit.  Hopefully yours will not require that.

Edited January 10, 2022 by Atari Nut

[DoesItMatter]

On 1/10/2022 at 12:56 PM, Atari Nut said:

I had an issue where the system wouldn't update.  They had to replace the unit.  Hopefully yours will not require that.

Did the new console they sent you update with no problems? 

[Atari Nut]

19 hours ago, DoesItMatter said:

Did the new console they sent you update with no problems? 

Yes.

[Leonard Smith]

I've been eyeing these VCS threads for a few months, since I've been considering purchasing one.
It is concerning to see all the issues users have been experiencing as of late (unable to log in, updates not installing, etc).

Doesn't give me a whole lot of confidence at the moment.

 

[Atarick]

1 hour ago, Leonard Smith said:

I've been eyeing these VCS threads for a few months, since I've been considering purchasing one.
It is concerning to see all the issues users have been experiencing as of late (unable to log in, updates not installing, etc).

Doesn't give me a whole lot of confidence at the moment.

 

3 quick things on this. I also am an avid car fan and browse several car forums, and see similar things to this there. Here goes:

 

1.) The VCS was launched for retail in June 2021, and for pre-sale backers in DEC 2020. The first persistent issues with the server showed up in November 2021 and appear resolved for most now. Thus, about a month of dogged issues, thankfully temporary, for all but a few people (unfortunately).

 

2.) Generally, the people who gravitate to forums are avid enthusiasts or concerned owners. If I went to the Honda Civic forum, a  popular, established car from a popular, established brand, I'd imagine most of the posts relate to the new model, mods, or problems/questions about something going wrong. There isn't enough content to dominate or pace discussion for the VCS (this is a wholly separate issue that Rosen and co. are working to address) so the issues people are having somewhat dominate the signal. 

 

3. It's a niche system for a niche target audience that welcomes mods and alterations. That said, there is no measure or control for whether two people are making said changes the same way. If someone adds RAM but accidentally disconnects a wireless antennae, they may have issues. Granted, some people just got unlucky with the hardware and that sucks. But some people may have went in to mod it and accidentally or inadvertently affected something else. It was a natural, intrinsic possibility with an open architecture like this. It's the same if someone tries to do their own oil change and leaves a gasket loose, then complains about oil leaks on a car forum. It's very difficult to understand where the issue truly lies. 

 

Ultimately, until the VCS has more content or announcements these issues will clog the line for the microphone. I am hopeful they will be making the adjustments needed and hope you give it a shot. Admittedly, it still feels somewhat beta even with about ~20,000 units floating around out there, and the people who seem to enjoy it most might have a bit of a pioneering spirit about the whole thing. That said, it has been a lot of fun for me and I can sense a number of software releases building on the horizon, which will hopefully help things. 

[Leonard Smith]

Good points and observations.

But what worries me is the fact that the console is very server-dependent and unusable for gaming if network issues crop up. 
Correct me if I'm wrong, but can you still play any purchased games if the unit cannot connect to the network? 

 

Yes, I know you can load Windows on it and use it as a PC, but as a standalone console can it be used sans internet?
 

[joeatari1]

All your games are downloaded onto the VCS.  You own them and they are playable offline, anytime.  I would recommend a SSD for game storage though as the included storage is very small.  You shouldn't need more than 250 Gb unless you are planning on buying all current and future VCS games in the store though.

[Atari_JaguarVCS]

12 minutes ago, Leonard Smith said:

Good points and observations.

But what worries me is the fact that the console is very server-dependent and unusable for gaming if network issues crop up. 
Correct me if I'm wrong, but can you still play any purchased games if the unit cannot connect to the network? 

 

Yes, I know you can load Windows on it and use it as a PC, but as a standalone console can it be used sans internet?
 

I’ve actually been able to use it as a console without an internet connection, I’ve not tried recently but back in May last year I went a week or so with no home network and it definelty worked offline and so did all the games, I will need to disconnect it and see if that’s still the case after many more months of software updates etc. 

[DoesItMatter]

So after days of being afraid to try what VCS technical support suggested I should do, I gained the courage to flash the OS using a USB drive as suggested. I carefully followed the instructions, and it worked! The new OS is now on my console. 

Even though we shouldn't have to go through that, it now and is updated. 

[tuf]

Same exact issue.  Sigh.

[RadiATIon]

23 minutes ago, tuf said:

Same exact issue.  Sigh.

 I think you'll have to flash the OS. To do that, you have to contact Atarivcs support. Give us their answer. 

[DoesItMatter]

On 1/23/2022 at 2:09 AM, tuf said:

Same exact issue.  Sigh.

I contacted Atari VCS support, and they emailed me shortly after. These were the 2 fixes they gave me to try. Here's the screenshot of the email attached to this post. The second fix worked for me like a charm. I had to flash the OS with a USB drive. Just be sure you have a USB drive you can use that you don't mind formatting (which will delete whatever you have saved on it. If you have data saved on it, it's best you copy your data elsewhere before using it to flash the OS). Just follow the instructions. Very easy. 

[SoCalAttorney]

On 1/12/2022 at 9:12 AM, Atari Nut said:

Yes.

Did you send the old one back first? I am trying to get a replacement and have run into nothing but hassle. And I used it as my main work computer. 

[Atari Nut]

10 hours ago, SoCalAttorney said:

Did you send the old one back first? I am trying to get a replacement and have run into nothing but hassle. And I used it as my main work computer. 

No.  They send me the replacement and a return label to ship the old one back.

[atari_bubba]

I am having the same issue, which started to appear after the latest OS/BIOS updates that were pushed out in the December timeframe.  My console has been replaced and I am seeing the following on the replacement console:

 

1. When I first turned on the console, I got to the point where it asked me to login with my email. I was unable to get past this screen. I therefore went back and was able to login as a GUEST. Once I logged in as GUEST, there was a "Mega VCS Vault" app on the console. I was able to launch that application. However, once I rebooted the console, the system automatically downloaded and applied the updates to go to Version - 202211014.084614.production, Build - P#1271. At this point, I am now at the same exact behavior of the console that failed (see item #1).

2. In all cases, there are no error messages displayed on the screen. Connectivity to the console has been verified, especially since it was able to download the OS and BIOS updates.

3. I have booted the system with a keyboard, holding down the ESC key. It has taken me to the boot manager. I selected EFI Embedded MMC Device 1 (TA2932). The system rebooted, but this DID NOT fix the issue.

4. I have manually flashed the OS using the instructions previously posted in this thread. The system was flashed, but this DID NOT fix the issue.

In summary, I am more than frustrated. It's unbelievable that I cannot get any applications to launch or update on this console.

Any ideas?

Edited January 27, 2022 by atari_bubba
Removed link for OS Download

[SoCalAttorney]

10 hours ago, atari_bubba said:

I am having the same issue, which started to appear after the latest OS/BIOS updates that were pushed out in the December timeframe.  My console has been replaced and I am seeing the following on the replacement console:

 

1. When I first turned on the console, I got to the point where it asked me to login with my email. I was unable to get past this screen. I therefore went back and was able to login as a GUEST. Once I logged in as GUEST, there was a "Mega VCS Vault" app on the console. I was able to launch that application. However, once I rebooted the console, the system automatically downloaded and applied the updates to go to Version - 202211014.084614.production, Build - P#1271. At this point, I am now at the same exact behavior of the console that failed (see item #1).

2. In all cases, there are no error messages displayed on the screen. Connectivity to the console has been verified, especially since it was able to download the OS and BIOS updates.

3. I have booted the system with a keyboard, holding down the ESC key. It has taken me to the boot manager. I selected EFI Embedded MMC Device 1 (TA2932). The system rebooted, but this DID NOT fix the issue.

4. I have manually flashed the OS using the instructions previously posted in this thread. The system was flashed, but this DID NOT fix the issue.

In summary, I am more than frustrated. It's unbelievable that I cannot get any applications to launch or update on this console.

Any ideas?

Keep bugging tech support. I finally got an email approving my RMA today.

[SoCalAttorney]

On 1/26/2022 at 6:45 AM, Atari Nut said:

No.  They send me the replacement and a return label to ship the old one back.

They want me to send it back first.

[atari_bubba]

53 minutes ago, SoCalAttorney said:

Keep bugging tech support. I finally got an email approving my RMA today.

Yeah, I have already done that.  I've received the replacement console and it is doing the EXACT same thing.  I have a sense it has something to do with this OS build (and not the console).

[SoCalAttorney]

8 minutes ago, atari_bubba said:

Yeah, I have already done that.  I've received the replacement console and it is doing the EXACT same thing.  I have a sense it has something to do with this OS build (and not the console).

Wonderful. I want the thing to work correctly, but Chrome has not worked about about 3 months of the 7 months I've owned things thing. Windows works fine, so it probably is an OS thing. But Atari can't figure it out.

[Atari Nut]

9 hours ago, SoCalAttorney said:

They want me to send it back first.

Did you purchase from them as part of their Indiegogo campaign?  I did... perhaps that's the difference... I'm just guessing.

[atari_bubba]

13 hours ago, SoCalAttorney said:

Wonderful. I want the thing to work correctly, but Chrome has not worked about about 3 months of the 7 months I've owned things thing. Windows works fine, so it probably is an OS thing. But Atari can't figure it out.

In my case, I can't get Chrome or ANY application to download or run on the console.  It is basically a brick for me at the moment.  Are other apps working on your console - like VCS Vault?