For what it’s worth I just went through the same steps others have mentioned with various thumb and external usb drives to no avail. My WDTV Live is bricked.
I wish i saw this warning earlier.
Now my unit is bricked !!! How can a firmware update brick a player, how can they develop software like this ? and the reset button is useless.
Same here. [text deleted] . Come on WD, what the hell?
THIS SAME THING (EXACTLY AS U DESCRIBED) HAPPENED TO ME! I am so pissed at this device because it is the second time that it has happened. I have tried everything - putting firmware on multiple usb’s of different size (in the root folder of course) and tried to get it to update. it just shows that black screen that says “insert usb drive with firmware… bla bla bla” I al so tried a hard reset to no avail. It is really stupid that a firmware update to improve the device ends up bricking it. Now I have to repackage it up and take it back to Best Buy - FOR THE SECOND TIME!
They’re bricks people! Start sending them back.
It’s Dead Jim!
Tried:
3 different USB sticks
2 different Firmware versions
Unplugging everything buy USB stick
RePartitioning/Formatting USB
Each of WDTV Live USB slots
Inserting before/after power
Holding paperclip in reset hole before/after power up
Now that’s what I call a dead parrot. Mate, this WDTV wouldn’t voom if I put 10,000 volts through it (which I’m tempted to due).
Well, got an Amazon RMA, so I’m done with it. Have an older WDTV that I was going to give to sister, that I’ll use for now. Guess I wasn’t meant to connect to network, or hear DTS audio.
The good news is that some jobs ought to be opening up at Western Digital!
I suspect as more units get returned via RMA, WD will get the hint that maybe they got a defective product on their hands. It’s interesting that no one from WD has commented yet seeing as this is a WD hosted forum.
-AJ
It’s weird!!
I never seen this problem in my box , by the way the latest FW in internet is 1.01.12
Has anyone can tell me the problem still happen in code.12 ?
I don’t want let my box crash
You can add me to the list.
I updated via wifi adapter. All seemed well until it reset.
Now, the box is unresponsive to any input.
I spent half the day setting up the machine to stream from my network and now this!
Very disappointing.
victorypoint wrote:
I suspect as more units get returned via RMA, WD will get the hint that maybe they got a defective product on their hands. It’s interesting that no one from WD has commented yet seeing as this is a WD hosted forum.
-AJ
They may well have gone home for the day…
This is really bad all around, i’m sure they are going to replace the units, but thats going to take some time …
I tried to run the Firmware update over ethernet, it seemed to download, then the thing started to reboot and never came back on. Now the front light is on, but no video signal comes out of both HDMI or Component… tried on two TVs just to make sure. Reset button does nothing. It seemed to be bricked… unless WD comes up with a solution.
Pain in the ass.
I have the screen of Insert a USB drive with **bleep**. Have also tried the reset option while the unit is on and even before turning it on. Looks like I have bricked unit at the moment 
@Has anyone can tell me the problem still happen in code.12 ?
this is also my question too
@JRMillion: With .12 firmware? Well, maybe I will not update box yet
But I can’t believe that WD starts to sell so crapy device. It’s a shame…
I have also been burned by the update to the .12 **bleep**. I’ve tried pushing the reset button, holding it for 30 seconds, starting the device with the reset button down, removing the network cable and repeating all of the above, nothing.
Why on earth did the forum software insert *bleep* - I didn’t use any vulgar words.
I can’t believe that… Mine is bricked too !! They better pay for the @#^%#@^#@ shipping both way ! I got mine 7 days ago… I was going to buy the patriot and I chosed the WDTV LIVE cause of the reputation of the first one, now I regret… they don’t even release firmware often and when they release one… it’s a %@#%@ killing Firmware ! I’m so desappointed now by WD.
I’m so desappointed now by WD
I was very dissapinted by WD few years ago, when I bought my WD MyBook WE drive. And now I don’t understand WHY I’ve bought WD-stuff again?!!
Has somebody seen people from WD answered here? Or they just ignore us and trying to just get some profit from #¤%& boxes? I don’t understand why they created this community…
From http://www.wdc.com/wdproducts/updates/?family=wdfwdtv_live :
What’s new!
Release 1.01.12 (12/3/09)
(includes all previously released updates)
- This critical update improves the reliability and performance of the WD TV Live product update manager. It’s important to install this update to ensure the reliability of all future software and firmware updates.
This is some kind of bad joke… and an expensive one for WD
Same story here. Downloaded the update successfully, rebooted and hung at the WD TV sc.reen. unplugged, now its stuck on the insert a usb with firmware screen. I knew I should have just bought another popcorn hour.
I guess we will have to see what kind of company WD is. Maybe we will get lucky and they can release some magic firmware that will actually load from the screen where it asks for it.
Edit: “screen” needs a “bleep”?
Ditto - I was at 1.01.11 - updated to 1.01.12 via internet and… welcome to my new brick! This will be a nightmare for WD - I’m surprised the firmware is still available for updating. Has anyone updated to 1.0.12 successfully???
