Clearing a DirecTV Receiver Memory Cache
By Elizabeth Mott
The DirecTV satellite TV service provides entertainment and sports programming to an audience of 20 million subscribers as of November 2013. Its proprietary receivers include models that offer built-in DVRs. All of its equipment features a large array of preferences and options that customize onscreen guides and settings for your needs. The receivers also retain lists of the shows you program and purchase. To zero out your receiver's memory, use the reset procedures built in to the software that controls your onscreen experience.
Step 1
Press the "Menu" button on your DirecTV remote control. Select "Parental, Fav’s & Setup" and choose the "System Setup" option.
Step 2
Press the down-arrow key to scroll through the list of setup options to "Reset." Press the "Select" button to switch to the Reset screen.
Step 3
Select "Reset Defaults" to purge all the preferences you've set on the device, including scheduled programs, parental controls, guide settings and favorites. Select "Reset Everything" to revert the receiver to its factory setup and display the Guided Setup procedures that you use with a new device. Press the "Dash" key -- located below the "7" key on your remote and typically used as a separator in multi-segment channel numbers -- to confirm the reset procedure.
References
Tips
- If you set up parental controls and locked them with a password, you can't instigate a reset procedure without entering the password to confirm it.
- The "Restart Receiver" option at the top of the list of reset procedures performs the same function as the red reset button on the front of your receiver. Open the hinged cover that conceals your DirecTV access card to locate the reset button. When you press the button, your receiver reboots and reloads its guide information. This procedure does not erase preferences, settings or histories.
- To reset your remote control to its factory defaults, press its "Mute" and "Select" buttons at the same time and hold them until the green indicator light blinks twice. Press "9," "8" and "1" in succession. The green light blinks four times, confirming the reset.
- DirecTV DVRs incorporate a secret reset procedure for their nonvolatile RAM. This procedure can speed up sluggish scrolling through guide channels. Tune to Channel 1, the Customer Information channel, and wait for its video and audio to start playing. Using the colored buttons above the "Vol" and "Chan" buttons, press Red, Red, Blue, Blue, Yellow, Green in quick succession. If you execute this maneuver correctly, you'll see an onscreen reset message.
Warnings
- DirecTV doesn't offer a means of erasing individual purchase items from your pay-per-view and DirecTV Cinema history. Only a full "Reset Everything" procedure eliminates these items from the History screen. It doesn't remove them from your bill.
Writer Bio
Elizabeth Mott has been a writer since 1983. Mott has extensive experience writing advertising copy for everything from kitchen appliances and financial services to education and tourism. She holds a Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts in English from Indiana State University.