Hudl 2 connects to wifi but Tesco update server not switched on

[Guest stoicalm]

I have tried BuddyB's workaround to work on both the Hudl1 and the Hudl2 ... I am now looking into an easy way to root and upgrade the Android system on both hudl's they are not as easy to root and upgrade as normal Android phones.

Edited March 12, 2019 by stoicalm
Mistakes

[Guest BuddyB]

Sorry stoicalm, but did you manage to get both types of hudl working? I would be interested if you do find an easy way to root it because I remembered at the weekend the hudl was originally difficult to root.  

Edited March 12, 2019 by BuddyB

[Guest stoicalm]

Ok for those of you having problems with the home button I have found an app called "multi-action home button" which puts a small area at the bottom of your screen and you can program it to open your launcher. ... Still experimenting and looking for that update. This works on Hudl1 and Hudl2 for me though my original hudl home button works fine too

[Guest stoicalm]

Yes I got both types of Hudl working 

[Guest Bill_Door]

OK I have a workaround if you are stuck at "Couldn't check for updates"

Don't waste your time trying different permutations of the Tesco process, none of them will work as yet. The culprit for this is an app called "Hudl Updates" and the server it's trying to connect to is not responding, and there is no way to skip and no way to get a menu.  The inspiration for the workaround was BuddyB's post about a second user.

We can make a second user, and that user can complete the setup just fine and use the tablet as normal.

Process (Edited. Thanks to BuddyB and robin0800)

1. Perform a fresh factory reset.  

2. When you get to the WiFi setup,  click  'Add network' on Select Wi-Fi page

3. Long press the mic key (bottom left) to see a cog. Select to go to Google Keyboard Settings

4.  Select About Google Keyboard

5.  Select open source licences

6.  Highlight some text with a long press and select WEB SEARCH from the top right

7. Use the Search box to enter "Settings", and the hudl should make suggestions from web and from device apps -
    choose the Settings APP (this should show even if you have no internet). 

8. In Settings, Click Users

9. Choose "Add user or profile" and enter a new user.

10. Follow the logical steps to set up the user and display on login.

Play store, notification bar, everything works OK.  When you reboot, the first thing you see will be a user selection. As long as you make sure you choose the extra account the Hudl2 will behave as normal.  If you choose the wrong account by mistake, just short press the power key to lock the screen, re-open and choose again.

 

Not only a workaround, but a diagnostic.  It shows there is nothing wrong with the WiFi, the internet access, the user's behaviour, the process. It's a failure of an app to reach a server, and the app is Hudl Updates, which can be seen as follows:

Edited March 13, 2019 by Bill_Door

[Guest BuddyB]

We're getting there!  

 

With hindsight the reason my new user was running so slowly would probably be because I had already got the main user set up with the apps I wanted to use. This actually caused me other problems too because on the new user account on the hudl1 starts the starts the automatic updates for the pre-installed apps. Unfortunately this reverses any automatic updates settings you have set on the main account because the hudl1 android system cannot keep this aspect separate for each account. You do see a message about this alongside something else and I did not get what it meant at the time. Just warning everyone. 

[Guest Videnie]

How to perform factory reset on Hudl1, as I have passed the stage where it is possible to use keyboard trick to get to Play store and settings?

[Guest Sdroidz]

4 hours ago, BuddyB said:

This is what has worked for me on my hudl1 - 

EDIT - NEW FACTORY RESET IS REQUIRED BEFORE BEGINNING! 

1. Click 'Add network' on Select Wi-Fi page

2. Long press the mic key to select Google Keyboard Settings

3. Click on Send feedback

4. Clicking "privacy policy" starts Chrome

5. Search for Play Store and click to open it 

6. Click "Add An Account" and add your account 

7. Then you can access the Play Store

8. Install Apex Launcher and Startup Manager

9. Open Startup Manager. (When you open Startup Manager you're given a choice of installing its replacement which is part of a new app called All-in-One Toolbox or continue to use Startup Manager. I stuck with the Startup Manager - the 'old' option). Add Apex Launcher to start up apps using the customise option. 

10. Restart your hudl. You'll still see the 'Let's get you started screen', but be patient, wait a bit and then you're taken to the Homepage*. 

11. At this point the navigation buttons at the bottom of the screen did not work for me and I could not pull down the notification bar at the top of the screen. To get around not being able to pull down the notification bar by adding another user in Settings. 

12. In Settings select User and select Add User and click on the option to start the set up of the new user. Skip all the options to set up Google and Tesco accounts, updating apps and all the other options that appear until you get to the Homepage.

13. Restart the hudl and select your own account (the first one). You should find the notification bar at the top of the screen is working, plus two of the the navigation buttons at the bottom of the screen work to too. The Home button does not work properly, so you have to get back to the Home screen using one of the other two buttons. This is not a big deal and you can always just switch it on and off again if you get stuck. 

14. In Settings, User delete the new user. 

 

*NOTE: As soon you get the tablet working for the first time, you are connected to the Internet and the hudl will start to update all the pre-installed apps. You need to stop Play Store automatically updating every app straight away, otherwise it virtually grinds to a halt doing them all. In Play Store I opened every app one by one to stop the update and disabled auto updates for everything. Later after I'd installed the apps I wanted I went back to Play Store and re-enabled auto updates for the pre-installed apps I wanted.  In the hudl settings I also disabled unwanted pre-installed apps in Settings. 

 

I did try the Nova launcher too and it works fine, so as long as you add the launcher of your choice in Startup Manager then hopefully it will work too. Unlike stoical I was unable to get the Home button to work on the main user account by adding the Apex launcher to the new user account, but it might work for others. You could just continue to use the new user account, but personally I found it too slow and I'm just using the main user account. TBH I muddled through this and there is bound to be a better way, but I got there in the end with the help of others. I've settled for now without the Home button working. I'm okay with navigating without it and occasionally having to restart the tablet. 

 

Hope this helps and Tesco doesn't abandon us before coming up with a more simple solution that includes being able to upgrade to later versions (I'm stuck with 4.2.2). 

Big step forward for me. Thanks. 

[Guest Mel.D]

Hi All. I've jumped on this bandwagon as I'm having the same problem. I have a Hudl 1 which I did a factory reset on and am now stuck in the "Checking for updates - Couldn't check for updates" loop because, as I understand it, it can't contact the relevant Tesco server which appears to be disabled. I've started the ball rolling with Tesco by reporting the problem via their twitter site https://twitter.com/tescomobile.

I believe that Tesco have a duty to resolve the problem as consumers have a right under the Sale of Goods Act to be supplied with goods that are fit for purpose (clearly my Hudl is not fit for its everyday purpose at present) and they have that right for up to 6 years from the purchase date. It's my view that if the supplier renders the goods inoperative by their actions within that time then they are obliged to supply a repair solution or a refund. I intend to put this to them, although as a little guy against a big corporation I expect to get fobbed off, but who knows.

 

Edited March 13, 2019 by Mel.D

[Guest Mel.D]

10 hours ago, Anna65 said:

I too received the emails with the same instructions, both from Lewis Gorrie and the strange Tesco.grocery mailbox. And I too have emailed Lewis Gorrie and tech support back

Hi Anna. I'm having the same issue with two factory reset Hudl 1's. Could you let me have tech support's email please as I'd like to throw my hat in the ring too. I'm sure every additional complainant adds weight to the campaign for Tesco to come up with a solution.
And who is Lewis Gorrie?

[Guest Daveab]

2 hours ago, Bill_Door said:

OK I have a workaround if you are stuck at "Couldn't check for updates"

Don't waste your time trying different permutations of the Tesco process, none of them will work as yet. The culprit for this is an app called "Hudl Updates" and the server it's trying to connect to is not responding, and there is no way to skip and no way to get a menu.  The inspiration for the workaround was BuddyB's post about a second user.

We can make a second user, and that user can complete the setup just fine and use the tablet as normal.

1. Perform a fresh factory reset.  

2. When you get to the WiFi setup,  click  'Add network' on Select Wi-Fi page

3. Long press the mic key (bottom left) to see a cog. Select to go to Google Keyboard Settings

4.  Click on "Send feedback"

5.  Clicking "privacy policy" starts Chrome

5. Search for "Settings", and the hudl should make suggestions from web and from device apps -
    choose the Settings app. 

6. In Settings, Click Users

7. Choose "Add user or profile" and enter a new user.

8. Follow the logical steps to set up the user and display on login.

Play store, notification bar, everything works OK.  When you reboot, the first thing you see will be a user selection. As long as you make sure you choose the extra account the Hudl2 will behave as normal.  If you choose the wrong account by mistake, just short press the power key to lock the screen, re-open and choose again.

 

Not only a workaround, but a diagnostic.  It shows there is nothing wrong with the WiFi, the internet access, the user's behaviour, the process. It's a failure of an app to reach a server, and the app is Hudl Updates, which can be seen as follows:

 

I've tried to follow the instructions but I don't get the settings option once I'm in chrome if I don't connect to WiFi first.

 

Trouble is once I connect to WiFi I get stuck on the update screen with the try again option and I can't click add network

[Guest Anna65]

9 minutes ago, Mel.D said:

Hi Anna. I'm having the same issue with two factory reset Hudl 1's. Could you let me have tech support's email please as I'd like to throw my hat in the ring too. I'm sure every additional complainant adds weight to the campaign for Tesco to come up with a solution.
And who is Lewis Gorrie?

Hi Mel.D,

And welcome to the "club". Although this is a club none of us would like to belong to. Tesco tech support email is [email protected] and Lewis Gorrie is one of the Customer Service Executives to the Board who will reply to your email when you email Tesco's CEO on [email protected]. So please email them both to let them know yet another loyal hudl user has had their hudls inactivated due to this issue.

[Guest BuddyB]

1 hour ago, Videnie said:

How to perform factory reset on Hudl1, as I have passed the stage where it is possible to use keyboard trick to get to Play store and settings?

1.  Switch off the hudl.

2.  Press and hold down the volume up button (keep holding!). 

3.   Press and hold down the power button (you're now holding down both buttons). 

4.   Eventually the 'powered by Android' screen will appear briefly, followed by the Android System Recovery menu (and you can let go of the buttons) . 

5.   Follow the instructions (if you make a mistake you can just start again). 

Shout if you get stuck. 

[Guest Mel.D]

Thanks Anna65. I'll email TechSupport (in the morning) with details of the problem. If I don't get a satisfactory response then I'll email Dave Lewis/Lewis Gorrie reminding them of their obligations under the Sale of Goods Act for what it's worth. 

[Guest Anna65]

37 minutes ago, Mel.D said:

Thanks Anna65. I'll email TechSupport (in the morning) with details of the problem. If I don't get a satisfactory response then I'll email Dave Lewis/Lewis Gorrie reminding them of their obligations under the Sale of Goods Act for what it's worth. 

It can take days to get a reply from the tech support email so I would just send an email to them both tomorrow. Your knowledge about the Sale of Goods Act comes in handy, thank you for that, as I don't think anyone who has posted on this thread has been aware of this before - so I think this is definitely a point to take forward straight away!! Thank you!

[Guest BuddyB]

1 hour ago, Daveab said:

I've tried to follow the instructions but I don't get the settings option once I'm in chrome if I don't connect to WiFi first.

 

Trouble is once I connect to WiFi I get stuck on the update screen with the try again option and I can't click add network

Try this instead after you select the cog and access the Google Keyboard settings - 

1.  Select About Google Keyboard

2.  Select open source licences

3.  Highlight some text with a long press and select WEB SEARCH from the top right

4.  This will take you to a page showing a message saying there's no Internet connection

5.  Type settings into the search box at the top and select the hudl settings icon from the drop down

This takes you into hudl settings where you can select Users to add a 2nd user and continue with the rest of the earlier instructions. 

(credit to robin0800 on a different thread). 

[Guest BuddyB]

10 minutes ago, Anna65 said:

It can take days to get a reply from the tech support email so I would just send an email to them both tomorrow. Your knowledge about the Sale of Goods Act comes in handy, thank you for that, as I don't think anyone who has posted on this thread has been aware of this before - so I think this is definitely a point to take forward straight away!! Thank you!

I'm not sure if the Sale of Goods Act 1979 or the Consumer Goods Act 2015 will help because I don't think we can claim the 'fault' was present at the time we bought the hudls.  Would be interested in other opinions. 

[Guest Daveab]

38 minutes ago, BuddyB said:

Try this instead after you select the cog and access the Google Keyboard settings - 

1.  Select About Google Keyboard

2.  Select open source licences

3.  Highlight some text with a long press and select WEB SEARCH from the top right

4.  This will take you to a page showing a message saying there's no Internet connection

5.  Type settings into the search box at the top and select the hudl settings icon from the drop down

This takes you into hudl settings where you can select Users to add a 2nd user and continue with the rest of the earlier instructions. 

(credit to robin0800 on a different thread). 

Thanks that did the trick.

Fingers crossed they hurry up on the fix

[Guest Skyrabbit]

7 hours ago, BuddyB said:

This is what has worked for me on my hudl1 - 

EDIT - NEW FACTORY RESET IS REQUIRED BEFORE BEGINNING!

EDIT - THIS ALSO WORKS ON HUDL2

1. Click 'Add network' on Select Wi-Fi page

2. Long press the mic key to select Google Keyboard Settings

3. Click on Send feedback

4. Clicking "privacy policy" starts Chrome

5. Search for Play Store and click to open it 

6. Click "Add An Account" and add your account 

7. Then you can access the Play Store

8. Install Apex Launcher and Startup Manager

9. Open Startup Manager. (When you open Startup Manager you're given a choice of installing its replacement which is part of a new app called All-in-One Toolbox or continue to use Startup Manager. I stuck with the Startup Manager - the 'old' option). Add Apex Launcher to start up apps using the customise option. 

10. Restart your hudl. You'll still see the 'Let's get you started screen', but be patient, wait a bit and then you're taken to the Homepage*. 

11. At this point the navigation buttons at the bottom of the screen did not work for me and I could not pull down the notification bar at the top of the screen. To get around not being able to pull down the notification bar, add another user in Settings. 

12. In Settings select User and select Add User and click on the option to start the set up of the new user. Skip all the options to set up Google and Tesco accounts, updating apps and all the other options that appear until you get to the Homepage.

13. Restart the hudl and select your own account (the first one). You should find the notification bar at the top of the screen is working, plus two of the the navigation buttons at the bottom of the screen work to too. The Home button does not work properly, so you have to get back to the Home screen using one of the other two buttons. This is not a big deal and you can always just switch it on and off again if you get stuck. 

14. In Settings, User delete the new user. 

 

*NOTE: As soon you get the tablet working for the first time, you are connected to the Internet and the hudl will start to update all the pre-installed apps. You need to stop Play Store automatically updating every app straight away, otherwise it virtually grinds to a halt doing them all. In Play Store I opened every app one by one to stop the update and disabled auto updates for everything. Later after I'd installed the apps I wanted I went back to Play Store and re-enabled auto updates for the pre-installed apps I wanted.  In the hudl settings I also disabled unwanted pre-installed apps in Settings. 

 

I did try the Nova launcher too and it works fine, so as long as you add the launcher of your choice in Startup Manager then hopefully it will work too. Unlike stoical I was unable to get the Home button to work on the main user account by adding the Apex launcher to the new user account, but it might work for others. You could just continue to use the new user account, but personally I found it too slow and I'm just using the main user account. TBH I muddled through this and there is bound to be a better way, but I got there in the end with the help of others. I've settled for now without the Home button working. I'm okay with navigating without it and occasionally having to restart the tablet. 

 

Hope this helps and Tesco doesn't abandon us before coming up with a more simple solution that includes being able to upgrade to later versions (I'm stuck with 4.2.2). 

Just signed up for this forum to thank everyone for their time and effort in solving this issue. A special thank you to BuddyB for the above solution which has got my Hudl 1 working again.

[Guest Mel.D]

13 hours ago, BuddyB said:

I'm not sure if the Sale of Goods Act 1979 or the Consumer Goods Act 2015 will help because I don't think we can claim the 'fault' was present at the time we bought the hudls.  Would be interested in other opinions. 

Apparently, under the acts, if the fault occurs after six months there is an obligation on the consumer to prove that the problem was down to a fault or issue at the manufacturer, as opposed to wear and tear or misuse. Hudl users can easily prove this.

If you go to Tesco tech support at -
https://techsupport.tesco.com/retailcustomer/hudl/hudl28-inch/index.html#l=trcust&lHsim=trcust&d=hudl/hudl2 8-inch&s=LCX_Root&loc=tescoretail
Then in the 'Ask us anything about your product' search box type 'factory reset' you get some instructions with the following warning:
"Please note: If you factory reset the device while the Hudl services are down, the device will stay on a loading screen until the services are back online."

Here, Tesco themselves are saying there's an issue with the tablet that prevents it rebooting from a factory reset when their server is down. Presumably this is an issue with the firmware which is installed during the manufacturing stage. So It's their fault it's broken, not the consumers.

Edited March 13, 2019 by Mel.D

[Guest BuddyB]

But the act says if the fault arise after 6 months the owner has to prove the fault was present at the time of sale.  That's not the case here.  It's a service that has been withdrawn and I suspect the small print will say this can be done.  If anything this is a customer relations and PR matter as far as Tesco is concerned.  It's probably not legally required to do anything.  I will gladly be proved wrong though. 

[Guest Mel.D]

2 hours ago, BuddyB said:

the owner has to prove the fault was present at the time of sale.

My argument is that the tablet firmware, present at the time of sale, essentially has a bug that prevents the tablet completing the boot process if the server is unreachable.

The 'bug' in the firmware is the omission of a 'do not update' option as a means of escape from the disabling 'Checking for updates - Couldn't check for updates' loop in the event of the server being unreachable. An unreachable server is a reasonably forseeable situation so should have been catered for. 

Edited March 13, 2019 by Mel.D

[Guest Mel.D]

I've emailed Tesco tech support telling them that I have the same problem as all the other people and do they have a solution yet.
I've emailed Tesco CEO Dave Lewis with the same too but added that I believe Tesco have an obligation to resolve the issue, giving my reasons and citing the Sale of Goods Act, which I'm sure they're more familiar with than I am and can probably run rings round me with . . but we'll see.

I'll let you know how things progress.

[Guest BuddyB]

2 hours ago, Mel.D said:

My argument is that the tablet firmware, present at the time of sale, essentially has a bug that prevents the tablet completing the boot process if the server is unreachable.

The 'bug' in the firmware is the omission of a 'do not update' option as a means of escape from the disabling 'Checking for updates - Couldn't check for updates' loop in the event of the server being unreachable. An unreachable server is a reasonably forseeable situation so should have been catered for. 

I like the sound of that. From what I've read it was very unusual to have the kind of 'ping' function that stops the setup process at the internet connection stage of the setup process. Not making the updates and upgrades available for download is weird too in the sense that once Tesco pulled the plug on hudls back in 2015, even now we can't get these from external sources. For example, on my new laptop I installed MS Office 2003 and 2013.  You can no longer get updates from MS for 2003, but they are available elsewhere because MS didn't adopt the kind of proprietary approach we've experienced with Tesco.  In one sense Tesco made a rod for its own back with this approach. 

 

Incidentally, I received an email from Tesco asking for feedback on my experience contacting technical support. I hope it is not a sign a line has been drawn on the whole matter, especially as I have not heard back from Lewis Gorrie yet, although it is less than a week since his last email. 

[Guest BellAlistair]

Regards Tesco's approach to sale of goods act, I have had that conversation with the tech support and was told that emailing details and proof of purchase to [email protected] would result in them considering it but given the price and the length of time it had been in use I was advised not to expect them to consider much if any residual value.

I get their point but it misses the fact that the hardware is perfectly functional, it is their deliberate act that has resulted in the failure not some component wearing out.

I rather hope for more success in emailing chief exec and pointing out that up to now I'd considered Tesco a reasonably trustworthy company to do business with, but given the current saga, no longer if what I have been told by support is true... I nearly bought a smartphone from them the day before I reset my Hudl, it seems that might have been a lucky escape!