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User profile for user: Huxley Dunsany
Huxley Dunsany Author
User level: Level 1
31 points

Apple TV 2 is stuck in demo / retail mode!

Hi everyone!


I bought my in-laws a nice new Apple TV 2 (from the Apple Company Store, no less!) yesterday, and I set it up this afternoon. The unit was working fine all afternoon, but their ancient AirPort Extreme (flying saucer type) was dying. My brother in law ran over to Best Buy and grabbed a new Belkin Dual-Band router, and we set it up with no problems.


However, at some point during the router swap and re-config of the Apple TV, the Apple TV seems to have gotten into Retail Demo mode! It will only connect to the original Apple router - with the new router connected, the ATV gives the standard "Your Apple TV isn't connected to the Network" error. Furthermore, while we can go into the Settings menu, any attempt to select any of the options results in a "bonk" error tone and nothing else. We are able to go into the Screen Saver options, and while it lists all the normal savers, the only one it will select is "Retail," which displays the stock photos seen on an Apple TV at the Apple Store. We can't select Restore (gives the error tone), and rebooting the unit (via the remote or just by unplugging it) has no effect.


Given that several people were tinkering with it during the router swap, it's possible that someone pressed just the right combo of buttons to put it into Retail mode... but I have no idea how to put it back!


Any ideas?


PS I would happily restore it, but as I'm visiting my in-laws (flew from Cupertino to Vegas this morning) I don't have my MacBook Pro with me, and their old iBook is probably far too old to do the job.

Posted on May 20, 2011 10:44 PM

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User profile for user: Alley_Cat
Alley_Cat
User level: Level 7
20,548 points

Posted on May 20, 2011 11:40 PM

How strange.


Never heard of this problem before.


Was the AppleTV new and boxed retail version or off ths shop floor?


If the iBook is a G4 with USB 2.0 and running Leopard it should I think be able to run the latest iTunes. You'd need a microUSB cable to restore AppleTV via iTunes:


http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4367


Is the Apple store nearby? If so might just be worth taking it there as it's under warranty and may be exchanged for a new one or fixed for you.


Also consider calling Apple support line for the device as they may have heard about this issue and know a fix.


I thought the retail versions ran different software, though maybe it's all contained in one.


AC

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User profile for user: Alley_Cat
Alley_Cat
User level: Level 7
20,548 points

May 20, 2011 11:40 PM in response to Huxley Dunsany

How strange.


Never heard of this problem before.


Was the AppleTV new and boxed retail version or off ths shop floor?


If the iBook is a G4 with USB 2.0 and running Leopard it should I think be able to run the latest iTunes. You'd need a microUSB cable to restore AppleTV via iTunes:


http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4367


Is the Apple store nearby? If so might just be worth taking it there as it's under warranty and may be exchanged for a new one or fixed for you.


Also consider calling Apple support line for the device as they may have heard about this issue and know a fix.


I thought the retail versions ran different software, though maybe it's all contained in one.


AC

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User profile for user: Huxley Dunsany
Huxley Dunsany Author
User level: Level 1
31 points

May 20, 2011 11:50 PM in response to Alley_Cat

Hi! Thanks for taking the time to respond...


I know a bit about the retail / demo mode, since in my old job with Apple (I was an Apple Solutions Consultant for several years), when we would set up an (first-gen) Apple TV demo unit, we would load it with a customer firmware which acted exactly like this new unit is. As a remember, when a locked menu item was highlighted (i.e. Network or Reset), there was a special code of left and right presses on the remote to temporarily unlock the item when needed... but it's been years, and I can't recall the code (if it even works anymore).


On the first-gen demo units there was a special version of the OS that we would load via a flash drive, but I'm guessing that the new ones have the demo mode built-in. I just wish I knew exactly what sequence of button-presses got us into this jam!


As for restoring it with the iBook, the system is still running Tiger, so that's a no-go. I've made an appt. with a nearby Apple Store for tomorrow morning, and I'll just use one of their Genius Bar laptops to restore it.


What a strange way to spend my first day of vacation!


Huxley

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User profile for user: David Rose8
David Rose8
User level: Level 1
20 points

Oct 8, 2011 8:16 PM in response to Huxley Dunsany

Huxley, OK, I just got hit with exactly the same problem. Apple TV 2, working fine for months and months, suddenly something happens and it enters "retail mode", wherein just like you, I'm unable to change settings, etc. Since it was clearly triggered by some action or glitch (that is, it isn't a question of a unique retail hard disk load), there obviously must be some combination of actions that can get it OUT of retail mode.


I'm somewhat astounded that either no one else has hit this problem, or that no one else has chimed in with a solution! Alley_Cat, since you're an Apple Genius, could you check some secret resource and figure out how we can get out of retail mode?!?

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User profile for user: Marton25
Marton25
User level: Level 1
0 points

Oct 14, 2011 7:37 AM in response to Huxley Dunsany

(sorry, you'll have to translate some words, I'm french)


To turn on/off retail mode, go to settings, general, [fr] mentions légales [/fr].

Do not open "mentions légales" menu, just put the cursor there.

Then, on the remote, type this sequence : right - right - left - center.


The AppleTV should reboot.


If you're trying to turn it off, your problem is solved.


If you're trying to turn it on, you'll have to find and select the "retail" screen saver, but you should have desactivated sleep mode and turn screen saver to "never" before turning on retail mode if you want it to work.


What a secret ! ;-)

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User profile for user: mamamara
mamamara
User level: Level 1
10 points

Mar 7, 2012 8:53 AM in response to Huxley Dunsany

Oh my gosh!!! Thank you so much Marton! I was about ready to buy a Roku and throw in the towel with this thing! My 8 year old daughter said she thought she pushed some buttons somewhere in that last column a few days ago, but we had NO IDEA that the device was stuck in demo mode until just now when there was actually an error about "retail demo" mode....


It's working! Hallelujah!

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Apple TV 2 is stuck in demo / retail mode!

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