What a night

[HTTRC]

We had the biggest lightning storm that I’ve ever experienced last night.  One particular strike, where you could see and hear it at the same time.  What got fried, despite being on surge protectors?  Two Ethernet switches.  So internet wasn’t down, just half my network.  My garage door opener. Well, I wasn’t sure but the GFI circuit it was plugged into was certainly dead.  I hook the garage up to an extension cord so I can go buy some replacements, yup garage door opener dead!  At this point I head upstairs to shower the grime off me.  My AC isn’t working.  FML!

Now add insult to injury, my PLM looks bricked.  I have a backup named:

ISY-Backup.v5.3.0__Fri 2025.02.21 10.13.47

I also have a backup PLM I bought years ago the same time my last PLM died.  The current (and dead) PLM is model 24135 Revision 2.4 and the backup PLM is also 24135, but revision 2.3

Should I be able to restore this backup from Feb 21 of this year to my ISY994i and this new PLM?  What’s the proper procedure?

 

Before I try and switch the PLM, I was able to take a backup of my current ISY setup.  Will this backup restore to the new PLM, even though the PLM was dead when I took the backup?  I guess I’m asking if the backup uses database entries instead of relying on the PLM itself 

Edited Thursday at 08:31 PM by HTTRC

[apostolakisl]

@HTTRC  I feel your pain.  I have a similar thread going here.  Also lost two AC units.  One was the control board for the air handler and the other the control board for condensing unit.  Fortunately, I just happened to have a spare for the air handler and got it back up right away (I know it is weird to have a spare for that, long story. . ).  They don't make those boards anymore (15 years old) but ebay had them for cheap, $50-70.  So I bought a new spare for the indoor unit and a replacement plus a spare for the outdoor unit.  The outdoor one is in my mailbox right now, hopefully that fixes that unit.

Anyway, I also lost a load of other stuff including my PLM and Polisy.  Also, my Elk alarm, my intercom system, a handful of Insteon devices, two webcontrol boards, one ethernet switch, my OBi voice modem, a couple security cameras, my doorbell, a handful of landscape lights, the charging brick for my automatic lawnmower, and more.

Anyway, regarding your AC units, if I had hired someone, they would have just sold me two brand new units for probably $30k or something, so if you are up to it, you might take my example.

 

REGARDING YOUR PLM

You don't restore the PLM from an ISY backup.  I'm assuming your ISY is working fine.  Plug the new PLM in and under the "file" menu, select "restore plm".  Don't do "delete plm"!  If you have any battery operated devices you will need to put them in linking mode.  Or just run the restore and then later go back and put those devices in linking mode and write to them later.  If you have a large setup, they may time out of liking mode before ISY gets to them.

The jist is that ISY will write all the links to the new PLM, but it will have to also change the links in all of the devices to point to the new plm.  So it takes a while depending on how many devices.  

Edited Thursday at 08:51 PM by apostolakisl

[HTTRC]

I tried File | Restore Moss, (PLM) and a few seconds later

 

Do I have to “discover” or tell ISY about this device?

[Techman]

When you replace your PLM,  exactly follow the attached procedure

If the ISY wasn't damaged then there's no need to to be concerned about your existing ISY backup. Your current ISY database will be used to populate your replacement PLM

Replace PLM (ISY994).pdf

[HTTRC]

4 minutes ago, apostolakisl said:

Anyway, regarding your AC units, if I had hired someone, they would have just sold me two brand new units for probably $30k or something, so if you are up to it, you might take my example.

My dad fixed AC when he was a young man, and I’d go on jobs with him.  But I’m too scared to hook up gauges.  I know about AC to the point they can’t lie and not get caught. 

[apostolakisl]

3 minutes ago, HTTRC said:

I tried File | Restore Moss, (PLM) and a few seconds later

 

Do I have to “discover” or tell ISY about this device?

No, you just plug it in.  Go to tools, diagnostics, plm info and make sure it sees your plm and has the correct address.

[apostolakisl]

1 minute ago, HTTRC said:

My dad fixed AC when he was a young man, and I’d go on jobs with him.  But I’m too scared to hook up gauges.  I know about AC to the point they can’t lie and not get caught. 

You won't need any gauges.  It is probably the circuit boards.  If it is the compressor, then again, no gauges needed, the compressor just won't run.  If your AC unit is really old, it won't have any circuit boards, just a contactor and a thermostat.  You can check for voltage at the unit with a multimeter and see if the contactor pulls in when the thermostat calls.  If not, you can manually push it in with a non-conducting rod of some sort (like a wood pencil) and see if the compressor starts.  if not, you might be toast.  Could be capacitors.  If it is capacitors, the unit will try to start but fail.  They can be replaced easily.  If the thermostat is calling, but the contactor doesn't pull in, it could be the thermostat.

[HTTRC]

Now I’m trying to restore the ISY from either a backup I just made today or one made in February.

 

File | Restore ISY

(select backup, confirm prompts)

 

 

happens on both backup files 

[HTTRC]

Happens on every backup file.  Please no….

[tlightne]

You do not need to do a restores of a backup. Go back and reread the previous posts. Techman has given you the information to restore the PLM.

[apostolakisl]

34 minutes ago, tlightne said:

You do not need to do a restores of a backup. Go back and reread the previous posts. Techman has given you the information to restore the PLM.

But he is also getting an error when trying to restore plm.

I assume at some point in all of this, he has done a full reboot, power cycle and all.

[HTTRC]

2 hours ago, tlightne said:

You do not need to do a restores of a backup. Go back and reread the previous posts. Techman has given you the information to restore the PLM.

I absolutely need to do a restore.  Somehow my device is empty 

[Techman]

@HTTRC

 

When you open the IoX Launcher are you able to fully access your eisy?

If you do a "restore Iox" from a backup file that was made with a previous PLM then after the restore you'll need to follow the "replace PLM procedure" I sent you earlier as the restore will contain links to your previous PLM.

Edited Friday at 03:39 PM by Techman

[apostolakisl]

1 hour ago, Techman said:

@HTTRC

 

When you open the IoX Launcher are you able to fully access your eisy?

If you do a "restore Iox" from a backup file that was made with a previous PLM then after the restore you'll need to follow the "replace PLM procedure" I sent you earlier as the restore will contain linlk to your previous PLM.

i think he is saying that restoring from backups isn't working.  

@HTTRC

I take it you only lost your plm and your 994i is still functioning.  You should not have had to restore your 994i from a backup if it was still working.  But it sounds like you did that and now the 994i is corrupt and won't load any backups?

 

[HTTRC]

On 7/11/2025 at 10:53 AM, apostolakisl said:

i think he is saying that restoring from backups isn't working.  

@HTTRC

I take it you only lost your plm and your 994i is still functioning.  You should not have had to restore your 994i from a backup if it was still working.  But it sounds like you did that and now the 994i is corrupt and won't load any backups?

 

Yes.  994i appears corrupt.  I’m going to try doing the restore with a different machine.  It could be the computer or browser for all I know.  I also have another UDI box that I’m not sure what’s on it.  It’s something my dad gave me when he quit using Insteon/ISY

[apostolakisl]

2 hours ago, HTTRC said:

Yes.  994i appears corrupt.  I’m going to try doing the restore with a different machine.  It could be the computer or browser for all I know.  I also have another UDI box that I’m not sure what’s on it.  It’s something my dad gave me when he quit using Insteon/ISY

If you have a second 994i, you can try to do a factory reset on that and install your backup there.