Vizio Vtab1008, Honeycomb ver 3.2.1

[AC Question]

Had to do a factory reset and now I can't download my apps. Play store messages include, 'Failed to download.' and, 'Error retrieving information from server.'

Also, it keeps trying to connect with Google Talk but Google discontinued this in early 2015. How can I just delete this app?

 

[B. Diddy]

Welcome to Android Central! When you set the phone back up, were you able to successfully log into your Google account? Try going to Settings>Apps>All, select Google Play Store, and Clear Cache/Clear Data, then Force Stop. Do the same for Download Manager. Now try again.

If that doesn't work, try going to Settings>Accounts-Google, select your Google account, and remove it completely from the phone. Then add it back again, and see if that helps.

For Google Talk, go to Settings>Apps>All, select it, and tap Disable.

 

[Pinkjellybeans]

Thanks for the welcome and the reply. Yes, I have tried all those things, several times. Today I contacted Vizio support and they gave me a bunch of excuse, blaming it all on Google. They say Google Play did an update and they have to wait for Google to send them a fix. There's no ETA. So next I contacted Google Play support. OMG, they don't have tech support, they have wannabe therapists who placate, empathize, condescend and in the end blame Vizio. I seriously believe this is a simple case of Visio not paying Google enough to give their old customers Google Play access and Vizio thinking we'll just go away and buy a new tablet - which I might just do - but certainly not from Vizio. Meanwhile I have paid apps that I can't access. Grrr.

So my next question is . . . would you mess around here: [oops, can't post links] [an Android compatibility test site] and look for another Android OS that might be compatible or is this a device issue that will be consistent throughout? Or would rooting my Droid be of any help? I was thinking it might allow me to delete the current Google Play and that stupid Google Talk which is also giving me an error saying it fails to authenticate (Google no longer uses Google Talk) and maybe install an older version? I am pretty good with Windows and PC's but I've never tackled a Droid or a tablet before.

 

[B. Diddy]

Have you tried installing a recent apk file for Google Play Store? Try here: [Update: APK Download] Google Play Store v5.8 Rolling Out With Hamburger-Arrow Morphing Animation

 

[Pinkjellybeans]

Yeah, tried that too.

 

[tabletproblem]

I'm having the same problem. Any answer yet?

 

[cpmurphyus]

This appears to be a problem with how the OS updates the "android market" to the "play store", for whatever reason "Google play services" is not being installed during the process, and without it updates won't work. For those still having this problem, the only solution for me was to install Google Play Services from outside the play store.

1. Go into: settings -> Applications -> Unknown Sources, and check the box for non-market apps
2. From the vtab's browser go to: Google Play services 6.1.07 (1443915-038) APK Download by Google Inc. - APKMirror and download the Google Play Services APK
3. Go to "downloads" on the home screen and install the APK file.
4. Go back into settings and turn off "unknown sources" (not necessary, but HIGHLY recommended)
5. Restart the tablet.
6. Run the play store app, it should update itself and then the other installed apps.

Note: Although you can use a later version of "Google play services" from apkmirror, for compatibility sake I suggest using v.6.1.07 . After everything is updated you should be left with the current version 9.x of "Google play services".

Hope this helps.