Upgrade Question

[mastiff34]

Hey guys,
Is there a way to backup your S3 to a hard drive, before upgrading to a new drive? I'd like to image the drive to disk for safe keeping, before I go and upgrade with a 500gb drive.

Anyone done this?

-Mastiff

[cgould]

Sure... "dd" w/ knoppix or linux, or Ghost, or... anything that will copy an entire harddisk block-for-block, to a file or another harddisk.
Check other threads for upgrade/drive advice, I basically used the bumwine method (knoppix dd, although I used dd_rescue since it shows progress/any errors)...
http://www.bumwine.com/tivo.html

MFS tools will make minimal (no shows) backup image as well, worked for me during upgrade. Was ~2gb.

Of course you can always just leave your old 250gb original drive unused as a backup too :)

[c3]

Upgrading to a 500GB drive means removing the original 250GB drive and replacing it with a 500GB. Other than having a hardware virtualization box, that's the only way to upgrade the S3 at this time.

[Bierboy]

Yep, there's no reason to backup your original drive because you swap drives, not add on. Just keep the original in a safe place.

[ashu]

Yep, there's no reason to backup your original drive because you swap drives, not add on. Just keep the original in a safe place.

Sheesh. Just format it & use it in a PC already!

[aaronwt]

Too small!

[greg_burns]

Sheesh. Just format it & use it in a PC already!

I could be wrong about this (and I think I am), but I thought you could only expand a drive once (using mfsadd).

Since all the issues surrounding cablecards, I made sure my original 250GB was installed when the cards were activated. Then dd it to my larger drive. I am keeping the 250GB untouched if I ever want to do it again with another drive.

Is this logic flawed?


BTW, I think I've read Ghost won't work for a bit copy (without some special switches being tacked on). Could be wrong about that too.

I have access to a Logicube Sonix (http://www.logicube.com/products/hd_duplication/sonix.asp) I might try sometime for the bit copy. Worked with an modded Xbox.

[Bierboy]

Too small!Showing my age, but I remember having a Mac SE with a 20MB (yes, MB not GB!) hard drive and thought I was in heaven. :eek: Actually, now that I think about it, I remember BEFORE that having an SE with twin floppy drives and NO hard drive.

[ashu]

greg_burns - why not make an mfs_tools backup (2GB according to some folks) of the important 'guts' of the system. If something goes wrong, restore it to the 250 GB. Or a new 250 (or larger) drive. Until then (if that eventuality ever arises), use the 250GB in a PC for storage, so you can easily replace it with another drive and re-purpose it for the TiVo.

You get an extra drive AND only waste a few GB to save the backup image :) I still have backup images from 22001 from my first upgrade, and could theoretically restore my 240 S2 to ver4.1 at any time :)

[greg_burns]

greg_burns - why not make an mfs_tools backup (2GB according to some folks) of the important 'guts' of the system.

I had thought of that but I don't know if is copying the critical part; the cablecard authentication (or whatever part of the drive it uses for identification). One would assume so, but I've yet to hear a definite.

I've done about as much expirimentation as I can bear. The thought of having comcast come out again sends shivers down my spine.

[c3]

Sheesh. Just format it & use it in a PC already!

S3 is my only device using SATA, and keeping the original drive around is also an insurance for warranty service if needed.

[ashu]

Get a $10 SATA-IDE adapter, and save the image file (a couple GB) on it and use it in a PC. Like I said before 'sheesh' :)

Heck, put it in an eSATA or even USB 2.0/Firewire enclosure and get a nice, reliable, quiet external drive!

[c3]

Already have a SATA-IDE adapter. Already have a 2GB image file. Still have a spare 400GB IDE drive sitting in a box.

[cgould]

I had thought of that but I don't know if is copying the critical part; the cablecard authentication (or whatever part of the drive it uses for identification). One would assume so, but I've yet to hear a definite.

I've done about as much expirimentation as I can bear. The thought of having comcast come out again sends shivers down my spine.

I tested the "minimal" mfsbackup (2gb) back to my new 500gb WD drive, and stuck that in my S3, before I did the full "dd" linux copy. It worked fine, including CC authorization (eg I tested digital/HD channels, and I could tune them fine.)
So that appeared to be preserved fine.
It listed all the saved programs, but of course couldn't play them back.

I did have some glitches using the various Linux tivo tools boot methods- I tried Knoppix5 (since it has GUI and USB2/SATA/IDE support), but the lba48 mfstools didn't work (wrong kernel/glibc version), and I couldn't download the static mfstools from sourceforge; I had to kind of combine tools... or use the tivo bootCD images themselves (I tried to use their files, w/ a different boot image, hence my problems.)

dd worked fine to copy, I only needed the mfstools to do -add for the enlarged drive. I got ~50-60MB/sec for my SATA-SATA copy. 1:20hrs to copy 250gb, not bad :)
(I tried it w/ SATA drive in a Rosewill eSATA/USB2 case, w/ USB2 interface, and that dropped down to 30MB/s.)

[greg_burns]

I tested the "minimal" mfsbackup (2gb) back to my new 500gb WD drive, and stuck that in my S3, before I did the full "dd" linux copy. It worked fine, including CC authorization (eg I tested digital/HD channels, and I could tune them fine.)
So that appeared to be preserved fine.

Do you know if your cable company is pairing to the drive? (I think that is the term.) Others in CA have mentioned their cable companies do not.

The only reason I know mine does is from finding out the hard way...

http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?t=323639

http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?p=4593238&&#post4593238

[greg_burns]

Anybody know how to get a link to a thread when all you have is a link to a specific post?

IOW, how do I get a link like the first one from the second link I posted above?

[cgould]

Do you know if your cable company is pairing to the drive? (I think that is the term.) Others in CA have mentioned their cable companies do not.

The only reason I know mine does is from finding out the hard way...

http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?t=323639

http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?p=4593238&&#post4593238

To the drive? you mean to the Tivo/saved-pairdata-on-harddrive data?

Comcast previously has only used the serial#s of the cards, not pairing..
but they're in process of upgrading that, they have my pair data #s from months ago.
Not sure if they're actually using them yet though, good point...
but it should be stored on the harddrive w/ all the other filesystem data, right, ?

[greg_burns]

...but it should be stored on the harddrive w/ all the other filesystem data, right, ?

Honestly, I don't know what or how it is doing what it does. I kinda assume the CableCards are NOT writing to the drive. More the other way around. The drive (some uniquely generated S/N after a format) is being provided to the cards as a form of identification. Not sure the terms or it even applies to Linux. I know when you format a drive in Windows/DOS world it creats a Volume ID that changes with each format.

Again, I just am not real sure about any of it.

Edit: actually now that I think about it, I don't think it just after a "format". Pretty sure I've read you (may) loose this authentication if you do C&DE, although I've not tried it since have my cards re-authenticated.

[mastiff34]

Just reporting back guys. I upgraded my s3 this Sunday with a 500gb seagate drive using the bumwire method, no problems.

Thanks again for the help!