Stuck on "Clearing program data and to do list"

[Spotopolis]

I bought a used Samsung SIR-S4120R, identical to the one I already had. When plugged in, it says "Clearing program data and to do list - this may take about an hour". It won't clear even after letting it sit for days and unplugging and trying again.

Is there a way around this? :confused:

Also, it came with an access card. Will my old access card work in this unit assuming I ever get past the clearing data screen? My plan is to use the newer unit and add the hard drive from my old one to it.

[SteelersFan]

Try this thread (http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?t=336008). See my post at the end of that thread. Good luck.

[JimSpence]

You may be able to get a CSR to activate your old card on the new unit.

[Spotopolis]

I tried the panic numbers with no luck. Does anyone know what hardware the access card is tied to? Is is the motherboard or the disc drive?

I'm thinking that if I put my old drive in the "new" box and set it to master, and the "new" drive to slave, that the existing card should work. Does this sound right?

This should hopefully clear up the issues the old DVR had with the sat-in ports.

Thanks

[PrimeRisk]

I tried the panic numbers with no luck. Does anyone know what hardware the access card is tied to? Is is the motherboard or the disc drive?

I'm thinking that if I put my old drive in the "new" box and set it to master, and the "new" drive to slave, that the existing card should work. Does this sound right?

This should hopefully clear up the issues the old DVR had with the sat-in ports.

Thanks

You're not going to get much of anything with that combination. If your new and old receivers are the identical model number, you should be able to move the hard drive from one unit to the other, but not in the master-slave situation you describe. The card is "married" to the hardware in the receiver, not the hard drive.

If you move the drive you will have to do a Clear and Delete everything to get it to work though. You will lose all of your settings and recordings. If you are going to go this route you may want to consider just setting up a new image on the drive that is stuck in the loop. If the card you have is new enough, D* should move the card from your currently subscribed receiver to your new one.

[Spotopolis]

Thanks for the help. As you can tell, I'm new to all this.

So, if I re-image the stuck drive, can I still combine the drives? What I'd like is one unit with double recording space. I suppose two working units would work, but I'd rather not have to deal with re-wiring my whole setup to accomodate another new device.

I'm not familiar with the re-image thing either. Is this like re-formatting, or am I actually adding data to the drive? A pointer in the right direction for what this involves would be most appreciated.

[JimSpence]

Re-imaging is like reformatting a PC and then re-installing the operating system.
These two forums should help you.
http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/forumdisplay.php?f=8
http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/forumdisplay.php?f=25

Don't try to install two drives in one TiVo (possible overheating issues), get one big one to re-image. And with the prices going down, get two, one for each TiVo.