'B' drive failed - can I save anything from 'A'

[Zulu]

Hi,
The 'B' disk on my 120+120GB Tivo has failed.
1. Is there anyway to save the programme data, season's passes etc. from the 'A' drive?
2. Being the muppet that I am, I can't find the original backup I did. I tried to make a backup from just the 'A' drive, but mfsbackup gave an error message saying there was a size mismatch (as I only had the 'A' drive)
Any ideas please?

[TCM2007]

No, sorry. One one of a pair goes, all is lost.

[mikeyp]

like tcm2007 said you can't get the image from that.
ask nicely I'm sure someone can get in touch offering a download of a tivo image, or take a look at tivoheaven.co.uk at their new hard drives pre imaged for tivo.

[Zulu]

Hi,
Thanks for the replies.

I do actually have some other backup images - I upgraded some friend's TiVos round about the same time as mine (about four years ago) and still have their backups!

But I thought that each one was linked somehow uniquely to the motherboard?

Apologies for being a bit simple, but is it as simple as restoring their image to two new hard drives? When it sees the motherboard is different will it fail to work? Or that it is someone else's account? Or does it sort itself out once it makes the first phonecall back to Tivo?

Rgds

Z

[Zulu]

PS: Would that be using the following command:

mfsrestore -s 127 -xzpi /mnt/dos/tivo.bak /dev/hdc /dev/hdb (restore/expand to new A and new B)

where tivo.bak is the backup image?

[Pete77]

There is a thread in this section of the forum masterminded by Wonder_Lander from which a link to an original image of the UK Tivo software are provided by Private Message.

www.Tivoheaven.co.uk sells a download for £20 called Hooch which is quite a bit simpler to use.

[Pete77]

Apologies for being a bit simple, but is it as simple as restoring their image to two new hard drives? When it sees the motherboard is different will it fail to work? Or that it is someone else's account?

The image on the hard drive is not linked to the motherboard of the unit so you can use it on another Tivo.

The subscription status of the Tivo is defined by its Service Number which is held in Flash memory on the Tivo motherboard. Whenever a Tivo dials up it reports its Service Number to Tivo, who then update the subscription status reported in the System Information screen based on the Service Number of the machine. So you can use an image from one Tivo to create a new installation on the hard drive of another.

Check out the guide at www.steveconrad.co.uk/tivo and especially www.steveconrad.co.uk/tivo/upgrade3.html for further very clearly laid out information on upgrading Tivos or go to www.tivoheaven.co.uk and look for their Hooch download.

[Zulu]

Hi Pete,
Great, thanks for the info. I'll try it this weekend, and let you know how I get on.
Rgds
Z

[blindlemon]

For once I'm 100% in agreement with Pete :eek:;)

All I would add is that if you use an image from another machine, make sure it has the same software version - ie. 2.5.5 or 2.5.5a - as yours, especially if either of your drives is > 120gb and you are using the LBA48 kernel or you will run into problems down the line.

[Zulu]

Hi,

Well, I used two new 300GB drives, and the command:

restore -x -r 4 -s 300 -zpi /mnt/dos/tivo.bak /dev/hdc /dev/hdb

and I got the message

"New standalone time = 750 hours" (or thereabouts) - it added the two drives together apparantly quite happily.

I then ran copykern, which also seemed to run ok.

(all as per the guide on www.steveconrad.co.uk)

However, on booting up TiVo it is stuck on the "Welcome. Powering Up..." screen.

Any ideas?

Rgds

Z

[Pete77]

However, on booting up TiVo it is stuck on the "Welcome. Powering Up..." screen.

You have probably refitted the IDE cable on the motherboard the wrong way round as there is nothing to prevent you doing so.

I know this was the cause of the above alarming message and no further progress beyond Powering Up following my own otherwise successful upgrade to 2 x 250Gb hard drives.

Try fitting the IDE cable the other way round on the socket and all will probably be well.

Alternatively what make are the two 300Gb hard drives? If they are two Seagate drives they will be drawing too much power. Two x 300Gb Samsungs should be no problem.

[Zulu]

You have probably refitted the IDE cable on the motherboard the wrong way round as there is nothing to prevent you doing so.

Hi,

Nope, definitely the right way around (there's a notch in the middle which would prevent it being inserted the wrong way round)

They are Maxtor 320GB drives

Rgds

Z

PS: I might try with just one drive anyway; given other comment about the power drawn by two big drives.

[Pete77]

Nope, definitely the right way around (there's a notch in the middle which would prevent it being inserted the wrong way round)

There is only a notch that blocks fitting the wrong way round at the hard drive end and not at the Tivo motherboard end though (or is that this pin is missing altogether on the Tivo motherboard).

They are Maxtor 320GB drives

Oh dear. As Maxtor are now owned by Seagate I wonder if they do not also suffer from the Seagate problem of the Tivo power supply not being able to handle the current draw of more than one of these drives. Indeed its entirely possible they may now roll off the same production line as Seagate drives.

PS: I might try with just one drive anyway; given other comment about the power drawn by two big drives.

You may well find that makes all the difference. Two Samsung HDLD 400Gb or Samsung HDLD 300Gb drives work in a Tivo with no problem. Is there any chance you can return the drives. Perhaps say they failed the manufactuerers hard drive checks so you are exercising your right to a refund on faulty drives rather than wanting to exchange for another one.

[blindlemon]

However, on booting up TiVo it is stuck on the "Welcome. Powering Up..." Newer Maxtor drives may now suffer from the same problems as Seagate drives when used in pairs in TiVos.

I lent a TiVo to Seagate a few months ago and their engineer told me it was a firmware problem with the drives and should be fixed "soon". However, if Maxtor drives are now using Seagate firmware and don't have the "fixed" version.... :down:

[Pete77]

Newer Maxtor drives may now suffer from the same problems as Seagate drives when used in pairs in TiVos.

I lent a TiVo to Seagate a few months ago and their engineer told me it was a firmware problem with the drives and should be fixed "soon". However, if Maxtor drives are now using Seagate firmware and don't have the "fixed" version.... :down:

Its good to hear that this is something else we appear to agree on.:rolleyes::p

Presumably the money to be made out of merging Seagate and Maxtor is by continuing to occupy the same market share through using the two brand names as though they were still two actual companies on the high street product shelf but then completely combining the production facilities and the distribution channels so slashing costs.

Unaccountably the Maxtor brand has yet to acquire the same market positioning as say Ratners out there in the wider hard drive buying world.

It seems very odd that when every other drive manufacturer turns out a firmware that lets two IDE drives run as a pair that Seagate should no longer be capable of this. Perhaps the same problem does not afflict their shiny new SATA ranges?

Speaking of which do latest Sky HD boxes take SATA drives rather than IDE?

[Zulu]

UPDATE - I tried using just one drive - and I couldn't even get as far as the "Welcome. Powering Up..." screen!

Much head scratching...then I thought I'd try a different image file (remember I'd made a few different backups)

It worked! So I thought I'd try it with two drives...nope; stuck at Powering up screen again.

So...I've now got one 320GB drive, which seems to be behaving itself (merrily updating itself on the phone now), and an improvement on the 120+120 I previously had (now 366 hours in Basic)

From the comments above and other threads; it seems I'd best stop there and not push my luck with two drives! Or at least not two Maxtors.

And last but not least - thanks to everyone for their help!

Rgds

Z

[Pete77]

So...I've now got one 320GB drive, which seems to be behaving itself (merrily updating itself on the phone now), and an improvement on the 120+120 I previously had (now 366 hours in Basic)

From the comments above and other threads; it seems I'd best stop there and not push my luck with two drives! Or at least not two Maxtors.

And last but not least - thanks to everyone for their help!

OK, its good to hear you have made progress but the Maxtor is almost certainly noisy compared to a Samsung and will be likely to have a short life so why suffer with it?

You would be far better off getting a couple of Samsung 400Gb drives giving you 280 hours at Best and getting shot of the Maxtors. Or may be a couple of 300Gb Samsung drives as these seem to be quite a lot cheaper.

[Pete77]

Novatech are doing the 400GB Samsung for £57.58 including delivery and have 13 currently in stock.

See www.novatech.co.uk/novatech/specpage.html?SAM-S400P

[TCM2007]

Speaking of which do latest Sky HD boxes take SATA drives rather than IDE?

Yes, the do, and have a (currently disabled) eSATA socket on the back.