Need new hard drives...

[spicolte]

I have two Direct TV Tivos (a Sony SAT T60 and a Hughes GXCEBOT) that are in need of new hard drives. (both have failed).

These boxes have never been upgraded...with anything, and I am concerned with some of what I have read here concerning upgrading hard drives on Direct TV boxes.

I read a post recently in which the upgraded hard drive started acting "weird", and the response was for this individual to reinstall the original drive, download the recent software version from Direct TV and then copy it over to the new 120gb hard drive. The problem was due to Direct TV downloading new software to the new hard drive, and then the new hard drive getting messed up because of it.

Since I won't have an old hard drive to fall back on, what will happen if my new drives experience these problems?

I am looking forward to the new drives, and the added space, but I am worried that I could be creating problems for myself now that I am obtaining equipment that isn't "original".

Am I being overly concerned?

Thoughts?

[rbtravis]

http://shop2.outpost.com/product/5090665
$89.99 limited offer 500GB drive
Then suggest you use Instantcake from www.dvrupgrade.com for $19.99 and your systems will be up and running in about 1/2 hour after download. Good Luck
:D
PS the software version from DVRupgrade is 6.2a and has no known problems. After you have burned the CD and installed it leave the phone unplugged if you are worried. May be different version number for Series I. :D

[spicolte]

I want to keep this simple, and would much rather have a drive that is already prepared, and only needs installation. I visited the DVR upgrade website you provided, and also visited weaknees. I will most likely go with one of these systems, just to make it easier on me.

Unless you have any other sources that are less expensive than the dvr upgrade website, I will most likely go with them, so please let me know if there are any other sources.

Thanks for your help and reply.

[John T Smith]

Haven't used, but a place I saw mentioned before
http://www.tivorevolution.com/

You might also ask in the upgrade forum, start here
http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/forumdisplay.php?f=24

[rbtravis]

Just checked with Lou Jacob (tivoupgrade in this forum) and the current version for series 1 is"TiVo Models Supported

Philips DSR6000, DSR6000R, DSR6000R1
Sony SAT-T60
Hughes GXCEBOT, GXCEBOTD

Product Specific Notes

9/07/07

As of this date, InstantCake for these models will install and configure version 3.5c. As a courtesy, all orders placed in the current shopping cart at www.dvrupgrade.com have been updated to the latest version. " that is what will be shipped or installed. It has LBA48, hence can be ordered with any size disk.:D Remember only DVRupgrade and Weakness are the only vendors that use their own software and that software is not licensed for resale by any other party.:eek: go with the developers :)

[rock_doctor]

If you have a computer that has a CD drive and uses IDE drives (not SATA) then making a new drive yourself is really easy. If you have ever replaced a computer HD then you should consider doing it yourself. I would replace the fan at the same time and clean out the dust bunnies when you have it apart.

[spicolte]

To take this back to one of my initial questions:

What are the frequency of hard drive problems once you upgrade? (and no longer have a back up hard drive because the original is dead)

After placing my order for a new drive from DVRupgrade.com, they sent me a very lengthy e-mailing detailing how software downloads from Direct TV can screw up the new drive...which is essentially what I have found other folks saying here on our forum.

After reading their e-mail, I don't feel very comfortable with adding this drive, but I have no choice, as the original died. I'd like to hear some thoughts and experiences of other members concerning their experiences with upgrading their HD and dealing with direct TV software upgrades.

Here is the "meat and potatoes" of their e-mail to me:

This email is to inform you of software changes to your DVRupgrade kit for your Series1 DirecTV TiVo running 3.5c of the TiVo/DirecTV software. Please review this email for additional details and some important information.


If you have any questions or concerns, please open up a helpdesk ticket using the web address below or just reply to your previous helpdesk ticket if you had one. Please make sure to include your order # (51265-65278) so that we may look up your order.
http://www.dvrupgrade.com/dvr/stores/1/contactus.cfm


UNITS WITH CAPACITY UPGRADE KITS AND NO NETWORKING FUNCTIONALITY (NetReady Kits)

If your unit is configured with a drive larger than 137GB, your software has been modified with a special "kernel" that allows the TiVo operating system to recognize all of the capacity of these larger drives. As a result, any updates to the DirecTV software on your unit, could cause problems. With this in mind, we've configured your unit so it will attempt to not automatically receive updates from DirecTV WITHOUT your knowledge. In order to do this, we've configured the system to "think" its making its daily call to DirecTV even though it is not doing it. In addition, we've adjusted your phone dialing prefix and call waiting prefix with the *# characters, just to prevent your unit from accidentally dialing. Naturally, you can still connect a phone line, and if you'd like to have your unit dial out you can do it at any time by editing those characters. With that in mind, we suggest you just leave things be and if you have problems with pay per view events, you can still order them from the DirecTV web site, or just by calling 1-800-DIRECTV.

Again, there is no reason you can't use your unit as you normally do, however we've made these minor changes to give you the option of resisting a future software update without your knowledge. We don't know whether or when DirecTV will release any additional updates, however the chances are that running with your current version is fine for the forseeable future.


UNITS WITH CAPACITY UPGRADE KITS AND TURBONET OR CACHECARD NETWORKING FUNCTIONALITY

1) Software Upgrades

We've made a fundamental change to the previous configuration of your unit. This time around, we've actually configured your unit to resist any software updates by default. If you'd like to receive an update from DirecTV (something it is unlikely you'll want to do), you can easily reverse this by following the instructions below:

If you wish to attempt to configure your unit to permit the installation of any future software updates from DirecTV/TiVo (updates will overwrite DVRupgrade modifications) you can attempt to do so by opening a terminal session with your TiVo by typing:

telnet [ip address]

and typing:

upgrade_on

This will run a few scripts and enable your "daily call." If you choose to do this, you will need to make a daily call, either by phone or by network.

You can always attempt to disable upgrades by opening another terminal session and typing:

upgrade_off

We cannot guarantee that the upgrade_off method will absolutely prevent your unit from receiving future upgrades as we have no way to predict or control the methods used by DirecTV and they may change.

[rbtravis]

I have done many updates with Instantcake, never any problems. Your message looks like a lot of legal Jargon. Some lawyer earning his money by removing all legal liability from DVRupgrades product. Looks like what a hospital makes you sign before a life saving operation, If you don't sign you are going to die. Don't worry, DVRupgrade is a good company with a product that works. Trust Them :D

[codespy]

Worked for me too. Except the 6.3c image. Those were hard times.

[Want1394]

Hello spicolte,

You have asked and replied to the answers - bottom line, you can junk the units or upgrade them with new drives. In 99% of the cases, you will love the results. Since there are many variables and no one getting money from what you do, there is risk, and it is your's. So, the correct answer is either buy good new drives, install them with the proper software, or worry a lot and got nowhere. That's the way of the technology world, especially the "DIY" and "It's cheap" world. Good luck and I mean that, because I suspect if you just do it, you will be happy.

[tivoupgrade]

We already heard from him (he sent us the same information in an email, earlier today) and he had already purchased replacement drives for his unit. Since he used 80GB drives, the aforementioned email is not really applicable, so he really won't have any problems, aside from the risk of a drive possibly going bad in the future.

[spicolte]

Thanks all. I appreciate the feedback.

I did hear from dvrupgrade, and the e-mail was direct and very reassuring.(it was also very personable...I liked that!)

I had relayed to them, that I have only been on this list a short time, and had very little knowledge with computers, so I was concerned when I read some of the bad things that had happened to folks who had upgraded their drives.

It sort of made me wonder what I had done! But they reassured me that I had made a good move. As I said, and I'd like to take this chance to plug them here, their e-mail was very personable and straightforward. It at no time came across as a "sales pitch". In fact, the opening of their message mentioned there were other options I could have taken, but the one I chose (80gb HD upgrade) would work out well.

But, they have piqued my curiosity, and now I wonder what other options there were? I noticed the post recommending instacake. What is that? Is that a means to repair my existing hard drives?

What else could I have done to fix my situation beyond replacing my failed drives? And what would be the cost of those fixes?