Unauthorized External HD Problem

[dsgrall]

OK, I just purchased a new Tivo HD.
I have an existing Seagate 300 GB eSata drive.
My Tivo is running version 11.00....

I go through the steps of hooking up and Tivo recognizes, but gives the "Unsupported Hardware" error.

Can I use this drive?

[ciper]

You can if you don't mind to void your warranty and aren't afraid to take the system apart.

[magnus]

You have to use a Tivo branded external drive with a Tivo HD.

[pdxsam]

If you look at the tivo upgrade forum you can find the information you'll need. The short of it is you'll need to buy an esata to sata cable, back up your drive and then restore it and marry the external. It's pretty easy as long as you read the instructions on doing it very carefully. Read twice restore once.

:)

[bkdtv]

Be sure to see the Official eSATA Drive Expansion and Drive Upgrade FAQ (http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?t=370784) stickied at the top of this forum. That should answer all your questions.

[Enforcer]

The basic answer is this: Plug and Play is a no. Doing some modifying of your Tivo and all kinds of other fun is a yes. I suggest waiting for the WD Tivo approved external drive to go on sale. Thats the only external drive that is plug and play.

[RonDawg]

I suggest waiting for the WD Tivo approved external drive to go on sale.

The My DVR Expander is currently being sold by many retailers for around 1/2 what it retailed for a year ago.

[Speqtre]

I had run through the upgrade process, and everything was working fine with my 'unauthorized' esata drive for several months. Not sure if it was the last update, but my Tivo HD stopped working after reboot. Traced the problem to the external storage. Lost everything I had recorded, but hey, at least my Tivo still works!

Next time I'm going to replace the internal, and store the internal unmolested in a safe place in case I ever need it. With 1TB drives hovering around $100, this seems like a no brainer!

[pdxsam]

I had run through the upgrade process, and everything was working fine with my 'unauthorized' esata drive for several months. Not sure if it was the last update, but my Tivo HD stopped working after reboot. Traced the problem to the external storage. Lost everything I had recorded, but hey, at least my Tivo still works!

Next time I'm going to replace the internal, and store the internal unmolested in a safe place in case I ever need it. With 1TB drives hovering around $100, this seems like a no brainer!

That's exactly what I did. I had an ESata drive from my DirectTv DVR that was no longer used when I swapped to FIOS, so I got a new 1tb for 110 bucks plus 30 dollar rebate and married the external. Works great so far.