How to reformat a DVR expander hard drive

[pickanyone]

I have a TIVO HD and an external dvr expander hard drive. The DVR expander accidentally gor unplugged. When I repluged it in the tivo refused to recognize it. So I have unpaired it from my tivo so that I can use the tivo.

However I assume that there is a good chance that the hard drive is OK, it's just the directory structure that got corrupted.

I am trying to work out how to use kickstart to reformat the dvr expander. Is this possible?

I am guessing that I should try a "58" first? The other option is to do a "62" but I am nervous this might reformat the primary drive instead of the external one.

thanks in advance for any help

[windracer]

If you've already unpaired it, you should be able to just connect it again and have the TiVo recognize the external drive. Then it will format it and start using it again.

If you want to run diagnostics on it, try a kickstart 54.

[pickanyone]

I tried just reconnecting the expander and the tivo does not know it's there. I had done a "54" initially and the expander "failed".

Any advice on whether a "57" or "58" is the way to proceed please?

thanks

[windracer]

So after re-connecting, if you look under Devices (Messages and Settings, Settings) and choose External Storage, it says a drive is not connected? It doesn't show up in System Information either?

If the kickstart doesn't see it either, it sounds like the drive is either dead or it's a bad cable connection. Make sure the cable is seated properly.

[richsadams]

Concur with Windracer...if your My DVR Expander failed KS54 and TiVo isn't recognizing it there's no use trying anything else (you wouldn't be able to try any other KS's in any case). Either the connection is bad (try another cable (http://www.provantage.com/siig-cb-sa0111-s1~7SISE00F.htm)), the enclosure/bridge is bad (RMA) or the drive itself is bad (RMA).

You could try connecting it to a PC to run some diagnostics, but there's not much point. Time to replace it. Or you could upgrade the internal drive with a larger one and not have to worry about it any more. More info about eSATA drives and internal upgrades can be found by clicking on the link below my sig.

Best of luck!

P.S. Kickstart 62 was a hack for Series3's a couple of years ago and no longer works. More KS info here (http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?p=5643823#post5643823).