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Need image file for TiVo Series 3 HD

30K views 306 replies 98 participants last post by  ThAbtO 
#1 ·
The hard drive on my old TiVo Series 3 HD has failed completely. It was running for years with a 1TB hard drive which no longer works at all. I have purchased a new 1TB hard drive but don't have the image for this drive to be able to use it I'm my old, formally reliable, TiVo (btw, it has lifetime service).

I also have a TiVo Roamio which will format a blank drive with no additional software needed but this format won't work in the old series 3.

I cannot get anything from the old drive. Can anyone help me out with this? I have both a Windows 7 laptop as well an iMac to use for setting up the TiVo drive. Thanks to all for your help.
 
#4 ·
Don't mean to hijack this thread but I'm in the same situation as the OP. My upgraded HD in my Series 3 HD (with lifetime service) just died leaving me with no drive or image to use to set up a new drive.

HerronScott, if you would be so kind to provide me with any help with an image I could use too, I would greatly appreciate it.

Believe it or not, I've been lurking on this forum for at least 6 years but didn't have enough posts to send you a PM directly. Thanks again!
 
#6 ·
Don't mean to hijack this thread but I'm in the same situation as the OP. My upgraded HD in my Series 3 HD (with lifetime service) just died leaving me with no drive or image to use to set up a new drive.

HerronScott, if you would be so kind to provide me with any help with an image I could use too, I would greatly appreciate it.

Believe it or not, I've been lurking on this forum for at least 6 years but didn't have enough posts to send you a PM directly. Thanks again!
If, and only if, you have a TCD652160---

Use this image if you're going to be using the MFS Live cd v1.4

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/49887720/652m.bak

Use this image if you're going to be using WinMFS

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/49887720/652m.tbk

In either case, if you're going to be using a larger drive than the original 160GB one, do the image restoration without expanding into the extra space.

For MFS Live, that means do not use the

-x

option on the command line.

For WinMFS, that means when if finishes and says you have extra room and asks if you want to expand, you tell it NO.

Then, whichever one you used, you check the drive to which you just wrote the image with

mfsinfo

and make sure everything looks okay.

Then you expand as a separate process with

mfsadd

Sometimes doing the expansion as part of the restoration of an image (or copying from a smaller drive to a larger one) won't go right, and the best you can hope for is realizing right away that's what happened and having to do it all again.

Doing it separately avoids the chance of that happening.

If you have some other model TiVo, like a TCD648250B, or a TCD658000, let me know here, and I'll post the link to the right image for it.
 
#7 · (Edited)
HerronScott, tivoyahoo, Teeps, and unitron - thanks you all very much for your help! Greatly appreciated.

It is a TCD652160 and last night I finally got around to setting up a replacement drive using the image provided.

Again, sorry for hijacking this thread but just a couple quick questions or if this is better suited for a new topic, just let me know.

I receive the hardware problem, error #51 message after it boots and I'm doing the Clear and Delete Everything right now which should resolve that, correct?

Second and a little more concerning, when I plug the Tivo in it does absolutely nothing for about 2 minutes. No lights, no fan, nothing - seems completely dead. But if I'm patient and wait, then after a couple of minutes the fan kicks on an everything starts up fine. I don't remember that every happening before but granted I almost never unplugged or turned it off. Should I be concerned about the power supply?

Thanks again.

Justin
 
#8 ·
HerronScott, tivoyahoo, Teeps, and unitron - thanks you all very much for your help! Greatly appreciated.

It is a TCD652160 and last night I finally got around to setting up a replacement drive using the image provided.

Again, sorry for hijacking this thread but just a couple quick questions or if this is better suited for a new topic, just let me know.

I receive the hardware problem, error #51 message after it boots and I'm doing the Clear and Delete Everything right now which should resolve that, correct?

Second and a little more concerning, when I plug the Tivo in it does absolutely nothing for about 2 minutes. No lights, no fan, nothing - seems completely dead. But if I'm patient and wait, then after a couple of minutes the fan kicks on an everything starts up fine. I don't remember that every happening before but granted I almost never unplugged or turned it off. Should I be concerned about the power supply?

Thanks again.

Justin
As for possible power supply problems, you should definitely acquaint yourself with the "capacitor plague" problem.

https://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?t=473394

Error 51 means you put a hard drive with an image from a TiVo with one TiVo Service Number into a different TiVo of the same model which has its own different TSN.

The TSN is encoded into a chip on the motherboard.

It's also recorded on the hard drive, and when the TiVo boots up it checks to make sure they match, and if they don't it forces you into a "Clear & Delete Everything", during which it changes the TSN on the drive to the same as the one on the motherboard.

I think if you get an image someone made after doing a C&DE, so that it starts you off in Guided Setup, it'll take care of the TSN mismatch as part of that, but I might be wrong.
 
#11 ·
I did Clear and Delete Everything to take care of the Error 51. I was finally at a state where I could watch Live TV but not record (before doing the Clear and Delete Everything).

Now (after C&DE) I appear to be stuck on "Almost there. Just a few minutes more..."

What's a girl to do?
 
#12 ·
I did Clear and Delete Everything to take care of the Error 51. I was finally at a state where I could watch Live TV but not record (before doing the Clear and Delete Everything).

Now (after C&DE) I appear to be stuck on "Almost there. Just a few minutes more..."

What's a girl to do?
It will take hours for the clear, can't remember if that's the screen you see or not.
 
#14 ·
I was given a series 3 unit and, when I checked the TSN with TiVo, I found that it has lifetime. With the current issues surrounding the latest upgrade, the Rovi data, etc., what would be the recommended refurbishment course? I could do a C&DE and just let the upgrades run their course. Or is there an image yet that includes the latest version?
 
#17 ·
I think I was skipped as I've only heard of the current 11.0n.H1 that most of us have now and 11.0n.J1 that appeared to be in beta although at least 1 person received it that was not having any issues or a part of any beta. For HD models H1 and J1 also include the ability to record MPEG4 cable channels which was introduced with version 11.0n.B1. This isn't available on the original S3 OLED even with the new software.

Scott
 
#18 ·
I was given a series 3 unit and, when I checked the TSN with TiVo, I found that it has lifetime. With the current issues surrounding the latest upgrade, the Rovi data, etc., what would be the recommended refurbishment course? I could do a C&DE and just let the upgrades run their course. Or is there an image yet that includes the latest version?
Is it a 648, a 652, or a 658?
 
#21 ·
anyone have a link to a TCD652160 image? All the previous links are dead. I have one with a lifetime subscription and bad hard drive and want to replace the HD so I can sell it on ebay. Thanks
 
#22 ·
Sent from another thread.
 
#24 ·
Please confirm what model before I can give out the proper link.
 
#26 ·
Yes, my fault. Model is TCD663000. Australian Tivo - HD 1TB.
I need something to start the hard drive and then i can download the most recent version using kick starter or tivo menu.
At the moment i only have a fresh formated disk that passes the SMART test. Nothing more than that.
Can't help you. As I said before (in another thread), image for this model does not exist currently and Series 3/2 can only use image of the exact same model.
 
#28 ·
Tivo does not use the same format as your typical computer.
You do not even need to format a hard drive to put an image on it. Format basically just prepares the drive for the specific system to use.

What you can try is to copy a known good running image from the same model using MFSTools 3.2. WinMFS 9.3f may work, but its for Windows.
 
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