TiVo Edge won't start up

You should always set up a TiVo unit and activate with TiVo without cablecard first. The menu prompts will allow you to activate without the card first. Then unplug and install the card and activate card.

 

Maybe try a new HDMI cable? But most likely that unit is going back to WeaKnees. I've bought an upgraded TiVo, drive kits, and fan kits from them. Their support is first class.

 

The problem here seems to be hardware-related. But just out of curiosity, why do you say it's better to activate without a CableCARD first? I've done that a couple times because I didn't have the card yet. But why is that better?

 

In my opinion, running all the setup configuration pieces, including guide & channel options, gives me a good feeling that everything is working. There may be software update when a unit is first connected to the network. Finding problems before installing the card and pairing it just seems logical. All I do is say "install later" and let the TiVo do its thing. But it's your choice.

 

Abruptly powering it down or unplugging in the middle of setup likely caused the problem. Usually a TiVo can recover and move on as usual. In this case it did not. Proper setup is always important in any case.

 

I do not believe you need to power down to insert and/or remove an cable card. I have done it in the past.

 

I'm old and don't like to rotate a spinning hard drive. But those laptop drives must be built for it.

 

You certainly don't have to. CableCARDs are designed to be hot-swappable. There is no need to power down a unit to insert or remove them. And it's probably ill-advised to do so, as this case demonstrates.

There are no spinning hard drives inside of a CableCARD.

 

Picking up and moving the Tivo to place the CableCARD in it will rotate the/move/jostle the HDD in the Tivo and that's where he was going.

 

Ah I understand now. The CableCARD on my Roamio Plus just shoves in from the back, so moving the unit isn't required. I know other TiVo models require you to pick up the unit and stick it in from the bottom. That's a poor design choice on TiVo's part.

Still, if you move slowly and are careful it shouldn't be a problem. Laptops used to use spinning hard drives and I was always jostling my old laptops in college with spinning hard drives and it never caused a problem.

 

For the Bolt we need to turn the unit upside-down and pry off a door to the CableCARD compartment. Like a big battery door. Sometimes it releases with a sudden snap. And while you're doing that, the whole Bolt may see-saw across its dumb design. So I can understand why some would be hesitant to do that while the little beast is running.

 

Fair enough. If I were going to attempt it, I would probably open the door before powering on the unit and then prop it up on its side. Spinning hard drives work perfectly well vertically.