4 Flashing Lights....hard drive clone questions

Quick update, I ran WD Digital Lifeguard Diagnostics and it failed. Is it still possible to clone it so I don't lose the shows and OnePass or should I just accept it's dead and let my wife kill me?

preilly44 said:

Quick update, I ran WD Digital Lifeguard Diagnostics and it failed. Is it still possible to clone it so I don't lose the shows and OnePass or should I just accept it's dead and let my wife kill me?

Click to expand...

If drive is bad unlikely a clone will work. If you are planning to clone and put in a different Tivo that DEFINITELY will not work even if the clone is successful, the drive is married to the Tivo motherboard. You might be able to save some recordings by transferring to a computer but much depends on whether using TE4/Hydra or TE3/Classic. Probably not if you are getting flashing lights, ie won't boot up.........

Thanks for the quick response. Windows Disk manager see's the drive but that's about it. I was hoping to make a backup of the new Drive that came in the new Tivo, then clone the "dead" drive to the new Tivo drive, put it back in the original (old Tivo), transfer shows/OP to another Tivo I have then load the backup of the new drive back to the new drive and put it in the new Tivo, then once again, transfer all the shows from the working Tivo I have to the new one.

That sounds like a lot....

preilly44 said:

Thanks for the quick response. Windows Disk manager see's the drive but that's about it. I was hoping to make a backup of the new Drive that came in the new Tivo, then clone the "dead" drive to the new Tivo drive, put it back in the original (old Tivo), transfer shows/OP to another Tivo I have then load the backup of the new drive back to the new drive and put it in the new Tivo, then once again, transfer all the shows from the working Tivo I have to the new one.

That sounds like a lot....

Click to expand...

Yeah it does Even if it worked (unlikely if original drive is bad), if you are on TE4 can't transfer between Tivos directly. Supposedly can do with Tivo Online but I've tried it, they SEEM to transfer but then freeze up when playing back. With TE3 your plan MIGHT work. I assume both Tivos are Bolts? And both on TE4, almost for sure the new Bolt will be. Bolts are very difficult to clone/copy, can lose everything when swapping drives around (as much is stored on a flash drive, the flash drive expects to see the EXACT same drive as last time the Bolt was powered up). It can get VERY complicated...............

You know if you just decide to start fresh with the "bad drive" Tivo you might want to call Tivo and describe the problem. They might send you a replacement for free or $49. After they put you through some "tests", could be on the phone awhile. Worth a try, especially if the bad drive Tivo has lifetime service. Some people with 3TB Bolt + have been getting replacements for free as the 3TB is notorious for going bad. Even if out of warranty.

Yeah, I have Hydra on the old box and I'm sure the new box. Tivo is sending a replacement box Was just hoping to not lose tons of shows my wife and I watch and OP. We've been doing a ton of traveling so haven't really watched anything since September. I guess All the shows and OP are gone

For Cloning, you pretty much either use a 'Cloning Dock' or MFS, near as I can tell. There's a thread around here for MFS.

-KP