[MoranJ2000]

Hi all.

I'm trying to replace the hard drive in my Roamio Plus. I bought a WD Blue 2TB replacement drive, connected it internally, saw the "Welcome, Starting up..." screen, and then left it overnight figuring it would do it's thing.

When I returned to the TiVo in the morning (9+ hours later) it was still stuck on that same Welcome screen. I pulled power and tried it again, and 2+ hours later, no progress, same Welcome screen.

I've confirmed the power/data cable is secure and that the drive is powered up (it's warm).

My understanding was that the Roamio would automatically partition/format a replacement drive and prep it with the TiVo software, but that's not happening in my case.

Short of a defective hard drive (the drive was brand new, by the way), I'm not sure what else could be going on here.

Any ideas or suggestions would be welcome.

Thanks very much.

 

[Scott9mm]

It could be any number of things but maybe your new drive uses shingled (SMR) tracks which are a problem for things like NAS, security systems, and DVRs. Is your drive one of these? If so, I's recommend trying a non-SMR hard drive. Maybe you have a spare on hand (even a small one).

 

[ThAbtO]

It can be also the hard drive using more power than the PS can handle. Since it has not gone to the "Almost there" screen, that may be it.

 

[MoranJ2000]

It could be any number of things but maybe your new drive uses shingled (SMR) tracks which are a problem for things like NAS, security systems, and DVRs. Is your drive one of these? If so, I's recommend trying a non-SMR hard drive. Maybe you have a spare on hand (even a small one).

Yup-- the 2TB Blue drive I bought is SMR. I know all about the whole CMR vs. SMR thing with NAS devices, but I didn't think it would be an issue with a TiVo so I didn't even check the drive type before buying it.

Anyway, I happened to also have a non-SMR WD 3TB Red drive I was saving for future NAS use, and when I tried that in the TiVo it was up and running within about 20 minutes.

So it indeed appears that TiVos don't like SMR drives. (Of course, nobody likes SMR so I guess that should be no surprise.)

Already ordered a new (confirmed non-SMR) Red drive for my TiVo, and sending the Blue one back.

Thanks!

 

[Scott9mm]

Glad you are back in business. With SMR, to change data in a track that has been "shingled" over the changed data needs to be moved to virgin space or the overlapping track (and the track that overlapped it ... and so on) needs to be totally re-written after the first track is changed. On PCs a great deal of data that seldom changes so this is less a problem. But NVRs, DVRs, and NAS (to a lesser degree) run with the disk near full and write over old data all the time so this track-rewrite-domino effect is catastrophic, On Tivo, I suspect your problem was a full partition. For a long time, WD did not use SMR but then started using it on certain product lines without really telling folks. Bad on them.

 

[nt40lanman]

How much space did you get on the 3TB? Will the unit automatically use all 3 TB?

 

[ThAbtO]

How much space did you get on the 3TB? Will the unit automatically use all 3 TB?

That will happen if the drive is blank, not when there is an image already on it. And, as long as the drive will work in it.

 

[myklbear]

If the drive is defective and you're going to replace it, can you put the new drive in and get it formatted and then copy all of the existing data over to the new drive?

Sent from my Pixel 3 XL using Tapatalk

 

[ThAbtO]

If the drive is defective and you're going to replace it, can you put the new drive in and get it formatted and then copy all of the existing data over to the new drive?

Sent from my Pixel 3 XL using Tapatalk

Not on a Tivo drive, when its failed, its really failed, no way to access anything. You cannot copy any parts, its either the whole drive or nothing. There are no files accessible if you were to hook it to a computer.

 

[myklbear]

The drive still works but I have a feeling that it's starting to fail

Sent from my Pixel 3 XL using Tapatalk

 

[brobin]

This thread may be helpful: Transferring saved recordings to a new Tivo model

 

[ThAbtO]

This thread may be helpful: Transferring saved recordings to a new Tivo model

That requires the drive to be still running in its Tivo, then transfer shows to the computer and then back to Tivo. That is great for older Tivos with <v21 Tivo software, but on v21, that will not happen to get shows to the Tivo running the v21/Hydra/TE4.

 

[Series3Sub]

I've been using WD's Surveillance Purple (the old WD A/V line equivalent/replacement) HDD designed/marketed for surveillance DVR's for use with very high number of "channels" or cameras, so they should handle multiple tuner TiVo DVR's just fine. I have been very pleased with them so far, and they are not SMR. Also, the Purple is the preferred for DVR 5400rpm.

While the warranty is only 3 years, I suspect this is to cover WD's behind with surveillance DVR systems that have as many as 30+ channels running 24/7 (WD claims the HDD can handle something like 64 channels/cameras, IIRC). So, I would suspect that a TiVo running a maximum of 6 tuners 24/7 is going to last longer than 3 years because that is nowhere near as brutal a beating of a 30+ channel surveillance DVR running 24/7. I believe I've passed the 3rd year of one of my purples and no hint of any problems.

 

[CodeButcher]

I've been using WD's Surveillance Purple (the old WD A/V line equivalent/replacement) HDD designed/marketed for surveillance DVR's for use with very high number of "channels" or cameras, so they should handle multiple tuner TiVo DVR's just fine. I have been very pleased with them so far, and they are not SMR. Also, the Purple is the preferred for DVR 5400rpm.

While the warranty is only 3 years, I suspect this is to cover WD's behind with surveillance DVR systems that have as many as 30+ channels running 24/7 (WD claims the HDD can handle something like 64 channels/cameras, IIRC). So, I would suspect that a TiVo running a maximum of 6 tuners 24/7 is going to last longer than 3 years because that is nowhere near as brutal a beating of a 30+ channel surveillance DVR running 24/7. I believe I've passed the 3rd year of one of my purples and no hint of any problems.

I've been using the same WD Purple drive for years now.

 

[Series3Sub]

I've been using the same WD Purple drive for years now.

Well, that is good to hear. I have both faith and experience with them, espcially since they are designed to take the beating or up to 64 cameras 24/7 365 days a year. A mere 4 or 6 tuners 24/7 365 days per year (if one does not user the Power Saving option to spin down the HDD's when not in use) should allow the WD Purple HDD to work beyond the 3 year warranty.

Thanks for the confirmation.