[jkalnin]

I either hear my fan spinning now or my hard drive. It is a high pitched sound which almost sounds like metal on metal. It isn't really loud, but it does have me a bit worried. Is there a way to tell if it is fan or HD...? I am sure the answer has me opening the Tivo, which scares me a bit.

The Tivo is about 5 years old now. Is it typical for the fan to go first or the hard drive?

 

[wscannell]

The easy way to test the fan noise is to unplug the tivo. Take a plastic zip-tie and put it in one of the fan holes to block the blades from turning. Plug in the TiVo and check the noise. Pull the zip-tie out and see if the fan starts making noise. Do not leave the zip-tie in place for more than a few seconds.