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Think your tivo hard drive is dead? Here's how to find out...

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  • So you're using coax from the TiVo to the TV?

    You should try pressing the TiVo button on the remote - the unit may be in standby.
    Been here a long time . . .

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    • Originally posted by WK-Michael View Post
      So you're using coax from the TiVo to the TV?

      You should try pressing the TiVo button on the remote - the unit may be in standby.

      No, it's not in standby. After power cycling the unit, the Sony logo never shows, the startup vignette never comes up, and power on LED never shows a yellowish tint when pressing anything on the remote (the remote's LED does flash).

      Is there a way to display any of the UNIX boot messages?

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      • Sounds like a dead drive. See if you use the red/yellow/white if you get the boot sequence and a hang.
        Been here a long time . . .

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        • TiVo (non) startup symptoms

          I have a series-2 TiVo branded unit that started exhibiting symptoms of a failing drive (blocky images with occasional freezes). Now it won't start up (not even a startup screen). The screen is black but the sound is passed through from the cable box and the all the colors in the TiVo lights are lit.

          I've had to replace bad drives before, but I'm a little worried that there is no startup screen at all. Should I try replacing the drive or has something else gone bad?

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          • I have a Tivo Series2 that started the reboot loop yesterday. I tried running the SMART test and it also shows the green "Test passed" in the upper left, but after Initial State (under Primary) it says "NoRead". Does this mean that the test was unable to even check the initial state? No other info got updated on the screen, so I'm not seeing a result for the Short test, conveyance test, extended test, or off-line scan. But I can't seem to find any info about what this result of the test means. I'm guessing it means my hard drive is toast, but I'd like more info.

            THANKS!

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            • I'd start the test again and run the long/extended/overnight test at the outset.

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              • help me please

                I came home and found my tivo with a blank screen. I pushed buttons on my remote and had no response nor did the light on the front blink. I unplugged the unit for a few minutes and plugged it back in. All the lights on the front of the unit lit up and the screen said welcome after a few minutes the lights went out and the screen went black for a second. Then it went back to the welcome screen with no lights on in the front display. This is a series 2 unit ( TCD140060 ). Is this a hard drive or could it be something else? I have it hooked to my direct tv box with a serial cable. Can it be upgraded to a series 3 and still control my direct tv box? If I send it into WK
                for the 149 fix it, what size hard drive ( if it is a hard drive) do you put back into it?

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                • Help from Australia

                  Hi Guys, I have read this entire threat and I am pretty sure i need to replace my HD but just wanted to double check. We have a huge thunderstorm the other night and a blackout that lasted a few hours. Now my TiVo (model number TCD663160) is frozen on the 'welcome powering up' screen, with my external WD 1tb harddrive (model number 10000F032) blinking and the wireless adapter not responding.

                  Given the above does it sound like to you guys that I need a new HD? ie = http://www.weaknees.com/australia-new-zealand-tivo.php

                  Also, it is worth changing the power supply as well at the same time? If so, I cant seen to find one on your site for my model?

                  Grateful for you help in advance. Cheers! Evan

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                  • Originally posted by evannaarah View Post
                    Hi Guys, I have read this entire threat and I am pretty sure i need to replace my HD but just wanted to double check. We have a huge thunderstorm the other night and a blackout that lasted a few hours. Now my TiVo (model number TCD663160) is frozen on the 'welcome powering up' screen, with my external WD 1tb harddrive (model number 10000F032) blinking and the wireless adapter not responding.

                    Given the above does it sound like to you guys that I need a new HD? ie = http://www.weaknees.com/australia-new-zealand-tivo.php

                    Also, it is worth changing the power supply as well at the same time? If so, I cant seen to find one on your site for my model?

                    Grateful for you help in advance. Cheers! Evan
                    Sorry for the delay.

                    Yes, that sounds like a bad drive.

                    No, you shouldn't need a new power supply if you get the "welcome" screen.
                    Been here a long time . . .

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                    • One of my two TIVO HD units is stuck on the Powering Up screen. I'd like to troubleshoot the "bad" TIVO by removing the hard drive from my other identical "good" TIVO and putting the good hard drive in the bad TIVO to see if that solves the problem. Once I'm done troubleshooting, I'd like to put the good hard drive back in the good TIVO. Any reason I shouldn't do this? Of course, I want all of my recorded shows to still be on the hard drive when I put it back in the good TIVO.

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                      • No reason not to try that.

                        If it works, you'll get an error #51 hardware error, but that's to be expected until you move the drive back.
                        Been here a long time . . .

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                        • I wanted to do the same thing, to my Series 3 to check if it is, in fact, a HD failure, I was going to transfer a working HD from an old Tivo Series 2 into my series 3 (stuck in "Powering Up" mode). When I cracked both of them open, it appears that the Tivo Series 2 drive is an IDE drive and and the Series 3 drive is a SATA drive. So they are not compatible without an adapter. Am I right about that? Should I head on down to Radio Shack and pick one up to do the quick swap (and order a new drive for the Series 3 for later)?

                          Or is it easier just to buy a new drive and be without my Tivo for a few days?

                          I'm essentially a Mac user (though I do have a PC lying about), and wanted to test the Western Digital drive I found inside my Series 3, but the link seems shot.

                          EDIT: on closer inspection, the USB connection to the TIVO wireless adapter is also not lighting up, in either slot. Is this a power source issue instead? Fan IS on.
                          Last edited by Sargassoc; 07-01-2014, 07:54 AM.

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                          • Originally posted by Sargassoc View Post
                            I wanted to do the same thing, to my Series 3 to check if it is, in fact, a HD failure, I was going to transfer a working HD from an old Tivo Series 2 into my series 3 (stuck in "Powering Up" mode). When I cracked both of them open, it appears that the Tivo Series 2 drive is an IDE drive and and the Series 3 drive is a SATA drive. So they are not compatible without an adapter. Am I right about that? Should I head on down to Radio Shack and pick one up to do the quick swap (and order a new drive for the Series 3 for later)?

                            Or is it easier just to buy a new drive and be without my Tivo for a few days?

                            I'm essentially a Mac user (though I do have a PC lying about), and wanted to test the Western Digital drive I found inside my Series 3, but the link seems shot.

                            EDIT: on closer inspection, the USB connection to the TIVO wireless adapter is also not lighting up, in either slot. Is this a power source issue instead? Fan IS on.
                            You cannot move your drive from a S2 to a S3 as a test; it won't work. USB won't light up if the TiVo doesn't boot, so that's not a troubleshooting step that's useful.

                            If you are stuck on powering up and the lights on the front are on, that is generally a good indicator that you need a new drive and I'd suggest a self-install kit.

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                            • Thanks. I have purchased a Roamio for now. Will also keep the Series 3 on hand and swap out the HD when/if I need it. (I also have an Premiere XL in another room, so I'm hanging onto the series 2 and now the series 3 for parts.)

                              One other question: is it possible the HD isn't dead yet (cue Monty Python's Mary, Queen of Scots), but is on its way out, maybe has some bad sectors, but can be started once more with a drive utility? Then I could fish around and pull out recordings?

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                              • I can't tell you that for sure, but there is no 'fishing around and pulling out recordings.' They are all encrypted on the drive...it's not like recovering files from a Windows drive. You'd have to get the drive to boot in your TiVo again.

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