upgraded Sony Tivo 1 Drive swap question

[Hoops]

Archived from groups: alt.video.ptv.tivo (More info?)

i have an original sony 30 hour series I tivo. software 3.001-1010

years ago i followed hinsdale and successfully added a 120gb (5400) as Drive
A and moved the original 30gb as Drive B.

i didn't just add the 120 as B so as to give myself an easier job in the
future had i wanted to go to dual 120's (which ultimately i've never
bothered to do).

anyway, all of a sudden the unit is starting to randomly pause and i'm
pretty confident one of the drives is failing.

i'd like to repair this in such a way as to not lose any of the content (and
season pass, etc. info).

i don't know if it's Drive A (120) or B (30) failing.

my assumption is that the correct way to proceed is to:

1. replace B and then test system (by using it). If no problems, then i'm
good to go w/o any further work to do.

2. If #1 doesn't cure the problem, i'd then need to replace A as well.

Questions:

1. i know the 137 meg limit is still in place per drive. i had assumed
(back in the day) that with dual 120's, the lag would be intolerable. the
lag with 150 (120+30) is bad enuf. is going with dual 120's a mistake,
lag-wise?

2. if i simply want to replace the 30 with another 30, do i need to do
anything fancy, or is there a simple way to copy the old 30 to the new 30
and not at all deal with the A drive?

3. am i missing anything in this simple analysis?

thanks

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.video.ptv.tivo (More info?)

In article <HVfue.1048$2Z3.347@fe10.lga>, hoops <hoops_1002@aol.com>
wrote:

> i have an original sony 30 hour series I tivo. software 3.001-1010
>
> years ago i followed hinsdale and successfully added a 120gb (5400) as Drive
> A and moved the original 30gb as Drive B.
>
> i didn't just add the 120 as B so as to give myself an easier job in the
> future had i wanted to go to dual 120's (which ultimately i've never
> bothered to do).
>
> anyway, all of a sudden the unit is starting to randomly pause and i'm
> pretty confident one of the drives is failing.
>
> i'd like to repair this in such a way as to not lose any of the content (and
> season pass, etc. info).
>
> i don't know if it's Drive A (120) or B (30) failing.
>
> my assumption is that the correct way to proceed is to:
>
> 1. replace B and then test system (by using it). If no problems, then i'm
> good to go w/o any further work to do.
>
> 2. If #1 doesn't cure the problem, i'd then need to replace A as well.
>
> Questions:
>
> 1. i know the 137 meg limit is still in place per drive. i had assumed
> (back in the day) that with dual 120's, the lag would be intolerable. the
> lag with 150 (120+30) is bad enuf. is going with dual 120's a mistake,
> lag-wise?
>
> 2. if i simply want to replace the 30 with another 30, do i need to do
> anything fancy, or is there a simple way to copy the old 30 to the new 30
> and not at all deal with the A drive?
>
> 3. am i missing anything in this simple analysis?
>
> thanks

I had the same situation with one or the other of the two 120GB Maxtor
drives I installed in one of my SAT-T60s. Maxtor has software that
will do non-destructive testing on its drives, so I tested both drives.
Sure enough, I found a problem on one of them. Copying the contents to
a new 120 as per Hinsdale solved it.

I would suggest you try testing the drives before having to make a
guess as to which one is bad, or to de-install one to see if the other
one works. (I'm not even sure your unit will work with a missing
drive.)

To answer your other question, I have never regretted installing two
120s, lag be damned. If I were you, I'd replace the 30 with a larger
drive. I think the proper way to test, if the testing software doesn't
tell you anything, is to copy and install a new A drive, and see. If
the unit fails again, you can then reinstall the old A and copy the
stuff from the B drive to the new drive.

Your A and B drives have to be married. You can't shortcut the process
by simply dropping in a new, copied B drive.

 

[Hoops]

Archived from groups: alt.video.ptv.tivo (More info?)

"Dr. Personality" <affable@no.com.invalid> wrote in message
news:220620051239086186%affable@no.com.invalid...
> In article <HVfue.1048$2Z3.347@fe10.lga>, hoops <hoops_1002@aol.com>
> wrote:
>
> > i have an original sony 30 hour series I tivo. software 3.001-1010
> >
> > years ago i followed hinsdale and successfully added a 120gb (5400) as
Drive
> > A and moved the original 30gb as Drive B.
> >
> > i didn't just add the 120 as B so as to give myself an easier job in the
> > future had i wanted to go to dual 120's (which ultimately i've never
> > bothered to do).
> >
> > anyway, all of a sudden the unit is starting to randomly pause and i'm
> > pretty confident one of the drives is failing.
> >
> > i'd like to repair this in such a way as to not lose any of the content
(and
> > season pass, etc. info).
> >
> > i don't know if it's Drive A (120) or B (30) failing.
> >
> > my assumption is that the correct way to proceed is to:
> >
> > 1. replace B and then test system (by using it). If no problems, then
i'm
> > good to go w/o any further work to do.
> >
> > 2. If #1 doesn't cure the problem, i'd then need to replace A as well.
> >
> > Questions:
> >
> > 1. i know the 137 meg limit is still in place per drive. i had assumed
> > (back in the day) that with dual 120's, the lag would be intolerable.
the
> > lag with 150 (120+30) is bad enuf. is going with dual 120's a mistake,
> > lag-wise?
> >
> > 2. if i simply want to replace the 30 with another 30, do i need to do
> > anything fancy, or is there a simple way to copy the old 30 to the new
30
> > and not at all deal with the A drive?
> >
> > 3. am i missing anything in this simple analysis?
> >
> > thanks
>
> I had the same situation with one or the other of the two 120GB Maxtor
> drives I installed in one of my SAT-T60s. Maxtor has software that
> will do non-destructive testing on its drives, so I tested both drives.
> Sure enough, I found a problem on one of them. Copying the contents to
> a new 120 as per Hinsdale solved it.
>
> I would suggest you try testing the drives before having to make a
> guess as to which one is bad, or to de-install one to see if the other
> one works. (I'm not even sure your unit will work with a missing
> drive.)
>
> To answer your other question, I have never regretted installing two
> 120s, lag be damned. If I were you, I'd replace the 30 with a larger
> drive. I think the proper way to test, if the testing software doesn't
> tell you anything, is to copy and install a new A drive, and see. If
> the unit fails again, you can then reinstall the old A and copy the
> stuff from the B drive to the new drive.
>
> Your A and B drives have to be married. You can't shortcut the process
> by simply dropping in a new, copied B drive.

thanks for your reply.

OTTOMH, i don't know what brand the 30 is, but the 120 is WD. i guess i'll
sniff around for the original floppy and see if there are diagnostic
routines on it.

i forgot all about the process of marrying the drives.

if i have say 100 hours of 'content' on my current system, i guess the
procedure (from hinsdale) is something like:

1. use the tools to copy all info (content, settings) to an existing large
drive in a pc (presumably that will all end up in one large file,
"file.ext"??)
2. replace the B drive and reinstall everything using file.ext
3. if i still have problems; then replace the A drive and reinstall
everything (again using file.ext).

sound right? thanks

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.video.ptv.tivo (More info?)

In article <6Phue.18214$l_2.18109@fe09.lga>, hoops <hoops_1002@aol.com>
wrote:

> thanks for your reply.
>
> OTTOMH, i don't know what brand the 30 is, but the 120 is WD. i guess i'll
> sniff around for the original floppy and see if there are diagnostic
> routines on it.

You can download the latest version of Western Digital's diagnostic
software from their website.

> i forgot all about the process of marrying the drives.
>
> if i have say 100 hours of 'content' on my current system, i guess the
> procedure (from hinsdale) is something like:
>
> 1. use the tools to copy all info (content, settings) to an existing large
> drive in a pc (presumably that will all end up in one large file,
> "file.ext"??)
> 2. replace the B drive and reinstall everything using file.ext
> 3. if i still have problems; then replace the A drive and reinstall
> everything (again using file.ext).
>
> sound right? thanks

That isn't the Hinsdale procedure. You make a small disc image for
backup purposes, and this backup resides on your PC, but all your
recordings, etc., are copied directly from the old drive to the new
drive. To do that you have to install the drives in your PC in a
particular way. You then install the new drive in the TiVo, and a step
or two later you're good to go.

I'm familiar with the Hinsdale. Others have suggested another method
they say is ealier to follow, but I don't know anything about it.

 

[Hoops]

Archived from groups: alt.video.ptv.tivo (More info?)

"Dr. Personality" <affable@no.com.invalid> wrote in message
news:220620052226354570%affable@no.com.invalid...
> In article <6Phue.18214$l_2.18109@fe09.lga>, hoops <hoops_1002@aol.com>

<snip>

>> if i have say 100 hours of 'content' on my current system, i guess the
>> procedure (from hinsdale) is something like:
>>
>> 1. use the tools to copy all info (content, settings) to an existing
>> large
>> drive in a pc (presumably that will all end up in one large file,
>> "file.ext"??)
>> 2. replace the B drive and reinstall everything using file.ext
>> 3. if i still have problems; then replace the A drive and reinstall
>> everything (again using file.ext).
>>
>> sound right? thanks
>
> That isn't the Hinsdale procedure. You make a small disc image for
> backup purposes, and this backup resides on your PC, but all your
> recordings, etc., are copied directly from the old drive to the new
> drive. To do that you have to install the drives in your PC in a
> particular way. You then install the new drive in the TiVo, and a step
> or two later you're good to go.
>

i'll need to go thru hinsdale carefully, but that image - is it the same
image i created several years ago when i did this the first time (IOW, can i
skip this step)?

secondly, remember, i have 2 drives and i'll potentially change B from 30 to
120. i assume that hinsdale's procedure handles that kind of multi-drive
copy? thanks

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.video.ptv.tivo (More info?)

In article <a7xue.8213$ik5.5059@fe12.lga>, hoops <hoops_1002@aol.com>
wrote:

> "Dr. Personality" <affable@no.com.invalid> wrote in message
> news:220620052226354570%affable@no.com.invalid...
> > In article <6Phue.18214$l_2.18109@fe09.lga>, hoops <hoops_1002@aol.com>
>
> <snip>
>
> >> if i have say 100 hours of 'content' on my current system, i guess the
> >> procedure (from hinsdale) is something like:
> >>
> >> 1. use the tools to copy all info (content, settings) to an existing
> >> large
> >> drive in a pc (presumably that will all end up in one large file,
> >> "file.ext"??)
> >> 2. replace the B drive and reinstall everything using file.ext
> >> 3. if i still have problems; then replace the A drive and reinstall
> >> everything (again using file.ext).
> >>
> >> sound right? thanks
> >
> > That isn't the Hinsdale procedure. You make a small disc image for
> > backup purposes, and this backup resides on your PC, but all your
> > recordings, etc., are copied directly from the old drive to the new
> > drive. To do that you have to install the drives in your PC in a
> > particular way. You then install the new drive in the TiVo, and a step
> > or two later you're good to go.
> >
>
> i'll need to go thru hinsdale carefully, but that image - is it the same
> image i created several years ago when i did this the first time (IOW, can i
> skip this step)?


Why skip it? It doesn't take long to make the image. In any case, I
doubt the image you made back then reflects the current state of your
drive.

I would not advise you to skip any steps.


> secondly, remember, i have 2 drives and i'll potentially change B from 30 to
> 120. i assume that hinsdale's procedure handles that kind of multi-drive
> copy? thanks

Yes. Just follow the instructions, and you'll be fine.