Registered: Apr 2002
Location: NJ, USA
Posts: 122

When I first got my Tivo, I believe I took out the original drive and replaced it with a copy and I then added a second drive. I thought I read somewhere that a backup drive is not longer needed and that if something where to happen to my current dreives, that I could repair them with some underground software that is available around here.

Is this true? I am wondering because I was thinking of putting the original Tivo drive in my PC instead of buying a new one.

Does anyone see a problem with this idea?

Also, what is the GB size of an orignal 30 hour Tivo drive? Is it 30GB?

Tom

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Registered: Jul 2002
Location: Cambridgeshire, UK
Posts: 9266

If you use MFS Tools to make a backup of your old A drive you will get a small file (between 200 and 500 Mb) from which you can recreate a TiVo A drive (you lose the recordings, of course) on any drive larger than the original.

It should be a 30Gb drive. It's quite a slow drive, though. If you care about speed, you should use it as a secondary drive for storing data and run Windows and its swap file off a 7200 RPM drive. Other than that, once it's unlocked (use qunlock to permanently unlock it) it's an ordinary IDE drive.

__________________
Please do not PM me asking for TiVo backups. I don't have any.

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Registered: Apr 2002
Location: NJ, USA
Posts: 122

I am not sure how I made the backup. It was a few years back. If my Tivo were to die with the two drives in it now, how would I recover?

Could you also tell me about this unlocking thing. I am not sure what that means or what I need to do.

Thanks.

Tom

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Registered: Jan 2000
Location: Denver, CO
Posts: 1290

If you do not have a backup you can download the 150MB to 300MB file off of the net somewhere (and violating TiVo copyright).

If you want to make a backup find Hindsales guide (stick post at top of this forum). It takes about 15 min one you download the right software and such.

IF you mount the drive on your machine and it shows up as something like 9MB then it is locked. TiVo locks the drive sometimes to prevent you from using it in your PC, but it is easily bypassed. I think Hinsdale's guide has the link to qunlock and instructions.

You may have a 15GB drive. Whay model do you have?

My Standalone drive is stored in my drawer, but both of my DTiVo drives (15 & 30 in that model) are is use in a PC and a Mac.

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Registered: Jul 2002
Location: Cambridgeshire, UK
Posts: 9266

You can use MFS Tools make a 'divorced' backup of your current twin-drive configuration, which could be restored to a single drive. I suggested backing up your old A drive so you wouldn't have to open the TiVo. A backup of your current set is preferable because your data will be more current, but a backup of your old drive would be enough to save your TiVo - if not your data - from a drive failure.

__________________
Please do not PM me asking for TiVo backups. I don't have any.

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