# Replace drive on Monthly Bolt?



## Laughs Brightly (Jan 23, 2016)

Got a White Bolt 500GB coming on a $0 down/2 year commitment from Tivo. The plan was to replace the hard drive, but I was reading the forum here and it sounds like newer Bolts aren't easy to open without breaking some plastics? Wondering what advice you'd give me with upgrading this device and how Tivo would handle support if I swapped the drive?

I'd rather swap the 500 as it's empty, but sounds like it might be a lot safer for me to clear off my 1 TB Bolt with commitment ending in a month and upgrade that instead?

FYI, I have swapped drives on 3 Roamios and have have cracked hundreds of laptops - so I'm not a stranger to a spudger. Just don't want to take on an unacceptably high risk on a device with a 24 month agreement. 

Is the WD Blue 2 TB WD20SPZX still the recommended Bolt drive for upgrade? I wouldn't think a Blue would handle the constant writes well?


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## jlb (Dec 13, 2001)

Out of caution, maybe you wait until the Bolt is out of warranty before swapping the drive.

I took every caution possible and was careful and still broke a few plastic clips. However, the unit still holds together tightly. And if I ever need to replace or want to further upgrade, it will be "easier" next time.

I think the most universally accepted 2TB upgrade choice is the WD20NPVZ. I sucked up a little extra cash expenditure to order it direct from Western Digital.


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## Mikeguy (Jul 28, 2005)

jlb said:


> Out of caution, maybe you wait until the Bolt is out of warranty before swapping the drive.


One thing to keep in mind: with a monthly or annual subscription, a box has TiVo's Continual Care warranty. I'm not sure, personally, how that might affect the calculus.


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## jlb (Dec 13, 2001)

Mikeguy said:


> One thing to keep in mind: with a monthly or annual subscription, a box has TiVo's Continual Care warranty. I'm not sure, personally, how that might affect the calculus.


Oh good point

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## jrtroo (Feb 4, 2008)

Watch a youtube video- not hard to do without damage. I would not worry about the warranty myself, keep the old drive on the shelf in case of emergency and pop back in if needed.


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## shwru980r (Jun 22, 2008)

I doubt a DVR without lifetime service would be scrutinized, if it was sent back under warranty. If you don't buy the extended warranty, then you are fully covered for 90 days and then you have the continual care warranty where you have to pay $49 to swap your bolt for a refurbished bolt. If the clips are that easy to break, then Tivo is probably sending refurbished Bolts with broken clips back to customers as replacements. If you do break a clip, then just put the broken clip back inside the Tivo when you reassemble it. If you then subsequently send the Tivo back under warranty and Tivo opens the unit to check for a broken clip, they will see the broken piece and will not be able to make a determination of when it was broken.


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## Mikeguy (Jul 28, 2005)

shwru980r said:


> I doubt a DVR without lifetime service would be scrutinized, if it was sent back under warranty. If you don't buy the extended warranty, then you are fully covered for 90 days and then you have the continual care warranty where you have to pay $49 to swap your bolt for a refurbished bolt. If the clips are that easy to break, then Tivo is probably sending refurbished Bolts with broken clips back to customers as replacements. If you do break a clip, then just put the broken clip back inside the Tivo when you reassemble it. If you then subsequently send the Tivo back under warranty and Tivo opens the unit to check for a broken clip, they will see the broken piece and will not be able to make a determination of when it was broken.


That thought did occur to me: if the clips break so easily for users swapping a hard drive, they potentially would do so for TiVo as well.

For the good or bad of it, with my Lifetime boxes, I just decided that I would wait out the year warranty, "just in case." (Electronics sometimes just don't like me.)

Also, totally unknown if TiVo would even care (just as it typically has looked the other way as to hard drive replacements).


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## Laughs Brightly (Jan 23, 2016)

Mikeguy said:


> One thing to keep in mind: with a monthly or annual subscription, a box has TiVo's Continual Care warranty. I'm not sure, personally, how that might affect the calculus.


Exactly. Kind of what my question was about. My Bolts are my first Tivos not Lifetime and not under an expiring warranty.
Anyone try a WD Red 1 TB WD10JFCX in a Bolt?


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## Mikeguy (Jul 28, 2005)

Laughs Brightly said:


> Exactly. Kind of what my question was about. My Bolts are my first Tivos not Lifetime and not under an expiring warranty.


There may be only a limited difference between the options, in the end.

With the new box, you get a 1-year warranty, but only the first 90 days is for parts and labor; after that, parts only. According to the policy, you cover shipping charges the entire time (I'm not clear if TiVo actually has been separately charging that). The way it's seemed to have worked out is, a free replacement box the first 90 days, and a $49 charge for the rest of that year (plus, possibly, separate shipping charges).

With Continual Care under a Roamio or Bolt monthly or annual subscription, that's extended to $49 replacement warranty coverage for the period of the subscription (i.e., covering beyond the first year).

And so, the difference for you between your new and non-new boxes really seems to come down to the first 90 days of the new box, given the monthly/annual subscription and Continual Care.

Of course, there also is the concern if TiVo would deny warranty coverage at any point, for altering the box. The only thing I can refer to is TiVo's tendency to look the other way when it's come to a hard drive replacement--when I looked at this issue here years ago, that's how it appeared, warranty issues only being raised where a customer brought issues up or where there were difficulties. TiVo_Ted pretty much confirmed an absence of more general warranty coverage issue in a post here a month or 2 ago, noting that a warranty issue has been raised in more special circumstances, such as where someone had tried to circumvent or alter the box's software.


Also, just in passing: more recently, the FTC (I believe it was) has been sending out warning letters to manufacturers, along the lines that warranty coverage cannot be denied where a customer has replaced parts in a product, where that replacement does not have anything to do with the warranty issue. There has been discussion here on that.
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## UCLABB (May 29, 2012)

Mikeguy said:


> There may be only a limited difference between the options, in the end.
> 
> With the new box, you get a 1-year warranty, but only the first 90 days is for parts and labor; after that, parts only. According to the policy, you cover shipping charges the entire time (I'm not clear if TiVo actually has been separately charging that). The way it's seemed to have worked out is, a free replacement box the first 90 days, and a $49 charge for the rest of that year (plus, possibly, separate shipping charges).
> 
> ...


My hunch is that TiVo doesn't waste time opening boxes. They just plug it in and if it doesn't work for them, they pitch it. If it does work, they might put it through some testing and then ship it back out as a refurb. This stuff is too cheap and labor too expensive to be repairing them.


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## Mikeguy (Jul 28, 2005)

UCLABB said:


> My hunch is that TiVo doesn't waste time opening boxes. They just plug it in and if it doesn't work for them, they pitch it. If it does work, they might put it through some testing and then ship it back out as a refurb. This stuff is too cheap and labor too expensive to be repairing them.


I was just thinking the same thing as well--given the labor costs and the low product cost, as you state. Unless TiVo can send the boxes to the Filipino call center.


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## LarryAtHome (Feb 18, 2008)

Laughs Brightly said:


> Anyone try a WD Red 1 TB WD10JFCX in a Bolt?


Yes, using this exact same drive, working fine so far, installed it about a year ago. I have put a small fan plugged into the USB port that blows over the cable connector. Fan runs at a reduced speed and is extremely quiet.
I have 13.5 years experience repairing notebook computers, and I broke a clip.


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## jlb (Dec 13, 2001)

LarryAtHome said:


> Yes, using this exact same drive, working fine so far, installed it about a year ago. I have put a small fan plugged into the USB port that blows over the cable connector. Fan runs at a reduced speed and is extremely quiet.
> I have 13.5 years experience repairing notebook computers, and I broke a clip.


Do you mean just sort of pointing at where the cable line screws into the back of the box?

Which fan? And any noticeable drop in temp?

Thanks!

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## Tony_T (Nov 2, 2017)

I find one of these help in opening the case: Spudger / Individual


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## LarryAtHome (Feb 18, 2008)

jlb said:


> Do you mean just sort of pointing at where the cable line screws into the back of the box?
> 
> Which fan? And any noticeable drop in temp?


Yes it is sitting on top of the case, just pointing down over the cable connection. I stuck some stick on plastic feet on the bottom of the fan and plugged it into the USB port. Wired it up to an old usb cable I cut the end off of. I have not monitored the temperatures, but the cable connection fitting is now cool to the touch. The fan overhangs the case about 50 percent. It stays put and does not move on its own, but is not stuck to the case. I just used an old fan I had, about 45mm x 45mm and is marked 12 volts. I did not like how hot the connection was getting, and it only takes a small amount of air movement to cool it down. It would be better to have the fan inside the case and more vent holes, but space is very limited inside. I do not have a cable card, so do not have that heat source to contend with either.
The FAN was not added due to the new hard disk being installed, and I do not think the unit gets much hotter due to the new hard disk, the fan was only installed because I did not like the normal running temperature. I have not monitored the temperature except by touch of the coax connector, and it is now cool after adding the fan.


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## jlb (Dec 13, 2001)

LarryAtHome said:


> Yes it is sitting on top of the case, just pointing down over the cable connection. I stuck some stick on plastic feet on the bottom of the fan and plugged it into the USB port. Wired it up to an old usb cable I cut the end off of. I have not monitored the temperatures, but the cable connection fitting is now cool to the touch. The fan overhangs the case about 50 percent. It stays put and does not move on its own, but is not stuck to the case. I just used an old fan I had, about 45mm x 45mm and is marked 12 volts. I did not like how hot the connection was getting, and it only takes a small amount of air movement to cool it down. It would be better to have the fan inside the case and more vent holes, but space is very limited inside. I do not have a cable card, so do not have that heat source to contend with either.
> The FAN was not added due to the new hard disk being installed, and I do not think the unit gets much hotter due to the new hard disk, the fan was only installed because I did not like the normal running temperature. I have not monitored the temperature except by touch of the coax connector, and it is now cool after adding the fan.


Thanks for the info. I may get a small fan and do something like your have. My temps haven't been bad at all. Nothing seems hot to the touch.

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## shwru980r (Jun 22, 2008)

UCLABB said:


> My hunch is that TiVo doesn't waste time opening boxes. They just plug it in and if it doesn't work for them, they pitch it. If it does work, they might put it through some testing and then ship it back out as a refurb. This stuff is too cheap and labor too expensive to be repairing them.


The 3TB drive in a bolt+ is worth ~$250.


UCLABB said:


> My hunch is that TiVo doesn't waste time opening boxes. They just plug it in and if it doesn't work for them, they pitch it. If it does work, they might put it through some testing and then ship it back out as a refurb. This stuff is too cheap and labor too expensive to be repairing them.


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## shwru980r (Jun 22, 2008)

UCLABB said:


> My hunch is that TiVo doesn't waste time opening boxes. They just plug it in and if it doesn't work for them, they pitch it. If it does work, they might put it through some testing and then ship it back out as a refurb. This stuff is too cheap and labor too expensive to be repairing them.


I would think they would have to open up a Bolt+ because the 3TB drive is worth ~$250. An unscrupulous customer could substitute an old worthless drive and get a free 3TB WD drive. Probably not to much profit to try this for a 500G drive.


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## aaronwt (Jan 31, 2002)

Laughs Brightly said:


> Got a White Bolt 500GB coming on a $0 down/2 year commitment from Tivo. The plan was to replace the hard drive, but I was reading the forum here and it sounds like newer Bolts aren't easy to open without breaking some plastics? Wondering what advice you'd give me with upgrading this device and how Tivo would handle support if I swapped the drive?
> 
> I'd rather swap the 500 as it's empty, but sounds like it might be a lot safer for me to clear off my 1 TB Bolt with commitment ending in a month and upgrade that instead?
> 
> ...


I find it very easy to remove the cover without breaking clips. It's putting the cover back on when I am at risk to break some clips.


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## Mikeguy (Jul 28, 2005)

aaronwt said:


> I find it very easy to remove the cover without breaking clips. It's putting the cover back on when I am at risk to break some clips.


You've always been a contrarian here.


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## aaronwt (Jan 31, 2002)

Mikeguy said:


> You've always been a contrarian here.


I've found that quickly ripping the cover off does the best job. And doesn't damage anything. But when putting it back on you can't go fast. And it's going slow, that I've broken the clips.


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## Mikeguy (Jul 28, 2005)

aaronwt said:


> I've found that quickly ripping the cover off does the best job. And doesn't damage anything. But when putting it back on you can't go fast. And it's going slow, that I've broken the clips.


Absolutely contrary to the advice I've seen here, lol.


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## aaronwt (Jan 31, 2002)

Mikeguy said:


> Absolutely contrary to the advice I've seen here, lol.


I've done it over thirty times now with seven or eight white Bolts.


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## Mikeguy (Jul 28, 2005)

aaronwt said:


> I've done it over thirty times now with seven or eight white Bolts.


You have it down! (Well, one way.)


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