# How can I copy recordings off of and back on to a Roamio?



## CrashHD (Nov 10, 2006)

I'm looking to upgrade the hard drive in my Roamio. I'm looking to go from a 3TB to an 8TB. I know there's not currently an upgrade tool that preserves recordings.

Is there a way to copy them off the Roamio, and load them back on later? I thought Tivo Desktop was supposed to do that, and I can use TD to pull the recordings off of the Roamio, but I can't get it to put them back. Attempting to do so produces a message that says: 
"Note: This folder contains Tivo Video Recordings transferred from a DVR. These recordings cannot be transferred back."

Am I doing this wrong?


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## jrtroo (Feb 4, 2008)

Did you try pulling them from the Tivo? I'm sure an expert here will be able to tell you if you are using the right protocols to move back and forth, but I always did better with the pull than a push.

But, in reality, I prefer pytivo to do this.


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## Jonathan_S (Oct 23, 2001)

Unless the shows are copy protected (in which case TiVo Desktop can't download them at all) you should be able to get them back on the TiVo. But I've always done it by browsing to the bottom of the Now Playing list on the TiVo, where other TiVos and computers running TiVo Desktop or pyTiVo appear, browsing into TiVo Desktop and pulling the files down.

(Though come to think of it I don't know if I've had reason to do that since I got a Roamio; but I can't imagine that the process or capability has changed)


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## CrashHD (Nov 10, 2006)

Jonathan_S said:


> Unless the shows are copy protected (in which case TiVo Desktop can't download them at all) you should be able to get them back on the TiVo. But I've always done it by browsing to the bottom of the Now Playing list on the TiVo, where other TiVos and computers running TiVo Desktop or pyTiVo appear, browsing into TiVo Desktop and pulling the files down.
> 
> (Though come to think of it I don't know if I've had reason to do that since I got a Roamio; but I can't imagine that the process or capability has changed)


My Tivos are OTA only, so copy protection should not be an issue.

Tivo Desktop doesn't appear in the NPL at all, on either my Series 3's or the Roamio, but Tivo Desktop can pull recordings from them just fine.


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## ThAbtO (Apr 6, 2000)

Login to your Tivo.com account and go to DVR Preferences.
Make sure there are checked boxes on the list of your Tivos. 
If just enabled, and saved at the bottom of the page, it can take up to 24 hours to get a Media Access Key (MAK) which you would need to enter into Tivo Desktop (or other Programs.) 

You would then need to Force a Tivo Connection on your Tivos to get the changes, etc.

The PC should show up at the bottom of the MyShows List as the name of the PC (or whatever) was set in Tivo Desktop. You would need to select the shows to transfer from the PC (or another Tivo). Do just a few at a time so it does not jam up. It will only download 1 at a time, so it can take a while.


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## HerronScott (Jan 1, 2002)

CrashHD said:


> I'm looking to upgrade the hard drive in my Roamio. I'm looking to go from a 3TB to an 8TB. I know there's not currently an upgrade tool that preserves recordings.
> 
> Is there a way to copy them off the Roamio, and load them back on later? I thought Tivo Desktop was supposed to do that, and I can use TD to pull the recordings off of the Roamio, but I can't get it to put them back. Attempting to do so produces a message that says:
> "Note: This folder contains Tivo Video Recordings transferred from a DVR. These recordings cannot be transferred back."
> ...


Not sure how you are trying to transfer back to get that message but you have to pull them from the TiVo. If you can't see your PC from the TiVo's, you need to resolve that issue first so you can pull the recordings back to the TiVo. This does work as I've got it running on several Windows 10 PC's (and pyTivo on a WHS server).

Also, MFS Tools 3.2 should allow you to copy your shows and upgrade.

http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?t=529148

Highlights
Supports 8 TB on Roamio (perhaps more, tested with dual 4 TB drives).
Backup and restore (or drive-drive using mfscopy) single or dual drive setups, and preserve recordings if you choose.

This post really should be in either the Upgrade or Home Media forum and not the Underground. 

Scott


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## CrashHD (Nov 10, 2006)

Windows firewall ended up being the culprit. I can't "push" tivo recordings back to the tivo, but I can pull them from the "my shows" list. 

I would upgrade with MFS Tools, but it doesn't support larger than a 4TB drive. It can do 8TB in a 4+4 arrangement, but I want to stick with a single drive.


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## HerronScott (Jan 1, 2002)

CrashHD said:


> Windows firewall ended up being the culprit. I can't "push" tivo recordings back to the tivo, but I can pull them from the "my shows" list.
> 
> I would upgrade with MFS Tools, but it doesn't support larger than a 4TB drive. It can do 8TB in a 4+4 arrangement, but I want to stick with a single drive.


Do you have a purchased version of TiVo Desktop as I think that was the only way you could push shows? I only ever used the free version.

I hadn't looked too closely at large drive Roamios but did you see that there is a 6TB limit for internal drives (so why buy an 8TB for an internal)?

"6TB is still the hard limit on Roamios and Bolts. No one knows if that will ever change, and TiVo isn't talk"

Scott


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## CrashHD (Nov 10, 2006)

The tool discussed in this thread http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?p=10869278#post10869278 enables use of an 8TB internal drive. Also weaknees has been selling 8TB drives for some time now. I don't know what the former limitation was, but apparently it has been surpassed. This tool has the caveat of not preserving recordings, although one that does is said to be in the works.

I have a license for Tivo Desktop Plus. It's been some time since I did so, but I have been able in the past to push general purpose video content (DVD rips), although the transcoding was not perfect. It will not let me push content that was originally tivo content, though.


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