# upgrading friends tivo



## TeeVee (Dec 30, 2004)

I've upgraded my own tivo in the past using my original hard drive, then expanding it onto a larger drive. Worked great. Now my buddy got a tivo. He has asked if I can do the same for him. He lives across the country from me and doesn't want to ship his tivo. Is it possible to create a upgrade drive for him if we have the same model? If so please explain.


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## mick66 (Oct 15, 2004)

If you both have the same model then yes, you can use your HD to make an upgrade drive for your friend. You already know how to do it. What your friend will need to know is that when he get's the upgrade drive, he'll have to do a clear and delete everything to marry the new drive to the mother board.


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## TeeVee (Dec 30, 2004)

thanks for the clarification, one more questions. Do only the first three numbers in the service number have to be the same (or model number) for it to work?


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## HoosierTivoDaddy (Sep 12, 2005)

Only the first 3 numbers have to be the same.


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## TeeVee (Dec 30, 2004)

sorry almost done with my questions lol. 
The unit I have that matches his is not activated yet. Still in box, I'm deciding if i want to keep it or sell it. If I take out the hard drive and use the unsubbed drive to make his drive, will that be a problem when he puts it in his unit? Do i have to activate the tivo first. Not sure if sub info is on hard drive or in box itself.

and finally I would like to try it out on my Tivo first to see if it will work. After i remove it from my machine will it still work in his?? Does he just clear and delete everything or will it strictly marry to my machine if I test it?


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## mick66 (Oct 15, 2004)

TeeVee said:


> sorry almost done with my questions lol.
> The unit I have that matches his is not activated yet. Still in box, I'm deciding if i want to keep it or sell it. If I take out the hard drive and use the unsubbed drive to make his drive, will that be a problem when he puts it in his unit? Do i have to activate the tivo first. Not sure if sub info is on hard drive or in box itself.
> 
> and finally I would like to try it out on my Tivo first to see if it will work. After i remove it from my machine will it still work in his?? Does he just clear and delete everything or will it strictly marry to my machine if I test it?


The subscription status of the Tivo is not relevant. But I'd think that the Tivo would need to be set up (subsription not needed to do a guided setup) before you copy the software from it in order for your friend to be able to do a C&DE.

It doesn't matter how many other Tivos it's been in. A C&DE will marry it to the Tivo it's currently in.


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## lessd (Jan 23, 2005)

mick66 said:


> The subscription status of the Tivo is not relevant. But I'd think that the Tivo would need to be set up (subsription not needed to do a guided setup) before you copy the software from it in order for your friend to be able to do a C&DE.
> 
> It doesn't matter how many other Tivos it's been in. A C&DE will marry it to the Tivo it's currently in.


You should all understand that C&DE to marry a new motherboard to a hard drive not from that unit is very tricky with V7.2x software, you have to work with a 2 sec menu at the end of the boot to even get to TiVo central, if your not quick the unit will keep re-booting.


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## TeeVee (Dec 30, 2004)

so what do you recommend, take drive out of virgin tivo, copy it to new drive and send off to friend?.... Or....hook everything up, update system and then copy drive over? Want to make sure this works the first time


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## TeeVee (Dec 30, 2004)

anyone?


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