# Series Ii died - Access Card



## kirkdickinson (Jun 22, 2003)

I have a Hughes HDVR2. Serval years ago I bought this used off of eBay, put two drives into it and used instant cake to build a nice DVR. When I built this I didn't get a new card from DirecTV. Not sure how I got this to work but I am really sure that this card came out of my other series two DVR. 

This unit is toast one modem has been going bad for a long time and now it makes hard drive grinding sounds.

I have another series 2 it is an H10. It was replaced with a higher capacity unit. It is was working when disconnected but only has a GB drive. 

Yes H10 has an R I D number on it. Does it really have an RID. Can this card from my trashed unit be put into the H 10?

If I reset the hard drive completely and put the card in it, isn't there a place on DirecTV's website to make it issue a reset?

Thanks.


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## stevel (Aug 23, 2000)

That would be an R10, I assume. You have to call DirecTV and play "CSR Roulette" to see if you can get one that will switch the access card for you. The usual response is that you need to buy (!) a new card. Yes, the R10 is an RID box.

As for the disk, you would have to use InstantCake (a different one than for your HDVR2) to set up the disk. It won't work with a blank disk.


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## kirkdickinson (Jun 22, 2003)

stevel said:


> That would be an R10, I assume. You have to call DirecTV and play "CSR Roulette" to see if you can get one that will switch the access card for you. The usual response is that you need to buy (!) a new card. Yes, the R10 is an RID box.
> 
> As for the disk, you would have to use InstantCake (a different one than for your HDVR2) to set up the disk. It won't work with a blank disk.


Sorry you're right R10. I know you can't just put empty hard drive into it.

If I had another HDVR10, could I switch the cards then?

If neither one of them have and are ID then how is the card or direct tv going to know that it is in a different box?

In non-R I D models doesn't the card just pair with whatever is on the hard drive?


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## stevel (Aug 23, 2000)

The hard drive is not the important part - it's the serial number on the motherboard. For boxes without RID, you can sometimes switch cards. Note that DirecTV will no longer activate a non-RID box that wasn't already on your account.


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## kirkdickinson (Jun 22, 2003)

stevel said:


> The hard drive is not the important part - it's the serial number on the motherboard. For boxes without RID, you can sometimes switch cards. Note that DirecTV will no longer activate a non-RID box that wasn't already on your account.


But if I had another non-rid box, I might be able to just switch the card? I think that is what I did before. I have had this same card for 14 years.

This isn't critical to me, just looking for the cheapest easiest way to get my direct tv TiVo going again. I don't care if is hd or not.


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## Diana Collins (Aug 21, 2002)

If you had another non-RID box, *AND* if that box (as identified by the receiver id) had been on your account previously, then you MIGHT be able to swap the cards. But if you buy a used non-RID receiver today, DirecTV will refuse to activate it. I have heard of an exception being made, but it is rare.

I doubt that your card is quite 14 years old. That would have been back in the HU card days (these were the cards with a football player on them), and those cards were pretty widely hacked, and DirecTV eliminated them years ago. You probably have a Series 4 card, which were introduced in early 2002.


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## kirkdickinson (Jun 22, 2003)

Diana Collins said:


> If you had another non-RID box, *AND* if that box (as identified by the receiver id) had been on your account previously, then you MIGHT be able to swap the cards. But if you buy a used non-RID receiver today, DirecTV will refuse to activate it. I have heard of an exception being made, but it is rare.
> 
> I doubt that your card is quite 14 years old. That would have been back in the HU card days (these were the cards with a football player on them), and those cards were pretty widely hacked, and DirecTV eliminated them years ago. You probably have a Series 4 card, which were introduced in early 2002.


Well, this card has 4 written right on top so you are right. I know for a fact that this card was in a different receiver before the one it is in now, because the one it is in now is one I built from parts. Used box off of ebay and hard drives that came out of computers at work. I know that I never called DirecTv to activate this box. Just wondered if it would still work that way.

Just looked, DirecTV records online show this box as a HDVR2 with 
Serial #: 1510000A0168**
The box that I have been using for years is:
Serial #: 1510000A009CB**

I guess this discussion really doesn't matter anymore because this old box is on it's way to Weeknees for a rebuild.


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## poppagene (Dec 29, 2001)

With a non rid receiver and a valid access card on your account, you can move the accesss card to another non rid receiver. In the past you could have directv resend the authorization for your account and all would be well. There used to be a way to resend authorization to your non rid receivers directly from your directv account and it may still work if you nedd to replace your series 2 with soetthing you get on ebay. Follow this link https://support.directv.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/1647 and go to solution 2 and refresh your service. you will need to log on (or be logged on) to your directv account. I'm no longer a directv customer so I can't verify hwether this method still works.


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## magnus (Nov 12, 2004)

kirkdickinson said:


> I have a Hughes HDVR2. Serval years ago I bought this used off of eBay, put two drives into it and used instant cake to build a nice DVR. When I built this I didn't get a new card from DirecTV. Not sure how I got this to work but I am really sure that this card came out of my other series two DVR.
> 
> This unit is toast one modem has been going bad for a long time and now it makes hard drive grinding sounds.
> 
> ...


You need another non-RID Directv Tivo for this to work:

Any Series 1 
Hughes HDVR2
Phillips DSR7000
RCA DVR39

Any of these will allow you to refresh services from the Directv site and get the box to work without having to get another card.


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## Chrisfromiowa (May 1, 2015)

In may of 2015 I had purchased a used r10 off eBay and had no problem getting it running, after I found a CSR that knew what an R10 was. That era cards are kind of married to the box, but worse case, you wait a week for them to mail you a new one. The sponsors of this site sell hdd replacements for most models and in my experience that is almost always the problem. I mean the disk is working 24/7 and is the only moving part. Directv wants to keep you as a customer and the right CSR will go above and beyond to help you. CSR roulette is the key term, just make sure they know that you know their name and they will try to make sure that if they can't help you, they'll connect you with the person who can.


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## BigO2018 (Apr 6, 2018)

stevel said:


> The hard drive is not the important part - it's the serial number on the motherboard. For boxes without RID, you can sometimes switch cards. Note that DirecTV will no longer activate a non-RID box that wasn't already on your account.


Does anyone know where i can get a copy of Instantcake for DTV R10 Sat Rec.-Recorder. I need to Program new hard Drive. I am 69 retired and don't know much about computer programming, but have used InstantCake on my other HR10-250 Rec-Recorder.If you have or know where i might get a copy of InstantCake for my R10 i would be greatly thankful! Thanks for any help! BigO


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