# External HD Pending Failure



## Wiweeds (Dec 7, 2006)

I have an HD Tivo that several years back added an external 1TB HD. This hard drive is now making clicking noises like I have heard on failing HD in past computers. It is still working now. Can I get the same size and manufacture HD and make an exact copy to the new HD and plug it in and preserve all of my recording? Or is there another method to save my recording?


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## lillevig (Dec 7, 2010)

Wiweeds said:


> I have an HD Tivo that several years back added an external 1TB HD. This hard drive is now making clicking noises like I have heard on failing HD in past computers. It is still working now. Can I get the same size and manufacture HD and make an exact copy to the new HD and plug it in and preserve all of my recording? Or is there another method to save my recording?


The recordings are spread across both internal and external drives so losing one drive means losing them all. I don't think that just making a copy of the bad drive to a new one will do the trick, even if you could find an exact replacement. I would suggest that you use kmttg (free SW - there's a thread on it in this forum) to transfer your recordings to your PC unless you have another Tivo that you can transfer them to.


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## L David Matheny (Jan 29, 2011)

Wiweeds said:


> I have an HD Tivo that several years back added an external 1TB HD. This hard drive is now making clicking noises like I have heard on failing HD in past computers. It is still working now. Can I get the same size and manufacture HD and make an exact copy to the new HD and plug it in and preserve all of my recording? Or is there another method to save my recording?


If you can find an exact replacement drive or one that is just slightly larger, you should be able to clone it, in theory. I've always believed that a clone made with Acronis or EaseUS ToDo Backup (free) or something similar should work, but I've never actually tried that with a TiVo drive. I suppose the TiVo could keep track of an actual hardware serial number or something like that to thwart you. If you try it, use the cloning software as a standalone, bootable disc. Don't attach a TiVo drive to a computer running Windows. And search here for mention of problems with Gigabyte motherboards if you have one. And report back if you try it.


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## lillevig (Dec 7, 2010)

L David Matheny said:


> If you can find an exact replacement drive or one that is just slightly larger, you should be able to clone it, in theory. I've always believed that a clone made with Acronis or EaseUS ToDo Backup (free) or something similar should work, but I've never actually tried that with a TiVo drive. I suppose the TiVo could keep track of an actual hardware serial number or something like that to thwart you. If you try it, use the cloning software as a standalone, bootable disc. Don't attach a TiVo drive to a computer running Windows. And search here for mention of problems with Gigabyte motherboards if you have one. And report back if you try it.


Maybe Unitron will chime in here. I know he recommends using DD or DD_Rescue from the MFSTools disk to do byte-by-byte clones. Not sure that Easeus does it quite like that but I've only used it for cloning a Windows drive. Didn't work on some drives so I switched to Clonezilla. Maybe I'll have to try it on a Tivo drive.


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## L David Matheny (Jan 29, 2011)

lillevig said:


> Maybe Unitron will chime in here. I know he recommends using DD or DD_Rescue from the MFSTools disk to do byte-by-byte clones. Not sure that Easeus does it quite like that but I've only used it for cloning a Windows drive. Didn't work on some drives so I switched to Clonezilla. Maybe I'll have to try it on a Tivo drive.


DD or DD_Rescue from the MFSTools disk might indeed be a better bet for byte-by-byte clones. I think I used Acronis once to clone a disk with no recognizable partition structure, but that was a long time ago. Lately I've used Acronis and EaseUS only to clone Windows drives. My main point was just that a byte-by-byte clone of only one of his drives should be possible in theory, I think. Using an identical drive would be best for that.


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## Wiweeds (Dec 7, 2006)

Thank yo for the ideas. I am having trouble finding the exact HD. It is a Fantom GDP1000EU 1TB with a Hitachi p/n 0A38016. Could I use a larger 2TB drive and copy with DD or does it need to be the exact? Also what software could I use to test the drive to confirm it is failing?


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## unitron (Apr 28, 2006)

CHIME!

Since you're using something other than a WD My Book DVR expander, I assume you have the original S3, the TCD648250.

This makes it easier.

Go to the Hitachi Global Storage Technologies website, go to the downloads page, get the Drive Fitness Test and the Feature Tool.

Although if it's clicking, we may want to freeze it and clone it, and then worry about running diagnostics on it.

I assume you've opened up the Fantom enclosure and gotten at the drive itself.

I don't know if that enclosure is somehow rigged to only work with certain model number drives (although that seems an unnecessary expense), so assuming it's not, you can probably stick a 1TB WD or Seagate or Samsung with an LBA number the same as or greater than that of the Hitachi in there (apparently Hitachi has had a QC problem in recent years).


You might be able to use a 1.5 or 2TB, and just clone the Hitachi to it with dd_rescue, which will leave it with a partition map that thinks it's a 1TB drive.

What drives are available to you at what prices?


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## Wiweeds (Dec 7, 2006)

The model is a TCD652160. I have opened the enclosure. I could get another external drive 1TB or greater or another internal to install in the enclosure. Any recommendations on which way I should go?


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## unitron (Apr 28, 2006)

Wiweeds said:


> The model is a TCD652160. I have opened the enclosure. I could get another external drive 1TB or greater or another internal to install in the enclosure. Any recommendations on which way I should go?


If not for the need to try to save your recordings the way to go would be a large internal drive and no external.

In your case a new drive to put in your external enclosure is probably the way to go.

Do you have a PC?

If not, do you have an Intel based Apple computer?

Desktop or laptop?

You should go to mfslive.org and download the zip of the iso image of the MFS Live cd v1.4, because we're going to need the dd_rescue program, which is one of the utilities on it, in order to "Xerox" the Hitachi to another drive.

Do you have a spare SATA drive of any size you could put into the enclosure in order to test the enclosure (and its power supply) itself so as to eliminate it as part of the problem?

I wish I knew more about how TiVos use external drives, especially the original S3 which isn't limited to just the "approved" WD models, to know if there are other options open to you than the few about which I know.

In the meantime, allow me to repeat myself.

You might be able to use a 1.5 or 2TB, and just clone the Hitachi to it with dd_rescue, which will leave it with a partition map that thinks it's a 1TB drive.

What drives are available to you at what prices?


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## Wiweeds (Dec 7, 2006)

I do have a PC available. I thought I would try to find a 1.5TB drive and use the DD or DD_rescue. Which would be best?

Any suggestions on what drive to purchase? (online)


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## unitron (Apr 28, 2006)

Wiweeds said:


> I do have a PC available. I thought I would try to find a 1.5TB drive and use the DD or DD_rescue. Which would be best?
> 
> Any suggestions on what drive to purchase? (online)


That's

dd

or

dd_rescue

Linux command line stuff is case-sensitive.

On a GB per $ basis, you might do better with a 1TB than a 1.5, although probably a 2TB would be better than either.

If you're going to "Xerox" the Hitachi to it, though, you'll only get to use 1TB of it.

I'd look for a WD Caviar Green or a Samsung, maybe a Seagate, preferably a 5400 or thereabouts RPM instead of a 7200 RPM, because the TiVo doesn't need the extra speed and the 7200's run hotter, and I'd try for a non-"advanced format" drive, and one that's only 3Gb/s instead of 6, and if it can be jumpered down to 1.5, even better.

You're going to have to do your homework.


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## Wiweeds (Dec 7, 2006)

Thanks for the insight on the case sensitive Linux. What about another external drive?


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## Wiweeds (Dec 7, 2006)

How about this external?

http://www.amazon.com/GreenDrive-De...TF8&coliid=I2HFG6RVU28US2&colid=19X9ASIVRZD08

This way I will not need to worry about the compatibility issue the the enclosure.


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## unitron (Apr 28, 2006)

Wiweeds said:


> How about this external?
> 
> http://www.amazon.com/GreenDrive-De...TF8&coliid=I2HFG6RVU28US2&colid=19X9ASIVRZD08
> 
> This way I will not need to worry about the compatibility issue the the enclosure.


I know that the original S3 (TCD648250) can, unlike the later S3 HD and S3 HD XL, use eSATA external drives other than the approved eSATA WD My Book DVR extenders, but I don't know what size restrictions, if any, that there are, and I don't really feel like plowing through the almost 300 pages of the Drive Expansion and Drive Upgrade FAQ

http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?t=370784

There's a lot of information in the very first post, but it was last updated 1.5 years ago and you'd probably have to read through the rest of the pages to find out what's still valid and what isn't.

If you get another Fantom external, it'll probably have another Hitachi inside, and I'm not too confident about the quality of Hitachi drives these days.

As I mentioned before, you should consider testing your current enclosure with another drive to make sure that the enclosure and its power supply are alright and that the problem is just the Hitachi drive that's inside it.

One of the pictures of this

http://www.amazon.com/Western-Digit...?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1328494307&sr=1-11

shows the label on the drive and it says WD10EADS. The model number on the drive is usually not the model number on the retail box, and sometimes the same number on the box is not a guarantee that the model in that particular number box is the same as it was a few months earlier.

I have several of the 2TB versions of this drive (WD20EADS), and feel comfortable recommending it, provided that what's in the box actually is a WD10EADS.

You will need to run wdidle3 to disable the Intellipark feature (which isn't needed for a drive used with a TiVo).


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## Wiweeds (Dec 7, 2006)

IT WORKED! Thanks for the help. I purchased a Western Digital WD10EADS and ran the wdidle3 and changed the acoustical to 128. Then used the MFS live bootable CD and ran the "dd_recure -A -v /dev/sda /dev/sdb" it took about 5-6 hours. Tivo recognized it and under system information it now lists the Western Digital. Didn't lose any programs!


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## unitron (Apr 28, 2006)

Wiweeds said:


> IT WORKED! Thanks for the help. I purchased a Western Digital WD10EADS and ran the wdidle3 and changed the acoustical to 128. Then used the MFS live bootable CD and ran the "dd_recure -A -v /dev/sda /dev/sdb" it took about 5-6 hours. Tivo recognized it and under system information it now lists the Western Digital. Didn't lose any programs!


That's great news, I'm just wondering how you were able to use a "non-approved" external drive on an S3 HD in the first place.

You might want to check and make sure the programs themselves are still there and not just listings of them in the Now Playing list.

If the first minute of each plays, then it should be alright.


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