# TiVo dead? It's making a rat-a-tat-tat sound.



## dvdfever (Jun 2, 2002)

I can't really describe it better than that, and if it's not a familiar sound for a problematic TiVo, I can record it making it, although I've unplugged it now and would rather not plug it back in again. 

I first noticed no Freeview signal (which is the source) was being passed through, as the RF aerial loops through to a second TV in the room, thought it might be the Freeview box, as that had crashed again, then saw the TiVo was no longer functioning.

It's making a constant rat-a-tat-tat sound, akin to New Order's Blue Monday. The screen is blank and the unit is unresponsive. I know it's happened in the last 24hrs.

I've had it a few years, but is it a new PSU that'll fix it, or is it the hard drive or motherboard, and if the latter then I may as well replace the unit?

Thanks in advance.


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## the_moog (Jan 8, 2002)

That sounds like hard drive failure.

Is is close to this sort of sound (about 25s into the video)...
[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wMm6c3fr-fU[/media]


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## dvdfever (Jun 2, 2002)

the_moog said:


> That sounds like hard drive failure.
> 
> Is is close to this sort of sound (about 25s into the video)...
> [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wMm6c3fr-fU[/media]


Ta. It's similar to that, but faster, just slightly faster than Blue Monday.

I just tried to plug it back in, waiting for it to power up and start clicking again but I'm getting absolutely zilch out of it now.

If it's the hard drive, then will a new, properly-configured one get the unit up and running again?

Most of the programmes on there I'm not fussed about, as it had become a second unit to record stuff on, and the quality from Freeview isn't as good as when I recorded from Sky - oddly, a bit of a darker picture - but it's still a handy thing to have.

The only thing I'll miss (although it'll be online somewhere) is when C4 accidentally broadcast the U2 Simpsons episode uncut, complete with two w-words which rhyme with "bankers".


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## the_moog (Jan 8, 2002)

I can have a root around tomorrow and see if I can find a 40GB TiVo drive and test it, then I can post it to you so you can test your own TiVo before investing in a big/pre-configured drive.

That any use?


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## dvdfever (Jun 2, 2002)

the_moog said:


> I can have a root around tomorrow and see if I can find a 40GB TiVo drive and test it, then I can post it to you so you can test your own TiVo before investing in a big/pre-configured drive.
> 
> That any use?


Wow, that'd be amazing, thankyou. That's very kind of you. It'll be great to test it before splashing out.


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## the_moog (Jan 8, 2002)

I managed to find an original 40GB Quantum Fireball drive...
[media]http://s24.postimg.org/slazcw5tx/Drive.jpg[/media]

which works...
[media]http://s28.postimg.org/v45rzkj0t/Screen.jpg[/media]

It's pre-AltEPG but will let you test to see if your TiVo is still ok.

If that's of interest to you, PM me with your details and I'll get it in the post.


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## dvdfever (Jun 2, 2002)

the_moog said:


> I managed to find an original 40GB Quantum Fireball drive...
> [media]http://s24.postimg.org/slazcw5tx/Drive.jpg[/media]
> 
> which works...
> ...


You're a star, thankyou. I've just PM'd you


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