# TiVo roamio ota all lights blinking



## Pchan87 (May 5, 2018)

The tivo turns on like normal with the welcome start up screen, then all lights on the front of the TiVo start flashing together (Red, blue, orange, green) and the welcome screen doesnt advance. The fan is on, I replaced the hard drive with a green power hard drive that had been working fine for over a year.

Any idea what needs to be fixed, i read power supply failures but with the top open i tried to look for a replacement board on weaknees but none of the boards look like what I'm seeing in my unit. I bought a red wd hd to try out but that comes in on Monday.

Thanks for any help.


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## HerronScott (Jan 1, 2002)

Sounds like a hard drive failure to me. What model and size drive and have you tried testing it in a PC?

The power supply on the Roamio OTA/Basic and Bolt models are wall warts (external). Only the Roamio Plus/Pro with the more traditional larger case have internal supplies.

Scott


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## Pchan87 (May 5, 2018)

I see. I plan to test it tonight. Thank you for that information about the external power supply that makes things easier. Wd20eurs 2 tb


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## Pchan87 (May 5, 2018)

Strangest thing, took the cable card out. Tried to put it in diagnostic mode (failed to get to hard drive testing screen) and it actually loaded to the regular screen. Placed the card back in. Wanted me to test the channels but I have to leave the house. Will update in a bit.


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## ThAbtO (Apr 6, 2000)

The WS20EURS/X had an issue with Power Up In Standby (PUIS) which prevented bootups


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## Pchan87 (May 5, 2018)

Anyway to remedy that and keep the current drive? It was working 100% then I unplugged it to put the cover back on and of course the 4 lights started blinking again.


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## Pchan87 (May 5, 2018)

ThAbtO said:


> The WS20EURS/X had an issue with Power Up In Standby (PUIS) which prevented bootups


Ok so because you stated there was an issue with it during power up, I unplugged the cable connecting the drive to the board. I then plugged the power adapter into the TiVo, turned it in and then reconnected the hd in hopes of kick starting the drive up. Well it worked and works fine for now. Is the simplest solution to just replace the hdrive then?


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## Worf (Sep 15, 2000)

I'd guess the wall wart is getting bad - you have to remember those things are made stupidly cheap in general - it can't provide the burst of power needed to run the hard drive and start up the TiVo, so when you plugged in the drive afterwards, you evened out the power.

Yes, some companies use good quality wall warts, but most in general are crap and made to the lowest price but still meeting safety regulations (hopefully - some are pretty scary).

Of course, because wall warts are stupidly cheap, they are stupidly cheap to replace - you need one with the same voltage, preferably regulated, and has an amp rating equal or greater to the old one.


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## HerronScott (Jan 1, 2002)

Pchan87 said:


> Strangest thing, took the cable card out. Tried to put it in diagnostic mode (failed to get to hard drive testing screen) and it actually loaded to the regular screen. Placed the card back in. Wanted me to test the channels but I have to leave the house. Will update in a bit.





Pchan87 said:


> It was working 100% then I unplugged it to put the cover back on and of course the 4 lights started blinking again.


As Worf indicated, that could be a sign of a weak power supply as well so you could try a replacement wall wart. Some of the early Roamio Basic drive upgraders were upgrading their wall warts to 2.5A ones I believe from the original 2.0A ones (swapping with their Tuner Adapters if I recall correctly in some cases).

Scott


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## Pchan87 (May 5, 2018)

So I replaced the hard drive and same thing happened, so wall wart thats just the external power supply going to the wall , just need to find another one right?


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## ThAbtO (Apr 6, 2000)

How old is the OTA? If its still new (within a month), try returning it. (with the original drive)

It may sound like a MB failure.


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## Pchan87 (May 5, 2018)

It's about 4 yrs old, 3 months out of warranty. So it was the power supply, I actually had a mini I just unboxed and used the power supply onto the roamio and it fired right up. Son of a gun. The original is 1.5 amps. The mini is 1.0 amps and it still fired up


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## Pchan87 (May 5, 2018)

I appreciate all the help guys, ill go purchase another wall wart! Now we know all 4 flashing lights = failed power supply; I hope this helps others in the future


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## TeamPace (Oct 23, 2013)

I purchased the wall wart that is for the Bolt and use it on my Roamio. After I put in a 3 TB drive it need the extra amperage. They are only like a dollar different in price.


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## Mikeguy (Jul 28, 2005)

TeamPace said:


> I purchased the wall wart that is for the Bolt and use it on my Roamio. After I put in a 3 TB drive it need the extra amperage. They are only like a dollar different in price.


They're interchangeable without issue? If so, good to know.


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## TeamPace (Oct 23, 2013)

Mikeguy said:


> They're interchangeable without issue? If so, good to know.


I've been using one on my Roamio for about a year now with no problems. If I recall they are the same voltage output but the Bolt can provide a little more amperage if needed. The connector is the same.


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## LmoT (May 7, 2020)

I had the same exact problem as Pchan87 on a 6 year old Roamio w/ a 3 TB HD - all 4 lights on the front of the TiVo start flashing together (Red, blue, orange, green) and the welcome screen doesn't advance. Initial thought was the hard drive, which I replaced, but the problem continued. I found this thread and decided to replace the wall wart/power supply w/ a new one. I also went w/ the wall wart from the Bolt. Worked perfectly - problem solved! Thanks to all for pointing me in the right direction - much appreciated. 

Note: The output of the wall wart on the original Roamio is 2.0A. The output on the Bolt is 3.0A.


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## kcejo (Sep 12, 2017)

Thanks so much for this thread. It really saved me a lotta work. Today I also found my older Roamio had the dreaded four flashing lights just all of a sudden. After putting a 6TB hard drive in there over a year ago, it had been working just fine until this morning. I got on the phone with a Tivo tech and did a few worthless troubleshooting things with them, then all they wanted to do was sell me a new Roamio! I knew I had seen posts about flashing lights before, so I quickly got off the phone with them, and found this thread. I grabbed the power plug/wall wart/whatever from my Bolt, plugged it into the Roamio and voila! It was working perfectly without having to do anything but change out the 2.0A original power cord with the 3.0A cord from the Bolt!

I did call Tivo back and told them my findings and they are sending me a new 3.0A Bolt power plug in the mail for free! So, as it turns out, the 6TB upgrade is still working great and acting as my storage device for extra Tivo shows. Didn't lose anything there. Still have the Slingbox connected to it so that when I'm out of the country I can still get to something on my home system. Sometimes the Tivo app works or the online.tivo.com works and sometimes it doesn't. The Slingbox is just an additional option if all the Tivo streaming options fail.

So, thank you, everyone here, for posting about this issue. This way of resolving it worked great for me. Especially since Tivo is sending me a replacement power plug for free!


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## Dan Shearer (Mar 4, 2002)

I'll second the power supply solution. Our Tivo Roamio (basic cable model but with a 2TB drive, worked for years) was running very slow for a day and then wouldn't boot at all. I tried a new HD, but that just led to all the front panel lights blinking a short time into a reboot. (I actually got it working with an old 80GB SSD I had lying around. 5 hours of HD recording time!) That took me here. I swapped the power adapter with the one on the tuning adapter (12V 2.5A) and everything worked. Too bad I reformatted the old 2TB disk since it was probably fine. But now I have a 4TB disk, so I'll leave it in. Time to order a new wall wart so I can give the cable company their power supply back whenever I don't need the tuning adapter.


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## kcejo (Sep 12, 2017)

Dan Shearer said:


> I'll second the power supply solution. Our Tivo Roamio (basic cable model but with a 2TB drive, worked for years) was running very slow for a day and then wouldn't boot at all. I tried a new HD, but that just led to all the front panel lights blinking a short time into a reboot. (I actually got it working with an old 80GB SSD I had lying around. 5 hours of HD recording time!) That took me here. I swapped the power adapter with the one on the tuning adapter (12V 2.5A) and everything worked. Too bad I reformatted the old 2TB disk since it was probably fine. But now I have a 4TB disk, so I'll leave it in. Time to order a new wall wart so I can give the cable company their power supply back whenever I don't need the tuning adapter.


Dan, I called Tivo and told them that the solution their tech people tried to get me to do was not the problem and that a new power cord from the Bolt was making the Roamio work just fine. It didn't take much convincing to get them to send me one out for free. I'm glad I didn't go through with the whole drive swap-out and went straight for the power supply changeout instead. Such a waste of time when it's as simple as a new power cord. Anyway, give Tivo a call and they just might send you one for free!


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## PapaBrew (Aug 22, 2020)

HerronScott said:


> As Worf indicated, that could be a sign of a weak power supply as well so you could try a replacement wall wart. Some of the early Roamio Basic drive upgraders were upgrading their wall warts to 2.5A ones I believe from the original 2.0A ones (swapping with their Tuner Adapters if I recall correctly in some cases).
> 
> Scott


Thanks much for this tip for using the Tuning Adapter. I had two unused Cisco Tuning adapters and the Lite-On power supplies from them worked perfectly. You just saved a Roamio from being scrapped and made my wife happy!


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## winkybil (Aug 31, 2020)

All-lights flashing means hard drive. Easy enough to replace, any 3.5in drive under 3TB will be self-formatted when you put it in. Just make sure it's 5.4k, any faster drives generate too much heat and take too much power.

192.168.100.1 192.168.1.1 jpg to pdf


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## ThAbtO (Apr 6, 2000)

winkybil said:


> All-lights flashing means hard drive. Easy enough to replace, any 3.5in drive under 3TB will be self-formatted when you put it in. Just make sure it's 5.4k, any faster drives generate too much heat and take too much power.


To specify, not all drives work in a Tivo, 5400RPM or otherwise. It has to use less power than the small power supply can provide. Recommended is WD drives ending in EFRX, PURX, PURZ. Avoid EFAX as it may not work (except in 1 case, worked in a Premiere)


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## JohnBeas (Sep 15, 2015)

Thanks to all the posters in this thread - today while watching TV my Tivo suddenly quit and all the lights were blinking. I found a new power supply, plugged it in and I'm back in business. I would have hated to lose my Tivo - I've had it for 5 years and still love it.


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## Plenipote (Oct 23, 2020)

I registered just to comment on this thread, simply to thank everyone for the valuable info! My Tivo just reset earlier today and was stuck on the restart screen. I tried unplugging and plugging it back in a couple of times with no success. After a quick Google search, I found this thread, then noticed my Tivo also had all the flashing lights! I switched the power supplies between the tuning adapter and the Tivo, and everything is working fine now! I'll call Tivo in the morning and see if I can talk them into sending me a new, and free, power supply. Thanks again to everyone that contributed above!


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## nurho83 (Nov 25, 2007)

Another thanks on this thread. I ordered a new power supply and, once I straightened out my cables and quit plugging in the 1 amp tuning adapter cable instead of the new power supply cable, my Tivo's back up and running.


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## bricco (Mar 28, 2008)

I have a Roamio OTA 1 TB with lifetime that I dont want to trash. I’m getting the flashing lights. Which model hard drive should I get. It would replace the WD10EURX. I dont need more storage than that and my power WART is the 2.0 so I don't want to over burden it. Thanks.


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## ggieseke (May 30, 2008)

bricco said:


> I have a Roamio OTA 1 TB with lifetime that I dont want to trash. I'm getting the flashing lights. Which model hard drive should I get. It would replace the WD10EURX. I dont need more storage than that and my power WART is the 2.0 so I don't want to over burden it. Thanks.


I would go with a WD10EFRX (Red Plus).


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## bricco (Mar 28, 2008)

ggieseke said:


> I would go with a WD10EFRX (Red Plus).


Great. Thanks. Just ordered from Amazon. It will be here tomorrow. Why this one? The original drive is new and half price on Amazon (not that I want an older version).


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## JoeKustra (Dec 7, 2012)

bricco said:


> Great. Thanks. Just ordered from Amazon. It will be here tomorrow. Why this one? The original drive is new and half price on Amazon (not that I want an older version).


As it says on the description:
(Discontinued Model) 2 Year Warranty from Reseller, Worry free Return! 100% Full Refund


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## ThAbtO (Apr 6, 2000)

Recommended is WD Red Plus (models ending in EFRX,) Purple (PURX,PURZ). Avoid the WD Red, ending in EFAX.

I have a 4TB in my Roamio and it is currently 50% full. 

If you want to prevent shows from being deleted due to lack of space, then get a bigger drive. Do not use "Keep Until I Delete" much. It will stop recording if you use KUID when the drive starts to get full.


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## bricco (Mar 28, 2008)

ggieseke said:


> I would go with a WD10EFRX (Red Plus).


Just hooked this one up and powered on. My screen is blank. No start up screen or anything. Is there anything else I should be doing after putting case back on and plugging in hdmi, Ethernet, antenna and power?


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## ggieseke (May 30, 2008)

bricco said:


> Just hooked this one up and powered on. My screen is blank. No start up screen or anything. Is there anything else I should be doing after putting case back on and plugging in hdmi, Ethernet, antenna and power?


That sounds like a bad power supply or a bad HDMI connection. Even without a hard drive you should get the first Welcome screen.


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## bricco (Mar 28, 2008)

ggieseke said:


> That sounds like a bad power supply or a bad HDMI connection. Even without a hard drive you should get the first Welcome screen.


Interesting. Not a bad HDMI as I've moved it around to several rooms with functioning TiVo's. The power supply issue I thought I avoided by settling for a 1 TB drive, and not overburdening power. TiVo sent me this power wart. Could it be only for original 500 GB? Unfortunately I dont have a Bolt power supply anymore so I cant troubleshoot until I get a new power supply., Thanks.


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## JoeKustra (Dec 7, 2012)

bricco said:


> Interesting. Not a bad HDMI as I've moved it around to several rooms with functioning TiVo's. The power supply issue I thought I avoided by settling for a 1 TB drive, and not overburdening power. TiVo sent me this power wart. Could it be only for original 500 GB? Unfortunately I dont have a Bolt power supply anymore so I cant troubleshoot until I get a new power supply., Thanks.


I have four basic Roamio boxes with 3TB drives and original wall warts. Never had a problem. All are fed by a UPS.


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## ggieseke (May 30, 2008)

bricco said:


> Interesting. Not a bad HDMI as I've moved it around to several rooms with functioning TiVo's. The power supply issue I thought I avoided by settling for a 1 TB drive, and not overburdening power. TiVo sent me this power wart. Could it be only for original 500 GB? Unfortunately I dont have a Bolt power supply anymore so I cant troubleshoot until I get a new power supply., Thanks.


Normally the 2A supply should be fine, especially without the additional load of a CableCARD. My basic Roamio has been ticking along fine for about 5 years with a 4TB Red and the factory wall wart.

Since it has lifetime you might want to get a breakout cable from TiVo and try component or even composite video to rule out a bad HDMI port.


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## brobin (Feb 14, 2014)

Be it a 500GB or a 3TB HDD the power consumed during operation is typically around 500ma. However, the initial spinup can draw 2 to 2.5 amps for about 15 seconds. Even a 2A wall wart can handle that unless it is no longer able to produce its rated output. A new wall wart rated at 2A or higher should be tried. I'd go with at least a 3A for more headroom and cooler operation.


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## bricco (Mar 28, 2008)

brobin said:


> Be it a 500GB or a 3TB HDD the power consumed during operation is typically around 500ma. However, the initial spinup can draw 2 to 2.5 amps for about 15 seconds. Even a 2A wall wart can handle that unless it is no longer able to produce its rated output. A new wall wart rated at 2A or higher should be tried. I'd go with at least a 3A for more headroom and cooler operation.


Thanks, all. New Bolt power supply on the way. should have plenary of power for Roamio 1 TB. What if it is a problem with HDMI? How do I resolve that? Don't have component cable capability (or desire for same).


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## brobin (Feb 14, 2014)

I bought this power supply for $9.99 on Amazon to have as a spare. It's 5 amps and has the correct plug.
https://amzn.to/2HzUSCv


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## josim (May 22, 2016)

brobin said:


> I bought this power supply for $9.99 on Amazon to have as a spare. It's 5 amps and has the correct plug.
> https://amzn.to/2HzUSCv


Nice! A 5 amp power supply should be able to loaf along powering a Roamio and should last along time.


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## brobin (Feb 14, 2014)

It has the added advantage of not taking up two outlets on the UPS.


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## gardavis (Nov 24, 2001)

My TiVo has been flaky the last few days. It would be running but very slow to populate pages like the list or season passes. A few reboots got it to start working. Also, the coax connector was very hot. This morning, the screen was black. Remote control buttons did blink the TiVo indicator light. Reboot displayed the 4 flashing lights and it no longer booted up.

Reading this thread got me to look though my box of wall warts looking for a match of voltage/amps and connector size. The best I could find was a 12V 1.25A and I plugged it in and it is working! Thanks guys. I put in an order for this Amazon wall wart which has more amps - $10 and to be delivered Prime tomorrow.

Update: The 1.25A wall wart burned out after about 5 hours. Now waiting for my Amazon replacement.


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## brobin (Feb 14, 2014)

A lot of times the amperage ratings on wall warts are, shall we say, "optimistic" at best. When replacing one it's always best to go with more amps than the original. The device will only draw what it needs so you can't have too many amps and the headroom will let the wall wart run cooler and last longer. Every penny counts when manufacturing so the cheapest wall wart that will likely make it through the warranty is what's selected.


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## gardavis (Nov 24, 2001)

What if I tried one that had a bit more voltage? Like 19V instead of the needed 12V. 

I figured that could adversely affect the TiVo so I did not try that.

Also is the connector size related to the power of the adapter? 

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk


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## brobin (Feb 14, 2014)

NO! Never use a higher voltage! Higher amperage is fine but not higher voltage. VERY rough analogy: Think of your kitchen sink. How hot the water is is the voltage and the amount of the flow is the amperage. Too hot (higher voltage) will burn your hands (circuits) but higher flow makes more water available. The size of the connector is not related to power. Just because it fits means nothing an can cause damage. The replacement power supply should match the old one exactly with the exception of amperage which can be higher. You need to look at 3 things on the power supply label:

Voltage - must match the device in terms of both number and AC or DC (i.e. 12VDC);
Amperage - must be at least equal to the one being replaced (2000ma = 2a);
Plug Polarity - Outer is usually negative with inner positive - but not always! Some are reversed and can damage your device.


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## brobin (Feb 14, 2014)

A little more about amperage. The Tivo (or any wall wart powered device) requires a certain amount of power to operate and will draw that from the power supply. The wall wart draws 120 volts AC from the outlet and transforms it to 12 volts DC converting some of that energy to heat. The wall wart's components are selected to safely produce their rated output without overheating. If the amount being drawn is more than the rated output the wall wart will overheat and burn out as you experienced. Sometimes all that's left is a melted blob or even a fire.


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## gardavis (Nov 24, 2001)

Thanks for the info.

I did read up a bit on these A/C Adapters (AC adapter - Wikipedia).

As you mentioned, there is no relation to the connector size and the voltage/amps/polarity. It seems like there should have been a standard. Especially since the common 5.5mm can have 2 different inside diameters allowing the bigger one to fit in the wrong socket. Also, the confusion of male/female is interesting (the plug is female and socket is male!).


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## tommage1 (Nov 6, 2008)

gardavis said:


> Update: The 1.25A wall wart burned out after about 5 hours. Now waiting for my Amazon replacement.


Not a good idea to use a supply that much less than standard. Can affect the drive, if drive does not receive enough power it will try to boot but may fail. Which can cause errors on drive. May want to scan your drive to see if anything happened to it.


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## gardavis (Nov 24, 2001)

After installing the new 5A adapter, the TiVo is running fine with no apparent disk or other issues. 

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk


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## brobin (Feb 14, 2014)

Glad to hear it. I love easy solutions! BTW, you mentioned the confusing male/female designations on the plug. It does seem counterintuitive but the male designation refers to the center pin in the socket on the TiVo and the female refers to the hole in the center of the plug. When you think of it that way it makes sense even though it does seem backwards.


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## k3lavine (Aug 24, 2015)

Just wanted to add my thanks for this thread.

A few mornings ago, my Roamio (cable card) was blinking all lights. I powered off and on, same thing. Noticed a pulsing noise coming from the box. Googled and found several threads. Seemed like hard disk failure or power supply. I ordered a WD30EFRX and a 12V 3A power supply Amazon.com: [UL Listed] Chanzon 12V 3A 36W AC DC Switching Power Supply Adapter (Input 100-240V, Output 12 Volt 3 Amp) Wall Wart Transformer Charger for DC12V LED Strip Lights CCTV Cameras (6Ft Cord, 36 Watt Max): Electronics

Tried the power supply and the Roamio came up fine.

Thanks for being a good resource!


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## JoeFoley (Jan 2, 2021)

My Roamio has been unplugged for several months, due I thought to a bad PS. I just got one from TiVo (free) and am now getting the red/blue flashing lights.

is the next step a new HDD?


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## Razzer (Nov 5, 2015)

Great TiVo Community, thank you for yet another rescue.

My Roamio OTA froze over an hour ago. I forced a power reboot. Came back with all four lights flashing. Gave another forced power reboot. Again, all four lights flashing. My immediate next action was to check with this board, where the experts hang out.

Reading your thread here, I realized my dumb choice of hanging a tiny USB external cooling fan off the Roamio's USB port just added stress to the power supply. Removed the USB fan, powered Roamio up again, now came back just fine. Next, I swapped out its original 12V 2A power adapter, with a spare 12V 2.5A power adapter with matching polarity.

Much improved, so far for half a week (as I edit this a few days later). The 2.5A power adapter is also cooler to the touch than the 2.0A that came with the Roamio. Internal temperature dropped a couple degrees, also.



brobin said:


> I bought this power supply for $9.99 on Amazon to have as a spare. It's 5 amps and has the correct plug.
> https://amzn.to/2HzUSCv


_Great suggestion! I ordered it, now hooked up, runs cooler to the touch, also._​
Thanks to the fine tips from TiVo Community I've upgraded this Roamio's hard drive 9 months back when I swapped in a 4 TB WD40PURZ (good performer, so far).

A few days before this freeze up I noticed a brief hesitancy (twice) when scrolling through program listings (not due to blue spinny circles). Suspect it was a predictor for the power supply problem.


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## redbeard25 (Jan 15, 2002)

THANK YOU Tivo Community! Our Roamio had the "fast flashing" lights issue this morning. I immediately thought hard drive, but after reading this thread, located a 12V/5A power supply and we are back inbusiness!

FWIW, I used the power supply from an old strip of 12V LED lights I purchased on a Lightning Deal a while back. Worked like a charm: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00L7775YE/


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## brobin (Feb 14, 2014)

NEVER throw out old wall warts when tossing a product, you never know when they'll come in handy! I must have 50 of them in a box.


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## HTRon (Feb 23, 2007)

brobin said:


> I bought this power supply for $9.99 on Amazon to have as a spare. It's 5 amps and has the correct plug.
> https://amzn.to/2HzUSCv


just wanted to say THANKS for posting this and for everyone in this thread that suggested the power supply!

my front panel lights on my roamio were flashing rapidly, all four. interestingly, I had never opened mine up! But, searched online and found this thread, and said heck, for $10 I'll try it...and it worked! I also put in the model number from the original power supply, and I bought one of those which I'll probably switch to when it gets here - because this one seems *really* loose when it's plugged in (tivo end), I mean, it was falling out when I just brushed the cord. So, not sure this is the perfect match, but it certainly does power up and has been running for over an hour now.


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## pettyfog (Jun 10, 2016)

Another failed wall wart, here. Sadly i jumped to conclusion and thought i heard the drive hunting.
Just happened to have planned on upgrading the drive and hadnt got around to it. So no big deal.
Replaced drive, same thing.
THEN noticed wall wart was warm ... Swapped with my other Roamio and both worked. 
But the warmer than usual plug should have been the tipoff.
Replaced both with 3 Amp units for around 25


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## HTRon (Feb 23, 2007)

pettyfog said:


> Another failed wall wart, here. Sadly i jumped to conclusion and thought i heard the drive hunting.
> Just happened to have planned on upgrading the drive and hadnt got around to it. So no big deal.
> Replaced drive, same thing.
> THEN noticed wall wart was warm ... Swapped with my other Roamio and both worked.
> ...


did you get them from amazon? do you feel like the plug is nice and snug? if so, please post a link.


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## winkybil (Aug 31, 2020)

All-lights flashing means hard drive. Easy enough to replace, any 3.5in drive under 3TB will be self-formatted when you put it in. Just make sure it's 5.4k, any faster drives generate too much heat and take too much Speed Test power.


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## HTRon (Feb 23, 2007)

well, go slow here...my all lights flashing was fixed when I replaced the power cord/transformer, as noted above...for $10 it's an easy thing to try first, before losing your recordings.


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## Joe Baylock (Mar 20, 2021)

Thanks also from me--the Chanzon power supply from Amazon for ~$12 solved the four lights flashing problem and I'm back in business. Tremendous help, TY


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## njweb (Aug 23, 2015)

Well, *I have this same four flashing lights issue with my 2015 Roamio. *
It has an *8 TB HDD that I installed just 4 months ago*, which has been working perfectly. (I had previously upgraded to a 3 TB HDD in 2015).

Ironically I was getting ready to back up the HDD using a duplicator dock I bought for $66 before prices rose (link below), but I was waiting for a few series to finish recording.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00G6TG5YE/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Anyway, *I hope it is just due to a bad wall power adapter, like so many other people here...

What are the ID and OD specs of the pin for this Roamio Series power adapter?*
I have the series 5 Roamio - R8465B TiVo Series 5 (Tarvos)
*
Seems the following should work:
I assume the TiVO Roamio adapter pin is either 5.5 X 2.5 or 5.5 X 2.1?
Is it 2.1 or 2.5 though, in case I find another adapter?

(I know the Chazon supports both 2.1 and 2.5 since it is 'self adapting')
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B...n_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1#customerReviews

Any general consensus on a good power supply? Happy to spend more for a quality one...

Need to try to find a store that carries the adapters if possible so I can do it today and confirm it is not the HDD. Too bad Radio Shack is out of business.*
I will also check for any extra power adapters from old devices (may have thrown most away though when cleaning up).

*I need at least 2A and it seems the following Best Buy one is only 1.3A (since photo shows 1300mA, i.e. 1.3A). Surprisingly weak for $20.
https://www.bestbuy.com/site/insign...adapter-black/5019131.p?skuId=5019131&ref=212*

Photo of my Roamio power adapter:


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## njweb (Aug 23, 2015)

njweb said:


> Well, *I have this same four flashing lights issue with my 2015 Roamio. *
> It has an *8 TB HDD that I installed just 4 months ago*, which has been working perfectly. (I had previously upgraded to a 3 TB HDD in 2015).
> 
> Ironically I was getting ready to back up the HDD using a duplicator dock I bought for $66 before prices rose (link below), but I was waiting for a few series to finish recording.
> ...


Quick update with some GREAT news!
First of all, thanks a lot for this thread suggesting the power supply as a potential / likely culprit for the 4 lights (as opposed to immediately assuming a bad HDD is to blame, which many of us might have otherwise suspected).

I found a 12V power supply which I have (and still need, but used for testing) for a SATA to USB HDD adapter (link below) which is also 2A and fits perfectly.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/slredirect/picassoRedirect.html/ref=pa_sp_atf_aps_sr_pg1_1?ie=UTF8&adId=A0473033H1DSEG1BO6I9&url=/UGREEN-Cable-Adapter-Converter-Support/dp/B00MYU0EAU/ref=sr_1_2_sspa?dchild=1&keywords=hdd+adapter&qid=1619802349&sr=8-2-spons&psc=1&qualifier=1619802349&id=619088643138463&widgetName=sp_atf

I took a chance that the 2A output spec of my UGreen adapter is accurate (it claims exactly 2A like the OEM adapter; so there is no margin for error) and plugged it into the TiVO Roamio and the 4 simultaneous lights did *NOT* come on (as they did before with my OEM PSU) which was a great sign.
I then let it boot (which it did successfully) and checked that my recordings are still intact and that Live TV works - indeed everything is fine. Phew!

Once I confirmed my TiVO is working fine and my recordings and settings are intact, I immediately put my TiVO into standby mode and unplugged the UGreen PSU since I prefer to play it safe and get a *3A* adapter, not knowing how accurate the specs are.
I will probably order the Chanzon PSU linked in this thread since it got great reviews and many reviewers mentioned it works fine in the Roamio.

Thanks again!


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## ThAbtO (Apr 6, 2000)

njweb said:


> What are the ID and OD specs of the pin for this Roamio Series power adapter?


2.1mm x 5.5mm


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## njweb (Aug 23, 2015)

ThAbtO said:


> 2.1mm x 5.5mm


Thanks a lot! 
That is what I suspected based on the specs of 2 power supplies people had been posting about (although one supported both 2.1mm and 2.5mm ID - the other one was indeed 2.1), but now I know for sure.


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## Terence Flannery (Oct 7, 2021)

Many thanks for your postings - I had the same problem and the AC/DC adapter is the problem.


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## Kerry Monroe (Nov 18, 2021)

*Had all lights flashing....thought it was the hard drive from all of the comments until I read some others. I also have a Bolt and I took the cord from it and plugged it into the Roamio. IT LOADED!! WOOHOO!! I went to Amazon and purchased a replacement power supply.*


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## merrickw (Jul 29, 2002)

Thank you Thread!

I almost ordered a new WD hard drive, assuming the video freezes, and then reboots, and then flashing 4 lights obviously was a hard drive failure.
BUT, thanks to this community, you guys said it was the power supply, and sure enough, it was the power supply.

I intend to buy the Chanzon power supply mentioned above, but it would be nice to find a 2.5mm female to 2.1mm male adaptor to make it fit snuggly in the TiVo.
I see one adapter on Amazon, and it has 1 bad review, I can't find any others - there are many adapters with 2.1mm female, but not male. 



Amazon.com



Just found another connector I may try:


Amazon.com



(Don't know if these connectors/adapters work, so this is NOT a recommendation, just doing research).


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## JoeKustra (Dec 7, 2012)

merrickw said:


> Thank you Thread!
> I intend to buy the Chanzon power supply mentioned above, but it would be nice to find a 2.5mm female to 2.1mm male adaptor to make it fit snuggly in the TiVo.
> I see one adapter on Amazon, and it has 1 bad review, I can't find any others - there are many adapters with 2.1mm female, but not male.


Works for me:
Amazon.com: Facmogu DC 12V 3A Power Adapter, 36 Watt AC 100-240V to DC 12V Transformers, Switching Power Supply for LCD Monitor, Wireless Router, CCTV Cameras 2.1mm X 5.5mm US Plug : Everything Else


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## merrickw (Jul 29, 2002)

Thanks Joe - it looks like the Chanzon has a lot more positive reviews, so I'll stick with that.


JoeKustra said:


> Works for me:
> Amazon.com: Facmogu DC 12V 3A Power Adapter, 36 Watt AC 100-240V to DC 12V Transformers, Switching Power Supply for LCD Monitor, Wireless Router, CCTV Cameras 2.1mm X 5.5mm US Plug : Everything Else


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## dianebrat (Jul 6, 2002)

merrickw said:


> Thanks Joe - it looks like the Chanzon has a lot more positive reviews, so I'll stick with that.


Amazon reviews on generic products like this are all but worthless, I would not use them to make a choice in this ind of product and I would trust the positive feedback from TCF members more. However even then it's a crapshoot for under $15


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## merrickw (Jul 29, 2002)

I hear you. 

The Chanzon is recommended here, by TCF members. That was my first go-to. (I wouldn't have found it otherwise).
And, the Chanzon reviews on Amazon have many specific Roamio positive reviews, plus the technology looks more solid to my eye.

I take all Amazon reviews with a _huge_ grain of salt, believe me.


dianebrat said:


> Amazon reviews on generic products like this are all but worthless, I would not use them to make a choice in this ind of product and I would trust the positive feedback from TCF members more. However even then it's a crapshoot for under $15


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## MrDell (Jul 8, 2012)

JoeKustra said:


> Works for me:
> Amazon.com: Facmogu DC 12V 3A Power Adapter, 36 Watt AC 100-240V to DC 12V Transformers, Switching Power Supply for LCD Monitor, Wireless Router, CCTV Cameras 2.1mm X 5.5mm US Plug : Everything Else


I purchased this exact one and it works great on my Bolt also!


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## phox_mulder (Feb 23, 2006)

Link takes you to the 3amp version, make sure to get the 5amp.
I ordered it about a month ago, just can't get myself to delve into the tangle of cords behind my entertainment center to replace it.
Got is as a preventative measure, just like keeping my Bolt on a UPS since day one and adding a laptop cooling pad under it to keep it cool.


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## estacionsj (Feb 8, 2010)

Pchan87 said:


> The tivo turns on like normal with the welcome start up screen, then all lights on the front of the TiVo start flashing together (Red, blue, orange, green) and the welcome screen doesnt advance. The fan is on, I replaced the hard drive with a green power hard drive that had been working fine for over a year.
> 
> Any idea what needs to be fixed, i read power supply failures but with the top open i tried to look for a replacement board on weaknees but none of the boards look like what I'm seeing in my unit. I bought a red wd hd to try out but that comes in on Monday.
> 
> ...


did u ever find out the problem, mine started to do the same thing,,,,, just read whole thread and By golly GEZZZZZ its the Power supply,,,,Thanks


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## ThAbtO (Apr 6, 2000)

estacionsj said:


> did u ever find out the problem, mine started to do the same thing





JoeKustra said:


> This:
> 
> Works for me:
> Amazon.com: Facmogu DC 12V 3A Power Adapter, 36 Watt AC 100-240V to DC 12V Transformers, Switching Power Supply for LCD Monitor, Wireless Router, CCTV Cameras 2.1mm X 5.5mm US Plug : Everything Else


Don't start a reply until you read all the posts. That was an old post which was resolved.


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## Rich Pl (6 mo ago)

One note. Three months ago I replaced my HD on my 6 year old OTA Roamio. Replaced with a 2G HD and it's been working great till today, the old drive was toast.. I also had flashing lights after the HD change and upgraded my Wall wart. Worked fine till today. Now it is happening again. I have an 8A 12V Motorola wall wart which I put in today and same problem. Checked the voltage on load and it was 10V.Checked the AC at the outlet and it was 105Vac... I tracked it down to a bad 120VAC circuit breaker in the panel..After replacing the circuit breaker all was fine..... Just another thing to look at..


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## ThAbtO (Apr 6, 2000)

Rich Pl said:


> I tracked it down to a bad 120VAC circuit breaker in the panel..After replacing the circuit breaker all was fine.




However, its dangerous to be messing around in the inside of the circuit panel, unless you are an electrician.


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## gespears (Aug 10, 2007)

I have a TiVo pro and have the "all four lights flashing rapidly" issue but assume it's probably not the internal power supply. I have a 6TB that has been in there since around 2010 or so with no problems. What's weird is that it will run fine for a while and then I start getting pixelations and it goes to 4 lights flashing.

Suggestions? Do older Romeo Pro's have power supply issues?

Thanks for your help.


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## turbobuick86 (May 3, 2002)

Appreciate this thread! Installed a 3TB hard drive in my Roamio 3 months ago and it worked fine. Then about a week ago, little things started popping up. It still recorded and played back, but sometimes there were video stutters and pixelation. I decided to reboot and then never got past the "all flashing lights". Googled it and this thread popped up. I just happened to have a brand new ota Bolt sitting here, bought on sale for backup. Stole the power adapter and presto! all is good. Thanks all.


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## kucharsk (Feb 2, 2007)

Just had this happen to my OTA Roamio.

A 12v 2.5A power supply from an old Netgear cable modem solved the problem instantly.

Thanks, everyone, for the thread!!


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