# Upgrading TiVo Bolt to 1TB or higher - instructions?



## kenarcia

I just bought a 500Gb. I will upgrade to a bigger HDD when I get it and wonder if there are instructions? I did this several years ago with Series I or II, can't remember. 

TIA,
Ken


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## BigJimOutlaw

Toshiba's MQ03ABB300 is the drive of choice around here because lots of high-capacity 2.5" drives use a technology that is toxic to DVRs.

No special software needed, but I think at one point it was recommended you perform Guided Setup with the original drive first to download the latest software. Then once Guided Setup starts a second time (when you return to the country selection screen) power down and follow the video's instructions.

(I don't recall if that step is absolutely necessary anymore, but I didn't want to omit it in case it was.)


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## dianebrat

Another vote for the Toshiba's MQ03ABB300
Carefully open the case (you will break the little tabs.. don't worry) remove the old drive, install the new one, reassemble and you're done, yes it's that easy.


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## DrKrizzle

Is there any way we can Sticky this post because I'm sure many others have the same question.


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## hlazare

I bought a Toshiba's MQ03ABB300 and tried mfsr.exe on a windows 10 computer and it couldn't find the drive, so I used Seagate software to test the drive and it partitioned the drive to a 2 tb and a 1tb. Am I in trouble when I drop it into a Bolt?


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## dianebrat

hlazare said:


> I bought a Toshiba's MQ03ABB300 and tried mfsr.exe on a windows 10 computer and it couldn't find the drive, so I used Seagate software to test the drive and it partitioned the drive to a 2 tb and a 1tb. Am I in trouble when I drop it into a Bolt?


 It wouldn't do that.
Why aren't you just wiping the drive and dropping it in the Bolt blank? that's the preferred way on a 3TB or lower.


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## fcfc2

hlazare said:


> I bought a Toshiba's MQ03ABB300 and tried mfsr.exe on a windows 10 computer and it couldn't find the drive, so I used Seagate software to test the drive and it partitioned the drive to a 2 tb and a 1tb. Am I in trouble when I drop it into a Bolt?


I am not sure what all your issues are, but I used MFSR on my Toshiba's MQ03ABB300 with a USB adapter and had no problem with it on a W10 machine. Also, I don't know what software you used to test the drive, but there should be no need to partition and format it. 
I would suggest that you connect the drive again, use W10's disk management to remove all partitions, returning it to it's raw state and then just install it in the Bolt and let it do it's thing. If you can't figure out how to get that done, try just installing it in the Bolt as is, hopefully your messing with it will not prevent the Bolt from using the entire drive.


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## krkaufman

dianebrat said:


> Why aren't you just wiping the drive and dropping it in the Bolt blank? that's the preferred way on a 3TB or lower.


Though not required, the author of MFS Reformatter recommends its use even on 3TB drives...


aaronwt said:


> Even if I went the route of a 3TB drive. I would still use the same process as the 4TB drive using the MFS Reformatter program. Because
> 
> 
> ggieseke said:
> 
> 
> 
> ..............It aligns the MFS file (application) and inode "zones" correctly for Advanced Format (4K) drives. That should improve performance and reduce wear & tear on the drive..........
Click to expand...


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## hlazare

krkaufman said:


> Though not required, the author of MFS Reformatter recommends its use even on 3TB drives...





fcfc2 said:


> I am not sure what all your issues are, but I used MFSR on my Toshiba's MQ03ABB300 with a USB adapter and had no problem with it on a W10 machine. Also, I don't know what software you used to test the drive, but there should be no need to partition and format it.
> I would suggest that you connect the drive again, use W10's disk management to remove all partitions, returning it to it's raw state and then just install it in the Bolt and let it do it's thing. If you can't figure out how to get that done, try just installing it in the Bolt as is, hopefully your messing with it will not prevent the Bolt from using the entire drive.


Thanks for your help. I can't get the w10 to or MFSR to see the drive only the Seagate Disk Wizard sees the disk.


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## kpeters59

Windows probably won't see the 'drive' but the 'Disk' should be in Disk Manager, shouldn't it?


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## fcfc2

kpeters59 said:


> Windows probably won't see the 'drive' but the 'Disk' should be in Disk Manager, shouldn't it?


Absolutely.
EDIT: hlazare, did you install the drive in your Bolt and let it go to the Guided setup screen before you tried to process it on your W10 machine?


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## krkaufman

hlazare said:


> I can't get the w10 to or MFSR to see the drive only the Seagate Disk Wizard sees the disk.


Please describe how you're physically connecting your drive to your Windows 10 system, including model numbers for any adapters being used.


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## hlazare

fcfc2 said:


> Absolutely.
> EDIT: hlazare, did you install the drive in your Bolt and let it go to the Guided setup screen before you tried to process it on your W10 machine?


No, I didn't, but I think your right! I think I need to let my Bolt do it's thing and then use mfsr.exe to expand it if the Bolt doesn't do it. The Bolt is on order and I'll try it when it arrives. Thanks to everyone for your help!!


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## drkwood

Just bought a new 500GB Tivo BOLT and upgraded it to the 3TB Toshiba following this post, which came up near the top of a Google search result.

Other than me breaking all four tabs of the smaller part of the enclosure, the video was great and easy to follow. Thankyou!

I must say though...what was wrong with good old screws? Why all these fancy pop-tabs Tivo? I still have two Premieres running strong, and their cases are well-built and sturdy. I feel like I'm going to break the BOLT in half every time I touch it.


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## Tony_T

dianebrat said:


> Carefully open the case (you will break the little tabs.. don't worry).


Use one of these: Spudger (922-5065) Individual


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## drkwood

Tony_T said:


> Use one of these: Spudger (922-5065) Individual


Thanks for the tip - I'll pick one up.

However, its a foregone conclusion that I would eventually break the tabs at some point anyway. I try to pop open every large device I have (with a fan) once a year to blow out the dust and check the fan's health. I have had really good luck with extended lifetime of electronics keeping up with this habit.


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## CIR-Engineering

I used a Western Digital WD40NPZZ 4TB 2.5" dirve. There is a very reputable seller on eBay named central_valley_computer_parts_inc who sells these drives from new to low hours. He also has 3 and 5tb WD drives. 

I am not affiliated with him in any way, just a happy buyer. I bought a 70 hours drive and it only had 55 hours on it. The drive passed all of my rigorous testing.

Best,
craigr


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## krkaufman

CIR-Engineering said:


> I used a Western Digital WD40NPZZ 4TB 2.5" dirve. ... I bought a 70 hours drive and it only had 55 hours on it. The drive passed all of my rigorous testing.


How long has it been operational in your TiVo?


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## CIR-Engineering

krkaufman said:


> How long has it been operational in your TiVo?


A little over two months now.

craigr


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## aaronwt

drkwood said:


> Just bought a new 500GB Tivo BOLT and upgraded it to the 3TB Toshiba following this post, which came up near the top of a Google search result.
> 
> Other than me breaking all four tabs of the smaller part of the enclosure, the video was great and easy to follow. Thankyou!
> 
> I must say though...what was wrong with good old screws? Why all these fancy pop-tabs Tivo? I still have two Premieres running strong, and their cases are well-built and sturdy. I feel like I'm going to break the BOLT in half every time I touch it.


I used to go very slow when opening the Bolt. But now I just rip the cover right off. I've owned seven Bolts since launch and I've done it at least ten times now and I haven't broken any tabs off since I started removing the cover quickly. The only time I broke a bunch tabs was when I went slow trying to remove the cover. And I broke a tab once putting a cover back on.


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## leswar

aaronwt said:


> I used to go very slow when opening the Bolt. But now I just rip the cover right off.


ROTFLOL

aaronwt could you make a video of how you do that?
I would love to see your process.


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## SalemCat

CIR-Engineering said:


> I used a Western Digital WD40NPZZ 4TB 2.5" dirve. There is a very reputable seller on eBay named central_valley_computer_parts_inc who sells these drives from new to low hours. He also has 3 and 5tb WD drives.
> 
> I am not affiliated with him in any way, just a happy buyer. I bought a 70 hours drive and it only had 55 hours on it. The drive passed all of my rigorous testing.
> 
> Best,
> craigr


Ok, I bought a 4TB from him.

In a BOLT I just put it in and turn it on, right ?


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## Tony_T

I thought I read that only 3T is recognized if you just pop the 4T in a Bolt. Do a search here to verify (most here go with a 3T Seagate. I did a 2T WD)


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## CIR-Engineering

SalemCat said:


> Ok, I bought a 4TB from him.
> 
> In a BOLT I just put it in and turn it on, right ?


No. To use the entire drive capacity:

MFS Reformatter (mfsr)

craigr


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## CIR-Engineering

SalemCat said:


> Ok, I bought a 4TB from him.
> 
> In a BOLT I just put it in and turn it on, right ?


...but it's pretty easy thanks to earlier work by others.​
craigr


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## CIR-Engineering

SalemCat said:


> Ok, I bought a 4TB from him.
> 
> In a BOLT I just put it in and turn it on, right ?


Also, were you ever able to confirm whether of not the WD40NPZZ is using PMR or SMR? I had some trouble but based on it's intended usage I made the jump that it is using PMR technology.

Best,
craigr


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## SalemCat

CIR-Engineering said:


> Also, were you ever able to confirm whether of not the WD40NPZZ is using PMR or SMR? I had some trouble but based on it's intended usage I made the jump that it is using PMR technology.
> 
> Best,
> craigr


Is it SMR ? (I'm not sure I even want to know the answer.)

Someone, maybe even someone here, stated that even if SMR, that WD implements it better.

And you said it has worked for you for two months now ?

I have used LINUX on my 4TB WD Purple, so as to transfer the files, so I do not have a problem with doing it again.

But the WD40NPZZ is EXTRA THICK at 15mm. It does FIT, right ?


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## SalemCat

Last night *sfhub *said: "Don't know if it means anything for longevity, but according the earlier link the WD SMR behaves differently from the Seagate SMRs performance-wise. The Seagate performance goes completely to crap once the cache runs out. The WD drives slow down but no where near what the Seagate do. This probably indicates different design for their SMR."


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## m.s

WD40NPZZ is likely PMR. No info on the WD site, but if the claim that it only has an 8 MB cache is correct, it's unlikely to be SMR - they need enough memory to cache multiple tracks so they can be all be rewritten when a block within a SMR zone changes, so tend to have large cache memory. That it's a 15 mm drive with capacity comparable to thinner SMR drives also points to PMR, since it has room for more platters. But none of that's definitive.

It would be interesting to know what market/manufacturer these were made for.


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## CIR-Engineering

SalemCat said:


> Is it SMR ? (I'm not sure I even want to know the answer.)
> 
> Someone, maybe even someone here, stated that even if SMR, that WD implements it better.
> 
> And you said it has worked for you for two months now ?
> 
> I have used LINUX on my 4TB WD Purple, so as to transfer the files, so I do not have a problem with doing it again.
> 
> But the WD40NPZZ is EXTRA THICK at 15mm. It does FIT, right ?





m.s said:


> WD40NPZZ is likely PMR. No info on the WD site, but if the claim that it only has an 8 MB cache is correct, it's unlikely to be SMR - they need enough memory to cache multiple tracks so they can be all be rewritten when a block within a SMR zone changes, so tend to have large cache memory. That it's a 15 mm drive with capacity comparable to thinner SMR drives also points to PMR, since it has room for more platters. But none of that's definitive.
> 
> It would be interesting to know what market/manufacturer these were made for.


I am pretty sure it's PMR, but WD doesn't provide any data on it. However, I got motivated and I have a friend at WD looking into it for me now who I think will come up with the correct answer. He said he could probably find out for sure tomorrow. That said, based on specs and the fact that it's not a laptop drive, and it's vintage, it's almost certainly PMR. FWIW centralvalleycomputerparts is running out of these so we may be the last to score these drives from a known good source.

craigr


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## sfhub

CIR-Engineering said:


> I am pretty sure it's PMR, but WD doesn't provide any data on it.


I think based on the performance tests you did on it earlier, it should be PMR drive. SMR drives can't do the numbers you gave earlier on large writes.


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## Ziggy86

Is the process of swapping out the hard drive this simple? With the older Tivo units you had to attach it to your computer and format it a special way and then install it.


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## SalemCat

Ziggy86 said:


> Is the process of swapping out the hard drive this simple? With the older Tivo units you had to attach it to your computer and format it a special way and then install it.


I think other members are saying for best performance and less wear you should (but do not need) to use MFS Reformatter (mfsr)


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## Tony_T

Ziggy86 said:


> *Is the process of swapping out the hard drive this simple?* With the older Tivo units you had to attach it to your computer and format it a special way and then install it.


For anything up to 3TB, just install the new HD into the Bolt.


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## CIR-Engineering

SalemCat said:


> I think other members are saying for best performance and less wear you should (but do not need) to use MFS Reformatter (mfsr)


You need MFS if you want the full capacity of any drive over 3TB. 3TB and smaller will benefit from better hard drive utilization as well. I would run MFS on any drive, but it's not required for 3TB or smaller.

craigr


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## krkaufman

CIR-Engineering said:


> You need MFS if you want the full capacity of any drive over 3TB. 3TB and smaller will benefit from better hard drive utilization as well. I would run MFS on any drive, but it's not required for 3TB or smaller.


To be clear, "MFS" = "MFSr" (MFSreformatter) in the above comment.


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## JoeKustra

More than you want to know -> MFS Tools 3.2


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## SalemCat

I asked WD:










Dear *Awesome Cat* (ok, i made that up),

Thank you for your continued response. I appreciate your time and patience.
Per your concern, I would like to inform you that the driver with model number "WD40NPZZ" is a *PMR* (perpendicular magnetic recording). 
If you have any further questions, please reply to this email and we will be happy to assist you further.

Sincerely,
Eli
Western Digital Service and Support
http://support.wdc.com

*YES YES YES YES YES !!!*


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## Tony_T

CIR-Engineering said:


> ...3TB and smaller will benefit from better hard drive utilization as well.


Can you explain this?


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## m.s

Tony_T said:


> Can you explain this?


Already been done. In simple terms, it optimizes the on-disk file structure TiVo uses. I wouldn't expect any really noticeable difference compared to just letting the TiVo format a new, blank hard drive, but better is better.


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## Tony_T

m.s said:


> Already been done. In simple terms, it optimizes the on-disk file structure TiVo uses. I wouldn't expect any really noticeable difference compared to just letting the TiVo format a new, blank hard drive, but better is better.


If it takes 46 pages to explain, then I don't think it does anything for <3TB drives


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## ClearToLand

ggieseke said:


> ...*It aligns the MFS file (application) and inode "zones" correctly for Advanced Format (4K) drives. That should improve performance and reduce wear & tear on the drive. This is something that I don't think has ever been addressed before.
> 
> It works on 3TB drives as well.* ...





CIR-Engineering said:


> You need MFS if you want the full capacity of any drive over 3TB. *3TB and smaller will benefit from better hard drive utilization as well.* I would run MFS on any drive, but it's not required for 3TB or smaller.
> 
> craigr





m.s said:


> Already been done. *In simple terms, it optimizes the on-disk file structure TiVo uses*. I wouldn't expect any really noticeable difference compared to just letting the TiVo format a new, blank hard drive, but better is better.


@m.s,

While I agree with your text (in BOLD), I don't understand the purpose of your LINK, so I just QUOTEd the appropriate section from @ggieseke's post, which is what I believe @CIR-Engineering was referring to.


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## sfhub

If the requirement is you open the door in 10 seconds and you place the person opening the door next to the door in one case and in the other case you place them at the top of the stairs, the door will still open within 10 seconds.

So yes, the guy on the other side of the door waiting to get in will still have the door opened within 10 seconds.

However in one case, the person opening the door will get more wear and tear.


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## aaronwt

SalemCat said:


> Last night *sfhub *said: "Don't know if it means anything for longevity, but according the earlier link the WD SMR behaves differently from the Seagate SMRs performance-wise. The Seagate performance goes completely to crap once the cache runs out. The WD drives slow down but no where near what the Seagate do. This probably indicates different design for their SMR."


When I first got my Seagate 4TB SMR drives I copied over a few hundred GBs to it with the PC to test it out. It had very fast transfer rates and provided consistent speeds. But it also had firmware 0001.

I've read that the WD 4TB drive might use a combination of SMR and PMR. And maybe that is what my 0001 Seagate drive does too. no idea. But that was back in October 2015 when I first got those 4TB drives and tested them.


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## aaronwt

Tony_T said:


> If it takes 46 pages to explain, then I don't think it does anything for <3TB drives


I've used msfr on every drive in every TiVo I've used in the past few years. From 500GB up to 5TB.

No idea if the version that works on 2TB and lower drives is out yet. I had to send a PM to get the version that worked with 2TB and lower drives. But I've had no issues with the 500GB drives I've used msfr on.


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## CIR-Engineering

SalemCat said:


> I asked WD:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Dear *Awesome Cat* (ok, i made that up),
> 
> Thank you for your continued response. I appreciate your time and patience.
> Per your concern, I would like to inform you that the driver with model number "WD40NPZZ" is a *PMR* (perpendicular magnetic recording).
> If you have any further questions, please reply to this email and we will be happy to assist you further.
> 
> Sincerely,
> Eli
> Western Digital Service and Support
> http://support.wdc.com
> 
> *YES YES YES YES YES !!!*


Glad you got a response. I haven't hear back from my friend yet at WD. I kinda figured the drive had to be.

Best,
craigr


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## aaronwt

Well if it's fully a PMR drive then that should be the first choice and also the largest PMR drive available to use. 

Although it seems to be expensive. More than the already expensive 3TB WD drive is.


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## SalemCat

Yeah, I'm pretty stoked about this upgrade.

My Premiere Series 4 with a 4TB WD Purple has been an absolute joy.


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## SalemCat

Ok. My WD WD40NPZZ is in, and apparently ok (fingers crossed).

MFS Reformatter under Windows 10 was ridiculously fast - I attached it directly to the MotherBoard. Is it normal to take less than a minute ?

I watched 



 - pretty easy.

I used a TEKTON 2830 Everybit *https://www.amazon.com/TEKTON-2830-Everybit-Precision-Electronic/dp/B009MKGRQA/ref=pd_lpo_vtph_469_tr_t_2?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=EMPY8XK76Q84W5NCPTWS* which costs under $10 , and includes a Star Security Bit and a Spudger Mini-Pry Bar as well.

TIP: Get yourself an old Credit Card and cut it up. Every time you release a tab, place a strip of Credit Card in place to hold it open. Makes life easy.

I opened the case and closed it without breaking a single tab !


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## SalemCat

4TB = 4399 SD Hours ?

Right ?


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## Tony_T

I have a 2T @ 2177, so about right


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## CIR-Engineering

SalemCat said:


> Ok. My WD WD40NPZZ is in, and apparently ok (fingers crossed).
> 
> MFS Reformatter under Windows 10 was ridiculously fast - I attached it directly to the MotherBoard. Is it normal to take less than a minute ?
> 
> I watched
> 
> 
> 
> - pretty easy.
> 
> I used a TEKTON 2830 Everybit *https://www.amazon.com/TEKTON-2830-Everybit-Precision-Electronic/dp/B009MKGRQA/ref=pd_lpo_vtph_469_tr_t_2?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=EMPY8XK76Q84W5NCPTWS* which costs under $10 , and includes a Star Security Bit and a Spudger Mini-Pry Bar as well.
> 
> TIP: Get yourself an old Credit Card and cut it up. Every time you release a tab, place a strip of Credit Card in place to hold it open. Makes life easy.
> 
> I opened the case and closed it without breaking a single tab !


MFSr is really fast and easy.

craigr


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## CIR-Engineering

SalemCat said:


> 4TB = 4399 SD Hours ?
> 
> Right ?


Mine says 4401 hours ;-)

craigr


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## SalemCat

CIR-Engineering said:


> Mine says 4401 hours ;-)
> 
> craigr


Ha !

I guess a 1% or 2% difference is acceptable.


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## shwru980r

SalemCat said:


> Ok. My WD WD40NPZZ is in, and apparently ok (fingers crossed).
> 
> MFS Reformatter under Windows 10 was ridiculously fast - I attached it directly to the MotherBoard. Is it normal to take less than a minute ?
> 
> I watched
> 
> 
> 
> - pretty easy.


Yes. It took less than a minute on my 8TB WD Easy Store drive that I used in my Romio OTA.


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## SalemCat

shwru980r said:


> Yes. It took less than a minute on my 8TB WD Easy Store drive that I used in my Romio OTA.


Quite a difference from the Linux Boot CD I used with my Premiere Series 4 units !

Of course I was copying files then.


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## SalemCat

CIR-Engineering said:


> Mine says 4401 hours ;-)
> 
> craigr


Yet my WD 4TB Purple on my Premiere Series 4 states *5607 SD hours.
*
That's more than 10% more hours in the Premiere.


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## atmuscarella

SalemCat said:


> Yet my WD 4TB Purple on my Premiere Series 4 states *5607 SD hours.
> *
> That's more than 10% more hours in the Premiere.


The number of hours is nothing more than a guess and TiVo may not be using the same estimated size per hour in different models for some reason.


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## CIR-Engineering

Pulled my WD40NPZZ 4TB drive yesterday and ran an extended SMART test in my Linux machine to check on it... all good so far. Also, the seller on eBay central_valley_computer_parts_inc has the exact 3TB hard drives that are used in the BOLT+ right now. Item number 272309193026.


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## SalemCat

I know that jpeg is a compression algorithm, and that pictures that have the same frame size, can be stored with vastly different byte counts. That is because some pics are simpler than others.

For instance, a 600X800 pixel of the Mona Lisa would be far more complex than a 600X800 black, featureless square.

So while a storage device could hold untold thousands (millions), of pics that are featureless black squares, it would hold far less complex Mona Lisa pics.

So any claim to number of pics that can be stored will always be an estimate.

I suspect the same principle applies to hours of Video. An hour of simple videos, e.i., early Hanna Barbera cartoons, would take up far less space in Bytes than an hour of The Last Jedi.

Does this explain the differences in Video Hour Capacity that are claimed ?


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## atmuscarella

SalemCat said:


> I know that jpeg is a compression algorithm, and that pictures that have the same frame size, can be stored with vastly different byte counts. That is because some pics are simpler than others.
> 
> For instance, a 600X800 pixel of the Mona Lisa would be far more complex than a 600X800 black, featureless square.
> 
> So while a storage device could hold untold thousands (millions), of pics that are featureless black squares, it would hold far less complex Mona Lisa pics.
> 
> So any claim to number of pics that can be stored will always be an estimate.
> 
> I suspect the same principle applies to hours of Video. An hour of simple videos, e.i., early Hanna Barbera cartoons, would take up far less space in Bytes than an hour of The Last Jedi.
> 
> Does this explain the differences in Video Hour Capacity that are claimed ?


Yes, but how many hours of TV a drive actually holds ends up being based on decisions made by your cable provider or OTA broadcaster, not just they type of show it is.


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## Tony_T

*% full* is all that really matters.


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## Tony_T

CIR-Engineering said:


> Pulled my WD40NPZZ 4TB drive yesterday and ran an extended SMART test in my Linux machine to check on it... all good so far. Also, the seller on eBay central_valley_computer_parts_inc has the exact 3TB hard drives that are used in the BOLT+ right now. Item number 272309193026.
> 
> View attachment 32428


Where does the seller get so many "Low Low Hour" drives? (167 sold per eBay) - are they drives that didn't pass WD QC?
(btw, only 1 left per eBay)


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## V7Goose

Tony_T said:


> Where does the seller get so many "Low Low Hour" drives? (167 sold per eBay) - are they drives that didn't pass WD QC?
> (btw, only 1 left per eBay)


Who knows? They may be buying up all the junk Bolts being returned for various problems - paying just cents on the dollar for landfill, then stripping out the drives and selling the ones that test good.


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## SalemCat

V7Goose said:


> Who knows? They may be buying up all the junk Bolts being returned for various problems - paying just cents on the dollar for landfill, then stripping out the drives and selling the ones that test good.


Can't be.

Too many 4TB drives.


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## V7Goose

SalemCat said:


> Can't be.
> 
> Too many 4TB drives.


Think again - where do you think all the "refurb" TiVo boxes come from? Every single one of them was a return!


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## SalemCat

V7Goose said:


> Think again - where do you think all the "refurb" TiVo boxes come from? Every single one of them was a return!


But TiVo does not manufacture a 4TB Model.

They top out at 3TB.


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## SalemCat

eBay central_valley_computer_parts_inc

Very easy to correspond with. Nice people. Great prices.

Wasn't very happy with the crummy BUBBLE BAG they shipped the HD in.

It was in a Pink Anti-Static Ziploc, and wrapped with plenty of Bubble Wrap inside the Bubble Bag.

I simply much prefer a BOX.


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## ohboy710

So forgive me if I ask a stupid question, but am I reading that if I want to put a new drive into the Bolt, I just physically replace the drive, power it on and Tivo does the rest? There is nothing I need to do ahead of time for it to actually load the software? I assumed something had to be installed onto the disk in advance. 

Also, my current Bolt hard drive went bad and I sent it to Tivo with the $49 replacement plan. In the future if this happens again and I tried to replace the drive myself but failed for whatever reason, would I be able to put the failed hard drive back into the bolt and ship it to them without them knowing I messed with it?


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## SalemCat

ohboy710 said:


> So forgive me if I ask a stupid question, but am I reading that if I want to put a new drive into the Bolt, I just physically replace the drive, power it on and Tivo does the rest? There is nothing I need to do ahead of time for it to actually load the software? I assumed something had to be installed onto the disk in advance.
> 
> Also, my current Bolt hard drive went bad and I sent it to Tivo with the $49 replacement plan. In the future if this happens again and I tried to replace the drive myself but failed for whatever reason, would I be able to put the failed hard drive back into the bolt and ship it to them without them knowing I messed with it?


#1 Open Bolt.
#2 Install new Drive and run it until setup loads. This will put the basic files MFS requires to recognize it as a TiVo HD. Unplug Bolt.
#3 Remove HD from Bolt; install as a second (or 3rd, etc) HD in a Desktop Computer.
#4 Download MFS from the Internet onto the Desktop Computer (hopefully Windows 10)
#5 Run MFS to format the TiVo HD. This will take a minute or less.
#6 Reinstall HD into Bolt, and close it up.

Go to the Thread titled "MFS Reformatter (mfsr)"

I used MFSR1004.zip

I don't understand the second part of your question. However, there is no Anti-Tamper Sticker that you need to tear to get inside the case. So if you are careful, and break no tabs, I don't know how they would know. Be very careful with the little white cable clips that stick to the top of the HD. Those I did break.

I saved the new 500GB that came with my new TiVo. Hopefully I will not need to return it on any warranty.


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## Tony_T

MFS needed for 4+ TB drive.
For 3TB or less....
Just install the drive.


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## James Michaelsen

SalemCat said:


> eBay central_valley_computer_parts_inc
> 
> Very easy to correspond with. Nice people. Great prices.
> 
> Wasn't very happy with the crummy BUBBLE BAG they shipped the HD in.
> 
> It was in a Pink Anti-Static Ziploc, and wrapped with plenty of Bubble Wrap inside the Bubble Bag.
> 
> I simply much prefer a BOX.


That drive does not appear on their site.

You get the last one?


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## SalemCat

James Michaelsen said:


> That drive does not appear on their site.
> 
> You get the last one?


Beats me.

They do respond quickly, so if you are in the market I'd go to eBay and ask them if they can offer one to you.


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## krkaufman

James Michaelsen said:


> That drive does not appear on their site.


Enter the model # (WD40NPZZ) into the search bar on the following page:

Central Valley Computer Parts Inc | eBay Stores

It looks like you have two options from which to choose.


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## Tony_T

I think they sold out of the 3T drives.


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## LoREvanescence

So I'm looking/pricing out a internal drive replacement for my TiVo Bolt as My Book AV Expander external drive just died.

I looked up the 3TB Toshiba Drive on Amazon and found that only one unit was available from a third party seller for $170. This drive also comes up with a few available form third party sellers for $126, but I'm not 100% sure it's the same drive as I can't find mention of the model number: https://www.amazon.com/3Tb-2-5In-Sa...TF8&qid=1516114443&sr=8-1&keywords=MQ03ABB300

Would any drive that is PMR work? Or are their other technologies that may be toxic to DVR's on even most PMR drives.

What do people recommend. So far I have only seen the Toshiba drive I listed mentioned, and the low hour WD on Ebay. Would I want to chance one of those lo hour drives, and it appears only 4 TB is available. Would a Bolt take a 4 TB drive?


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## Tony_T

LoREvanescence said:


> &#8230;What do people recommend.


The #1 drive recommended is the 3T Toshiba.
You can go 4T, but you need to initialize it to work in the Bolt (easy to do), the 3T is just plug-n-play.
Also recommended is a 2T WD (I used this as 2T is more than enough for my needs)


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## James Michaelsen

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01ABSUV5Y/ref=pe_2640190_232748420_TE_item

Worked just fine.


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## V7Goose

Tony_T said:


> Also recommended is a 2T WD (I used this as 2T is more than enough for my needs)


That drive is currently available from Amazon Prime for only $87 - a great deal.


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## LoREvanescence

V7Goose said:


> That drive is currently available from Amazon Prime for only $87 - a great deal.


It shows $119.97 Prime for me.


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## V7Goose

just do a search on the model number wd20npvz

Most of us know that Amazon prices can change almost by the minute, so when you do find something extra good, I suggest you do not wait too long to place the order!


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## aaronwt

LoREvanescence said:


> It shows $119.97 Prime for me.


Here is the $87.10 2TB WD drive with Prime shipping. The other link points to a different one with the $119.97 price without prime shipping.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B013HNYVDI/_encoding=UTF8?coliid=I2HZEX4BLC6PFN&colid=1LE2I4X988YWN&psc=0


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## Tony_T

LoREvanescence said:


> It shows $119.97 Prime for me.


&#8230;+$10.50 shipping.
(I got it a few months ago @$118 w/shipping)


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## Tony_T

aaronwt said:


> Here is the $87.10 2TB WD drive with Prime shipping. The other link points to a different one with the $119.97 price without prime shipping.
> https://www.amazon.com/dp/B013HNYVDI/_encoding=UTF8?coliid=I2HZEX4BLC6PFN&colid=1LE2I4X988YWN&psc=0


Good catch.
*$87 w/shipping is a good deal for the WD 2T drive*
(&#8230;and for non-Prime members, you still can get free shipping with an eta of Monday, Jan. 22 - Friday, Jan. 26)


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## LoREvanescence

Decided to go with the 3TB Toshiba for $126.


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## SalemCat

V7Goose said:


> just do a search on the model number wd20npvz
> 
> Most of us know that Amazon prices can change almost by the minute, so when you do find something extra good, I suggest you do not wait too long to place the order!


LOL !

Yes, you are 100% right.

But if the deal seems "too good", just be prepared to never receive it.

Still, your money will be protected.

I've had several Amazon deals fall thru in the past few months.

And sometimes the "Deal" wasn't really that great !


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## DocNo

dianebrat said:


> Another vote for the Toshiba's MQ03ABB300


Don't get the Seagate 6TB. Piece of crap - it will work fine for days, then I get nothing but stuttering and pixelization. I knew I shouldn't have bought a Seagate drive - grrr.

On top of that the Bolt cable card decoder seems overly sensitive to "hot" signals and it doesn't make a good combo.


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## DocNo

SalemCat said:


> So if you are careful, and break no tabs, I don't know how they would know.


The first time it dials home and reports the new capacity, that's how they will immediately know 

Thankfully in the past Tivo has been pretty good at looking the other way for Tivo's that have been upgraded as long as the original hard drive is put back in the Tivo before dealing with things like warranty. In the past I've had two Tivo's that were upgraded replaced under warranty after I put the original drive back in.


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## CIR-Engineering

aaronwt said:


> Here is the $87.10 2TB WD drive with Prime shipping. The other link points to a different one with the $119.97 price without prime shipping.
> 
> https://www.amazon.com/dp/B013HNYVDI/_encoding=UTF8?coliid=I2HZEX4BLC6PFN&colid=1LE2I4X988YWN&psc=0


I bought a Western Digital WD20NPVX 2TB 2.5" 15mm Green from seller "sara.won" on eBay (item # 142638926895). They have two drives left right now out of the eight they started with. I negotiated the drive for $67.50 and had a $5 eBay coupon for a total with shipping of $66.25 shipped

Western Digital WD20NPVX 2TB 2.5" 15mm Green. Great Drive | eBay

The drive I got had ZERO hours on it as reported by smartctl and was packed very well. Shipping was slow, but the seller is solid and the drive is excellent. Packing was also excellent. Unlike the new BLUE drives wdidle3 also works on these drives and I think it should be used to modify the parking time on BLUE or GREEN drives. The trouble is that wdidle3 doesn't work on new BLUE drives.

Best,
craigr


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## Tony_T

I understand the difference between WD BLUE and GREEN, but is one preferable over the other for TiVo?


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## CIR-Engineering

If you have a Western Digital WD40NPZZ BLUE, please see my PSA post here:

PSA: WD BLUE WD40NPZZ

Please direct any questions regarding the WD40NPZZ to THAT thread!

Best regards,
craigr


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## CIR-Engineering

Tony_T said:


> I understand the difference between WD BLUE and GREEN, but is one preferable over the other for TiVo?


There really is no difference between the BLUE and GREEN drives, just marketing. However all GREEN drives can have parking disabled with WDIDLE3, but only early BLUE drives can have parking disabled because WDIDLE3 does not work on later BLUE drives. I am not sure where the cutoff is, but even BLUE drives cannot be disabled after a certain date.

TiVo Premier and Roamio both use OEM GREEN drives and the BOLT uses a BLACK label drive that is really a GREEN firmware.

craigr


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## HerronScott

CIR-Engineering said:


> bought a Western Digital WD20NPVX 2TB 2.5" 15mm Green from seller "sara.won" on eBay (item # 142638926895). They have two drives left right now out of the eight they started with. I negotiated the drive for $67.50 and had a $5 eBay coupon for a total with shipping of $66.25 shipped
> 
> Western Digital WD20NPVX 2TB 2.5" 15mm Green. Great Drive | eBay
> 
> The drive I got had ZERO hours on it as reported by smartctl and was packed very well. Shipping was slow, but the seller is solid and the drive is excellent. Packing was also excellent. Unlike the new BLUE drives wdidle3 also works on these drives and I think it should be used to modify the parking time on BLUE or GREEN drives. The trouble is that wdidle3 doesn't work on new BLUE drives.


Argh, just asked about this in your thread on the 4GB drive. Guess I'll need to take his Bolt apart and disable this next time we visit him at school. I really did not enjoy taking the Bolt apart and putting it back together (and broke one of the clips on the end cap  ) compared to the our older TiVo's (Roamio Pro, S3 OLED and S1's).

Scott


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## HerronScott

CIR-Engineering said:


> I bought a Western Digital WD20NPVX 2TB 2.5" 15mm Green from seller "sara.won" on eBay (item # 142638926895). They have two drives left right now out of the eight they started with. I negotiated the drive for $67.50 and had a $5 eBay coupon for a total with shipping of $66.25 shipped
> 
> Western Digital WD20NPVX 2TB 2.5" 15mm Green. Great Drive | eBay
> 
> The drive I got had ZERO hours on it as reported by smartctl and was packed very well. Shipping was slow, but the seller is solid and the drive is excellent. Packing was also excellent. Unlike the new BLUE drives wdidle3 also works on these drives and I think it should be used to modify the parking time on BLUE or GREEN drives. The trouble is that wdidle3 doesn't work on new BLUE drives.
> 
> Best,
> craigr


Were you able to register this drive with WD? I had purchased one from Seatech on Amazon which could not be registered for the 2 year warranty.

Scott


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## SalemCat

Got a BOLT ?
Get yourself the right Torx Security bit, a Spunger, and a few old Credit Cards you can cut up.
Watch a YouTube Video or two, have glass of Wine to relax (optional), and go to work.
It's just not that hard to open and close the cases without breaking anything.


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## Tony_T

Spunger made it easy for me.
My Bolt had a non-security Torx


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## CIR-Engineering

HerronScott said:


> Argh, just asked about this in your thread on the 4GB drive. Guess I'll need to take his Bolt apart and disable this next time we visit him at school. I really did not enjoy taking the Bolt apart and putting it back together (and broke one of the clips on the end cap  ) compared to the our older TiVo's (Roamio Pro, S3 OLED and S1's).
> 
> Scott


Yes, I would do it ASAP.



HerronScott said:


> Were you able to register this drive with WD? I had purchased one from Seatech on Amazon which could not be registered for the 2 year warranty.
> 
> Scott


Didn't even try. These drives are surely past their two or possibly three year warranty, that's if they ever had a warranty. Weren't these OEM manufacturer drives and not sold to the general public originally?

craigr


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## HerronScott

CIR-Engineering said:


> Didn't even try. These drives are surely past their two or possibly three year warranty, that's if they ever had a warranty. Weren't these OEM manufacturer drives and not sold to the general public originally?


The 2TB one you can buy direct from WD so that should be a retail one.

Scott


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## CIR-Engineering

HerronScott said:


> The 2TB one you can buy direct from WD so that should be a retail one.
> 
> Scott


You can always go on the WD web site to check warranty status. They base it on date of manufacture.

craigr


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## HerronScott

CIR-Engineering said:


> You can always go on the WD web site to check warranty status. They base it on date of manufacture.


Except in this case the drive was an OEM one sold by Seatech on Amazon so was not able to register it.

Scott


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## CIR-Engineering

HerronScott said:


> Except in this case the drive was an OEM one sold by Seatech on Amazon so was not able to register it.
> 
> Scott


I'd say that means it has no warranty. You don't need to register the drive for the WD warranty, but if you put the serial number into the WD warranty check page you'd know for sure.

craigr


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## SalemCat

To open a BOLT you need:

YouTube Video
T-8
T-10
Old Credit Cards


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