# Upgrading 2 disks to 1, way to keep/transfer shows?



## Redoctobyr (Jun 21, 2008)

Hi all, I'm trying to do something that, in basic form, is pretty common. Please forgive me if I'm overlooking something obvious. 

I have a Series 2 TiVo, a 24004A model. A few years ago, I upgraded from the 40 GB drive. As I recall, I upgraded the 40 to a 160, then I added the original 40 GB drive as a Drive B. So it is 160 (drive A) + 40 (drive B). My thinking was that having the A drive as the faster, 7200 RPM disk might speed up the OS a bit. In hindsight, I would have been better off simply adding the 160 as a B drive, or simply upgrading the 40 to 160  

One drive (can't tell which one) started making a noise the other day, so I want to replace them with a 250 GB drive I have around, while keeping my recordings. 

I have tried the MFSTools CD (the Weaknees LBA48 version), and the MFSLive CD. In either case, when I try to upgrade my 2 drives (total of 200 GB) to the 250 GB drive, I'm told, by MFSTools, for instance, "Backup target not large enough for entire backup by itself". MFSLive says something equivalent. 

In MFSTools, I used: mfsbackup -Tao - /dev/hda /dev/hdb | mfsrestore -r 4 -s 127 -xzpi - /dev/hdd
In MFSLive, I tried: backup -qTao - /dev/hda /dev/hdb | restore -s 128 -zpi - /dev/hdd 

I believe the error is due to my total number of partitions. In the MFSTools CD, if I use mfsinfo /dev/hda /dev/hdb, it says the MFS volume set contains 8 partitions. At the bottom it says it can be upgraded 2 more times. But from what I've read, the possibility for more upgrades is because the second disk is present, but that I'm at my total for the first disk. 

*Is* there any way I can upgrade these 2 disks to a single larger one, while keeping my recordings? 

If I can't do that directly, has anyone worked out a way to transfer your recordings in bulk (as a batch) across the network to a PC, do a straightforward disk upgrade (without keeping your recordings), then transferring them all back across the network? In an ideal world (with 200+ recordings), it would be even better to somehow maintain the Keep Until I Delete status of shows. 

Maybe there is no tool like this, to keep your recordings, but do it using your network, rather than a disk-to-disk transfer. But it would seem like that could solve an awful lot of difficulties with upgrading TiVos, as maintaining recordings adds a lot of complexity to the process. 

My apologies if I have missed something very basic in my approach. I've been trying different methods and not getting anywhere. Thank you for your help!


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## wscannell (Dec 7, 2003)

The A drive can only be upgraded one time. This is the problem. There is no easy solution.


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## ADent (Jan 7, 2000)

You can't do what you (or I) want (2 expanded to 1 big drive) to do with existing tools.

I think MFSftp can put shows back onto TiVo, but I have never messed with it.

The other forum has discussions on moving shows off - think it still may be a taboo topic here.


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## mattack (Apr 9, 2001)

wscannell said:


> The A drive can only be upgraded one time. This is the problem. There is no easy solution.


I'm certainly not an expert in these things, so please show me where I'm wrong..

I could swear that a drive could be upgraded something like 5 or 6 times -- where it ends up adding a new partition each time. So there is a limit, but I was sure that you can upgrade multiple times.



ADent said:


> You can't do what you (or I) want (2 expanded to 1 big drive) to do with existing tools.


Seems to be doable to me..

From
http://www.newreleasesvideo.com/hinsdale-how-to/index9.html

look at Step 10, upgrade configuration #2

UPGRADE CONFIGURATION #2: 
From: Any Single or Dual Drive TiVo
To: New A with B Drive |or| New Single Larger A Drive


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## classicsat (Feb 18, 2004)

You can only upgrade an A drive once (with old tools).
A DirecTV TiVo or Series 2 TiVo has about nine system partitions, and 7 "free" partitions. TiVo media partitions are set in pairs, and two are set up stock on DirecTV TiVos and Series 2s. When you expand, you make two more, leaving one free, ergo no more room for expansion.

However, a beta version of MFStools supposedly allows one to merge two partition sets to free the 3rd.


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