# Upgrading a new Premiere 4 Hard Drive



## Finalrinse

Hello everyone! I have a new Premiere 4 on the way (75hr HD). Now you may wonder why I just didn't order the $399 one (300hr HD) instead of the $249 one (75hr HD). Well, maybe I should of but I like to build computers and do upgrades, it's the fun part of the hobby for me, plus I end up with a back-up drive. Anyway, after I get it all set up and cable card paired I want to put a 2TB hard drive in using jmsf. I know quite a few different model hard drives will work but what is the most desirable hard drive? Would it be the same 2TB drive that TiVo uses? What do you suggest? I'm thinking of ordering this one, Western Digital AV-GP 2 TB SATA II Intellipower 64 MB Cache Bulk/OEM Internal Hard Drive - WD20EURS.


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## Finalrinse

Finalrinse said:


> Hello everyone! I have a new Premiere 4 on the way (75hr HD). Now you may wonder why I just didn't order the $399 one (300hr HD) instead of the $249 one (75hr HD). Well, maybe I should of but I like to build computers and do upgrades, it's the fun part of the hobby for me, plus I end up with a back-up drive. Anyway, after I get it all set up and cable card paired I want to put a 2TB hard drive in using jmsf. I know quite a few different model hard drives will work but what is the most desirable hard drive? Would it be the same 2TB drive that TiVo uses? What do you suggest? I'm thinking of ordering this one, Western Digital AV-GP 2 TB SATA II Intellipower 64 MB Cache Bulk/OEM Internal Hard Drive - WD20EURS.


Well, with no advice or reply's I decided to order a Western Digital AV-GP 2 TB SATA II Intellipower 64 MB Cache Bulk/OEM Internal Hard Drive - WD20EURS.


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## steve614

Advice before using the new drive:


 Run the WD diagnostics on it. Even though it's "new", make sure there are no problems with it.
 Check to make sure whether or not you need to disable the idle timer with wdidle.


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## Finalrinse

steve614 said:


> Advice before using the new drive:
> 
> 
> Run the WD diagnostics on it. Even though it's "new", make sure there are no problems with it.
> Check to make sure whether or not you need to disable the idle timer with wdidle.


Will do, Thank you.
Can I run it from a boot CD before I use jmsf?


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## lillevig

Finalrinse said:


> Will do, Thank you.
> Can I run it from a boot CD before I use jmsf?


Not sure if WD has a current version of the tools that run from a boot CD. I just use the Windows version. Then again, I use cheap USB to IDE/SATA cables for my imaging projects so that I don't have to crack open the PC. Besides, I started Tivoing with older IDE-based boxes and I don't have any IDE computers.

I will say that going the route of buying the 500GB version and then upgrading may work out best in the long run because you can keep the original on the shelf for future upgrades. I'm thinking that having to keep a 2TB drive handy just for future imaging would not be a good thing.

Make sure you post here with your (hopefully) positive results.


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## Finalrinse

lillevig said:


> Not sure if WD has a current version of the tools that run from a boot CD. I just use the Windows version. Then again, I use cheap USB to IDE/SATA cables for my imaging projects so that I don't have to crack open the PC. Besides, I started Tivoing with older IDE-based boxes and I don't have any IDE computers.
> 
> I will say that going the route of buying the 500GB version and then upgrading may work out best in the long run because you can keep the original on the shelf for future upgrades. I'm thinking that having to keep a 2TB drive handy just for future imaging would not be a good thing.
> 
> Make sure you post here with your (hopefully) positive results.


I received my WD20EURS 2T drive yesterday, checked it with WDIDLE 3 and the parking was already disabled. I created a DOS boot disk with WD Diagnostics v5.19 and ran the extended 5hr test and it passed with no errors. My TiVo will be here in a few hours, and as long as I don't get hung up while making a phone call to Comcast to re-pair my M-card (they better not tell me I need a truck-roll!) I will at some point tonight use JMSF and prepair my new drive. I'll let you know how it works out.


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## lillevig

Finalrinse said:


> I received my WD20EURS 2T drive yesterday, checked it with WDIDLE 3 and the parking was already disabled. I created a DOS boot disk with WD Diagnostics v5.19 and ran the extended 5hr test and it passed with no errors. My TiVo will be here in a few hours, and as long as I don't get hung up while making a phone call to Comcast to re-pair my M-card (they better not tell me I need a truck-roll!) I will at some point tonight use JMSF and prepair my new drive. I'll let you know how it works out.


Just as an interesting side note, I bought a 1TB pre-imaged drive for my Premiere just before the floods jacked up the drive prices. Thought I'd have to call my cable company to re-pair the CableCard after installing the new drive but that was not the case. Ran Guided Setup and was good to go. It should be noted that I do have an HD tier but no premium channels like HBO, so don't know if it would have included them without a re-pair. I recently pulled a CableCard out of an S3HD and stuck it into my new P4-Lite and was actually able to tune many of my channels before getting the card re-paired. Ya never know.


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## lessd

lillevig said:


> Just as an interesting side note, I bought a 1TB pre-imaged drive for my Premiere just before the floods jacked up the drive prices. Thought I'd have to call my cable company to re-pair the CableCard after installing the new drive but that was not the case. Ran Guided Setup and was good to go. It should be noted that I do have an HD tier but no premium channels like HBO, so don't know if it would have included them without a re-pair. I recently pulled a CableCard out of an S3HD and stuck it into my new P4-Lite and was actually able to tune many of my channels before getting the card re-paired. Ya never know.


A Comcast tech told me that a Cable card that is not paired will, after some time of 30 to 90 days, shut down and not work at all. I don't know if that true or not.


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## Finalrinse

Finalrinse said:


> I received my WD20EURS 2T drive yesterday, checked it with WDIDLE 3 and the parking was already disabled. I created a DOS boot disk with WD Diagnostics v5.19 and ran the extended 5hr test and it passed with no errors. My TiVo will be here in a few hours, and as long as I don't get hung up while making a phone call to Comcast to re-pair my M-card (they better not tell me I need a truck-roll!) I will at some point tonight use JMSF and prepair my new drive. I'll let you know how it works out.


Success! At first Comcast over the phone could not get the card paired, but I had not done the basic guided setup yet, *my fault*. I scheduled a truck roll. Well, after I got off the phone and continued with guided setup the M-card started working perfectly including pay channels. I then used JMSF to backup the 500Gb drive to my new 2TB drive including Supersize and all went well, works great!


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## lillevig

Finalrinse said:


> Success! At first Comcast over the phone could not get the card paired, but I had not done the basic guided setup yet, *my fault*. I scheduled a truck roll. Well, after I got off the phone and continued with guided setup the M-card started working perfectly including pay channels. I then used JMSF to backup the 500Gb drive to my new 2TB drive including Supersize and all went well, works great!


Thanks for sharing. That will give the rest of the new P4-Lite users confidence when it comes time to upgrade.


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## Finalrinse

lillevig said:


> Thanks for sharing. That will give the rest of the new P4-Lite users confidence when it comes time to upgrade.


You're welcome, I've learned so much from everyone on these forums, it's great to share our experiences.
Thanks


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## philhu

Finalrinse said:


> Success! At first Comcast over the phone could not get the card paired, but I had not done the basic guided setup yet, *my fault*. I scheduled a truck roll. Well, after I got off the phone and continued with guided setup the M-card started working perfectly including pay channels. I then used JMSF to backup the 500Gb drive to my new 2TB drive including Supersize and all went well, works great!


Hey, why not write up a step by step!??

What you got, how you made the boot disk, jmfs util, etc and just throw it in this thread.

Seems alot cheaper than $249 to weaknees to upgrade!!!


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## videobruce

For a detailed upgrade instructions, try here (but I think it wasn't the "4" version);
http://www.rosswalker.co.uk/tivo_upgrade/#linux_premiere

I was under the impression on the Premiers, you couldn't upgrade the HDD due to some changes from Series3 made by TiVo. But, weaKnees found a way to do so and they was the only option. Wasn't that the case or did I miss or misinterpret something along the way?

Are these WD drives still the only workable choices?

.


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## videobruce

"P4-Lite" ???
Is that anything like DirectTV HD Lite?


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## jrtroo

Um. This very forum has instructions to do it yourself for the premiere. It cannot use the old tools for S3 boxes. They are large threads, but are worthwhile reads prior to doing the upgrade yourself.

Most folks use WD since they are affordable and work well overall. Search for others, as I don't believe there is a unifying thread/sticky of drives that have worked.


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## lessd

jrtroo said:


> Um. This very forum has instructions to do it yourself for the premiere. It cannot use the old tools for S3 boxes. They are large threads, but are worthwhile reads prior to doing the upgrade yourself.
> 
> Most folks use WD since they are affordable and work well overall. Search for others, as I don't believe there is a unifying thread/sticky of drives that have worked.


Most Hard Drives work (if 2Tb and under) but hard drives change even for the same model so even if you are given a model of Hard Drive that worked for people you may not get the exact drive when you order. This has never been a big problem for upgraders.


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## steve614

There was a time when Weaknees was the only way to get an upgraded drive for a Premiere, but it was another member here (comer) who figured it out and shared JMFS with the rest of us.


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## lpwcomp

steve614 said:


> There was a time when Weaknees was the only way to get an upgraded drive for a Premiere, but it was another member here (comer) who figured it out and shared JMFS with the rest of us.


Even if you don't want to go the complete DIY route, DVR_Dude is a better option than weaKnees.


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## lillevig

videobruce said:


> "P4-Lite" ???
> Is that anything like DirectTV HD Lite?


P4-Lite is my name for the the 500GB version of the P4.


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## unitron

lillevig said:


> P4-Lite is my name for the the 500GB version of the P4.


Not to be confused with the 2 tuner 500GB Premiere which came along about the same time (which is the original Premiere with a 500GB instead of a 320GB), but since they're all Series 4 machines, no doubt they will be confused with one another.

Then of course there's "When is a TiVo Elite not a TiVo Elite?"


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## lillevig

unitron said:


> Not to be confused with the 2 tuner 500GB Premiere which came along about the same time (which is the original Premiere with a 500GB instead of a 320GB), but since they're all Series 4 machines, no doubt they will be confused with one another.
> 
> Then of course there's "When is a TiVo Elite not a TiVo Elite?"


My classifications don't rely on the nebulous Series designations of Tivo. I base them on channels so the original Premeire is the P2 and the 4-channel one is the P4. Of course Tivo messed up my neat naming scheme when they came out with the P2 500GB model. How about calling it the P2 Mesomorph?


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## unitron

lillevig said:


> My classifications don't rely on the nebulous Series designations of Tivo. I base them on channels so the original Premeire is the P2 and the 4-channel one is the P4. Of course Tivo messed up my neat naming scheme when they came out with the P2 500GB model. How about calling it the P2 Mesomorph?


The only reliable classifications start with TCD.

Unfortuntely few people know to use them.


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## joeshannallie

Need T800 image


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## lpwcomp

joeshannallie said:


> Need T800 image


Please stop posting in multiple threads, especially inappropriate ones.


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## lillevig

Just wanted to add a success story here. Used JMFS to upgrade to a 1TB WD10EURX. Was disappointed to find that the original drive was made by Seagate. Maybe that's why it started acting hinky after only six months. Every other non-S1 model Tivo I've had (several S2's, S3's, and a Premiere) had WD drives. Used a pair of USB adapter cables so it took almost 9 1/2 hours to copy 500 GB.


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## unitron

lillevig said:


> Just wanted to add a success story here. Used JMFS to upgrade to a 1TB WD10EURX. Was disappointed to find that the original drive was made by Seagate. Maybe that's why it started acting hinky after only six months. Every other non-S1 model Tivo I've had (several S2's, S3's, and a Premiere) had WD drives. Used a pair of USB adapter cables so it took almost 9 1/2 hours to copy 500 GB.


The single tuner S2s I've picked up have had pre-Seagate Maxtors with the fat LBA numbers.


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## lessd

lillevig said:


> Just wanted to add a success story here. Used JMFS to upgrade to a 1TB WD10EURX. Was disappointed to find that the original drive was made by Seagate. Maybe that's why it started acting hinky after only six months. Every other non-S1 model Tivo I've had (several S2's, S3's, and a Premiere) had WD drives. Used a pair of USB adapter cables so it took almost 9 1/2 hours to copy 500 GB.


The early TP-4 did use Seagate, but now the TP-4s are using WD.


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## lillevig

unitron said:


> The single tuner S2s I've picked up have had pre-Seagate Maxtors with the fat LBA numbers.


Interesting. I've had four TCD240's (both 40 GB and 80GB ones), a TCD540 (80GB), and a dual-tuner S2 (80GB). They all had WD drives. Luck of the draw I guess.


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## lillevig

lessd said:


> The early TP-4 did use Seagate, but now the TP-4s are using WD.


Maybe it had to do with the floods. I saw a lot more Seagates advertised for computers during that time period.


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## bbotts77

So, is 2TB still the upper limit for these?


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## lessd

bbotts77 said:


> So, is 2TB still the upper limit for these?


At this point 2.2TB is the limit for any TiVo for a single drive for us DIY people. The TiVo will not boot using a bigger drive, even if the copy was not expanded.


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