# Green Light and Nothing Else



## Hermiod (Aug 1, 2006)

Within the past few days, I am not sure when, something has gone seriously wrong with my (unmodified) TiVo.

The green light comes on on the front panel, the fans are spinning as I can feel air coming out the back and the RF signal from my Freeview box is being passed through - but that's it. No response to the remote, no output via RF or SCART, nothing. Unplugging it does nothing.

Other posts I have read on here suggest this is a mainboard failure ? Does this sound accurate ? If so, any suggestions as to what I can do about it before I ring TiVo tomorrow ?


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## blindlemon (May 12, 2002)

Much more likely to be a drive failure. 

Have you checked the IDE and power connections to the drive(s)? And unplugged or completely broken drive will result in exactly these symptoms.


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## Hermiod (Aug 1, 2006)

I wanted to get some advice on the subject before pulling it apart. 

If it is a dead drive, what happens if I replace it ? Do I need to contact TiVo to get my subscription transferred ?


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## ericd121 (Dec 12, 2002)

> Do I need to contact TiVo to get my subscription transferred?


 No, the subscription is tied to the motherboard.

When my Hard Drive went, I bought a new pre-configured disk (i.e. with the Tivo software installed) from BlindLemon.

I, then, backed this up using the Hinsdales guide, and wrote it to another Hard Drive for my second Tivo; BlindLemon helped me (i.e. answered all my dumb, nervous questions), thus doing himself out of a sale, but earning a lot of Brownie points from me.  :up:


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## benallenuk (Aug 1, 2005)

It sounds like a drive problem. it really is easy to fit a pre-config'd drive bought from ebay or members of the board.

Open lid, disconnect old drive / drives, unscrew from mounting plate, screw in new drive, plug in cables and ur away.

Best to check it is a drive problem first. Should Tivo display an visual error even if the drive is faulty? Maybe its a power supply problem, can you hear the hardrive spinning? 

Hope u get it sorted.

cheers

ben


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## Hermiod (Aug 1, 2006)

I can feel cool air coming out the back, it's passing the RF aerial signal through to my STB, and the green light is on, that's all. No output from the SCART sockets.


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## Lysander (Sep 18, 2003)

Surprised you get past start up if its a drive failure and you have rebooted the Tivo...


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## Hermiod (Aug 1, 2006)

What do you mean by start up ? All I get is the green light on the front, nothing else. No messages are displayed on the screen.


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## blindlemon (May 12, 2002)

You are not getting past startup - in fact if you're not getting the "Welcome. Powering up" message then the drive is not being recognised by the TiVo boot prom. That may be because it has become disconnected, or is broken, but for no other reason I can think of.

If the PSU is dead then you won't get a green light or a spinning fan. If the PSU is flaky then you will normally get at least as far as "Powering up", usually further. 

Have you popped the lid and checked the connections to the drive yet? You need a torx T10 bit for the 3 screws on the back and something firm to place the TiVo on as you push the lid off. I usually put it on the floor, personally.


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## Hermiod (Aug 1, 2006)

I do not have the equipment to open it up. I have bought a new drive from your site.

I can't see how it could have been disconnected. I have not moved the TiVo since I bought it.


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## Pete77 (Aug 1, 2006)

Hermiod said:


> I do not have the equipment to open it up. I have bought a new drive from your site.


I think you will find B&Q, Homebase, Halfords etc all sell the appropriate Torx bit screwdriver although I already had a full Torx bit set anyhow and used that when I recently got my Tivo machine home from my brother in law (who I bought it from recently) to open it up and see what was going on inside.

I think you will find that you still have to bite the bullet of opening up the box in order to fit one of the friendly BlindLemon's drives and you will also need to undo the several Torx screws (same size as the three on the back) that secure the hard drive bracket to remove the current drive and replace it with the new one.


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## Hermiod (Aug 1, 2006)

According to Tivoheaven.co.uk, the drive upgrade kits come with the appropriate screwdriver bit.


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## Pete77 (Aug 1, 2006)

Hermiod said:


> According to Tivoheaven.co.uk, the drive upgrade kits come with the appropriate screwdriver bit.


I imagine that would be the case as they only cost a few pence each, especially if bought in bulk. 

However I was just pointing out that they are not at all difficult to get hold of and that although many of us don't have Torx bit sets in our kitchen cupboards as standard you can actually buy sets of them and/or even individually from most good hardware stores.

I only hope that a broken hard drive is the actual cause of your problem though. Although I can't think what else it might be other than something on the motherboard itself.


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## blindlemon (May 12, 2002)

Hermiod said:


> I can't see how it could have been disconnected. I have not moved the TiVo since I bought it.


The cables do occasionally work loose - don't ask me how! - but it's much more likely to be a deceased drive, so hopefully the replacement will fix your problem


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## Pete77 (Aug 1, 2006)

blindlemon said:


> The cables do occasionally work loose - don't ask me how! - but it's much more likely to be a deceased drive, so hopefully the replacement will fix your problem


Surely it has long been established that cables have a mind and a life of their own. 

Just put any set of cables loosley into a bag together for storage for several weeks and when you get them out again you will find them completely and utterly intertwined. Christmas tree lights wiring also exhibits precisely the same properties in the 11 months a year while they sit tucked away in the cupboard  .


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## Stroller (Nov 22, 2001)

Hiyah folks. Sorry to jack up an old thread but I have this very problem.
Assuming it is the disk (and im praying it is!) how would one go about replacing it with a brand new disk? Do you have to have an image off another TIvo HDD? If so Im screwed because this one is dead, or is there a way to prep the drive for a new installation?

TIA!


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## Raisltin Majere (Mar 13, 2004)

Image begging thread

I think this is still the tutorial to use. or maybe this one

Alternatively for a "plug and play" option www.tivoland.com www.tivoheaven.co.uk


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## Pete77 (Aug 1, 2006)

I think www.steveconrad.co.uk/tivo/upgrade3.html is the guide to go for and I see its even now been upgraded to cater for the use of hard drives larger than 274Gb like the latest very reasonably price 400Gb Samsung drives that only cost just over 60 quid each from the cheapest supplier out there.

I can't really recommend the 250Gb Samsung drives that I used in my machine or that Blindlemon (TivoHeaven) is so keen on any more when the 400Gb Samsung drive now costs less than these.

If you try following the American Hinsdale guide you will only get horribly confused and lost IMHO.


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