# Bigger hard drive for my Series 2 TiVo



## road1will (Jun 20, 2006)

I just got Tivo, an 80 hour unit (the 540080 i think is hte model number.) and im looking at hard drive upgrades.

Is there a step by step process on how to put a larger hard drive in my TiVo?

Or are some of the TiVo hard drives on ebay a good idea?

Something like this:

http://cgi.ebay.com/New-250GB-Serie...9QQihZ008QQcategoryZ11725QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem


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## SJAndrew (Sep 30, 2005)

You need to answer a couple of questions first:

1) Do you want a 1 or 2 drive setup?

2) Do you need to keep your recordings?

As far as the hard drives are concerned, I don't know why you would want to get a "TiVo" hard drive. If you look closely, that's nothing more than a western digital drive that you can probably get for a lot less money somewhere else (right now, a good 250GB drive should cost you around $75).


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## HomeUser (Jan 12, 2003)

For DIY instructions see the stickies at the top of this forum.


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## mumpower (Jul 24, 2003)

As an fyi, Outpost.com has 400GB hard drives for $109.99.


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## SJAndrew (Sep 30, 2005)

The other option you might want to consider is to buy a weaKnees upgrade. You will get a new hard drive and you don't need to know anything about Linux.


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## road1will (Jun 20, 2006)

I think 1 hard drive is fine, and i dont need to keep my old recordings. 

I dont know anything about Linux, so I would have no idea how to get the tivo software onto the hard drive. All I really know how to do is open up my TiVo box and swap out the drives. 

Is the weaKness upgrade a drop in replacement?


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## road1will (Jun 20, 2006)

After looking at the weaknees site, I think im going to add one of their drives to my tivo and keep my existing drive. It looks like the best route for me as I have no way of programming a new drive to install myself.


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## Bierboy (Jun 12, 2004)

Keep in mind, adding an extra drive will increase your heat output. If it were me, I'd also get the advanced cooling pack...it's only another $9.


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## jjberger2134 (Nov 20, 2002)

I recently paid $20 for an image called instant cake from PTV upgrade. They are one of the sponsors of this website. Follow the ad link at the top of this page labeled PTV Upgrade. They are reliable and my upgrade using their CD worked out real well. Please read their terms and conditions carefully so you know what you are getting yourself into. I had a pleasant experience downloading the info, burning to a CD and then using the CD as a bootable image. My only complaint with instant cake was the image was TiVo version 5.2 or 5.3, which is fairly old now. However, after my TiVo was up and running the software was quickly updates to the current 7.2. To some, $20 is a lot of money to pay for an image that you can get free elsewhere. However, if your technical skills are somewhat lacking, the instant cake interface is pretty simple to use. There are no Linux commands that need to be entered by the user.

I have used Weaknees (pre-imaged, plug and play drive) and was very happy. Pre-imaged drives are more money, but are truly plug and play. The companies that sell imaged drives are really no bargain. I have bought a weaknees (also a sponsor of this forum) pre-imaged drive about 2-3 years ago, was extremely happy with their service and professionalism, and paid $190 for a 160GB drive. I definately overpaid, now knowing what I recently did with the instant cake cd. However, for a person who does not want to get involved in the imaging process or has very little tech skills, this is a great option. The nice part is you receive a drive that is plug and play. The negative is you pay a pretty hefty premium for them to put the image on the drive. Currently, a 160GB drive is about $160 ($1 per GB). I recently bought a 250GB drive for $80 from outpost.com and paid $20 to PTV for the instant cake CD, so my total was $100 for a drive that is almost 60% larger.

A dual drive unit will run much hotter so make sure that you have adequate ventilation and an additional fan ( or upgraded fan) from weaknees. Also, if one drive fails you will lose both drives since they become a "married" pair. Storage is so inexpensive these days, maybe you should consider putting the 80GB drive that came with the unit in a closet somewhere. That way you have a spare in case of emergency.

The best advice that I can give you is to do your research, and depending on your skill level you can fix your TiVo for free (free tools in the upgrade center) a small amount of money (instant cake CD) or a much larger amount of money (pre-imaged drive). Clearly, this is a situation where the more you pay the easier the upgrade becomes.


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## road1will (Jun 20, 2006)

After doing some more research i think im going to replace my existing drive with a bigger single drive. That way if it ever bites the dust i can pop my 80gig back in there. Also, I wont have to worry about cooling issues.


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## jjberger2134 (Nov 20, 2002)

road1will said:


> After doing some more research i think im going to replace my existing drive with a bigger single drive. That way if it ever bites the dust i can pop my 80gig back in there. Also, I wont have to worry about cooling issues.


IMO that is a great choice.

Are you going to DIY or plug and play?


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## road1will (Jun 20, 2006)

I think i'm going to plug and play. Even after reading the DIY instructions on installing a new hard drive, I dont understand it. From what I can tell you have to be able to use Linux to DIY, and I dont have Linux on my laptop.


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## jjberger2134 (Nov 20, 2002)

If you only have a laptop and no access to a desktop then I would suggest a plug and play. As previously mentioned, I have used weaknees and have found them reliable and trustworthy. I believe they are well regarded by members of this community. However, they do charge a pretty hefty premium for added the TiVo image for you. You could shop around a bit, maybe checkout PTV upgrade they also are well regarded and a big competitor to weaknees since they also offer plug and play drives. eBay is not a bad idea, it is just that you really do not know who you are buying from.

By the way, if you do have access to a desktop PC then you *CAN* do it yourself. I was unsure at first, but now I am a believer and you do not need to have Linux installed on your computer. Simply download and burn the instantcake image to CD (which has the specific parts of Linux on it), then boot from CD with the new drive attached (disconnect any PC drive so you do not accidently overwrite) and instantcake will lead you through a couple of basic "English" worded questions that are answered by typing Y or N or 1 or 2. With this process you will need to change the boot sequence in the BIOS and move the CD in the PC to the primary master position and the new HD to the secondary master position, but other than that it is very simple.

Good luck with the route you take.


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## Double-Tap (Apr 18, 2002)

You will void your warranty on the TiVo by cracking it open. To enhance your unit, search for "Hinsdale's How-To guide" and read on. If by saying TiVo hard drive you mean a Maxtor Quickview installed stock in some new TiVos, it's not a requirement. Upgrading/replacing a hard drive doesn't change anything with your TiVo account or service. Always make a backup image of your TiVo drives before altering them in any way.


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