# Restore: Unable to open /dev/sdc for writing



## chadfetter (Mar 28, 2004)

I am now attempting to connect my new WD 1TB drive via USB in order to copy my new Image to the drive to replace my Dead Hard Drive in my Series 3.

I am using MFSLive as my Boot CD.

After connecting the USB for my new WD drive I get the following displayed:
Usb 2-1.1: new high speed USB device using ehci_hcd and address 5
USB 2-1.1: configuration #1 chosen from 1 choice
scsi4: scsi emulation for USB Mass Storage devices
scsi 4:0:0:0: Direct Access ASMT 2105 0 PQ: 0 ANSI: 6
sd 4:0:0:0: Attached scsi removable disk sdc


So, after mounting my thumb drive which has the new image I attempt to do the restore command with:
restore -s 128 -xzpi /dos/000001 /dev/sdc

Then I get the message:
Restore: Unable to open /dev/sdc for writing

Does the drive need to be formatted first? Why am I getting this? Any suggestions for me? Thanks in advance!


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## lessd (Jan 23, 2005)

chadfetter said:


> I am now attempting to connect my new WD 1TB drive via USB in order to copy my new Image to the drive to replace my Dead Hard Drive in my Series 3.
> 
> I am using MFSLive as my Boot CD.
> 
> ...


Try to erase the drive first.


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## chadfetter (Mar 28, 2004)

The drive is brand new.... Just opened package and plugged in. Does it need to be formatted first? Can I erase/format with Windows? If not, how do I do that with Linux?

Thank you so much for your help!


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## lessd (Jan 23, 2005)

chadfetter said:


> The drive is brand new.... Just opened package and plugged in. Does it need to be formatted first? Can I erase/format with Windows? If not, how do I do that with Linux?
> 
> Thank you so much for your help!


A new drive does not have to be formatted, you may have to boot into Windows and look at Computer management, than disk management and see if your computer can see your new drive, it will have no partition if the drive is new. If your computer can't see the drive you may have a defective drive/cable/connector in the first place.


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## unitron (Apr 28, 2006)

chadfetter said:


> I am now attempting to connect my new WD 1TB drive via USB in order to copy my new Image to the drive to replace my Dead Hard Drive in my Series 3.
> 
> I am using MFSLive as my Boot CD.
> 
> ...


You don't need the

-z

and should leave the

-x

off and run

mfsadd

later after testing the restored image in the TiVo.

Often, the MFS Live cd will boot, and get to the prompt, and then add in USB connected stuff, and then you have to hit Enter to get back to the prompt.

Are you sure that

dev/sdc

is the new hard drive and not the thumbdrive?

Try

fdisk -l /dev/sdc

and see what you get

then try

pdisk -l /dev/sdc

and see what you get

Try both of the above for a, b, and d, as well, just to see what you get.

Try

hdparm -i /dev/sdc

to see what you get.

Try

hdparm -I /dev/sdc

to see what you get

Try

hdparm -N /dev/sdc

to see if a Host Protected Area snuck onto that drive somehow.

Not that there's anything wrong with using the MFS Live cd instead of WinMFS, but is there any particular reason you're not using WinMFS?

Do you have a bootable cd with the WD diagnostic software on it?

If not, you should.

You can get an .iso image from WD or you can download the Ultimate Boot cd .iso, both free, and burn whichever "as an image" (so that it's bootable) to a cd-r.

(the WD software, and lots and lots of other useful stuff is on the UBCD)

You want to run WD's long test on the drive before putting it into service.

Ordinarily it won't need erasing or formatting before letting either the command line MFS Tools (from the MFS Live cd or elsewhere) or WinMFS overwrite everything as part of the restore process.


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