# How to create an image with MFSTools?



## tommage1 (Nov 6, 2008)

Hi, I would like to create an image of a Roamio 4TB drive using MFSTools. I want to keep cable card pairing information but do not want the recordings. Do not really want any season pass settings either but I could delete those manually. Main thing is no recordings but want to keep the cable card pairing setting. Since no recordings I will probably put the image on a smaller drive if that is possible. I've only done copy or copy/expand with MFSTools in the past, this project is new to me, what would be the command to do what I'd like to do, thanks.


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## tommage1 (Nov 6, 2008)

Oh, one more question. Since I will be creating an image (I guess it is an image?) with no recordings is it possible to put the image on an fresh 8TB drive? While still maintaining the cable card setting? I know you cannot copy/expand to a drive greater than 4TB but can you just put an image with settings on an 8TB drive? Then use mfsr on the 8TB drive to get the full recording capacity while maintaining the cable card settings?


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## ggieseke (May 30, 2008)

I'm not an expert on MFSTools, but you could probably create an image of sorts without the recordings by leaving out the -a option in the mfscopy command. I'm sure jmbach can tell you more.

If you use mfsr it wipes the drive and starts over from scratch after reading just enough information to identify the drive as a Roamio or Bolt drive. You would probably end up with a working 8TB drive (I haven't tested that scenario), but I guarantee that it would wipe out everything else including your CableCARD pairing data. Sorry.


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## ThAbtO (Apr 6, 2000)

Wouldn't another drive have a different HOST ID in the CC screens?


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## tommage1 (Nov 6, 2008)

ggieseke said:


> I'm not an expert on MFSTools, but you could probably create an image of sorts without the recordings by leaving out the -a option in the mfscopy command. I'm sure jmbach can tell you more.
> 
> If you use mfsr it wipes the drive and starts over from scratch after reading just enough information to identify the drive as a Roamio or Bolt drive. You would probably end up with a working 8TB drive (I haven't tested that scenario), but I guarantee that it would wipe out everything else including your CableCARD pairing data. Sorry.


Ok thanks for info. I wonder what would happen if I put a fresh 8TB drive in the Roamio, let it format, then use mfsr to prepare it. Then try MFSTools to copy the 4TB to the 8TB without the -a option. I'll check the MFSTools options if I can find them. Probably not work but would not take that long to test as not copying recordings. Anyway that was just for curiousity sake, I will probably use 3-4TB drives for the "extra" drives as they are cost effective, can get 3TB PMR drives for $50 or so. Basically I would like multiple drives I can swap out whenever I want with all having the cable card pairing info on them, should work I think. Only thing is if in the future the cable card changes for any reason all the "extra" drives would no longer have the correct cable card info.


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## tommage1 (Nov 6, 2008)

ThAbtO said:


> Wouldn't another drive have a different HOST ID in the CC screens?


I don't think so as I have copied drives and swapped them out with no problem. But not absolutely sure. I'd guess the host ID has to do with the box itself, not the drive.


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## ggieseke (May 30, 2008)

tommage1 said:


> Ok thanks for info. I wonder what would happen if I put a fresh 8TB drive in the Roamio, let it format, then use mfsr to prepare it. Then try MFSTools to copy the 4TB to the 8TB without the -a option.


I think MFSTools would overwrite the mfsr format.



ThAbtO said:


> Wouldn't another drive have a different HOST ID in the CC screens?


If you copy a drive it should retain the same Host ID. If you let the TiVo format the drive it will lose the CC pairing.


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## tommage1 (Nov 6, 2008)

ggieseke said:


> I think MFSTools would overwrite the mfsr format.
> 
> QUOTE]
> 
> Ok thanks, that is kind of what I guessed.


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## yergg (Oct 21, 2018)

Anyone know where I can get a copy of WinMFS?


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## tommage1 (Nov 6, 2008)

yergg said:


> Anyone know where I can get a copy of WinMFS?


I have it on one of my computers, would have to find it. I think WinMFS only works with S2 and S3, anything later have to use MFSTools. Can't find download anywhere on the net?


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## yergg (Oct 21, 2018)

I got it, and found that it was not good for what I needed. I have a Premier XL (TCD748000) and am pretty sure the HDD is dead. Hooked it back up to my computer and accidentally Initiated the drive in Windows. Is there a way using mfstools to restore the boot sector on the drive?


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## tommage1 (Nov 6, 2008)

yergg said:


> I got it, and found that it was not good for what I needed. I have a Premier XL (TCD748000) and am pretty sure the HDD is dead. Hooked it back up to my computer and accidentally Initiated the drive in Windows. Is there a way using mfstools to restore the boot sector on the drive?


You'd have to get an image from someone, then restore it to a new drive (assuming yours is bad, maybe run diagnostics on it). I've only done images with S2/S3s myself. But should not be hard. I have a Premiere 320GB drive sitting around, if you can't get an image and restore it I'd sell it to ya for $20 plus shipping. It's used and you'd have to clear and delete everything but should work. Then you could copy and expand it to a larger drive if you like. But try the image/new drive first and check the condition of your current drive, bad sectors whatever, could be the Tivo itself not the drive.


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## yergg (Oct 21, 2018)

I have a good image, just trying to figure out how to only copy the "boot sector" over. I am trying to salvage the content.


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## tommage1 (Nov 6, 2008)

yergg said:


> I have a good image, just trying to figure out how to only copy the "boot sector" over. I am trying to salvage the content.


I see but if you initialized your drive in Windows everything is probably gone.


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## jmbach (Jan 1, 2009)

yergg said:


> I have a good image, just trying to figure out how to only copy the "boot sector" over. I am trying to salvage the content.


Hmm. When windows initializes a drive I am not sure if the boot sector is the only thing written over. However, if you could post the first 16 sectors we could look at it and see if we can repair it. Also is this the original drive in the unit?


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## jmbach (Jan 1, 2009)

tommage1 said:


> Hi, I would like to create an image of a Roamio 4TB drive using MFSTools. I want to keep cable card pairing information but do not want the recordings. Do not really want any season pass settings either but I could delete those manually. Main thing is no recordings but want to keep the cable card pairing setting. Since no recordings I will probably put the image on a smaller drive if that is possible. I've only done copy or copy/expand with MFSTools in the past, this project is new to me, what would be the command to do what I'd like to do, thanks.





tommage1 said:


> Oh, one more question. Since I will be creating an image (I guess it is an image?) with no recordings is it possible to put the image on an fresh 8TB drive? While still maintaining the cable card setting? I know you cannot copy/expand to a drive greater than 4TB but can you just put an image with settings on an 8TB drive? Then use mfsr on the 8TB drive to get the full recording capacity while maintaining the cable card settings?


You can create a backup with MFSTools. The command would be backup -i9o <backup file name> /dev/sdX where sdX is your drive you are backing up. <backup file name> would be the path and filename you want the backup to be saved at.

MFSTools will overwrite the drive when it restores the image.


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## tommage1 (Nov 6, 2008)

jmbach said:


> You can create a backup with MFSTools. The command would be backup -i9o <backup file name> /dev/sdX where sdX is your drive you are backing up. <backup file name> would be the path and filename you want the backup to be saved at.
> 
> MFSTools will overwrite the drive when it restores the image.


Thanks


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