# Lost my Tivo background



## jad568 (Oct 28, 2003)

I have a Tivo Series 2 Directv (Hughes). I added a second drive (100GB) and the new drive was bad out of the box. So while I waited for the replacement drive I used my tivo.bak file to restore my original Tivo drive back to it's original state. Everything seemed to be fine, however when I hit the Tivo button or go to my list of now playing instead of having the Tivo background behind the list it still shows the current channel I am watching. So the list comes up but it is on top of live video. This makes it hard to read. How can I get the background back? Even after I installed the new second drive the same thing is happening. Everything functions ok the background is just missing??? 

Thanks,

-John


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## Robert S (Jul 8, 2002)

When you made the backup you forgot the -f 9999 option. Only way to fix it is to get a backup that was made properly.


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## krymaney (Sep 19, 2002)

Your backup image is not complete...more than likely.

There are switches that need to be used to insure your backgrounds get saved with the image file...

Not sure the exact command (it's in Hindsdales) but it's specific to the Series 2 DirecTivos...

You will need to download a new image file.


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## krymaney (Sep 19, 2002)

Robert S ....

...is stalking me.

As always Robert, you are on top of things...


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## Robert S (Jul 8, 2002)

What's really spooky is that that post had sat there for an hour before getting two posts within a minute.

My counsel will be arguing that as I got there first it is in fact YOU that's stalking me...


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## WCTivo (Oct 28, 2003)

I have this same problem. Will it get fixed next time the Tivo downloads a software update? I can live with this a while.

Actually, this could be considered a feature. (Transparency)  If only the fonts were a different color so they would be easier to read.


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## Robert S (Jul 8, 2002)

No, the only way to fix it is to get a backup that was made properly.

(Is there an echo in here?)


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## t7112 (Oct 15, 2003)

I had the same thing happen to me - clear background on series 2. This is the command I used:

mfsbackup -f 9999 -6so /mnt/dos/tivo.bak /dev/hdc 

I backed up/restored the original drive twice with the same results. It is kind of cool with the transparent background. Maybe this command does not work with the 3.1.b version. That is the only thing that I can see that has changed since the writeup of the upgrade article.


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## krymaney (Sep 19, 2002)

> _Originally posted by Robert S _
> *What's really spooky is that that post had sat there for an hour before getting two posts within a minute.
> 
> My counsel will be arguing that as I got there first it is in fact YOU that's stalking me... *


Um..the counsel for the defence (british spelling for you Robert) would argue that since my reply was longer than you, thus requiring more time to type, that I was in fact the first person to arrive.

Though, I can see where you were more thorough than I.

You win. (stalker!)


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## lousy (Dec 12, 2001)

> _Originally posted by t7112 _
> *mfsbackup -f 9999 -6so /mnt/dos/tivo.bak /dev/hdc
> *


This is the command that I used also when I backed up my Series 2 standalone. I have transparent menus.

Is there anything that I can do to get rid of the transparent menus?


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## lousy (Dec 12, 2001)

Well, I found the solution for myself

I had to use the switch -f 4138 instead of -f 9999

here's the command I used

mfsbackup -f 4138 -6so /mnt/dos/tivo.bak /dev/hdc 


I have a standalone Series 2 40 hour.

Luckly, when I bought the TiVo, I immediatly removed the orignal hard drive, made a backup, then installed a 120GB drive and left the orignal 40GB drive sitting out. I hadn't installed my orignal 40 back into the TiVo yet because I was waiting to buy a bracket from 9th Tee. Therefore, I still had the orignal drive with the orignal image on it.

so I simply did another backup with the correct switch, then restored that image to my 120GB drive, and now my upgraded TiVo Harddrive has the background images (Not Transparent menus). I did lose all my settings, and my recordings, but my tivo was really hard to watch while I was going thru the menus, so it was worth losing the recordings so that I could get my TiVo working properly. Plus, now I have a good image burned to a CD if I ever need it again.


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## t7112 (Oct 15, 2003)

> _Originally posted by lousy _
> *Well, I found the solution for myself
> 
> I had to use the switch -f 4138 instead of -f 9999
> ...


Sorry I didn't get back to you on the previous post. I haven't found a fix but I'll try your suggestion and post up if it works with a DirecTivo Series 2.


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## lousy (Dec 12, 2001)

Good luck t7112,

I'm not sure if the -f 4138 switch will work for you or not since you have a different model than I have. Hopefully it will work.

Hinsdale's guide is very reliable, and has taught me many things in regards to Tivo and Linux. (Thanks Hindale, you are Awesome!!)

I'm not sure why his guide says to use the -f 9999 switch with a Series 2 Tivo instead of the -f 4138 switch, but there must be a good reason.

Perhaps he used a different model of the Series 2 than what I have, and -f 9999 switch is what must be used with his model.

We both know that it doesn't work for us, so it seems to me that the -f 4138 switch should work for you.


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## Truemisery (Dec 28, 2003)

I have the transparent menu problem as well.  I also have a nasty glitch during playback when it stops for no reason.  TiVo allows me to skip to the next bookmark and then rewind some- but not all the way to where the glitch occurs. I have some amount of playback (between the freeze and where I can get back to) that is unaccessible.
I was wondering if the -f 4138 switch will fix that as well or do I have two problems?
I have a TCD130040 40 Hr Series2 that I was upgrading to 2 x 160 GB drives when I encountered the problem.
Thanks,


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## gibs9538 (Dec 28, 2003)

I upgraded my DirecTivo HDVR2 a few months ago by adding a new hard drive. Now that hard drive has crashed. I got a new one and was trying to restore the backup I made before I upgraded and I just found out that I am missing the background images as well. Is there any place I could get an image for it?


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## Truemisery (Dec 28, 2003)

I repeated the Hinsdale How-To with the -f 4138 switch and it did not work for me, I still have transparent TiVo Central and Now Showing menus. I do not know if the playback glitch is fixed as I'm recording a bunch of shows now to check. 
I'll post my results, in the meantime if anyone has any help it would be grealty appreciated.


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## omarc (Apr 7, 2003)

Has anyone had the problems described in this thread with a new unmodified DSR7000.
I convinced a friend to get one and went over to help him setup Season Passes and noticed the transparent backgrounds with live video beneath.
I wonder if it is possible they sent him a refurb, and he should request a new one.


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## jazzys (Oct 15, 2003)

Does anyone have a definitive answer on how to deal with this problem? A friend has an HDTiVo with two brand new drives and he's having the same issue. Is there an image we can use to do a fresh install that will solve the problem? Any info is appreciated...


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## Robert S (Jul 8, 2002)

I think posts numbers 2 and 7 are definitive.

With the HDTiVo you have an added complication that the stock drive is larger than 137Gb, so you have to use an LBA-48 upgrade CD instead of the normal MFS Tools 2.0 one.


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## peateargriffin06 (Mar 24, 2005)

yes i too have this problem. and i would almost perfer it if the font was only easier to read.


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## t7112 (Oct 15, 2003)

I used the DD backup method and I got the backgrounds to make it over. That was the only way I could ever get it to work correctly. I tried all the various recommendations and after 2-3 times just went with the DD method off of Hinsdale's sight.

Tom


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## ljwhorfin (Feb 20, 2006)

I never realized this isn't normal, and now on my 2nd tivo miss not having live tv as the background.

So, how do i LOSE the static background and get the see through to live video happen on my 2nd tivo?


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## Simba7 (Jun 25, 2006)

Sorry for bringing up an old topic.. But..

This happened to me on my Philips DSR704. It took the 6.2a upgrade, but in return trashed my TiVo background. This is incredibly annoying since looking at the menus is kinda difficult now.

I still have the 6.2 image and definitely thinking of trashing 6.2a and putting 6.2 back on it. Only thing I worry about is my hacks (using Zipper).

I also tried a clean 6.2a image and ran it through the Zipper. Did the same thing.


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