# Hitachi Feature Tool - How To?



## supasta (May 6, 2006)

There is so much talk about using Hitachi Feature Tools to quite a noisy drive. I am wanting to do just that, but am worried about how to do it witout bricking my TiVo's upgraded WD drive. 

I downloaded the CD .iso file, but is this bootable? Do I connect my Tivo drive just as if I were upgrading it and run the utility? Can I do this at all, or will it ruin the updated drive? Will I have to re-run the upgrade (weaknees, cake, etc)?

A quick simple walkthrough, if anyone might have the time, would be WONDERFUL!

It seems that lately I am not the only one looking into this drive tool. It would be VERY helpful to me and many others. AND GREATLY APPRECIATED!

Thanks In Advance!


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## supasta (May 6, 2006)

Anyone?


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## SJAndrew (Sep 30, 2005)

An .iso file is not bootable - that's a CD image.

You need to burn that file using CD burning software (typically, you should be able to double click the .iso file and it will launch Nero or Easy CD creator).

Once you have the CD burned, boot to that CD and it should be pretty self explanatory. Make sure you remove any Windows drives from your IDE chain when you boot (booting to windows with TiVo drives connected can corrupt your MBR, it's best to remove your Windows drive as you don't need it anyway)- it should be only your CDROM and the TiVo drive(s). Make sure your computer BIOS is set to boot to the CDROM (most systems are set to do this by default).

If you get an error saying "INVALID SYSTEM DISK" you've done something wrong (wither the CD is bad or you're not booting to it).


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## supasta (May 6, 2006)

All that I understand, thanks.

So burn the .iso, the disk should boot, and the program will automaticall run?

Thanks. I guess my anxiousness about doing this is making me think it is far more complicated.

So, another question -

If Iuse the Hitachi Tool utility to try and quiet the drive - a WESTERN DIGITAL drive, it may or may not work, but either way will not damage the drive at all? Correct?

TIA


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## SJAndrew (Sep 30, 2005)

I've enabled AAM on WD drives using that software with no ill effects.


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## supasta (May 6, 2006)

SJAndrew said:


> I've enabled AAM on WD drives using that software with no ill effects.


Thanks.

Did it work? How quiet are they. (You got the same drives I did at newegg if I remember correctly.....)


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## rainwater (Sep 21, 2004)

Make sure you don't just burn the file to a cd. You have to use the burn iso feature of your cd burning software. Once you do that its easy to change the acoustic management. And yes, it can make a big difference in some cases. It really depends on the defaults the particular drive was setup with.


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## supasta (May 6, 2006)

The next time I have access to a desktop PC I will be running this on my drive. I will report back with my findings


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## SJAndrew (Sep 30, 2005)

I have no basis for comparison - the WD's have always had AAM enabled. 

What I can say is that I've never heard them - never. I can barely hear the weaKnees fan, but I've never heard the drives. How this compares to the "stock" WD drive - I don't know. As soon as I got the drives, I hooked them up to my PC and did a thorough scan (1.25 hours) to make sure all was well and enabled AAM. Then I blessed them and it's been smooth (and quiet) sailing ever since.


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## supasta (May 6, 2006)

I enables Quiet Seek on my WD drive today. 

It seems a little quieter. Might just be me, the drive is not silent - I can still hear the drive running. But, I will say it is slightly quieter.

Does not make the drive completely silent, but being that it cannot harm at all to run the tool, I would recommend.


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## supasta (May 6, 2006)

Ok, let me recant my previous statement here. 

It was just me. Again, the drive seemed a little more quite right after I ran the tool, and now today it is right back where it was.


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## rainwater (Sep 21, 2004)

supasta said:


> Ok, let me recant my previous statement here.
> 
> It was just me. Again, the drive seemed a little more quite right after I ran the tool, and now today it is right back where it was.


Setting AAM to the lowest noise level will not necessarily make any changes. In most cases it will, but if the default setting was already the lowest setting, then enabling AAM and setting it the the lowest level will make no difference. However, most drives I have used it on are set more for performance than noise by default.


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## supasta (May 6, 2006)

This drive was set to the highest performance setting. I set it to the quietest setting possible.

As previously stated, it won't hurt anything, so I would still recommend to others.


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