# R10 Freezing and then Rebooting



## dssslut (Apr 9, 2004)

A friend of mine has an R10 that is freezing and then rebooting all the time. He called DTV and they ran him through deleting everything and reseting the box. It did not work and they said they would send him their newest unit. He also has an R15 but hates it compared to the R10. He really wants to save his R10 so he declined DTVs offer to send a new one out.

Since I dont have DTV at my house, it is hard for me to troubleshoot it for him. He lives to far away for me to go to his house.

I have several standalone Tivo units and know quite a bit about them. Do you all have any suggestions for his R10 so that he can salvage it? Is it as simple as a drive issue that just needs a new image? Or would it be better for him to try to go to CompUSA and find a new one there.

Thanks!


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## litzdog911 (Oct 18, 2002)

This could be the classic symptom of hard disk failure, or soon-to-be failure. Can you still get it to restart when you disconnect/reconnect AC power? If so, and you value the recordings on your Tivo, you may want to act fast to replace or upgrade that hard drive. But try these tips first:

*** Note that problems like this can also be caused by AC power spikes or fluctuations. Your Tivo is essentially a computer inside, so you should seriously consider powering it with an uninterruptable power supply (UPS). Good quality 350VA UPS's are available for well below $50 and will power your Tivo for nearly an hour, plus they provide much better powerline isolation and protection than a surge protector.

http://www.staples.com/Catalog/Browse/Sku.asp?PageType=1&Sku=474045

*** Check your Tivo's internal temperature. If it's running too hot you'll sometimes see problems like this. Look in "Messages & Setup" -> "System Information" and scroll down a couple of pages to see the internal temperature. Anything under 50-deg C is usually OK. If it's higher than that, make sure you have good airflow under and around your Tivo. It's a good idea to raise your Tivo up an inch or so for better airflow. Some folks use pop bottle caps under each corner.

*** Try re-seating your access card. Remove power, remove the access card, wait a few minutes, re-insert the access card, and reconnect power.

*** If you're comfortable opening up your Tivo (which will void your warranty if you still have one), then disconnect and reconnect all the cables leading to the hard drive(s). Sometimes connections can work loose, or tarnish, and re-seating them will help.

*** If these steps don't help, then it's likely a hard drive problem. You can try a "Clear and Delete Everything" (in the Tivo's "Messages & Setup" menu). That might help the drive repair itself, but you will lose your recordings, Season Passes, and other settings.

*** Finally, if all else fails, then you might want to try connecting your Tivo drive(s) to your PC and run the disk manufacturer's DOS-based diagnostic utilities. These are usually available for download from their web site. Unfortunately they don't always detect all of the failures that can disrupt your Tivo. Some folks have reported success using the SpinRite disk repair utility available from Gibson Research at http://www.grc.com/sr/spinrite.htm or HDD Regenerator at http://www.dposoft.net/#b_hddhid

Also check out these sources of information, much of which you'll find in the Tivo Upgrade Center forum:

http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/forumdisplay.php?s=&forumid=25

http://www.weaknees.com/index.html

http://tivo.upgrade-instructions.com/

http://www.newreleasesvideo.com/hinsdale-how-to/

http://www.dvrupgrade.com/dvr/stores/1/instantcake.cfm

http://www.9thtee.com/


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## John T Smith (Jun 17, 2004)

>go to CompUSA and find a new one there

Since the R10 has not been made in about (over?) a year, he will have to be very lucky to find one on a store shelf

Where to I get a DirecTv Tivo?
http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?t=316297


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## IminMs (Sep 10, 2006)

If you friend has a computer, give him the link to this site so it won't be 3rd/4th hand info.
It will be much easier to have him/her list the problems after they try something, and much quicker for them also.


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## John T Smith (Jun 17, 2004)

If your friend decides to fix instead of replace, there is also a different forum for that, covering issues concerning replacing a hard drive, etc

http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/forumdisplay.php?f=24


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## snickerrrrs (Mar 31, 2006)

I've seen R10's at my local walmarts for under $100. If he decides not to fix the hard drive he might be able to find an R10 there. He may have to check several walmarts or bestbuys.


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