Main Web Site Members Login | arrow Join Members Area | Members FAQ | Lost Password? | Digital Forums  

    Click Here!   


-- TIVO Hard Drive Upgrade --




Page 1 | Page 2 | Page 3 | Page 4 | Page 5 | Page 6 | Page 7 | Page 8 |


Printable Version


**All files required for this procedure are available from our Members Area


One of the major complaints about stock TIVO and other PVR systems is their relatively small hard drives (Some as small as 13GB), and small recording time. The most popular and rewarding upgrade for any TIVO owner is upgrading the size of the hard drive, which will dramatically increase your recording time, up to 340 hours. Following this guide will help you to upgrade your TIVO and you will soon be enjoying the many extra hours of recording time that it brings you.

This guide is for all TIVO models, both standalone and DirecTivo combination receivers. Remember that in upgrading your TIVO, you will be modifying it from factory specs and as such there are no guarantees of the tools or instructions provided. If you run into a problem, you can make a post in our TIVO Upgrade Forum


Windows XP/NT/2000 Users: Do not boot into Windows XP/NT/2000 with your original Tivo drives attached to your computer as a Windows signature can be attached to the drive that will create problems. If you should need to boot into Windows during the upgrade, you will need to create a primary or extended FAT32 partition on your C: drive and know the name of the partition table. (In DOS, run fdisk -1 to display partitions) Then you can follow this upgrade guide, replacing the /dev/hda1(If applicable) with the name of the appropriate FAT32 partition. (IE /dev/hda5 if first extended partition, /dev/hda6 if second extended partition)

If you are a Member, A program like Bootit, which is available on the File Downloads page or a program like partition magic can create the necessary FAT32 partition. Or you can also aquire a small hard drive and format it as Fat32. If you need to have/create a DOS boot disk in order to run the qunlock program to unlock your Tivo drive, you can download a bootdisk from Bootdisk.com

Locked Drive If you have a Quantum or Maxtor drive and it is locked, (Reporting as 9-10MB) then you should unlock it using your QUnlock boot disk, which is available on the Download Area. Place your QUnlock bootable floppy in your disk drive and reboot to the floppy by pressing Ctrl-Alt-Del and waiting until it reports "no more processes".

Note: Do not use the QUnlock utility unless you are certain that you need to. Hard drive damage could occur if used inappropriately. Use only if your BIOS or Linux boot up report is reporting a 9-10MB drive size. It is generally only needed with older series 1 units.

At the A:\ prompt after booting to the QUnlock floppy, type

qunlock 2


This assumes that you have your locked Tivo drive connected as Secondary Master. If this is not the case, replace the numeral with the appropriate number to your configuration

0 for IDE Primary Master
1 for IDE Primary Slave
2 for Secondary Master
3 for IDE Secondary Slave

The unlocking procedure will only take a few seconds. After it is complete, replace the floppy with your MFS CD or Floppy and reboot to the Linux # prompt again. Again, ensure that all drives are now reporting their full size.


The following will be needed in order to upgrade your TIVO

  1. A TiVo
  2. New drive for your TiVo
  3. Power cable “Y” adapter (For Series 1 Hughes DirecTiVo models)
  4. Drive mounting bracket (For Series 1 Phillips or Sony standalone models)
  5. Torx #10 screwdriver
  6. Pentium™ based PC with at least 2 IDE channels and CD-ROM drive or floppy drive, 32MB of RAM, and PS/2 keyboard (Not USB)
  7. CD-R or CD-RW drive and CD-R or CD-RW blank media (Optional)
  8. MFS Tools upgrade CD or floppy




Step 1: Introduction to TIVO


TIVO receivers come in standalone or satellite integrated units. The standalone TIVO is capable of recording over the air broadcasts, cable, satellite or any other analog source. Satellite integrated units, such as DirecTivo can only record programming from the satellite provider. Aside from some cosmetic and operational differences, all TIVO units operate the same and can be upgraded to provide additional recording time. The new TIVO Series 2 and DirecTivo series 2 offer more RAM and faster processors than earlier models, in addition to USB ethernet ports and more for future features. If you do not currently own a TIVO, you simply need to weigh the options of what you are looking for. If you want a TIVO will all the bells and whistles, you can purchase a top of the line unit. If all you are looking for is a simple unit, then you have plenty of options as well. When upgrading, you will be retaining all your settings and seasons passes. Some upgrade configurations will also allow you to retain your recordings as well.




 Tivo Hard Drive Upgrade Page 2





Administrative Announcements
08/04/2008 11:20 AM
In order to give the website a better focus, we are phasing out the less popular areas of the site, including the high definition and digital video recorder areas and forums. This will leave the site focused on digital satellite television and satellite radio.

Digital Technology Articles

»Article Archive >

Digital Insurrection Members Area

Latest Highlights
The Godfather, Part II AMC 8:00 pm  ET

The second -- and best -- installment of Francis Ford Coppola's Oscar-winning "Godfather" trilogy, based on Mario Puzo's novel, includes flashbacks to Vito Corleone's early days in 1920s New York. Robert De Niro won an Oscar for his performance as the young don. Al Pacino returns as Michael Corleone, now running the family's criminal empire from Lake Tahoe, Nev.

Frost/Nixon MAX 10:00 pm  ET

Skillfully directed by Ron Howard, Peter Morgan's adaptation of his own play recharged stage veteran Frank Langella's screen career through his masterful portrayal of former President Richard Nixon. As the ex-chief executive prepares to be interviewed by David Frost (Michael Sheen, also excellent) about the Watergate scandal, both sides jockey to be in the best light during the telecasts. Kevin Bacon, Oliver Platt and Toby Jones offer top-notch support.

The Wanda Sykes Show FOX 11:00 pm  ET

The late-night talk show arena wasn't especially kind to Joan Rivers, but it's been good to Chelsea Handler, and now Wanda Sykes -- fresh off her funny HBO special and her recurring role in "The New Adventures of Old Christine" -- weighs into the fray with her own blend of comedy and topical commentary, which is set to include panels to discuss current events a la Bill Maher's HBO chatfest.

NASCAR Racing ESPN2 12:45 pm  ET

Kyle Busch can all but seal his first Nationwide Series championship down in Fort Worth with a win in today's O'Reilly Challenge. He won here a year ago on the 1.5-mile oval at Texas Motor Speedway, holding off a hard-charging Carl Edwards by three car lengths in the closing laps. But despite a series-leading 10 wins in '08, Busch would wind up finishing sixth in the standings, 671 points behind champ Clint Bowyer.

Horse Racing ABC 1:30 pm  ET

If the Triple Crown is the World Series of Thoroughbred racing, today's Breeders' Cup World Championship from Santa Anita Park in Southern California is undoubtedly the sport's Super Bowl. At stake are championships in, among others, the sprint, turf, ladies, mile, juvenile and classic categories, the last expected to be contested by Kentucky Derby winner Mine That Bird and British horse Rip Van Winkle.

College Football NBC 2:30 pm  ET

Years of famine have given way to a modest feast of sorts for No. 25 Notre Dame, who lead the Independent standings ahead of Navy, their opponents today in South Bend, Ind. The Fighting Irish are led by junior Jimmy Clausen, a Heisman candidate and, at this writing, the nation's top passer, who will be looking downfield for his favorite target, junior wideout Golden Tate. The unranked Midshipmen will be relying on the arm and legs of junior QB Ricky Dobbs.

The Prince & Me ABCF 7:30 pm  ET

The grammatically tone-deaf title is actually one of the lesser problems with this half-baked gender-switched reworking of the "Roman Holiday" premise, wherein a Danish prince (Luke Mably) charms a pre-med student (Julia Stiles) who thinks he's a "common" exchange student. It could have been worse without the two leads, but that's hardly royal praise.

Mercy NBC 8:00 pm  ET

Having just announced to her family that she is trying to have a baby, Veronica (Taylor Schilling) tries to save a pregnant woman in the aftermath of a car wreck. Dr. Harris (James LeGros) calls for a hearing to determine Veronica's future at Mercy Hospital. Sonia (Jaime Lee Kirchner) helps a sleepwalking patient and tries to take her relationship with Valentino (Charlie Semine) to another level in the new episode "You Lost Me With the Cinderblock."

Take the Money and Run TCM 8:00 pm  ET

Remember when Woody Allen movies were pure slapsticky silliness? Miss those days? Then don't miss this chance to see the first film that Allen not only wrote and directed but starred in, playing a hapless criminal who can't seem to buy a break ... or steal one. It's also an early example of the "mockumentary" style of storytelling that came into its own with "This Is Spinal Tap." Janet Margolin ("Ghostbusters II") is Allen's leading lady.

Robin Hood BBCAM 9:00 pm  ET

Robin (Jonas Armstrong) asks why Isabella (Lara Pulver) has made a pact with Prince John to become the new Sheriff of Nottingham. Defiant Isabella insists she works for herself. Not convinced, Robin offers her a deal to work with him for the rightful king of England, Richard the Lionheart, or discover what it is to be enemies. At a court hearing, Sheriff Isabella shows clemency to a young wench (Holliday Grainger) who has stood up to the men in her life.

Superhero Movie SHO 9:00 pm  ET

Love stories, horror films and gladiator epics have all had their sendups, so the likes of "Spider-Man" and "Batman" get theirs in this weak entry in the "cobble together random movie references and call it satire" genre. Drake Bell plays a young man bitten by a genetically altered dragonfly, turning him into a superpowered hero known as -- of all things -- the Dragonfly. He pines for lovely Jill (Sara Paxton, "Aquamarine") while using his new abilitiesto combat the sinister Hourglass (Christopher McDonald).

Latest Digital FAQs
»FAQ Archive


Digital Insurrection Members Area