dvr40 setup with sleepers iso help

[berzerk]

OKay so I'll be getting a brand new RCA DVR40 soon and I want to put some hacks on it while still using the stock hard drive. A couple questions before I get started:

-When I backup my original Tivo hard drive using sleepers tools and if I put it on my normal windows hard drive with data, can I set it to somehow go into a specific directory or will it just wipe out everything? Is it absolutely necessary to put in a new clean 40gig+ drive for backup is what I'm asking. I just want to use the stock Tivo hard drive, no need for a bigger one in my case.

-Also I'm unable to plug into a phoneline to get the latest update to the Tivo, am I able to download the newest update from somewhere on the internet or hwo can I get it? Is it even necessary and would I be fine with whatever comes with my Tivo? I'd like to have the newest version of software before I start hacking though.
Thanks guys.

[berzerk]

30 views and not even 1 reply?

[hart316]

Well... what windows version are you running? hopefully not xp because that can screw up you tivo.bak image! If you are running 95/98 you'll be fine!

I'm not sure how sleeper's iso does the backup feature, but I would suggest to use the simple msftools.

mkdir /mnt/dos

mount /dev/hda1 /mnt/dos


It'll put the tivo.bak image into the dos folder if there is no such folder already.

You will be fine! Although..... the reason MANY suggest using another HD besides your original tivo HD is what if the backup fails for some odd reason and you begin hacking your original tivo???

Then you'll be looking for another image if the backup didn't work.

Anyways... I would suggest testing the backup on another HD, if it works great... HACK away! It's up to you, but as far as your original windows HD, it will be fine.


As for your phone line update, don't worry! That won't matter!! Chances are you have a 3.xxx version, right?? Which will be fine for sleeper iso, but which why you should test you image before you hack it.


but... I would suggest running your tivo for at least two weeks before you start to hack it, my friend had problems with his a week after he bought it. It would lock up! Just my opinion. By the way.... I'm not sure,but someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought a phoneline was needed for INITIAL setup? Probly not if you HACK back it up! Sleeper should take care of that, but don't QUOTE me on that one!

Hope this helps a bit!

Good Luck!

[PlainBill]

30 views and not even 1 reply?

I'd suggest you read a little.

I can't emphasize how BAD an idea reusing your hard drive is. Just yesterday someone was asking for help - his backup image was bad, and he used it to overwrite his original drive. This has happened MANY times.

A quick glance through the support thread for Sleeper's iso would have shown you that it doesn't wipe out anything on your PC's hard drive - it just uses it to store two files - total size under 300 Megs. And no, you don't have any choice where it puts the backup.

It is possible to find images for DirecTivos on Overnet. Download the client from www.emule-project.net. You will want a 3.1.1b (or c) image. There are several there, none that I have tried will restore to a 40 gig drive.

PlainBill

[berzerk]

Wow thanks for all the info!
Couple things:
-It's a used actually so I guess it should have 3.1.1 on it..I hope sleepers can still get the no phone line hack on it.

-I'm using Win XP :( hmm so I can use msftools to backup the original Tivo file to my hard drive with other data on it? That would be ideal..I really really don't want to buy another harddrive and would rather just backup my Tivo onto my current hard drive..

If anyone knows if sleeper's iso tool is able to backup to a file on a hard drive with data already on it please comment..

[necromancer]

If anyone knows if sleeper's iso tool is able to backup to a file on a hard drive with data already on it please comment..

I'm a newbie who bought a tivo a few days ago so DO NOT LISTEN TO ME WITHOUT CONFIRMATION FROM A PRO.... but couldn't you just zero out the drive and not have a problem anyway? there would be no data on the drive and sleeper's iso could restore the image from your pc

[berzerk]

I'd suggest you read a little.

I can't emphasize how BAD an idea reusing your hard drive is. Just yesterday someone was asking for help - his backup image was bad, and he used it to overwrite his original drive. This has happened MANY times.

A quick glance through the support thread for Sleeper's iso would have shown you that it doesn't wipe out anything on your PC's hard drive - it just uses it to store two files - total size under 300 Megs. And no, you don't have any choice where it puts the backup.

It is possible to find images for DirecTivos on Overnet. Download the client from www.emule-project.net. You will want a 3.1.1b (or c) image. There are several there, none that I have tried will restore to a 40 gig drive.

PlainBill

ohh okay thanks..the way sleeper's iso sounded and need the full hard drive to do a backup
if i can get another 3.1.1b clean good image that i know would work, wouldn't it be fine to hack my original tivo hard drive?

[PlainBill]

Wow thanks for all the info!
Couple things:
-It's a used actually so I guess it should have 3.1.1 on it..I hope sleepers can still get the no phone line hack on it.

-I'm using Win XP :( hmm so I can use msftools to backup the original Tivo file to my hard drive with other data on it? That would be ideal..I really really don't want to buy another harddrive and would rather just backup my Tivo onto my current hard drive..

If anyone knows if sleeper's iso tool is able to backup to a file on a hard drive with data already on it please comment..

YES, YES, YES. This is why you should READ!!! Sleeper's iso was written to back up your TiVo drive to your C: drive without damaging anything on the drive. All it does is create a tivo directory and write two files to it.

HOWEVER, the C: drive MUST be formatted FAT 32. If you're running XP, it's probably NTFS.

I know I'm wasting my time, but I'm a glutton for punishment. It's obvious you don't have a clear image of what is going on in this operation, but you're trying to alter the procedure. That is a recipe for disaster. It's not easy, but it is possible to trash the contents of the TiVo drive as well as your computer's hard drive. That would be a BAD thing.

You probably put all your 'disposable' cash into the DirecTiVo and don't want to spend more. A 120 Gig hard drive costs about $60 US now; you should be able to pick up a 1-10 gig drive to use to hold the backup for under $10. This is one of the times that doing it 'on the cheap' could be really expensive.

PlainBill

[berzerk]

it's FAT32 already
i do have a 5 gig hard drive somewhere, i didn't realize the backup is so small, i thought i needed a hard drive of equal of more space than the tivo drive to use for backup

[PlainBill]

it's FAT32 already
i do have a 5 gig hard drive somewhere, i didn't realize the backup is so small, i thought i needed a hard drive of equal of more space than the tivo drive to use for backup

A 5 Gig will be plenty - I used a 1.6 gig. Again, all of these issues are covered in the first few pages of The TiVoScripts support thread. You're asking instead of reading. On the other hand, at least you're asking BEFORE something goes wrong.:)

PlainBill

[berzerk]

heh true that
sorry for the noobness, i know what it's like dealing with em (i work for comcast tech support) lol

[PlainBill]

heh true that
sorry for the noobness, i know what it's like dealing with em (i work for comcast tech support) lol

Been on that side of the phone myself. I'm not sure which was worse - the guy who ignored the written warning not to use our product with stacker, ignored the on-screen warning, installation froze, so he deleted the file which would have allowed him to recover from his stupidity; or the guy who put an early beta version of our software on the company's accounting computer - then a bug in the software trashed the partition table/ MBR of the drive which contained all of their business records AND development software.

I guess in each case it was Darwin in action.

PlainBill