Lockdown

[medkraft]

After finally getting the Tivo up and running with about 2/3rds of the channels configured and running it almost error free for a few weeks the recordings started to pixelate and freeze. Each time it happened I'd reboot the Tivo and all would be well, for a while.

However, after today, a reboot no longer works. It now freezes during the reboot at the Philips logo. Once it freezes, I'm locked out. I can't Telnet or ping the box. There is a brief moment before it freezes where I can ping the box but it's not enough time for me to get in and do anything.

I've gone through the archives and it looks like it could be the hard drive (a new Seagate 160 GB) or possibly power supply.

I'm assuming that my only way to access the Tivo now is via a direction connection with a serial cable.

Or is just easier to accept that the drive is done and stick in a new one.

Your ideas are appreciated.

[Darren King]

If you don't get anywhere near the main menu then don't even bother with a serial cable as the telnet over serial software probably has not even loaded at this time (it's one of the last things to start).

Before you go out and buy another large and expensive hard disk see if you have a small (2-3G and up) drive laying around or can borrow one. You won't be able to record much on it (half hour anyone? :) ) but at least it will rule out hardware problems first, at no cost.