622 with external Segate HDD issues

[LT Colonel]

I'm sure there is already an answer to this, but with my limited search skills and frustration I can't find it.

Background:
I have a 622 connected to two HD TVs. Not connected to phone service.

Given my daughter's fascination with Sponge Bob Square Pants and my own recordings, I decided to get additional storage space. I generally use Western Digital, but since Dishnet "recommends" Seagate, I spent the extra money and bought what they recommend.

I've copied several recordings over, but now when I copy over a HD recording, i get the time to transfer message usually 16 minutes or so, and continue viewing live TV. In about 15 minutes the current TV screen freezes, a few minutes later the DVR reboots and the recording was not transferred.

I've powered off and on both the DVR and HDD, changed to the front USB port on the DVR and still get the same results.

Please tell me there is a magic solution!

Frustrated!!!

LTC

 

[primetimeguy]

I have four Seagate Free Agent drives, and one of them had this same issue. I deleted everything off it and reformatted it, reconnected it to the 622 and had it reformat it. It worked again for some time before the same problem came back. Replaced the drive and never had the problem since (6 months).

 

[Smith P.]

Run MHDD diagnostics !!!
And post SMART values here.

 

[LT Colonel]

Run MHDD diagnostics !!!
And post SMART values here.

Can you tell me how to run the MHDD Diagnostics?

LTC

 

[Smith P.]

download MHDD ISO from Internet
make bootable CD
connect your external disk to the PC
boot your PC from the CD
follow the program guide

 

[bookworm370]

Considering that the above post didn't bother to read that you are using a USB EHD opening the cover of your DVR won't do a thing but void your warranty.

If it's a new Seagate USB I'd just try to return it and get another. Not worth it.

 

[bookworm370]

Oh, another option might be to reformat the drive and see if it clears up. If you have files on it you may want to transfer them back to your DVR.

Then take the drive out and hook it up to your PC or MAC and have the machine do a high level format (on PC, format as NTFS but do not select 'quick format'. Have it do a full format so it write all the sectors. That way the SMART features of the drive can mark the bad sectors as invalid.

Then plug it back into the DVR and answer yes to allow it to format the drive in it's format. The problem is that the DVR doesn't write all the sectors. It just creates the partition, does a quick check and then restarts. So it never really sees the entire drive. Doing it with NTFS or HFS+ (on a mac) will force it to write every sector.

But then again, at USB speeds it would be faster to drive back to Best Buy or whereever to get another one

 

[Smith P.]

BTW, never the format will force the disk reallocate bad sectors !

Use MHDD for that (Remap=ON)

 

[LT Colonel]

Oh, another option might be to reformat the drive and see if it clears up. If you have files on it you may want to transfer them back to your DVR.

Then take the drive out and hook it up to your PC or MAC and have the machine do a high level format (on PC, format as NTFS but do not select 'quick format'. Have it do a full format so it write all the sectors. That way the SMART features of the drive can mark the bad sectors as invalid.

Then plug it back into the DVR and answer yes to allow it to format the drive in it's format. The problem is that the DVR doesn't write all the sectors. It just creates the partition, does a quick check and then restarts. So it never really sees the entire drive. Doing it with NTFS or HFS+ (on a mac) will force it to write every sector.

But then again, at USB speeds it would be faster to drive back to Best Buy or whereever to get another one

OK, moved most of my stuff back to the DVR, plugged the Seagate into the USB port, Vista loads the driver, but does not recognize the dirve is connected. Got any idea?
LTC

 

[bookworm370]

Right click on My Computer

Select Manage

Select Disk Management

At that point the Disk Manager should notice that you have an invalid drive and ask you if you want to partition and format it. If it recognizes the partitions, you can then remove the partitions and then reallocate a Basic System partition. At that point you can right click it and format it.

The above I copied from my home Win XP system. When I get to work tomorrow I'll check to make sure it's the same on Win 7. Sorry no Vista in my company. But Win 7 is based on the Vista kernel.

If manage is gone from My Computer, just open up the control panel and select computer services or disk management services from the services control panel. It's the same thing you get when you right click on My Computer.

We use it all the time on VMWare when we add a VMDK disk to a virtual machine. Windows won't detect it until you cause Disk Manager to scan all available drives and you put a partition table on it.

 

[LT Colonel]

Right click on My Computer

Select Manage

Select Disk Management

At that point the Disk Manager should notice that you have an invalid drive and ask you if you want to partition and format it. If it recognizes the partitions, you can then remove the partitions and then reallocate a Basic System partition. At that point you can right click it and format it.

The above I copied from my home Win XP system. When I get to work tomorrow I'll check to make sure it's the same on Win 7. Sorry no Vista in my company. But Win 7 is based on the Vista kernel.

If manage is gone from My Computer, just open up the control panel and select computer services or disk management services from the services control panel. It's the same thing you get when you right click on My Computer.

We use it all the time on VMWare when we add a VMDK disk to a virtual machine. Windows won't detect it until you cause Disk Manager to scan all available drives and you put a partition table on it.

Thanks. I go try it now so it can run during the night. Windows 7? I've preordered it. What do you think? By the way, I will be in Coloumbus on the 12th staying on the Southside near Strawbridge St. Do i need to bring an Uzi?

 

[ripnbigc]

I'm sure there is already an answer to this, but with my limited search skills and frustration I can't find it.

Background:
I have a 622 connected to two HD TVs. Not connected to phone service.

Given my daughter's fascination with Sponge Bob Square Pants and my own recordings, I decided to get additional storage space. I generally use Western Digital, but since Dishnet "recommends" Seagate, I spent the extra money and bought what they recommend.

I've copied several recordings over, but now when I copy over a HD recording, i get the time to transfer message usually 16 minutes or so, and continue viewing live TV. In about 15 minutes the current TV screen freezes, a few minutes later the DVR reboots and the recording was not transferred.

I've powered off and on both the DVR and HDD, changed to the front USB port on the DVR and still get the same results.

Please tell me there is a magic solution!

Frustrated!!!

LTC

What software version are you on. I had the same problem on 618, and 621 cured it. When I called Tech they said it was a known issue with 618

 

[LT Colonel]

What software version are you on. I had the same problem on 618, and 621 cured it. When I called Tech they said it was a known issue with 618

Using Vista to reformat my External drive now following Bookworm's directions.

 

[ripnbigc]

Using Vista to reformat my External drive now following Bookworm's directions.

So which software version is on your 622?

 

[bookworm370]

I checked and 621 is on mine. But Dish should have pushed 621 out to most everyone by now.

Colonel: I sent you a PM on Columbus.

 

[LT Colonel]

So which software version is on your 622?

Sorry, misunderstood. The 622 is running L621.

 

[Smith P.]

You should follow professional advise (in IT more then 20 years ).
You're loosing your time - the format will not cure bad sectors ( I could go in details for an hour ); please make the checks by MHDD and the program will truly help you reassign bad sectors. Follow those amateur ways it's just wasting time.

 

[bookworm370]

God I hate this turkey sh*t bantering.

You're a professional in IT for 20 years. Right?

Crap, I hate self promotion but this deserves it...
I hold 2 graduate degrees in Computer Science and Electrical Engineering, 3 intellectual patents, author of one of the largest mainframe security products in the marketplace, have started and sold 2 startup companies (one of which you use every time you make a plane reservation!) , listed in Strathmores Who's Who twice and am now the CIO of one of the largest domestic consumer products companies in Ohio.

Guess that makes me wiener compared to your holiness of IT'dom.

Just because I just joined this forum and my assigned level is freshman doesn't mean that I don't know what I'm doing. I've been in the business starting with IBM Endicott labs and MIT Cambridge since System 360 in the 1970's. What was your first computer, a real live MAC?

I participate in these forums to keep up to date, learn and try to assist others to give back to the the community as I can.
Sometimes I'm not right on the money and when I'm not I will admit it because everyone is always learning.

But I will not stand being disrespected or patronized. I don't take it from people I know and I for sure won't take it from self proclaimed 'Experts'. You're only an expert if other people assign it to you, until now you had no idea who I was nor would I 'proclaim' myself an expert. I don't need to prove anything, but it sure looks like you do.

God I really hate Gen X and Gen Y! Sigh.

 

[Smith P.]

Don't worry - I did that jobs on MFT/MVT IBM/360 [ASM;PL/1/;C] ... And had EE also, plus did design of ACS of flying objects ... Childish contest, actually, huh ?

Back to the topic, all that is doesn't matter as you missed my point with MHDD and pushing a format as a cure for bad sectors; that's the key for the particular knowledge.
Sorry, you're incorrect in the assumption and your CIO hat doesn't help here ( ask your employees to verify the fact ).

 

[bookworm370]

Well, at least on your last post I think we can both agree to that!

The MFT (Multi-Function-Tasking for those that want some history) team was really miffed when we came out with CP/67 and then VM/370 which lead to MFT's eventual demise to MVS.

Ok... Truce then?

Oh, BTW, my most favorite and powerful language was PL/1 until they killed it but at least we used a PL/S when we recoded all the assembler code for MVS.
I got out when VM/XA lost the battle and became OCO and went into the private sector.