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9241 Internal hard drive replacement

208K views 174 replies 61 participants last post by  Notdeadyet55 
#1 ·
Apologies if this has been discussed elsewhere, but I can't find it.

The 9242 hard drive replacement thread at http://www.digitalhome.ca/forum/showthread.php?t=103462 has been invaluable, with its list of valid replacement drive numbers, etc. However, it doesn't specifically address the 9241 (altho some 9241 owners have posted there). The 9241 owners thread makes some references to hard-drive replacement, but I can't find concrete details.

Does someone have a list of drive models that make suitable models for replacement in a 9241? Or have any experience with this?

I've seen ebay postings for 9242 drives, saying they will work in 9241s also - but I'm suspicious of that - esp after reading the 9242 thread. I've also seen lots of 9241s that can't be activated going on ebay, and was thinking of buying one of those so I can cannibalize the hard-drive when needed.... but I also recall reading somewhere (not sure where now) that a 9241 can only have its hard drive replaced by the EXACT same model that it already has. ie, even a different model drive from a different 9241 may not work in my unit.

Does anyone know if there is any truth in either of these statements?

For the record, my 9241 is humming along nicely in the 6 months six I got it (from ebay - who knows what it did before then!). But I know these drives get harder to find and would like to have an "insurance" drive around, as I hope to keep the receiver for a long time! (Changing receivers down "south" is a pain, and my 5100/5900 only lasted two years!)

Thanks
 
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#37 ·
Its funny that this post just came up. I have another PVR unit from Bell, its the poor and sad 5900. It too needs a hard drive.

I would love to see any update for all the PVR units so we can put in solid state hard drives, this would end the skipping and all other drive related problems. The solid state drives have 1 million hours of life before failures, most mechanical drives we get are around 30,000.

When I get the 5900 apart, I will try a solid state, and if it works I will try a new style of solid state in the 9241 that I have - only if it has a firmware update from this year, if one is available. If its using the same old update from last fall I know it wont take the solid state.

I noticed there is a new Seagate Video 3.5 HDD, these drives are designed for PVR units, I may try this and let you know if there are any problems
 
#43 ·
May I say this first: I for one do not just drop new drives into place without first clearing the NVRAM before inserting a new drive into any PVR.

Procedure I follow is this: First boot 92XX receiver with original drive, go to menu hit 6 and then 3. then hit browse, then info and then theme, once at memory dump screen hit TV/Video and it should say the memory is corrupted. Once that error comes up, then i unplug the receiver and remove the old hard disk and then install the NEW hard disk. Then plug it back into power and off it should go back to normal with your new hard disk.

Hopefully this info helps.

(If someone knows where the diagnostic shortcuts went to please link or insert them into my post or the thread itself) Thanks!
 
#53 ·
As I have posted before, the ST1000 is flaky assuming you can even get it to work in a 9241. Out of about 20 drives I have tried, only four would format in the receiver. All the others were not recognized.

The ST31000424CS works 100% of the time in my experience.
 
#54 ·
Failed hdd replacement 9241; brick

Hi,
I was reading this forum for some time, when I decided to change the hdd in my 9241 (that was working fine with a 320gb hdd).
I was following the steps required (clear the nvram, change disk). The error message that I was expectin, then run diagnostics then...I was expecting to go about my bussiness allowing the box to format the drive. But no joy, the system exibit the phenomenon called by others "blinking red brick". No life after the initial spinnoff of the disk, always the same lights pattern, but ending in blue-yellow-blinking red (the three main leds). No video ( occasional "no signal") no input possible from local buttons or remote. BRICK.
I was PM ing some of you that I felt are here for a long time so to speak and to avoid the eventual "you read the forum first, moron..) :)
But no joy, I stiil have to pass trough the general discution thread for the 9241 terminal, then the related 9242, but a search of "failed hdd replacement" and the reading of the dedicated "9241 hdd replacement" give no real solution for me.
The only thing that was suggested (and worked for some) was the USB key while hard resseting the unit. It was supposed do awaken the screen with a popup that gives you again the control. No joy for me! I put back the old disk (now I think that only disconnecting all together the disk I didn't do..)
So, here I am , in the dedicated thread, asking : is there any way to have my fonctional 9241 back ?
 
#56 ·
Thank you Peano for the answer (and the PM). I do understand that for some the USB key worked, for a lot others no. About the smartcard I was wondering what kind of smartcard it would work. Btw I don't know where the so called chip card is located as I did not see one, i thought that the slot was intended for that...

On another subject, maybe related, I could aquire a 9241 that is functional but cannot be activated with Bell. Can I do something , like putting two together to have one functional? Thanks in advance for any clue.
 
#60 ·
About the smartcard I was wondering what kind of smartcard it would work. Btw I don't know where the so called chip card is located as I did not see one, i thought that the slot was intended for that...
Any card that fits into the card slot will work. There is most likely no card in the slot currently as it is using the onboard smart chip on the motherboard.

When you push a "dummy" card all the way in, it trips a switch and the receiver tries to read the card, but of course it will be invalid so it "should" pop up an error. That may allow you into the menus. But if you have no lights at all I would say its time for Dish Care.
 
#57 ·
I am guessing the 9241 that is functional but "cannot be activated" is a rental unit. There is nothing that can be done with that and I am hearing that bell will soon start to chase people who just abandon/sell these units. No way to swap out anything, other that the drive AFAIK.

By the way, a 9241/9242 should work without a drive if I recall. No idea why yours died, very odd. Any chance you disconnected a lead or something?
 
#58 ·
I work on a daily bases with drives at work (albeit in an IT environment not digital entertainment) and I am sure that the connections were handled properly.
Btw I changed the location of the unit and I plugged it for more than 24h into a second cable int the basement that Bell installed for me as future tv installment (the dish is properly fitted with DPP and both two cables come down ). And the blinkink disapeared, now is all dead :). Not having a tv in the basement does not help to see what happens...I will try to move it back to where the tv is but I don't know if the process will come back to the red-blinking-of-death RBOD point...Maybe there is a flash that keep track of where it was..

ps for the 9241 that cannot be activated the guy is willing to give me the R and S numbers cause he says a friend that owned the thing gave it to him when leaving the country and he couldn't get a hold of him to call BELL to release it. So I guess I read somewhere that Bell releases automatically after a year...
 
#62 ·
I know that I may sound not so bright but..I only have around the cards in my wallet, no other smart or not cards laying around. So an exemple of dummy card would be apreciated. A plastic rectangle that fits would do? Or does it have to have some magnetic strip, or chip as the new bank cards? Cause if it only have to trip the switch.....
 
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