Simple large disc format option ...

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Simple large disc format option ...

Postby viaccess » Fri Sep 17, 2010 8:57 am

Perhaps this already exists somewhere and I haven't found it - or perhaps it's been requested before and discounted HOWEVER ....

Would it be possible to build in a simple format utility into Copy+ which would allow the formatting of a larger disc (i.e. >500GB) without the need to copy across the contents of the old disc from the Sky+ box? I ask this because i am one of (apparently) many people who have had problems in getting Copy+ to recognise the source disc from the box, and who doesn't really mind abandoning his old recorded programmes anyway. All I want to be able to do is pop a new 1TB disc into my Pace SkyHD box and be able to use the entire contents (which I understand isn't possible at the moment without copying across the contents of an old disc, due to the 500gb format limit). I surely cannot be alone in thinking that this simple option would be a very useful addition to Copy+.
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Re: Simple large disc format option ...

Postby pcbbc » Fri Sep 17, 2010 11:05 am

Hi - Thanks for your suggestion.

Unfortunately there is more to preparing a Sky disk than just formatting it. It also requires correctly initialised planner and other databases to work correctly.
These database change with each planner version and are also specific to which box type you have (requiring big or little endian versions). You can also add to this 5 or 6 different database formats for the various XTV platforms around the world (USA, Italy, NZ, Australia etc, etc).
Hence why we require these to be supplied from a previously initialised source disk from a donor Sky box.

If you are having problems recognising your disk, please see the Support Tools posts in the FAQ section:
Support Tools: Repairing Master Boot Record/Partition Table
Support Tools: Repairing Sky BIOS Parameter Block
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Re: Simple large disc format option ...

Postby viaccess » Fri Sep 17, 2010 11:11 am

Thank you - you replied just as I was browsing the board this morning!

Is the preparation specific to the individual box, or simply the box type? If the latter, cannot something be offered with options?

I did use the utilities - I was pointed to these on another thread - and neither worked until I deleted the partition and replaced the MBR in accordance with the instructions. However, although the disc is now recognised, I seem to have lost most of my recordings! I am not clear whether or not it is still safe to use the recovered disc as the source disc or not. As I have said all I want to do is get the full 1tb use from the new drive.

Thanks anyway for replying. It is appreciated.
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Re: Simple large disc format option ...

Postby pcbbc » Fri Sep 17, 2010 11:23 am

viaccess wrote:Is the preparation specific to the individual box, or simply the box type? If the latter, cannot something be offered with options?
Not really. There would be quite a lot of different versions to maintain and always the possibility for users to select the wrong one. A potential support nightmare.

For the UK for example we'd need at least 4:
SD Box - Little & Big
HD Box - Little & Big
And we'd have to maintain these each time there was an EPG update. Plus we'd then be distributing copies of files we don't actually own the rights to....

I seem to have lost most of my recordings! I am not clear whether or not it is still safe to use the recovered disc as the source disc or not. As I have said all I want to do is get the full 1tb use from the new drive.
Which version of Copy+ are you using?
Has this disk been previously copied from a SD box to HD?
Has the disk been back in a Sky box since being put in a PC?
How did you attach the disk to your PC? Directly or using a eSATA or USB caddy?

If you are at all worried, and do not want to keep your recordings, do a Full System Reset on the disk before copying.
Alternatively FSR the 1TB drive and then do a backup and restore in Copy+ first.
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Re: Simple large disc format option ...

Postby viaccess » Fri Sep 17, 2010 11:58 am

Understood - especially the bit about using copyrighted files. I hadn't thought about that, but it is clearly a non-starter.

I am concious that the second part of your post is off topic (support, not suggestions) - however, since you asked, I have tried the latest stable version of Copy+ and the latest beta version - each with the same result. The disc had not previously been copied. i could not get Copy+ to recognise it without deleting the partition and replacing the SKYMBR. I first used a caddy (in my Windows 7 64 bit PC and also my 32 bit laptop) - I also tried the caddy in the family PC (Vista 32 bit) - same (non) result). Finally, I put the 1tb drive in the machine and did a 0-0-1 FSR and it worked ... but when this went into the caddy, it was not recognised by Copy+. I was wondering if the latest firmware update (which happened last week with my Pace) might have changed anything?
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Re: Simple large disc format option ...

Postby pcbbc » Fri Sep 17, 2010 12:11 pm

viaccess wrote:Finally, I put the 1tb drive in the machine and did a 0-0-1 FSR and it worked ... but when this went into the caddy, it was not recognised by Copy+.
Well, the FSR would certainly explain the loss of your recordings?!

I was wondering if the latest firmware update (which happened last week with my Pace) might have changed anything?
It does seem that there are an ever increasing number of Sky disks with the partition ID set incorrectly to 01 (FAT12) or 04 (FAT16).
Previously this was almost always (barring some sort of total corruption of the MBR) correctly set to 0C (FAT32) on Sky partitions, hence why Copy+ expects this to be correct.

Looks like I will have to make a change to support this in Copy+, as I agree that the number of people who are having to repair that MBR before Copy+ will recognise their disk is getting out of hand.
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Re: Simple large disc format option ...

Postby viaccess » Fri Sep 17, 2010 1:15 pm

pcbbc wrote:
viaccess wrote:Finally, I put the 1tb drive in the machine and did a 0-0-1 FSR and it worked ... but when this went into the caddy, it was not recognised by Copy+.
Well, the FSR would certainly explain the loss of your recordings?!
I didn't do a FSR on the original 300GB drive - only on the newly purchased 1TB drive to see if I could get Copy+ to recognise it. If I had done a FSR on the original drive, I assume that I would have lost ALL the recordings, not just the majority.

It is interesting that my problem manifested itself not only on the original drive, but also the new (virgin) drive - which suggests either that I have done something silly twice (quite possible), or that the PaceHD box is doing something odd. Is there anything I could send you to help with your diagnosis, in order to effect the changes you think might be necessary?


*************************************

Edit: the more posts that I read from others in this forum, the more convinced I am the the recent OS update is to blame. See, for example, this post made a few moments ago:

viewtopic.php?f=7&t=871

Thinking back, the recordings I have lost were probably all made after my box was updated. I can't remember the exact date of the update, but I remember seeing a message on screen to the effect that the Pace Box had been updated about 2 weeks ago. My OS version is now SYS26.23.05 and the EPG software version is 38.2.1.1

I hope this might help you find a fix for others having similar problems.
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