Thread: USB HDD Installtion Issues

The OP said twice that he's NOT using an NTFS drive. He's formatted it in a lixux format.

I'm wondering if the problem might have something to do with the external hard drive starting up. I think this is related to the powering off vs hard reboot thing mentioned above, but might be brand specific.
Ie I have several hard drives, but one of them will shut down even with a soft boot. Seems like it shuts down whenever the communication with the host is interrupted. I got that hard disk to work with the Azbox, but I'm wondering if you have problems getting a HD recognized, you might try plugging in the USB cable hot, after everything is booted up, or perhaps there is some hard disk setting that could keep the thing running when it's communication is interrupted.
I tried using the linux format once, but found it very inconvenient. Using FAT32, I can move the HD between 3 different receivers, and then use it in my computers without any translation involved. With the linux format, you're pretty much dedicating that HD to the AZbox.

I don't know if there is a maximum size HD allowed or not, but since there have been several people with issues with the 1000 GB drives, I've stayed with 500 GB and below. Since the receiver can't record any high bitrate content, you really don't need tons of capacity. If they ever fix the bitrate cap, then yeah, maybe a bigger hard drive might be important, but even then I think I'd just transfer recordings over to a computer. I think that I'd put the 1000 GB in NTFS on a computer, and use a 500GB FAT32 on the Azbox, and transfer recordings over to the computer for storage, since you can play them from the network anyway.

For those that have had success using a 1 TB WD USB drive, could you let me know the model that your using?

I recently purchased a WD 1 TB MAC Mybook (on sale for 79.99, free shipping). Plugged it in and formatted it with the azbox. Works great.

Originally Posted by B.J.

The OP said twice that he's NOT using an NTFS drive. He's formatted it in a lixux format.

I'm wondering if the problem might have something to do with the external hard drive starting up. I think this is related to the powering off vs hard reboot thing mentioned above, but might be brand specific.
Ie I have several hard drives, but one of them will shut down even with a soft boot. Seems like it shuts down whenever the communication with the host is interrupted. I got that hard disk to work with the Azbox, but I'm wondering if you have problems getting a HD recognized, you might try plugging in the USB cable hot, after everything is booted up, or perhaps there is some hard disk setting that could keep the thing running when it's communication is interrupted.
I tried using the linux format once, but found it very inconvenient. Using FAT32, I can move the HD between 3 different receivers, and then use it in my computers without any translation involved. With the linux format, you're pretty much dedicating that HD to the AZbox.

I don't know if there is a maximum size HD allowed or not, but since there have been several people with issues with the 1000 GB drives, I've stayed with 500 GB and below. Since the receiver can't record any high bitrate content, you really don't need tons of capacity. If they ever fix the bitrate cap, then yeah, maybe a bigger hard drive might be important, but even then I think I'd just transfer recordings over to a computer. I think that I'd put the 1000 GB in NTFS on a computer, and use a 500GB FAT32 on the Azbox, and transfer recordings over to the computer for storage, since you can play them from the network anyway.

@ the Red Highlighted: I had thought of those scenerios when trouble shooting the issue, and I rebooted, nothing! I shut off the power from the main back placed switch on the Box, Nothing!!

@ the Blue Highlighted: With USB device cable already connected to the AZBOX after everything was booted up, I did plug in the power to the USB device, Nothing!! I plugged in the USB cable into AZBox with power-on on the USB device after everything was booted up, and again Nothing!

My next move now is to find some tool to wipe the drive clean using my computer, and see if I can salvage the situation. I will try using Swissknife tool to reformat the drive. If anyone knows a better tool that can do over 500GB, please let me know.

Originally Posted by ebo

For those that have had success using a 1 TB WD USB drive, could you let me know the model that your using?

I recently purchased a WD 1 TB MAC Mybook (on sale for 79.99, free shipping). Plugged it in and formatted it with the azbox. Works great.

Thanks for the update and where did you it from?

Here's that link about HHD speeds and AZbox,

http://www.satelliteguys.us/azbox-di...ml#post2093185 (Problems installing internal hard disk)

Originally Posted by Babadem

Thanks for the update and where did you it from?

Stumbled upon it on Bestbuy website... probably not on sale anymore.
Although it's pre-formatted for a MAC, since it is USB, it can be formatted for any
operating system.

Ebo

Originally Posted by B.J.

I tried using the linux format once, but found it very inconvenient. Using FAT32, I can move the HD between 3 different receivers, and then use it in my computers without any translation involved. With the linux format, you're pretty much dedicating that HD to the AZbox...

...I don't know if there is a maximum size HD allowed or not, but since there have been several people with issues with the 1000 GB drives, I've stayed with 500 GB and below...

...I think that I'd put the 1000 GB in NTFS on a computer, and use a 500GB FAT32 on the Azbox, and transfer recordings over to the computer for storage, since you can play them from the network anyway.

B.J.

I definitely agree with you on these items and I also recommend using just a 500GB (or less) HDD. I have a 1 TB Samsung internal HDD installed in my AZBox Premium, but I installed it only to test. Others asked about this size of HDD, so I installed one just for the sake of testing it.

I have read from OpenSat sources that 1 TB is the limit for the AZBox. But, if you stay with 500 GB or less, then the HDD will have only one Si Wafer disc. I wonder if there may be possible drawbacks when using a HDD with multiple Si wafer discs.

Therefore, I recommend staying at or below the 500 GB size. Here you are assured to be safe and as you stated, you can use another device connected to your PC for better means of storage anyhow. Transfer the files as you need to and just keep it simple (and less expensive as well).

RADAR

Originally Posted by B.J.

The OP said twice that he's NOT using an NTFS drive. He's formatted it in a lixux format.


I tried using the linux format once, but found it very inconvenient. Using FAT32, I can move the HD between 3 different receivers, and then use it in my computers without any translation involved. With the linux format, you're pretty much dedicating that HD to the AZbox.

I don't know if there is a maximum size HD allowed or not, but since there have been several people with issues with the 1000 GB drives, I've stayed with 500 GB and below. Since the receiver can't record any high bitrate content, you really don't need tons of capacity. If they ever fix the bitrate cap, then yeah, maybe a bigger hard drive might be important, but even then I think I'd just transfer recordings over to a computer. I think that I'd put the 1000 GB in NTFS on a computer, and use a 500GB FAT32 on the Azbox, and transfer recordings over to the computer for storage, since you can play them from the network anyway.

I did a test with a 2GB thumb drive and was able to record, but I noticed that when I recorded some HD content on PBS @ 125.0°W, I noticed that, I couldn't fast forward, or rewind it when the file was playing. On the other hand, the SD program files were able to play, FF & RW, and “time shift” live TV when not in record mode without problems. Are you saying that you can record files from the AZBox using a FAT32 formatted HDD? It wouldn't record on my test 2GB thumb drive formatted in FAT32. What is the make and model of the 500GB that you're using?

Originally Posted by AcWxRadar

B.J.

I definitely agree with you on these items and I also recommend using just a 500GB (or less) HDD. I have a 1 TB Samsung internal HDD installed in my AZBox Premium, but I installed it only to test. Others asked about this size of HDD, so I installed one just for the sake of testing it.

I have read from OpenSat sources that 1 TB is the limit for the AZBox. But, if you stay with 500 GB or less, then the HDD will have only one Si Wafer disc. I wonder if there may be possible drawbacks when using a HDD with multiple Si wafer discs.

Therefore, I recommend staying at or below the 500 GB size. Here you are assured to be safe and as you stated, you can use another device connected to your PC for better means of storage anyhow. Transfer the files as you need to and just keep it simple (and less expensive as well).
RADAR

RADAR, for your HDDs on your AZBox are they formatted using FAT32 or you used AZBox (LINUX) to format?

Originally Posted by Babadem

I did a test with a 2GB thumb drive and was able to record, .....
......
....... Are you saying that you can record files from the AZBox using a FAT32 formatted HDD? It wouldn't work on my test 2GB thumb drive. What is the make and model of the 500GB that you're using?
.....

I'm confused by the question. You first say that you were able to record on a thumb drive, then you say that it wouldn't work on the thumb drive? Or are you saying that it didn't work when the thumb drive was formatted in FAT32, but did work if you let the Azbox format it?
I've recorded to both thumb drives AND hard disks formatted as FAT32, although I'm not sure if I've done it since I upgraded the firmware. I most recently had an 80G Maxtor attached, but I've tried a few different disks. I didn't have a disk in there right now, so I just plugged in a thumb drive, and started it recording. I wasn't watching, so I'm not sure how long after starting up the recording, but shortly after starting it up, I looked up, and the screen was black????? The Azbox was unresponsive, so I had to reboot. Tried this 3 times, and same thing, usually it would hang up the Azbox after recording about 5 minutes. Then I tried it again, but stopped the recording after about a minute. That time the recording was OK. So I pulled the thumb drive (which BTW was one that I dropped in the snow, and it was picked up and spit out 20' by my snowblower... works fine in my computer except it seems to have to be plugged in just right, so maybe the thumb drive is problematic).
At this point, I went and got the 80GB Maxtor (which BTW is in a Lacie enclosure), plugged that in, and the Azbox recorded fine. Both the thumbdrive and HD were FAT32 formatted.
I'm still a bit confused about the thumb drive problems, because I've recorded to that thumb drive before, however that was with older firmware (3877 I think), so I'm not sure if it's the firmware or the thumbdrive at fault.

Possibly off topic or possibly related, I've had to reboot this darn Azbox about 6 or 7 times today. Seems like this new firmware isn't as stable as the previous 3877 that I had been using.