Getting The Most Out Of Your TiVo

Install Backup 'A' Drive And "Blessed" 'B' Drive Into Your TiVo

Remove the drives from your PC and, if you haven't already attached the mounting brackets, do so now. Be sure to keep track of which one is the 'A' drive. If, for some reason, you confuse the two, the 'A' drive is set to "Master" and the 'B' drive is set to "Slave." Place the drives in the TiVo, taking care not to bump the power supply as you do so. The 'A' drive goes in front of the power supply, and the 'B' drive goes toward the middle of the case. Secure the two screws in front of each drive to hold them in place. Attach the ribbon cable to the drives with the red edge closest to the power connector. Securely attach the power cable to both drives.

You may want to replace the ribbon cable, as with both drives in the TiVo, the factory-provided ribbon cable will fit very snugly. It is possible to make the factory cable work, as you can see in our pictures. To give yourself some breathing room, you might want to consider purchasing a longer cable. If you are going to replace the cable, many people suggest using one of the new fancy, rounded IDE cables for better airflow.

With the new drives in the TiVo, you can see that the original ribbon cable is a tight fit.

Replace the cover of the TiVo and fasten it with the three removed screws.