Advance Format HDD

Wallace

Traveler 34122
I have just fitted a new 1TB HDD into my new HDR. The drive came with a warning that it was an 'Advance Format' drive and recommended that I visited the WD website to download a program to format it or some such thing. I assumed that this was something to do with Microsoft Windows and didn't do anything about it.

In the end I just installed it in the HDR and formatted it via the Humax menu.

Should I have done it differently? Indeed, is it worth taking it back out and running the Advance formatting utility at all?

I ask because some of my recordings fail. The file's thumbnail has a lightening flash through it and when I select play, I get a warning that the recording is incomplete due to power failure. I know for a fact that no power failure occurred. The file does play without a hitch but is, as the message says, shorter than it should be.

It happens randomly and on different channels, BBC One, Two, Channel 4 etc...

Could it be related to this HDD?

I do not have auto decrypt enabled either.

Any advice would be appreciated.

BTW I am aware that I have invalidated the warranty, but managed to remove the cover without damaging the tamper seal.



Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD
 
Oh yes. WD AV-GP.

WD10EURX.

EDIT:
Since posting this, I have changed the HDD to a WD10EVDS, in an effort to rule out the WD10EURX causing the problem.
 
I don't think your problem would be helped by using the WD Advance formatting utility because the re-formatting done in the Humax would over write it. The lightening flash usually means that some of the file is missing, i.e. the Accurate recording 'start' or 'stop' flags are not in place, this can be due to an on screen message displaying a 'choose 2 of 3 current recordings' where the user has to O.K. which 2 of 3 programmes will be recorded and can result in just a few seconds being cut from the start or end of a recording. In your case where a big chunk of the programme is missing from the end I would look into, power failure (already ruled out), loss of TV signal etc.
 
Thanks Ezra.
I know that there has been problems reported over on the Topfield site with 'short recordings 'as I have previously mentioned. Plus it started when the 'auto-decrypt' problem reared its head. Could it be a coincidence? Perhaps.

Just to discount the new HDD, I have fitted the one I have taken out of my retired Toppy. It is an identical model as to the one fitted in my existing HDR. Namely a WD 10EVDS. I have installed it in my second HDR, formatted it and am currently transferring the programs that I saved to it. Just a couple of hours to go.

If I have 2 HDR's set up identically with the same HDD (type and manufacturer), both with the same FW plus CF etc, then I feel I have a direct comparison if things continue to go tits up!
 
Thanks, I did find something similar to that in the Wiki. TBH it was a little complicated for me.

Currently I am transferring recordings back to a different HDD (non Advance Format) installed in my HDR with the help of my HDD caddy and Ext2fsd.

I am just going to see how things go.

When I can think a bit clearer I will experiment with the alignment etc. For now I don't need to.

Thanks very much for the link. I have bookmarked it.
 
I see that af123 does mention Wallace's drive (well the 2TB version WD20EURS) in his blog, he says it will do head parking every 8 seconds, but I think if this was causing the Humax problems it would be a lot more noticeable
EDIT
Looks like parted -a minimal /dev/sda could be used
 
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