Disk Problems / Can I Back Up to Network Storage?

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Gerard Rogers

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Hallo - Not sure which thread to post this on. I have been getting the skip/pixilated when on recordings over last few weeks, which is getting worse and worse. Also blank screen/signal scrambled etc message when playing recordings or playing back live TV now happening every 5 mins or so...arghh (but not when watching the programme live). Contacted Humax and they said reformatting HD would cure the problem. So, although feeling this was a Humax problem not mine, looked around and then bought My Book Live thinking this would solve general back-up for Mac and also for copying content of the Humax in readiness for the reformat. Discovered it only has ethernet socket. Have tried connecting it direct to the Humax and configuring internet settings LAN - but while it says it is connected to the network, when looking for the network storage when trying to copy and move the recordings it doesn't list it. Am I barking up the wrong tree? Can you only use external storage connected by USB on the Humax? Use WiFi Dongle to connect to broadband and router - could I back up through this if I connected My Book Live to the router (did try this, but again it did not find the storage). Confused and not sure what to do (except take it back and get USB storage). Can anyoe help?
 
This is different from anything that has gone before, so I suggest we move it to a topic of its own.

The HDR-FOX has no means to access network storage except as a media server, or by installing the custom software and using network storage as a virtual USB drive. if your drive is that flakey however, it might be problematic to load custom software onto it. You could use your Mac as an intermediary, and copy recordings from the Humax to the network drive using FTP, but note they will remain encrypted and useless for anything other than restoring to the original HDR-FOX (not a replacement).

By installing just the custom firmware (not requiring a working drive) you get access to disk recovery tools which may solve your problem without going as far as a complete reformat, using maintenance mode via a Telnet session. For a quick preview see THIS TOPIC (click), information about Telnet and installation is on the Wiki, and a beginners step-by-step guide to installation in my Custom Firmware write-up (links below).

Please read up about general issues in Things Every..., and acquaint yourself with the possibilities of custom firmware, via the relevant links in my signature panel below. There are many topics about fix-disk - go to the top of the forum (click the tab) and put "fix-disk" in the search box.
 
This is different from anything that has gone before, so I suggest we move it to a topic of its own.

The HDR-FOX has no means to access network storage except as a media server, or by installing the custom software and using network storage as a virtual USB drive. if your drive is that flakey however, it might be problematic to load custom software onto it. You could use your Mac as an intermediary, and copy recordings from the Humax to the network drive using FTP, but note they will remain encrypted and useless for anything other than restoring to the original HDR-FOX (not a replacement).

By installing just the custom firmware you get access to disk recovery tools which may solve your problem without going as far as a complete reformat.

Please read up about general issues in Things Every..., and acquaint yourself with the possibilities of custom firmware, via the relevant links in my signature panel below.

Thanks for your reply. Still a bit confused as to what to do...Reluctant to instal custom firmware as Humax is only just under a year old and don't want to risk invalidating warranty in case these problems are thin end of wedge and machine has to go back. Really frustrating as Christmas not far away!
 
Sorry - not sure if there is the new thread yet...If I use the Mac option suggested, does this require direct connection to network from Humax via ethernet (rather than just Humax WiFi dongle)? Thanks
 
Sorry - not sure if there is the new thread yet...If I use the Mac option suggested, does this require direct connection to network from Humax via ethernet (rather than just Humax WiFi dongle)? Thanks

No, WiFi will be OK. Presuming the Humax and the Mac are both on the same home network, you should be able to fire up an FTP client on the Mac (google it if you don't know what to do) and put in the IP address of the Humax (the Internet Settings menu page will tell you what it is), then the media files stored on the Humax will be visible and copyable to the Mac. Depending how much free space you have on the Mac, you will then be able to transfer them in batches to the MyBook Live also using FTP (or just a file manager - come to think of it the Mac file manager might have FTP capability).

Even with no interest in custom firmware, do read Things Every... However, there is little risk in using the custom firmware to try to sort out the disk problem - if you are able to install the CF you can also install the standard firmware to get rid of it again.
 
No, WiFi will be OK. Presuming the Humax and the Mac are both on the same home network, you should be able to fire up an FTP client on the Mac (google it if you don't know what to do) and put in the IP address of the Humax (the Internet Settings menu page will tell you what it is), then the media files stored on the Humax will be visible and copyable to the Mac. Depending how much free space you have on the Mac, you will then be able to transfer them in batches to the MyBook Live also using FTP (or just a file manager - come to think of it the Mac file manager might have FTP capability).

Even with no interest in custom firmware, do read Things Every... However, there is little risk in using the custom firmware to try to sort out the disk problem - if you are able to install the CF you can also install the standard firmware to get rid of it again.

Thanks again for further help. Did not manage to connect via ftp and ethernet, but connected via WiFi. HOWEVER when connected as FTP just see folder and a / - folder empty when I click on it.
 
I forgot to mention that the Humax FTP server needs to be turned on in Menu >> Settings >> System >> Internet Setting >> FTP Server.

The file names will not appear the same as in the media browser, they are constructed from the programme name and date, and there are three or four files that make up each recording: .ts, .hmt, .nts, and (possibly) .thm. You need to get them all.
 
Oh dear. I have nothing to suggest now (beyond CF), other than to get yourself a USB drive, format it to Ext3 (see Things Every section 12), and copy your stuff off that way.

On the other hand, it's only telly!
 
Gave up yesterday - did I really spend all Sunday on this?! Downloaded Filezilla this morning - now can see the files! Now working out how to transfer them, and maybe even watching them on the Mac. Thanks again for help - have learned a lot about the Humax. Now only have to resolve the skipping/pixilating and blank screen of course!
 
You will not be able to watch them on the Mac unless you decrypt them first. Unfortunately that requires either custom software or (for StDef only) copy to USB... or THIS (click).
 
During today decided had had enough of all this fiddling around and bought a USB external storage...only now am reading 2Tbs don't easily like to work on the T2. So its back to the shop tomorrow to get a 1Tb version instead! Ah well.
 
The Humax will only format a HDD up to 1GB, but a 2GB will work if formatted separately. The only other problem with bigger USB HDDs is if they don't have a mains driven power supply, the Humax may not be able to supply enough power to it. This could also be true of a 1GB HDD, so one with a separate power supply is safer
 
During today decided had had enough of all this fiddling around and bought a USB external storage...only now am reading 2Tbs don't easily like to work on the T2. So its back to the shop tomorrow to get a 1Tb version instead! Ah well.

See Things Every... section 12. Do not confuse comments about installing a 2TB drive into the HDR-FOX with use of a 2TB USB drive.
 
On balance think I should probably take the 2Tb external HD (WD Elements) back to shop and get 1Tb instead, having read all the reformatting threads. Don't want to scupper the 2Tb one unsuccessfully partitioning/formatting to ext3 (and would have to see whether I could do this on Linux via a Mac anyway).
 
The reformatting topics you mention are specifically for the internal drive.

As far as an external USB drive is concerned, it is very easy to plug into a PC and simply format it to Ext3 - I mention Linux tools because (on a PC at least) it is straightforward to boot from a Live Linux CD/DVD. Alternatively there are PC ports of GPartEd, and probably versions for Mac as well (perhaps the native Mac disk utilities can format Ext2 or Ext3 already?).

The problem I have with you swapping to 1TB is there is a risk the Humax will dislike formatting the new drive as well - I am not sure exactly where the boundaries are and exactly why the formatter fails. Again if you were prepared to load the CF you could use the NTFS format that is native to the drive.

Alternatively, as you have managed to get FTP working, why not just plug the 2TB into your Mac and use FTP to copy from Humax to the drive?
 
...you could use the NTFS format that is native to the drive.
I don't know what you are on about. Drives don't have "native" filesystems. NTFS is not native to anything any more than EXT3 is... which is not at all.
 
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