# HR34 Hard Drive Replacement



## kevinturcotte (Dec 19, 2006)

When I get my HR34 I am going to replace the internal hard drive (Yes, I know, its not recommended, it voids the warranty, all that stuff). I want 2TBs inside. Are there any recommended drives?


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## Blurayfan (Nov 16, 2005)

kevinturcotte said:


> When I get my HR34 I am going to replace the internal hard drive (Yes, I know, its not recommended, it voids the warranty, all that stuff). I want 2TBs inside. Are there any recommended drives?


The HR34 can use any drive that is also a recommended drive for the HR2x line.
A good place to start looking is eSATA - DIRECTV recommended list.


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## kevinturcotte (Dec 19, 2006)

Another thing I forgot-is it as simple as replacing the drives in the HR2x line-Drop the fresh from the package, unformatted hard drive into the DVR, and the DVR just boots up and handles everything?


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## Herdfan (Mar 18, 2006)

Yes.


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## Jerry_K (Oct 22, 2006)

I used a Seagate Green Barracuda 5900 RPM and it works great. PM me for instructions on removing the plastic cover without breaking the tiny little seal on the bottom of the chassis.


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## kevinturcotte (Dec 19, 2006)

Install got pushed back to Saturday  I was wondering though, is there something I can use to stress/test the hard drive before I put in the the HR34, to make sure it's not going to die (Anytime soon anyway)? I don't imagine I want anything Windows based though, as I'm running 64 bit Windows 7 (Wasn't there something about Windows 7 doing SOMETHING to hard drives that make them unusable in DVRs)?


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## nsolot (Nov 25, 2009)

I always stress test (aka "burn in") my HDDs before putting them into service using WD Diagnostic utilities. I do a quick test, then extended test, and finally write 0's to the entire drive. I usually use an XP box to do this, but I don't know why Win 7 wouldn't work since the write 0's should leave the drive in a virgin state.

For some reason the WD diagnostic doesn't work on my Win 7 box (Intel motherboard).


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## Richierich (Jan 10, 2008)

kevinturcotte said:


> When I get my HR34 I am going to replace the internal hard drive (Yes, I know, its not recommended, it voids the warranty, all that stuff). I want 2TBs inside. Are there any recommended drives?


Kevin, you have Posted and Lurked for a long time here at DBSTALK so you know that there is a Search Function that will provide you with all the answers that you need to know about SATA Drives.

And you are asking us to help you Void Your Warranty.

Amazing.

Don't be Lazy, perform the Search Function and get all the Answers you will ever need to know.


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## jcrandall (Jun 18, 2004)

I recomend the WD20EURS, have used two with HR24 and been pretty reliable.

Does anyone yet know if the HR34 opens the same way the HR24 does (4 side clips and 2 bottom clips toward front bezel)? The casing looks the same but I haven't seen an HR34 personally.


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## P Smith (Jul 25, 2002)

nsolot said:


> I always stress test (aka "burn in") my HDDs before putting them into service using WD Diagnostic utilities. I do a quick test, then extended test, and finally write 0's to the entire drive. I usually use an XP box to do this, but I don't know why Win 7 wouldn't work since the write 0's should leave the drive in a virgin state.
> 
> For some reason the WD diagnostic doesn't work on my Win 7 box (Intel motherboard).


If you want stress a little the HDD (to imitate DVR functioning) - use free programs MHDD (boot from CD - no need to worry about OS) or Victoria (for Win OS); run linear and butterfly tests, scan all sectors, get SMART before and after each test ... You will get much more useful info to make decision about your drive health.


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## Bartman94 (Jan 18, 2012)

The absolute best drive to go with is the Western Digital WD20EURS as it's specifically designed for 24/7 DVR applications. The issue though is that due to the shortage in Thailand they are hard to find for anything less than about $240 - $250. Your next best choice is the Western Digital WD20EARX which is what I'm using now. Got it on Amazon for only $115. Also there's no need to void your leasing agreement by installing the drive internally. Mine is inside the Antec MX-1 enclosure and hooked up through the eSata connection. It's seamless and easy to install and does nothing to void your agreement yet it functions identically.


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## Herdfan (Mar 18, 2006)

Bartman94 said:


> Mine is inside the Antec MX-1 enclosure and hooked up through the eSata connection. It's seamless and easy to install and does nothing to void your agreement yet it functions identically.


Yes, it is, but after about a year or so the fan blades will be caked with dust and it will begin making a horrible sound. Yes it is easy and it is within the TOS, but it is not the "best" solution.


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## CCarncross (Jul 19, 2005)

Herdfan said:


> Yes, it is, but after about a year or so the fan blades will be caked with dust and it will begin making a horrible sound. Yes it is easy and it is within the TOS, but it is not the "best" solution.


You realize you need to clean the fans occasionally right? Its no different than any other device in your house with a spinning fan, like a PC. I clean my Antec MX-1's about every six months.


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## kevinturcotte (Dec 19, 2006)

The 2TB is INSIDE the HR34 right now lol I've just heard horror stories about using external drives on the HR2x DVRs. Hard drives just wiping for no reason and stuff.


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## Stuart Sweet (Jun 19, 2006)

Guys, I'm closing this one as it seems the original question has been answered. For the record we don't support voiding your customer agreement by replacing the internal drive.


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