# 625 Hard Drive Crash Should I Stay or Should I Go?



## pryan49

Yesterday a power spike killed the drive on the 625 DVR. Alas, I've become addicted to its recording features. As I own the 625 my replacement options include buy a new one, ($130), lease it from Dish for like $65 (more or less if I sign up for maintenance plan) or bite the bullet and upgrade to a 722 HD. Lot's of advantages (HDMI to the AV Receiver and on to the plasma TV, better audio, etc) I have no 2 year commitment and would like to avoid one. So should I buy the 625, should I buy a 722 and pay for the upgrade install or just bite the bullet and take on a two year commitment. Even that involves $200 for the receiver and something else for install. The CSRs at Dish are always polite, sometimes clueless, and the range of options, it seems to me, are designed to confuse. I would appreciate insight and advice from your collective wisdom. Thanks


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## scooper

If I was in your shoes, and wanting to stay with Dish - I'd bite the bullet and go for the 2yr commitment to upgrade to a Dual tuner HD DVR.


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## Bnottt

"scooper" said:


> If I was in your shoes, and wanting to stay with Dish - I'd bite the bullet and go for the 2yr commitment to upgrade to a Dual tuner HD DVR.


I agree. You just can't beat the 722k right now. If you were addicted to the 625, the722k will put you over the top.


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## BillRadio

And don't forget a nice, protected power strip, 900 joules or higher.


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## P Smith

pryan49 said:


> Yesterday a power spike killed the drive on the 625 DVR. Alas, I've become addicted to its recording features. As I own the 625 my replacement options include buy a new one, ($130), lease it from Dish for like $65 (more or less if I sign up for maintenance plan) or bite the bullet and upgrade to a 722 HD. Lot's of advantages (HDMI to the AV Receiver and on to the plasma TV, better audio, etc) I have no 2 year commitment and would like to avoid one. So should I buy the 625, should I buy a 722 and pay for the upgrade install or just bite the bullet and take on a two year commitment. Even that involves $200 for the receiver and something else for install. The CSRs at Dish are always polite, sometimes clueless, and the range of options, it seems to me, are designed to confuse. I would appreciate insight and advice from your collective wisdom. Thanks


I see other option ( if other parts of the 625 are healthy) - buy new 250 GB drive and replace old one. Simple process for an owner.


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## pryan49

Thanks for your thoughts. Until I get back on the job I'm intrigued by P Smith's suggestion. Ordered an approved (from dishmod group @yahoo) 250 GB drive and gonna give it a whirl. Any advice on opening the case and replacing the drive? Seems straight forward.

I appreciate your responses.

Thanks

PR


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## P Smith

If you did that for PC, you can do it for the DVR.


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## pryan49

Thanks to P Smith for advice and encouragement on swapping out hard drive for 625. After I figured out I needed a SATA to IDE adapter it was a breeze. Still craving the 722 but I too was left out of the stimulus package.


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## P Smith

pryan49 said:


> Thanks to P Smith for advice and encouragement on swapping out hard drive for 625. After I figured out I needed a SATA to IDE adapter it was a breeze. Still craving the 722 but I too was left out of the stimulus package.


I see you did non-trivial fix. :grin:
Could you tell us what exactly HDD model you got and why is SATA-IDE adapter came in here ?


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## pryan49

The $40.00 Maxtor HDD is listed below. I could not find an ide at a reasonable price. For $12, I purchased a VinPower IDESA1.0 SATA to IDE Converter - OEM from New Egg, N82E16812381001. It fit nicely and less than 20 minutes later, my DVR functions back in business.

7Y250M0 Maxtor 250GB 490,234,752 7200 * DP625, SATA 

I would urge anybody to undertake this job, it was easy and straightforward. Thanks again


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## firstcube

Hi, can you post more details as to how you exactly formated the hard drive and replaced it. I have the same issue and would like to do the same.

Many Thanks.


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## pryan49

firstcube said:


> Hi, can you post more details as to how you exactly formated the hard drive and replaced it. I have the same issue and would like to do the same.
> 
> Many Thanks.


I removed the case cover, disconnected the dead drive, and replaced it with the new drive. The adapter fit snugly on the sata drive. Connect the ide ribbon and power cable. Closed the box back up reconnected all inputs and the 625 recognized the new drive. Received a message that the drive would be formatted. It was. Remarkably simple. Good Luck.


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## P Smith

So, you bought SATA drive instead of original IDE, that's why you did install SATA-IDE adapter. Right ?

Please post your old and new HDD models, would be good to see what adapter board you bough; pictures of the new setup would be good to post also.


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## jsk

If he had bought an IDE hard drive (such as this one), he wouldn't have needed the adapter and saved a little $$.


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## P Smith

jsk said:


> If he had bought an IDE hard drive (such as this one), he wouldn't have needed the adapter and saved a little $$.


Why you recommending non-approved drive ? :nono2:

The provider has a list of restricted models for any of his DVR.


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## pryan49

P Smith said:


> Why you recommending non-approved drive ? :nono2:
> 
> The provider has a list of restricted models for any of his DVR.


Didn't mean to raise a fuss. I looked through the list of approved drives over at Dishmod in Yahoo Groups http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/dishmod/database?method=reportRows&tbl=12 The max drive size was 250. After a quick search I found the approved Maxtor Drive for $40. The adapter was $12. The adapter extended the drive's length about 1/2 inch but fits nicely in the allotted space. I closed it all back and my DVR works just fine. BTW the Maxtor replaced a WD2500JB.


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## P Smith

pryan49 said:


> Didn't mean to raise a fuss. I looked through the list of approved drives over at Dishmod in Yahoo Groups http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/dishmod/database?method=reportRows&tbl=12 The max drive size was 250. After a quick search I found the approved Maxtor Drive for $40. The adapter was $12. The adapter extended the drive's length about 1/2 inch but fits nicely in the allotted space. I closed it all back and my DVR works just fine. BTW the Maxtor replaced a *WD2500JB*.


Interesting, I found at Amazon the drive but it is IDE. No adapter required.
Same time those listed models are hard to find - OEM - and require to have exactly model id as listed below:
WDC WD2500JD-57HBC0 
WDC WD2500JD-57HBB1 
WDC WD2500JD-55HBB1 
WDC WD2500JB-57GVC0 
WDC WD2500JB-57GVA1 
WDC WD2500JB-55GVA1

Which one you got ?


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## pryan49

P Smith said:


> Interesting, I found at Amazon the drive but it is IDE. No adapter required.
> Same time those listed models are hard to find - OEM - and require to have exactly model id as listed below:
> WDC WD2500JD-57HBC0
> WDC WD2500JD-57HBB1
> WDC WD2500JD-55HBB1
> WDC WD2500JB-57GVC0
> WDC WD2500JB-57GVA1
> WDC WD2500JB-55GVA1
> 
> Which one you got ?


WDC WD2500JB-57GVC0 is the dead drive. 
Lowest price I could find was $190 @ http://www.memory4less.com/m4l_itemdetail.aspx?partno=WD2500JB-57GVC0&itemid=1440601354&rid=fd_10 That's a lot less than $40 + 12 = $52.00! Hell, you can buy a new 625 for less than that.


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## interd0g

Over at dishmod , it seemed to me you had to prep a drive in a particular way, because the drive and the rx were paired during assembly.
You had to write certain bytes in certain locations on the new disk or it would not be recognized. 
To do it you needed a desktop PC, hd software and to get data of the old disk to reinsert on the new.
They make a life out of that procedure over there.
So I am gobsmacked to hear you can just pop one in and switch on.
I trashed a couple of 510s over disk problems.
What is this mystery?


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## P Smith

interd0g said:


> [strike]Over at dishmod , it seemed to me you had to prep a drive in a particular way, because the drive and the rx were paired during assembly.
> You had to write certain bytes in certain locations on the new disk or it would not be recognized.
> To do it you needed a desktop PC, hd software and to get data of the old disk to reinsert on the new.
> They make a life out of that procedure over there.
> So I am gobsmacked to hear you can just pop one in and switch on.
> I trashed a couple of 510s over disk problems.
> What is this mystery?[/strike]


The thread about 522/625 DVR. Why are mixing with TOTALLY DIFFERENT model - 510 ?


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## P Smith

pryan49 said:


> WDC WD2500JB-57GVC0 is the dead drive.
> Lowest price I could find was $190 @ http://www.memory4less.com/m4l_itemdetail.aspx?partno=WD2500JB-57GVC0&itemid=1440601354&rid=fd_10 That's a lot less than $40 + 12 = $52.00! Hell, you can buy a new 625 for less than that.


Seems to me that was outdated ad: "Last Updated:4/25/2008" or insanely overpriced.


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## interd0g

I beg your pardon. P.Smith. What I meant to say was, can you do a drive swap on the 510 like he did on a 722?. Ive got a 510 with a bad drive , looks new and came in a sealed bag, which might be Ok otherwise.
Does it work just on certain models?


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## P Smith

interd0g said:


> I beg your pardon. P.Smith. What I meant to say was, can you do a drive swap on the 510 like he did on a 722?. Ive got a 510 with a bad drive , looks new and came in a sealed bag, which might be Ok otherwise.
> Does it work just on certain models?


Again, I shall remind you - your second post here went OFFTOPIC.
:backtotop


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