# VIP211k hard drive shutdown/removal ok?



## sagetek

I have a hard drive installed on my VIP211k and working fine. I can do the normal DVR remove method to take out the hard drive, and it comes up fine each time by resetting the receiver back to no DVR functionality. Reinstalling is no problem either by plugging it back in and the receiver resets again and DVR is restored.

Question is, if someone accidently pulls out the hard drive power or usb cable (or even a power failure) without going through this procedure, what will happen then? Does/can it permanently damage anything? Loss of recorded movies would not be a problem, as long as it can be set up again.
Thanks


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## P Smith

Usually not a problem, but better use plastic tie-wrap to prevent accidental USB/power cable disconnection.


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## Jim5506

When the DVR facility was first turned on for the 211, there was no menu item to remove the DVR, so we all were flying blind as to how to disconnect the EHD if necessary.

At that time I learned the hard way that if I just unplugged the usb cable or turned the drive off without first unplugging the 211, it corrupted the data on the drive and it not only failed to work, it would not reformat. I had to put the drive back in a PC, delete the partition (wipe the drive clean) then the 211 would see it as a fresh drive and format it.

I have not seen any anecdotal tales lately about problems. Matter of fact we had a power failure a couple of weeks ago and the EHD's on all three of my 211's survived.


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## P Smith

Seems dish make it right in last versions of FW.


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## sagetek

Thanks.
Just wondering, when it would not reformat, would the receiver still work just not the DVR? This is in a part time rental, and the last thing I need is to have the satellite receiver go out when I'm not the one using it. Perhaps I should just remove the drive when not personally there to prevent any problems?


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## P Smith

Sure, it will work as normal receiver, not as DVR.


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## eurosteve

I just installed a Seagate Expansion 500g hard drive (ST305004EXA101-RK) to turn my 211K into a DVR. I read about problems with the energy saving, auto-shutoff feature, so I used Seagate Manager (connected to my PC) to set the shutoff time to never. Everything is working fine.

Now I'm wondering if I should have left the spin-down option alone (or set it to a couple of hours) and let the drive spin-down periodically because in the current setup the drive spins all the time. It's very quiet but I just wonder if the drive will prematurely wear out due to constantly spinning.

So I'm wondering what would happen if I re-enable the auto-shutoff. Will the 211K allow the drive to shut off at an interval I select? If I enable the auto-shutoff, does this cause problems with the data on the drive or is there just a delay while the drive spins up?

Thanks for any insights on this issue...


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## P Smith

_"I just wonder if the drive will prematurely wear out due to constantly spinning"_, you forget about premature failure due regularly spin of/off of the platter motor. This days it's more often reason for HDD failures.


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## eurosteve

So, you're making the argument that the spinning up and down of the drive might cause more wear or lead to premature failure than if I let the drive run continuously. 

Is that pretty much the normal situation with these external drives, that they rum continuously? Are they designed to run continuously?

Thanks


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## eurosteve

Sorry if this is an obvious question - but do most of these external drives run continuously without any power-down cycle after a period of inactivity?


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## P Smith

Correct.


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## brucegrr

So how does this work exactly?

If I add an external hard drive to the VIP211k does it turn it into a DVR?

I assume the 40.00 charge for doing this provides some sort of software for the vip211k to do this?

Can external drives be moved between receivers?

Thanks for the info.

Bruce


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## eurosteve

brucegrr said:


> So how does this work exactly?
> 
> If I add an external hard drive to the VIP211k does it turn it into a DVR?
> 
> I assume the 40.00 charge for doing this provides some sort of software for the vip211k to do this?
> 
> Can external drives be moved between receivers?
> 
> Thanks for the info.
> 
> Bruce


If you add an A/C powered USB external drive to the VIP211K it turns it into a DVR. As far as I can tell the $40 fee is for DISH to enable the USB port on the VIP211K. You can move the drive between VIP211K's but NOT to a DVR model like the 622 or 722. There is a separate $40 fee to enable external hard drives (EHD) for the DVR models. And if you enable the drive for the DVR model, you can only swap it among your DVRs. You can't go back and forth between the 211 model and the DVR models. This is because the EHD serves only as external storage on the DVR models whereas it changes the 211K into a DVR.

Steve


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## brucegrr

eurosteve said:


> If you add an A/C powered USB external drive to the VIP211K it turns it into a DVR. As far as I can tell the $40 fee is for DISH to enable the USB port on the VIP211K. You can move the drive between VIP211K's but NOT to a DVR model like the 622 or 722. There is a separate $40 fee to enable external hard drives (EHD) for the DVR models. And if you enable the drive for the DVR model, you can only swap it among your DVRs. You can't go back and forth between the 211 model and the DVR models. This is because the EHD serves only as external storage on the DVR models whereas it changes the 211K into a DVR.
> 
> Steve


Thanks Steve.


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## kcobra

brucegrr said:


> So how does this work exactly?
> 
> If I add an external hard drive to the VIP211k does it turn it into a DVR?
> 
> I assume the 40.00 charge for doing this provides some sort of software for the vip211k to do this?
> 
> Can external drives be moved between receivers?
> 
> Thanks for the info.
> 
> Bruce


I just activated the DVR functionality on my 211k last night. Plugged the powered USB hard drive into the receiver and a message came up saying call such and such 800 number to activate the DVR functionality. The number is an automated system that will activate the DVR functionality. Very painless. All you need is your account number or home telephone number.

I used a SATA docking station with an extra hard drive I had. Looks kind of ghetto but it was cheap and works.


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## finniganps

I just bought a 211 and HDD. So is it fair to assume that everyone just leaves their HDD on at all times? I turned the power off, but then when I turned it back on it had to reload the guide data. Just seems odd to always have the HDD on.


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## P Smith

For 211, the HDD has the same purpose as a drive in your PC; it's not EHD for archiving, but *DVR SYSTEM* drive.

[I post the sentence 100s times and ppl still asking ...]


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## finniganps

P Smith said:


> For 211, the HDD has the same purpose as a drive in your PC; it's not EHD for archiving, but *DVR SYSTEM* drive.


That's the thing - I turn my PC off on a regular basis, I don't leave it on 24/7. I turn my 211 off when not in use, but have left the HDD on. That's why I asked if people turn their drives off and then deal with the message every time you turn it back on....or if I was missing something?


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## P Smith

Keep reading - all DTV and dish receivers should run 24/7/365.


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