DVR HDD question

[mwwwilson]

I actually have 2 questions. The first question is actually for my dad that likes to fix everything possible. This is all I know as of now...

He has a receiver, that he owns, for his DISH Network. This receiver (VIP 612) has DVR functions and the HDD went bad in it. I don't know of the maker of this receiver, he says that all it shows on it is the VIP 612. So he bought another receiver but he wants to know what kind of HDD he has to purchase to fix this VIP 612 receiver? He had asked me if it took a regular HDD. I told him yes but it is formatted different than a PC HDD. I think I'm correct there but I'm not positive. So can he purchase another HDD for this receiver? What kind will he have to look for?

OK, 2nd question is from me. Can you take a HDD out of a DVR receiver and format it for use in your PC? I tried this about a year ago and gave up. If you can format them for PC use... how do you do it? I can't remember why mine wouldn't format... it's been a while ago. Anyways, it's a Seagate 80GB and it looks identical to the HDD that I had go bad years ago... also a Seagate 80GB.

Anybody wish to help me out with these questions?

Thanks,
Mark

 

[-RockMan-]

Take the hard drive out from the dvr and hook it up to your desktop.
Use defraggler to find out some information about the hard drive.
Click the health tab and it should be able to tell you what brand it is what format it has and disk health.
Use that same format it has for the newer hard drive when it comes.
http://download.piriform.com/dfsetup214.exe

You can try a seagate if you want to, but make sure the model your getting is reliable and will work with the receiver itself.
You may not like this idea, but call dish network technical support and see what they recommend first hand.
Lastly check the connectors on the hard drive itself and cables on the hard drive.
You never know when a cable might go bad and it may not be the hard drives fault.

Had that happen once and awhile. :/