Help - all recorded programmes gone!

sugar puff · 27/12/12 - 17:21

I have a PVR9300T and recently it failed to record a few times. I realised the hard drive was getting a bit full and tried to delete some programmes and then I did a default setting, After which ALL my recorded programmes have disappeared! I know doing a default setting wipes out any reservations, but is not meant to delete recorded programmes. So, why have they disappeared?

The strange thing is they do not seem to have actually been deleted, because the HDD still shows only 14.7% free space. If they had been deleted, then it would have freed up much more disc space.

The other weird thing is when I record a new programme, it is coming out fine, and is listed as the correct programme, but when i press the programme information, it shows info from a different programme, one of my old programmes which have gone.

So, it seems as if my old recordings are still on the hard drive somewhere but are completely inaccessible to me.

Is there a way I can get them back?

If they have really gone, why is the HDD still showing 14.7% free space?

I know I could re-format but then the programmes really will be gone, before I do that next drastic step can I retrieve my old recordings, which I had not deleted?

Any help much appreciated. Thanks

Luis Essex · 27/12/12 - 17:35

You will need to remove the hard disk from the 9300T and connect it to a PC and use a 3rd party piece of software called humaxrw.
It can be a bit of a learning curve to do for the first time
Hopefully someone will come along and post some useful links for you to follow for how to use humaxrw.

Here is one but someone may know a more succinct thread
http://cfwb.org/forum/topic/help-running-humaxrw-on-9300t-please

Apologies for this too brief reply.

Edit: Here is a short one for the similar 9200T. Perhaps a bit too short! http://forums.digitalspy.co.uk/showthread.php?t=1447873

sugar puff · 27/12/12 - 18:47

Thanks for your reply, but it sounds too complicated for me to attempt myself.

Is this the sort of thing you can take to a repair shop and get done by someone more competent than myself?

Max Demian · 27/12/12 - 20:23

sugar puff wrote: »

Thanks for your reply, but it sounds too complicated for me to attempt myself.

Is this the sort of thing you can take to a repair shop and get done by someone more competent than myself?

I wouldn't have thought a repair shop would be any good unless the bloke there happens to be a Humax enthusiast; it isn't a standard IT procedure.

I think you'll just have to reformat the HDD (on the Humax - it's a standard command) and start again.

You really can't rely on a PVR to store programmes for the long term as there isn't an easy way to back up everything. It's mainly useful as a timeshifting device.

Martin Liddle · 27/12/12 - 20:25

sugar puff wrote: »

Is this the sort of thing you can take to a repair shop and get done by someone more competent than myself?

I suspect you could but you need to think carefully before spending money. One problem is that as far as I know the bug in humaxrw that affects the 9300 and 9150 (but not the 9200) will prevent the files being replaced on the disk of the Humax; they can be downloaded to a PC and watched from there. However you need to ask yourself whether it would be easier and cheaper to obtain the missing content from sources on the Internet or by buying boxed DVD sets.

sugar puff · 27/12/12 - 20:48

I realise it isn't meant to be a storage device, but part of the time shift thing is that you can watch recorded programmes when you want to. Unfortunately the type of things I watch are not series that are available on dvd, otherwise I would get those.

It feels really weird to have lost everything, like I've been robbed..... I know, its only tv. I will get over it!

I suppose I wanted to know that there wasn't an easy way to retrieve the recordings before I re-format - something I am resisting doing for a bit longer, until I have convinced myself that it isn't worth the hassle of the humaxrw thingy, which I don't understand, and which might not work anyway! I don't just want the programmes stored on computer, I want them put back on my re-formatted humax. And its very frustrating knowing they are in there... where did the list go?

Luis Essex · 27/12/12 - 21:02

sounds too complicated

It will not suit many. Even taking it one step at a time would be time consuming for a beginner. And although most of the 'lost' recordings can be pulled off the 9300T and easily played on a PC like Martin stated it is not 100% certain that humaxrw will enable them to back on to the 9300T OK. A year ago there was found to be issues so if that was fixed there would be a recent version of humaxrw

I doubt if a payed service would be cheap or quick. A PC repair shop should have the skills to recover most of the recordings so that you can play them on a PC but they would probably have to also spend time learning how to use humaxrw and will charge for that time.

What this means is that you would potentially be missing recording programmes while the 9300T was away to be recovered and you would be spending money on what could go towards a more modern replacement that can populate the epg without issue (or towards DVDs!).

sugar puff · 07/01/13 - 20:40

Thank you all for your comments. When you don't understand the instructions, you know you are out of your depth! I took the plunge and did a re-format and the box is working fine again now.

Hey there!

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