Ive got a HITACHI HDR163 .. how do you format the Drive, it seems to not be seing a naked drive, i think the old one was EX3 format

Also could i got a 250Gb HDD and make it up to a HDR253

The format option is on the Recordings page in the Setup menu. Are you saying that you've put a replacement 160Gb drive in there, or that the one that came with the HDR163 has stopped working?

A 250Gb HDD should work fine - for best and most reliable results, pick a drive with similar power characteristics to the original 160Gb drive fitted, which is probably a Western Digital drive.

Well it is a HRD163 but im trying a 250Gb hard drive as the price differents

the unit seems ok.. i brought it faulty and hoped would be just a easy hdd change over..
The HDD is Hitachi, the old IBM HDD werent that good, i should know ibrought one ages ago. when all the web sites said they where bril and then changed there minds..

last time i formated this hdd it was in windows ex, deleted the files and formated it, but there is a partions.
im unsure of this partions sizes.. the one i worked on ws 160gb and i cant even remeber the size of it