Upgrade Liteon lvw-5045 to 400G - Part II

[totoro168]

Part I: http://www.techolio.com/forums/phpBB2/v ... php?t=2284

Continue.. How to upgrade Liteon lvw-5045 to 400G Part II -- Step-by-Step instruction:

Here is step-by-step instruction for upgrading Liteon lvw-5045 hd. I am using a 12G with 9G Liteon format as an example to create the screen shoot since my 400G is already in the box and recording the 2006 World Cup Soccer. But, I will use my 400G's parameters as a reference for you. All you need to do is to find out the total sectors of your hard drive and replace the value. Technically, it doesn't limit what size of hd or what brand you are going to use.

As usual, please use this instruction on your own risk!!.. Don't blame on me for any loss of your data.. *^_^* Have fun!!

Software:
Partitioninfo from Partition Magic 8.0 or any version
WinHex 1.7 or any hex editor can access hard drive directly(I like to use it because it has template for MBR and PBR that I can just change the decimal number instead of convert to Hex. Trust me, it make it allot easier..)

Hardware:
400G Seagate hard drive or any size or brand of the hard drive you prefer
HD enclosure(prefer, but not require. It will just make it a little bit easier by using hot-swap without restart your computer ..)

1. Connect your hard drive to lvw-5045 and use 'Tools'=='Erase all' to create partition. It will create a 140G partition on your hard drive if it is over 160G. For this example, it will be 9G partition.
2. After that, connect it to your computer and run chkdsk /f J: on the DOS prompt(J: is where my 12G). Answer 'Y' to 'Convert folder to file' when prompt

3. Delete all folders and files on hd. This will empty the FAT and Root directory. Don't worry, lvw-5045 will generate those folders and files when boot up.
4. Execute Partitioninfo and add all sectors at the 'Total Sectors' column. Write it down. 12G is 23579135 and 400G is 781417602.

5. Execute WinHex and select 'Tools'=='Open Disk'. Then select the hd.

6. Select 'Access'=='Partition Table(template)'. If you don't have that, goto Sector 0(offset 0x1CA-0x1CD)

7. Change the Total Sectors to the number that you wrote down at step 4. 12G is 23579135 and 400G is 781417602. If you don't have the template, you just need to convert it into hex and edit byte-by-byte.

8. Select 'Access'=='Boot Sector(template)'. Sector 63(offset 0x7E00)

9. Change the Total Sectors to the number as step 7.. offset 0x7E20-0x7E23
10. Change the Sectors per FAT. Here is the formula:
Big(FAT32) Sectors Per FAT = (Total Sectors - 64 + 16385) /16385
12G is 1440 and 400G is 47692

11. Goto 1st FAT at sector 95(offsect 0xBE00) by select 'Position'--'Goto Sector' and enter '95'

12. Select from 0xBE0C to 0x3BFFFF by select 'Edit'--'Define Block' and enter BE0C as begin and 3BFFFF as end

13. Fill 00 from 0xBE0C to 0x3BFFFF by select 'Edit'--'Fill Block' , enter 00, and then click on 'OK' to format the first 62Mbs area

14. Goto 2nd FAT. The location of it is add the Sectors per FAT that you got at step 10 and location of Partition Boot Record(63) and Reserved Sectors(32)
12G is 1440 + 63 + 32 = Sector 1535 (1535 *512 =785920 = offset 0xBFE00)
400G is 47692 + 63 + 32 = Sector 47787 (47787 *512 = 24466944 = offset 0x1755600)

15. Update the first 12byte with F8 FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF 0F

16. Save the change to hd and exit WinHex
17. Run chkdsk J: on the DOS prompt. You should see a full capacity with 64k clusters empty partition

18. Connect the hd to lvw-5045 and boot it up. It will take about 2 minutes for it regenerate all folders and files. After boot up successfully, press 'Timer' and check the total hours. Try to record and playback. If everything looks fine, transfer Video folder from your 160G to your new hd and connect it back to lvw- 5045. Boot up and enjoy more record time...

You can view all screen-shoots at http://ttotoro.photosite.com/
That's all... Please let me know if it works for you or not.. Have fun...*^_^*

[Harpmaker]

Hi totoro168,

Welcome to the forum!

Thanks for the posts and instructions for creating a large hard drive for the HD04 and 5045 recorders that won't lose data when powered down unexpectedly! This will be great news for those using hard drives larger than what came in the machine!

[totoro168]

Hi Harpmaker,

I have corrupted the last espisode of my wife's most favorite TV series, CSI Las Vegas, couple weeks ago. It was a major nightmare.. That's why I have spend the time to trouble-shooting this issue. Hope others won't experience the same problem like I have been through..

Have fun...*^_^*..

[Harpmaker]

Hi Harpmaker,

I have corrupted the last espisode of my wife's most favorite TV series, CSI Las Vegas, couple weeks ago. It was a major nightmare.. That's why I have spend the time to trouble-shooting this issue. Hope others won't experience the same problem like I have been through..

Have fun...*^_^*..

Okay, that explains a lot! I can just imagine the heat you took for messing up her show!

Thanks again for sharing your findings with the rest of us!!! I think this has been a major breakthrough in the use of these recorders.

[torp]

This is very interesting!
Now could someone write a similar guide for doing this with a Mac using newfs_msdos? (OS X has no 140GB maximum for FAT32 volumes).

[totoro168]

Hi torp,

The BSD has [newfs_msdos] program can format FAT32 using 128 sectors per cluster(64k cluster). Also, I have found a DOS version of [mkdosfs] at http://www.freebyte.com/filediskutils/#diskmanagement that can also format FAT32 using 64k cluster.

Since I put my lvw-5045 together already before I found those programs, I haven't get a chance to test them. If anyone is interesting, please try it and let us know the result. If those program works, it will simplify the upgrade procedure quiet allot..

Have fun.. *^_^*..

[joseph1]

I have used modded FAT32FORMAT.EXE with kind permission of the author which will produce 64k clusters . I haven't the opportunity to test it for real in the 5045. The disk was 140 g

[totoro168]

Hi [joseph1],

At the web site that I mentioned in the previous reply has the 'FAT32FORMAT.EXE' program. For some reason, I have download it before but cannot remember why I don't use it. Anyway, you can try it on the original 140G hd. It will give you 'extra' 4G space. Not much, but it will verify the format program works or not..

Have Fun... *^_^*

[joseph1]

Hi

I have actually formatted the 140 g disk with modded FAT32FORMAT.EXE and Disk Inspector verifies it as having 64k cluster size. I just have not put it into the 5045

I was just reporting that this seems a simple way of achieiving 64k clusters

Cheers

[panosvo]

Hi , I have tried the guide from totoro168 with a 320 GB ata Seagate drive on a liteon 5045 with no luck.(Tried firmwares to , i had 191 put 197 and 205 same result)
Also i see that in the guide in step 4. it says "Execute Partitioninfo and add all sectors at the 'Total Sectors' column. Write it down. 12G is 23579135"

but if you do the math you will see that's
20.044.079+ 3.518.235=23.562.314 and not 23.579.135

I don't know what is wrong .
I my case i do everything that the guide says, but on the last step chkdsk e:
o get that the file system is RAW and cannot be checked.

Any help out there.......?

[CrazyCanuck]

A little late for the discussion but wanted to report that I have used the FAT32FORMAT.EXE program (see posts above for link) to format 4 hdd for my ilo hd04s. It works exactly like the h2format program. The command to size the clusters at 64k is:

c:\fat32format -c128 f: (replace "f" with your drive letter)

I tried the simple command of c:\fat32format f: and that gave me 32k clusters in the results and when tested in the ilo it crapped out my test recordings at the 1GB mark (15 min. at HQ, 30 min. at SP etc...) when I forced a HDD scan. Once I formatted with the full command it gave me 64k clusters and no problems at all with my second array of test recordings, they were all intact.

Just yesterday I had to unplug one of my ilos and nothing happened to my over-one-GB recordings. Thanks totoro168 and joseph1.