Posted by Gene E. Bloch on 11/14/05 21:42

On 11/11/2005, eroy managed to type:
> "eroy" <luliyt005@exmail.com> wrote in message
> news:VWZcf.291062$Vm6.213421@fe06.news.easynews.com...
>>
>> "Robert Nichols" <SEE_SIGNATURE@localhost.localdomain.invalid> wrote in
>> message news:dkfss9$u0d$1@omega-3a.right.here...
>>> In article <NWuaf.92434$Vm6.21607@fe06.news.easynews.com>,
>>> eroy <luliyt005@exmail.com> wrote:
>>> :
>>> :"Robert Nichols" <SEE_SIGNATURE@localhost.localdomain.invalid> wrote in
>>> :message news:djqosq$nsf$1@omega-3a.right.here...
>>> :> In article <GBS7f.18956$aX.15549@fe09.news.easynews.com>,
>>> :> eroy <luliyt005@exmail.com> wrote:
>>> :> :My Panasonic DMR-E100H set-top recorder is going through the endless
>>> :> error
>>> >> >loop whenever I power on [SELF-CHECK > Error has occured > press
>>> enter >
>>> >> >change the disc > ejects > BYE...]. Doing a google search i found
>>> this
>>> :> was a
>>> >> >common problem with some of these Panasonic units, and is likely
>>> caused
>>> :> by
>>> >> >excessive editing and maxing out the space. I'm wondering if there's
>>> any
>>> :> way
>>> >> >to retrieve/salvage what's on the 180 maxtor HD, is there a way to
>>> boot
>>> :> into
>>> :> :a service mode where i can reset or maybe format?
>>> :>
>>> >> There's no way that I know of to recover what's currently on the
>>> drive,
>>> >> but there is a way to coax the E100 into reformatting the drive.
>>> You'll
>>> >> need another disk drive, but only temporarily. Install the
>>> replacement
>>> :> drive and power up the E100. It will tell you that the drive needs to
>>> :> be formatted. DON'T DO IT. Just turn the unit off and re-install the
>>> :> original drive. When you power up the E100 again it will see that the
>>> :> drive has been changed and tell you it needs to be formatted.
>>> :>
>>> :
>>> >Bob, I installed a brand new drive (same size) in the unit and it just
>>> gave
>>> >me the exact same errors with no option to format. I tried different
>>> jumper
>>> >settings, but nothing worked. It won't even format the new drive! what
>>> to
>>> :do now...? :-(
>>>
>>> Ouch! Sounds like it's not a problem with the drive, and the E100 will
>>> have to be repaired or replaced. That's the bad news. The good news is
>>> that the HD formatting is probably intact and the data on the drive can
>>> be rescued if you can get ahold of a functional E100 to read it. You'll
>>> need to save a complete image of the current drive (I have no idea how,
>>> or even if, you can do that under MS-Windows.) and restore it to the
>>> good E100's drive. Since the E100 will see the same drive reinstalled,
>>> albeit with new data, I believe it will not insist on formatting the
>>> drive.
>>>
>> This is great news if it's true. I finally got a chance to open up the unit
>> and poke around a bit...i'm not sure what i was looking for--a reset
>> something or other. I tried unplugging the two cables that are connected
>> to the small circuit board (where the drives connect to) mounted onto the
>> main electric board, then powered up... nothing happened. Put everything
>> back and still the same errors. This sucks.
>>
>> I don't know about a replacement, i have no warrranty. But thanks for your
>> replies and your help.
>>
> Oh, i also saw a battery (3v) on the electric circuit board...i wonder if
> pulling it out for a little while would do anything.
>
> <sigh>

It might do something. However, it's a flip of the coin whether it
would do good or bad.

On PCs, these batteries retain system (and maybe user) settings in a
static memory chip. Losing these might not be good, or it might set
them to (hopefully reasonable) defaults. Only Panasonic knows for sure
:-)

Replacing the battery with a new one might be good too - but in the
process you could again lose all the settings.

It might also just be used to run the internal clock while the computer
is unplugged from the mains.

At this point, you don't seem to have too much to lose :-(

This post is pretty much idle speculation, I have to admit, but there's
a bit to think about here.

HTH,
Gino

--
Gene E. Bloch (Gino)
letters617blochg3251
(replace the numbers by "at" and "dotcom")

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