"HDD NG" displayed after HDD replacement on Panasonic DMR-EH60

[Bud5]

Help!

I replaced the faulty HDD on my Panasonic DMR-EH60 today, and the error "HDD NG" comes up on-screen after the greeting HELLO. No further operation is possible.

The only factor I can say is my original HDD (which failed) was a Western Digital 200GB EIDE, which I couldn't find in the local market, hence replaced with a Maxtor 160GB EIDE (connectors, voltage, rpm specs the same).

This simple switch should have worked for a Panasonic...

What could be happening? Please help!

[Krispy Kritter]

The HDD NG error code is likely the result of the drive being jumpered improperly. The factory drive is likely set to "CS", try "MASTER" instead (or vice versa).

However, after getting the recorder to "recognize" the drive, the player will likely hang and still not function.

[TuxOmatic]

Another possibility is the size of the hard drive you are trying to use. I believe that the earlier models of Panasonic would only format the drive to the size specified in the hard coding of the player. So if the original drive was 80 GB and you put in a 200 GB drive, it would only format the drive for 80 GB. It's possible that if you put in a smaller drive, less than expected by the player, the wheels fall off the wagon. Try a different drive of at least 200 GB.

[Bud5]

Thanks for your replies guys...

Krispy Kritter - I tried the new HDD in all 3 settings, Cable, Master & Slave. Nothing worked... though in one setting the Panny just got stuck in "HELLO" without displaying the NG error code. Eitherway, no jumper setting worked

TuxOmatic - Yeah, I guess I have no option but to get a exact 200GB replacement. Shame though, tried all me local stores could only locate 160 & 250GB. Guess I have to forget the $60 I spent on the 160GB, and fork out another $80 and get a 250GB. Guess I'll be down ~ $150 by the time I get this fixed

Anybody - please let me know if any proven alternatives exist for getting a replacement 160GB HDD to work in a 200GB Panny model... at least if someone has found a way, I can save $80

[Krispy Kritter]

There is a post for a similar model here: http://www.avforums.com/forums/archive/index.php/t-214364.html

He wasn't able to get it to work either.

[trhouse]

I noticed that the EH60 has "G-Code" programming. It is a product of Gemstar-TV Guide. I have a Pioneer DVR-531H hard drive recorder that has a similar function. The software to run it ( the TVGos ) is on the hard drive itself. I believe it is done that way because the code is supplied by Gemstar-TV Guide. It may be that you will need to copy all that from a good drive to a new drive for it to be recognized under a Linux operating system.

There is a guide for doing that for Pioneer hard drive recorders at this web site,

http://www.pioneerfaq.info/english/dvr630.php?player=DVR-630H&question=replace_hdd

The problem is if your original drive is dead, then you have no drive from which to copy all that information. I was able to extract the TVGos from my Pioneer 531 using Linux. I emailed it to a Corona who was having a problem with a corrupted hard drive so he lost the timer/TVGos functions in his 531. The file was only about 4 MB. He was able to insert the file to his drive and it worked again. All these operations had to be done under Linux which is free and can be downloaded from various web sites.

I used the extracted code and inserted it into a 500 GB Seagate drive and replaced my 80 GB Seagate drive in the 531.

[Bud5]

Ok, latest update.

I managed to track down a new Western Digital HDD (exact replacement as the original new which went bust). Installed it, and get the same "HDD NG" error.

trhouse - I guess you are right. My model DMR-EH60 needs the G-code information to boot up.
BAD NEWS is my original HDD is truly dead, no power up, no sound when plugged in, just truly dead. How can I then recover the G-code information to copy onto my new replacement HDD???

I am not a computer-savvy techie, hence feel rather stranded, as no success stories for Panny users with this issue have been posted yet.

[trhouse]

This is an interesting question. How to replace or upgrade the hdd in a Panasonic. The Pioneer required more than the G-code. I removed the hdd from the Pioneer 531H and later plugged it back in. It did not recognize the drive. It turns out that to recognize its own original, working hdd, it was necessary to re-enter a CPRM ID code which required a special service disk and service remote.

It is too bad that your original drive is dead. My first question would have been, if you unplug it and later plug it back in, will it be recognized or will the "HDD NG" error appear. If I do that to the Pioneer, it responds with "HDD ERR".

Have you seen this thread?

http://www.velocityreviews.com/forums/t273929-panasonic-settop-dvd-recorder-error.html

[Bud5]

trhouse - thanks a lot for your feedback. To answer your questions:

When I put in the brand new drive, I get HDD NG

When I put in the old dead drive, I get the endless cycle "An Error has occurred" followed by "Please change the disc"

PS: I read the link you posted, did not give any conclusive ideas to get me out of my present situation

Any further ideas, even technical? (I can show the post to a techie bud and get the needful done)

[Krispy Kritter]

It's probably a long shot, but have you tried contacting Panasonic for a disc image? It's likely small enough to fit on a CD. Although it won't do you any good if you need a special remote and code to even activate the HDD.

[meringone]

I have read the service manual of the DMR-EH55, which is similar to your: NGG error is Non Genuine Hard Disk.
In Panasonic HDD-DVD there's no PC file system: I think it's quite similar to an UDF. Part of the software is written down directly on the HD, so, when you replace the HD, you have to rewrite it exactly in the same address of the original one. I've tried to replace the original HD (160 GB western digital) with one bigger (400 GB western digital),and even after rewriting the software (from Linux, with dd command), I could access the function of the hdd, reformat but I obtained only 160GB-time equivalent capacity. So probably the software format the hard disk to a maximum capacity.
Pearhaps panasonic Has a disk image, but they don't sell it: I try to ask them, but they ask me to send the HDD-DVD in service.

[Bud5]

Sincere apologies for all in my post to my long absence from this forum. Thanks to all for your contributions! Meringone - thanks for your last post, that sort off gave me off experimenting further

I handed over my Panny to our local Panasonic Agent yesterday (fingers crossed). It's a long shot, as they don't retail my model in the country, and the Agent is known for high labour costs anyway. I did mention to the guy at the counter to quote me an estimate before commencing any repairs.

Will keep the forum updated on developments

[DriveError]

I have a DMR-EH55 with "drive error", the Hard drive is completely dead . I replaced it with a Hitachi 200GB drive (same size) I had laying around and had the same problem getting drive error and the unit not coming up. After looking all over Google found one place that sort of eluded to updating firmware. Never really found anyone putting information on how to replace the drive.
Sure enough upgrading the firmware recognized the new drive and after the upgrade was complete and I power off and on, it came up with the drive format screen. Everything works great, at least for now.
Another thing I noticed was the original HDD was very noisy (drive spinning sound, nothing out of normal drive spinning sound), it was a Western Digital HDD. I like Hitachi drives because they usually are tested to be low noise and low heat compared to other manufacture drives. Now my DMR-EH55 unit is very quite when the HDD is spinning.

[wabjxo]

..

[DriveError]

The unit started up same way, with “drive error”. I just let it go and about 30 seconds or so later the display on front changed to something like “upgrade something” (I forget what it said exactly) but it was clear to me that it was upgrading the firmware. I believe after about a minute or two, it showed something like upgrade OK or something like that where I knew the firmware was upgraded successfully. I waited few minutes (I don’t believe you have to wait here) and hit the power button to power off the unit and waited about a minute and turned it on. The unit came up fine and on the TV screen it already had the format drive screen displayed and front display also had something to do with format.

I found a link from my search on how to replace the drive, for newer firmware. Download the firmware to Windows PC, double click on the file and it will UnZip the file. Double click on the .ISO file (hopefully you have a CD burning program already on your PC that supports ISO files), this will bring up your CD burning program (you should have a blank CD in already at this time). Just click whatever button to start burning the firmware to you CD.

The reason why firmware upgrades works is, like your PC, if it can not boot up from your hard drive, then it defaults to CD-ROM to see if there is a bootable image on the CD. The firmware CD you create is a bootable CD. I don’t think there is any files kept on the hard drive on Panasonic units as mention above in other posts here.

[wabjxo]

..

[DriveError]

All of these units these days like CD player, DVD player, DVR..etc are stripped-down PC’s, custom made to do just the function it was made for.

[caha]

where download firmware ?

[DriveError]

where download firmware ?

I found it in one of the threads, not sure where I found one for mine.
There is always Google search, just type in “Panasonic firmware download”
First one Google finds looks good. After going to that site, just click on “DVD recorder” and looks like most of the models are listed.

[norm360]

Hi

I have the same model unit (DMR-EH60) with faulty HDD. I replaced it with a Samsung SP2514N 250GB 7200rpm Hard Drive (no special formatting) and it immediately recognises it. The other Maxtor drive I had wouldn't.

So my guess would be there's some kind of firmware lock on the Panasonic making it operate with only certain Samsung model drives (assuming that was the original make of drive in your machine).

Either way it's working now. So I'm happy.

[VW2]

@DriveError

If I understand you well, I can replace f.i. a 160 GB HDD on a Panasonic DVD recorder with f.i. a 500 GB or a in extreme circumstances a 1TB as long as I have burned the latest firmware for the specific DVD-recorder on a blanc CD.
Then change the HDD (SATA? - EIDE ?) into a larger HDD of the same type (SATA or EIDE) . Putting in tray the firmware CD and let install the new firmware and then I have a working 500GB or a 1TB HDD in my DVD-recorder?

[Robbins1940]

You probably need a service disc and a special service remote control.

I once upgraded the hdd in a Pioneer 431H model from the factory standard 80gb to 500gb. The 431H model was a old machine and on that you could put in any sized disc and it would work after going through all the steps. But now I think they limit you to the factory size HDD so if your model is 250gb then it will only format 250gb whatever the size of the disc is.

There must be some hack or work around it though. Don't understand why they would only put in these small size drives when they are 1TB+ drives available esp with HD broadcasts now.