putting larger hard drive in Yam MusicCAST - Page 5

Setter, I need to update my MCX-2000 to 500GB IDE, as well as my CDR-HD1500. Could you help me with this possibly, I have 2 new WD 500GB IDE's. Clone, updates, anything else your expertise can offer.

There is a program available called "Yamaha CDR-HD1500 Assistant" that will allow you to copy all the data from the old 1500 drive to a new one. You have to put the new drive in the 1500 first, format it, and then connect both drives to a PC.

It's a free download, if you can find it. If not, send me a PM with your email, and I'll send a copy. Can't help with the MCX-200.

WilliamZX11 - good advice on the 1500. Nice bike in the ZX11!!

Leviathan2772 - Funny you say clone! I have just learned how to clone an MCX-1000 and MCX-2000. I have a 1500 CD collection and a buddy has 2900. I cloned our systems so we can have the exact same music in two location without loading thousands of CDs. All your settings, songlists, everything shows up exactly the same on the clone as the original.

I'll PM you to get started on the MCX-2000. These rich sounding MusicCAST units are still the best music servers to have versus all sorts of competition - IMHO.

Ok, I have read some posts here on the HD upgrade subject... I have a 1000 series with the 80G HD, I want to to to at least a 500G.. But I'm not a electronics wizard by any means.. So is their one of you more suited brains out there close to me (Simi Valley, CA 93065) that can help me?

I have about 2500 cd's and the 80g is now at 72g used..

Thx,
Frank

Frank. I can help you, but I am in Madison, WI. PM me for assistance.

Anyone able to make the yamaha visible as a network drive for SONOS or similar

Or has anyone found out how to transfer collection of MP3's from Yamaha to hard drive etc to be added to server ?

Thanks

Dear all! The links from rapidshare has expired. Could you please re-upload them once again. I mean this files:
MCX-1000_Recovery.rar
mcx1000_service_manual.pdf
MCX-1000_Update_4.1.nrg
MCX-1000_Backup_files_and_Instructions.rar

thanks

anyone ? please

Dear setter – you seem to to be THE expert for the Yamaha MCX's

I bought a used MCX-1000 and wanted to upgrade it with a bigger harddisc.
I even got the recovery CD from Yamaha and started the procedure.

But now the result is, that neither the new nor the old harddisc is being recognised by the machine anymore.

It just seems to be stuck in the Recovery Mode like this:
Recovery Mode – insert CD
then the screen reads:
- Recovery Start - Flash Erase
- Main OK - Flash Write
- Recovery OK - Flash Verify
Eject CD and Restart
and again Recovery Mode – insert CD and so on....

Do you (or anybody else) have idea how I can solve this problem?

Thank you very much!!!!!!!!!!

Does the MCX-1000 dispay and error (usually four digits starting with an @. Example: @1001)?

I suspect either a bad disc, or the firmware on the motherboard is corrupt. Yamaha no longer supports the MCX-1000, so you cannot order a new actual Recovery CD from them. Besides Yamaha switched to a download delivery and it gave me troubles so I had to get an actual Yamaha CD. I'm not sure how you receieved yours unless you got it years ago from Yamaha or it is a download. The downloaded copies can be bad - I've fixed more that a few units "bricked" by dowloaded CD from sources other than Yamaha. It can't hurt to keep trying the Recovery CD until maybe it takes!

Maybe the firmware can be manually erased and reloaded. I have a tool that allows access to the motherboard and might help. I will not loan my tools. I have lots of parts for the MCX-1000.

Drop me PM with email and phone number if you want to chat. I can repair it if you desire.

hi Setter

Thanks for the fast replay.
I got the CD directly from Yamaha Europe last week (Live in Switzerland).
It has the Parts Nr. QN110066 but looks like a CD they copied.

There is no error code on the dispay.

The machine just shows:
"RECOVERY MODE
SET RECOVERY CD"

then I put in the CD and it shows:
"RECOVERY START
MAIN FLASH EREASE
MAIN FLASH WRITE
RECOVERY OK
EJECT CD AND RESTART"

then I remove the CD and the whole loop begins again.
"RECOVERY MODE
SET RECOVERY CD"

any idea?

thanks Manfred

Try the V4.1 Upgrade CD - you'll need it any way as the Recovery CD is v1.0 and is missing many features found in v4.1. You'll be asked to load v4.1 CD twice, I don't remember why.

If that doesn't work, format the new hard drive in a PC. Ensure the jumper is set to Master. Then try the Recovery CD again. Once booting on v1.0, then upgrade to v4.1.

Lastly, report back what the lights on the front panel are doing. They indicate a problem that we can reference in the Troubleshooting section of the Service Manual. PM me your email so I can send you the Troubleshooting section of the manual.

I wish you were closer to me so we can work on this together. It sounds like a fun challenge!

Hi setter

thanks for the fast reply - I am glad that you think ist a fun challenge
I just asked Yamaha Europe to send me the v4.1 CD.

If you could send the Troubleshooting section of the Service Manual to muchenberger@swissonline.ch this would be great.

Best regards
Manfred

Sent - check your email. I also sent instrucitons to access Test Mode. If that works, then your motherboard is functioning. Try to format the new hard drive while you wait for Yamaha. I am surprised they will send you a CD as in the US they have ended support for the MCX-1000.

Hi Setter,

I am in Brisbane Australia, I am seeking to install a larger hard drive into my MusicCast MCX-2000.

I am not to worried about retaining all my currents songs but I do need the recovery cd software once I have installed my new hard drive and I was also wondering if I can use an adapter to convert a SATA drive to IDE and then be able to run a 1tb disc.

Thanks

I am glad to help, however, I cannot sell the Yamaha Recovery CD and my adapters for IDE->SATA conversion in the MCX-2000 are sold as part of my install service. The software is Yamaha's and only given to authorized users - I cannot break my promise. The adapters cost me months of time and much expense to ensure 100% reliability. That said, I would be happy to upgrade your MCX-2000 to 1 or 2TB a hard drive (haven't tried the 3TB yet). Or watch my eBay handle of dsetty for an upcoming sale of an MCX-2000 with a 2TB drive.

Hi Setter,

I have put the new hard drive in, but without a recovery manual I have know way of knowing how to format it, the front screen says take it to a Yamaha Tech, that's because theres nothing on the drive and it has not been formatted I would suppose it cannot detect it as all the boot up & operating system resides on the hard drive?

My aim at the moment to just get it to reconise the new disk.

PS I sent you a reply email.

Thanks

Going off memory without pulling my Service Manuals... Insert the Recovery CD - it will recover the software. Enter Service Mode if you want to format as well as load the software.

Thanks, but how do I enter Service Mode, which two buttons do I need to hold down? on start up

I didn't bother to pull my service manuals and look up the key codes and sequences because you don't have the required Recovery CD. The informtion is worthless without the CD.

Thanks,

Yamaha Australia are organising me the disc's and pdf's electronically, with luck should have them in the next few days

Great news!

Hi Setter, Got the majority of PDF's and Disc's from Yamaha, they are still tryng to find a copy of the Rescue Disc for me, the Format & Recovery Disc worked fine, as did the Sata to IDE install as I am now running 1TB.

Sent you a PM, you mention in one of your post that you were able to clone the MusicCast harddrive which is Linus based, did you use DD or CloneZilla?

Congratulations. You have more luck than me!

Hi Setter,
Sent you PM, got the required disc's now and have been playing around, I am going try the partition clone of all the other partitions bar the first one which I believe to be boot sector. Then again it may read another partition for the ID but the even the second partition could be left on the second HD (as long as firmware revisions are the same).

In the end you might only have clone the last 2 or 3 partitions which hold the database and music store, what yout thoughts?

Yes, I have thought of those ideas, but was unable to crack the software as it was beyond my expertise. Maybe you are the man for the job! Good luck.

Hi Seeter,

Can you give me some info on the following. I cloned the original 160gb hd (using bit to bit) as it had 80gig of music on it to a 1tb hd sata drive. Installed it into a MCX-2000 and it booted up ok but of coarse it showed up as roughly 147gig which is the same as the original 160g hd.

Anyway I then decided to backup that 1tb hd (which shows as 147g) to another 1tb hd using the Backup CD for the MCX-2000 by connecting the new second hd via the cdrom connection as per the backup proceedure.

So it would back up to the new unformated 1tb hd and expand it to fill the whole 1tb. I ran the backup cd as required, turned off the musiccast, connected the 2nd hd via the cd connection, held down the cd auto store button & menu botton at the same as re-connecting the power. It went into the hd backup routine but what it did was expand the main 1tb hd that had the 147gig on it, (by the way i don't have the MCX-2000 backup pdf only the MCX-1000 pdf).

I got into some of the software on the cd and it has 2 formating programs on (with text docs explaining what they do) it which can shrink of expand hd's.

I thought the Backup software was to transfer data from the main hd to a second hd which could be larger, but what it did was to expand the 1tb drive from 160g to 1tb.

Would you have a MCX-2000 backup pdf

Congratualtions again. You copied a hard drive and expanded the partition. Done!

looking to upgrade my yamaha musiccast mcx 2000 to 2 tb
anybody want to sell their software ?

Good evening..I am in the same situation...unable to get Update CD, Rescue CD, Format and Recovery CD...they are needed to accomplish the upgrade, please if anybody has them I am willing to buy a copy. Thank you.
Beker