If I upgrade the internal drive, will I need the cable company to re-activate my CableCards?
Verizon FiOS does not pair CableCards to a specific TiVo, so drive upgrades do not affect that service. This also allows FiOS customers to easily move CableCards from one TiVo to another. Some other cable providers “pair” CableCards to a specific device, and that pairing information is stored on the hard drive. If you replace the TiVo’s hard drive using a drive upgrade kit purchased online, that drive will not have the necessary pairing information, and your CableCard(s) will no longer work until they are reactivated (re-paired) by the cable company. In some cases, this can be done over the phone, but it usually requires a service call. In contrast, if you follow the instructions below to upgrade a TiVo that already has activated CableCards, the appropriate pairing information is copied up from the original drive and restored to the new drive, so your CableCard(s) continue to work without the need for a service call.
