Pace HD Box - Walkthrough on how to change the Hard Drive

[NewsreadeR]

This guide will show you how to upgrade the Hard Drive in your Pace HD Box - Model No: TDS850NB

If you wish to upgrade the Thomson HD Box, please use this guide. How to upgrade the Hard Drive in your Thomson HD Box.

This is one of the newer HD boxes from Sky and I have now successfully managed to upgrade the original Hard Drive to a Seagate ST3100340AS 1TB Hard Drive.

Below are all the steps that I took, documented for everyone to see, to get to the end result. Warning - These images are huge. And I will update with marked images for ease of identification.

Step 1

Get yourself a new HD of whatever capacity you desire, I chose a 1TB Seagate Drive, along with a Torx Driver Set. You will need a size T10 to open the Torx Screws on the Pace HD box. I got mine from Maplins, a set of 6, sized, T10, T15, T20, T25, T27, T30 priced at £5.99 - Unfortunately this set does not appear on their website.



Step 2

First of all we need to open the box. On the back of the HD box there is a Warranty Sticker. To open the HD box, you will need to break the seal (or try to get it off without damaging) PLEASE NOTE: Tampering with this seal will VOID your Warranty from Sky. Do so at your own risk. The sticker on mine came off easily and without ripping, using a screw driver to pry it off, just under the lip.



Remove the screw in the centre of the folded lid, just above the TV Scart.

You will then need to flip the box over and remove the 6 screws, 3 on each side.



To take the lid off, you will need to use some knives or similar and a small screwdriver. (Luckily our knives have what they are, written on them, as I never go in the kitchen)

Using the knives and a small screw driver, gently lift the 3 little tabs and raise them proud of the lug.



Once you do this, the lid just slides off, revealing the insides.

Front view



Top view



On the little circuit board, on the top there are some twisted pieces of metal holding this to the lid. Using a pair of pliers, gently twist them flush to the slit, the PCB then gently lifts off.


Side with screws view - unfortunately, these look like Torx screws but have a little lug in the middle. These need taking out, I used a pair of pliers, as I don't have the correct tool. This image shows the right hand screw already removed.



How to remove the internal lid

On the same side of the STB with the three screws we have just removed, you need to prise the lid off over the little lugs, there are four of these. I used the same knives. Be careful as there is a risk of cutting or catching yourself on the metal.

This then reveals the insides of the HD box.



Step 3 - How to remove the existing Hard Drive

There are four screws holding this old hard drive into the box. 2 on the outer casing, (Marked A) and 2 on the internal casing, which holds the hard drive in place. (Marked B)

To remove A you just need to use a philips screwdriver.

Before you can remove screws B you will need to carefully disconnect the 4 pin power plug at the circuit board, (Marked C) once you have taken this out, you can quite easily remove the inner screws, marked B.

Carefully remove the red SATA cable from the circuit board, (marked D)

The drive should now just lift out.



Final Steps

Fit your new Hard Drive of choice, having already followed the tutorial on how to format or back up your old drive from another STB

Reverse all the steps to put your Pace HD Box back together. It maybe a good idea to test it first before doing this.

Update: Some additional information is here

[Brian69]

First throughts on Newsreaders Sticky.

(1) Dont like the idea that you would have to take out the whole board for a simple power supply problem.

(2) Love the mains cable running under the HDD.

(3) Internal fan looks like fun, this box will need lots of space.

(4) Might be an idea to check under the little pcb for insulation (the one on top)

[NewsreadeR]

Brian I hope you don't mind I have merged them so people can see exactly what you mean and then discuss this.

[NewsreadeR]

(4) Might be an idea to check under the little pcb for insulation (the one on top)

This picture shows the underside of the little PCB - as you can see, no insulation.

[Brian69]

Not at all, I did not want to interupt your flow!! lovely sticky.

[NewsreadeR]

Do we need any more images before I put this baby back together?

[Brian69]

Not me, Nice choice of HDD

[reddwarfcrew]

very different layout inside to the Thomson box. If Satcure ever send me my PSU, i'll open up the thomson and get some photo's. The HD box certainly isn't the type of box you want to keep taking apart unlike the Sky+ boxes.

[reddwarfcrew]

Nice choice of HDD

did you change any of the accoustic management of the HDD using the HDD tools, or just pop it in as is (once formatted using copy+).

[NewsreadeR]

I was going to copy all the data off my Thompson one across to this, but tbh I cannot be bothered.

Therefore I haven't really seen the inside of the Thompson. There isn't a lot inside the Pace in reality. How technology moves on eh?