Accessing TiVos Boot Menu

From NLTiVo

You want to access the TiVo boot menu for some reason, how do I get in there? You might want to access this menu for instance when you where using bootpage, and screwed up your boot settings. TiVo doesn't boot anymore, how can I fix it?

You can enter the menu following these instructions. If you just want to change your boot settings (and your TiVo still boots), you can just use "bootpage" instead, or this menu, whatever you like.

• Connect a serial terminal, or a machine running terminal emulation software, to the TiVo via the serial cable.
  
  See details of the serial cable elsewhere, pinouts, null modem details etc. I use minicom on linux for this, or my DEC VT510, also hyperterminal will work.
  
  
• The port speed is 9600 baud, 8 data bits, No parity, 1 stop bit, and no flow control.
  
  
• Turn the TiVo on, do a mad dash to the pc/terminal, and hit enter once (within 3 seconds of turning on the tivo), you should get a "verify password" prompt. Enter "factory", and press enter.
  
  

You will now be presented with the following menu:

   B - Boot from disk                    
   N - Network (tftp) boot 5  00 0054              
   U - Update flash from tftp flash image
   T - Teleworld menu
   V - Print TiVo Prom Version
   W - Word Write
   R - Word Read
   P - Change Boot Parameters
   M - Configure Memory
   C - Configure Video
   E - Configure Ethernet
   K - Set backdoor password
   k - Verify backdoor password
   z - Change Serial Number
   Z - Run memory tests
   1 - Enable/disable tests
   2 - Enable/disable boot devices
   3 - Change IP/MAC addresses
   4 - Ping test
   5 - Toggle ROM monitor debugger
   6 - Toggle automatic menu
   7 - Display configuration
   8 - Save changes to configuration
   9 - Unlock TiVo Secure Disk
   0 - Exit menu and continue
 ->

If you are not, ie the password "factory" is not accepted, see below on Resetting.

This menu allows you to change settings on the TiVo, test hardware, and a few other functions. This menu is normally used to change the boot settings. If your TiVo is boot and working, you can use "bootpage" rather than this menu. If you have typoed a change using bootpage, or for some other reason your tivo no longer boots, you can fix the settings in here.

• press X for the extended menu, then press p or b, or whatever the letter is that corresponds with edit boot parameters.
  
  

• Retype the existing boot parameters, but make any changes/fix typos as necessary, obviously.
  
  

• press the letter corresponding with save changes, press b for boot.
  
  

At this point you can exit the terminal emulator, unless you have configured, and want to use bash on the serial port.

Resetting TiVos Factory Password

When I type "factory" in response to the "verify password:" prompt, it's not accepted. What's the deal?

Some TiVos have a password other than "factory" set here. We do not know what that password is, however this can be fixed.

If your TiVo does not accept the ``factory password you can do the following to get it working.

1. You need to get a bash prompt on your TiVo.
   
   If you are using the nlTiVo image, then this is running by default on the serial port (or you can telnet to the tivo if you have a network interface or ppp running on the serial port).
   
   
2. Once you get a shell prompt on the TiVo type the command listed in step 3 below.
   
   The quotes are needed in the below example. You will also want to change the "password" to your desired TiVo diagnostic screen password. So whatever you set it to, make sure you remember it!
   
   
3. crypto -u -srp "password"
   
   It's probably a good idea to set the password to "factory", to be standard.
   
   
4. Reboot your TiVo and try to access the diagnostic mode with the password you just set.