September 20, 2004 8:37 PM

Nfuego said:

The other day, when I needed help with my InstantCake related problems, I came here for help.

I was very surprised that there weren't more posts, but didn't know how long the product had been out, so I thought that most people just hadn't had any difficulty with the product.

Today, I came back here to add to my post, so that I could discuss what I did to rectify my problem. But, my thread is gone. So are all the other threads that weren't of a favorable fashion to the product. Hmmmmm...how odd. Sure, there is the thread discussing how to immediately BUY the product, but the one that discusses things that go WRONG with the product once you buy it, are mysteriously missing.

Sure, I can click on my name and FIND my thread. That doesn't do anyone else any good. They'll never find my thread.

What is funny is this:

I like the product. I think it is a bargain. I think there should be a LOT BETTER instructions (namely when you press F1 at the beginning of the process, it tells you that you need to do a complete delete and erase when the TiVo boots. Nowhere else is that instructed.). But, the product is great. It is a shame that there isn't a TRUE place consumers of the product can come to and see problems and solutions other customers have experienced. Hiding threads from other users will never benefit the satisfaction of new customers.

None of your threads were ever deleted.

The only threads deleted on this forum are either ones that are personally insulting or suggest/query illegal activity.

As for your opinions on the product, "understood. however the point you raise IS documented and is also discussed on this very forum." As you indicated, the product is a bargain. We intend to keep it that way, and that is why there is limited support for it.

The beauty of this forum is that it is a living 'organism' -- folks can feel free to contribute suggestions, workarounds, documentation, and even product enhancements, if they wish.

My suggestion to you is, instead of wrongfully accusing folks of deleting your posts, do something constructive and make a contribution, instead of an accusation. But, continue to make false claims, and I will remove your posts - including this one.

For answers to commonly asked questions, please refer to the
InstantCake Instructions and Release Notes,
Official InstantCake Discussion Thread, and the
Official PTVnet Discussion Thread

September 22, 2004 5:38 PM

Nfuego said:

[SIZE=1]My suggestion to you is, instead of wrongfully accusing folks of deleting your posts, do something constructive and make a contribution, instead of an accusation. But, continue to make false claims, and I will remove your posts - including this one.[/SIZE]

I don't know what the default thread age cutoff is, but it is set TOO LOW...one day? I left all my settings at the default when signing up. When I check for responses, and see nothing but brand new items, with my post missing, my inclination was to think they were deleted. Why would the default be set so low? Sorry for the accusation, but default is usually middle ground, not MINIMUM settings for any option.

If you want to delete my thread, feel free, but I would suggest you go back and look at your own settings and re-think your reasoning behind your default values.

As for this comment:

[SIZE=1]As for your opinions on the product, "understood. however the point you raise IS documented and is also discussed on this very forum." As you indicated, the product is a bargain. We intend to keep it that way, and that is why there is limited support for it.[/SIZE]

Here are the instructions for Instant Cake from ptvupgrade.com:

[SIZE=1]Directions for using InstantCake
Step 1: Configure your PC such that your CD-ROM drive is connected as the primary slave device. You may need to adjust a jumper on the rear of the CD-ROM; many CD-ROM drives have the jumper set for cable-select (CS) and you can simply move the jumper to the slave position (SL) to ensure it is configured properly. To ensure the CD-ROM is connected as the primary IDE device, use the IDE cable connected to your PC's C drive; this is typically connected to the primary IDE interface in your PC. We recommend you disconnect your PC's primary hard drive (and any other hard drives that are installed in your PC) to ensure they are not accidentally overwritten by the InstantCake software.

Step 2: Configure your PC's system BIOS so that you can boot from CD-ROM, and ensure your CD-ROM is installed as the primary slave on your PC.

Step 3: Configure and connect one or two new drives destined for your TiVo on the PC's secondary IDE interface. You will need to refer to the manufacturer's guidelines for master and slave settings for your hard drives' jumpers. Do not use the cable-select jumper settings for your new drive(s); it is important to know which drive is the master and which drive (if you are building a dual-drive kit for your TiVo) is the slave to ensure they are properly installed in your TiVo.

Step 4: Apply power, and boot the InstantCake CD. The CD will auto-boot and prompt you with a few questions before building your kit.

Step 5: Install your new drives in your TiVo; you can use our hardware installation instructions as a reference![/SIZE]

No where is the instruction that a clear and delete must be performed to properly set up the TiVo after doing the cake.

You really aren't making any sense.

The default settings for the forum are the default settings; you have control over your profile, and the freedom to make whatever changes are permitted. Nobody has imposed upon you and noone has deleted your threads... end of discussion on that.

As you indicated in your initial post, the SPECIFIC instruction to do the clear and delete is provided when you boot your CD and you press the F1 key for instructions. Not all InstantCake implementations are the same. In addition, the issue is documented and discussed right on this very forum. You are beating a dead horse on this one - we are not going to commit resources to making it any easier than it already is; its very easy, and its very cheap. We don't think the market is going to absorb a price increase should we expand the support resources for this product.

Thank you.

For answers to commonly asked questions, please refer to the
InstantCake Instructions and Release Notes,
Official InstantCake Discussion Thread, and the
Official PTVnet Discussion Thread