To remove the TiVo's case cover you'll need a small Torx screwdriver or socket. There are 5 Torx screws that hold the case on. The hardest part of this hard drive upgrade was popping off the TiVo's case. I had to pull back the cover about half an inch, grab both sides of the DVR and pry up the case. In the process I bent a few of the clips under the front of the case cover, which wasn't a big deal. I just bent them back into place.

Above you'll see the TiVo case removed, and the electrical components inside are revealed. The original hard drive in the TCD540040 is a Maxtor Quickview 3.5" ATA 133 8mb cache 40GB. The motherboard of the DVR had a few computer chips made by Broadcom KFir-II and Etrontech and a standard CR2032 CMOS battery.

Be sure to discharge any static electricity by touching your hands to a metal appliance or the TiVo's case cover before you touch any of the components in the DVR. First, wiggle the power connector out of the back of the old hard drive (it's the multicolored set of wires). Then gently wiggle out the 80 pin IDE cable and place it out of the way. Once that's done, grab the Torx screwdriver or socket that you used to remove the case.

The TiVo hard drive is held down by two Torx screws that are the same size as the ones that secure the case cover. These screws are at the front of the unit along the side of the hard drive. Once you remove those screws, gently slide the hard drive back towards the rear of the TiVo and lift it out.

To remove the 40GB hard drive from its bracket, you will need a slightly larger Torx screwdriver or socket. Take note of how the hard drive is positioned in the bracket and remove the 4 screws.