UPDATE: After some permutations, the Roamio stopped restarting when I disconnected the coaxial cable. Since it's networked via MoCA, it's unclear whether it's the Internet connection or the cable signal. However, when the coaxial is reconnected, even without the CableCard inserted, the Roamio again crashes, implying it's the Internet connection that triggers the reboot.

But removing the coax also cuts the programming feed, so the unit stops buffering, right? That takes a lot of stress off the hard drives.

True, but I'd think removing the CableCard should likewise cut off a viable cable signal (though I'm not sure if it's to the same extent; the hard drives do stop churning in both instances). The key here is that with the CableCard removed, reconnecting the coax resumes the restart cycle; is still unclear if that has to do with the cable signal (even without the CableCard) or with the MoCA internet connection.

Anyway, since all recorded programs are there and accessible, I'm asking whether it's worth sending it in to figure this out without risking possible loss of said data.

I'd say, either way, there's a pretty decent chance that we'll find a bad hard drive, so you'll have data loss.

Try the kickstart 54 overnight tests and see what you find.

I thought the overnight tests couldn't be performed in the Roamios.

So far, everything I tried to view is intact. I know when you guys try to investigate, it usually involves a complete wipe.

So, to confirm, can an overnight hard drive test be performed on a Roamio. Your article about Kickstart 54 implies only the S.M.A.R.T. test works.

If you choose the top S.M.A.R.T. test, the TiVo will automatically perform more thorough tests after the S.M.A.R.T. has completed.

FWIW, the S.M.A.R.T. test thinks everything's ok, so it doesn't look like it proceeds to the more next phase of testing.

Same thing

My tivo roamio pro started doing the EXACT SAME THING a few days ago. I ran the SMART test and it passed both drives thru all of the tests that it ran thru the smart test. When my TiVo restarts it shows all of my recorded shows and I can play any of them. But after about 3 minutes it reboots. Please tell me do you have the TiVo with the expanded external drive. That is what I have. I bought my TiVo from weaknees but my purchased 3 year extended warranty expired at the end of Dec 2016. I am at a loss. I do not want to lose all of my recordings. Have you found out anything else? Help help

Well, given the fact that the rebooting stopped when I disconnected the coax, which doubles as the cable signal and the MoCA network connnection, I figured something about either was rebooting the TiVo every 2-1/2 minutes. So I didn't reconnect the coax, but did enable a wireless connection to my router. (I don't have a nearby Ethernet connection.)

Strangely, the TiVo didn't reboot, so my theory that the internet connection -- and the stuff TiVo accesses and displays on TiVo Central (program icons, descriptions, third-party content) -- might be responsible was unlikely. I decided to force-connect to the TiVo service. Now, the unit by now was behind by a good week, so the resulting program download was substantial, and the Network menu in Settings was stuck for hours on "Preparing to Load ..."

When I came back to the TiVo hours later, the programming was caught up, but the TiVo was rebooting spontaneously again, making me think it might still be the connection to the internet. I proceeded to choose Ethernet (thus turning off the wireless connection), and voila, the TiVo stopped rebooting again.

The internet connection was now a prime suspect yet again. On a lark, I reconnected the (now MoCA-disabled) coax. As expected, the reintroduction of a cable signal immediately resulted in an audible surge in hard drive activity, furiously buffering the sudden availability of live video. AMAZINGLY, the TiVo did not reboot! And implied the hard drive wasn't in as bad a shape as perhaps thought.

Because I'm a masochist, I restarted the MoCA connection. Once again, the TiVo did not reboot. By this time, I had no idea what might be the culprit: Now it seemed to be neither the drive, the cable connection, NOR the internet feed. I was reaching for straws that maybe it had something to do with the connection to the TiVo service, maybe some corruption of the downloaded programming data ... so for good measure, I once again force-connected, this time over MoCA.

Which proceeded without incident. It's been about several hours now, and the TiVo's yet to reboot as I speak. Ladies and gentleman, I present to you a TiVo Easter miracle.

I wonder if maybe you got an OS update in there.

That's a distinct possibility. Somewhere in the repeated restarts, an update may have become corrupted before it fully installed. There was also a huge issue with streaming and accessing TiVos off-local-network (remotely over internet) that was just recently fixed, and the final forced connection may have either written over a corrupted OS update, or fixed a buggy one. Either way, I'm counting my blessings.

I spoke too soon: The Roamio started rebooting again. Again it stops when the internet connection is halted. Once that cycle is broken, all content plays back fine, and live TV buffering works well.

Any clues as to how the internet connection is apparently causing the restarts?

My vague guess would be that there's hard drive corruption where the OS stores the downloaded guide data, or where it buffers suggestions for the top bar.