Why is Virgin TiVo Box Stuck on Starting Up? Complete Fix Guide

Are there days where you find your Virgin TiVo box stuck on starting up and you’re unable to do anything to fix and resolve it?

Do you yearn to find a comprehensive tutorial that’ll give you concrete and direct tips to be free from this error?

Today’s your lucky day as we’ll give you a comprehensive walkthrough that’ll give you all the information you need, as well as how you can fix it!

To fix your Virgin Media TiVo box stuck on starting up, perform a restart or a power cycle of the box first. Then, double-check all the cables and make sure they’re plugged in tightly and securely.

After that, try using the box with a different telly and if the problem persists, replace the hard drive of the box.

Before we get to fixing, let us first try to touch the surface and find some of the most common reasons why your TiVo box isn’t finishing the startup.

Why Can’t My Virgin TiVo Box Complete Startup?

There’s a myriad of reasons as to why your Virgin TiVo box isn’t starting up successfully.

Among the most common ones include:

• Hardware (TiVo box) problems
• Corrupted/damaged hard drive
• Connection/cable issues and problems
• Internet/network connectivity

Getting to the root of why it’s working is tough, especially if it just happened suddenly and without notice. Thanks to our guide here, you wouldn’t be required to find out what’s causing this.

Unlike other general guides online, you’ll never feel the need to read or get a different source because this will be complete.

We’ll discuss everything related to it – we’ll even help you tackle the replacement of the hard drive!

Virgin TiVo Box Stuck on Starting Up – Fix Steps

Lots of Virgin TiVo box users found success after following our tutorial. So, don’t worry, because you are in the right hands!

Step #1: Restart or Power Cycle the Box

As a natural step when a device has frozen, we restart it. In fact, restarting or power cycling has been considered the best and simplest troubleshooting step in technology.

Power cycling or restarting the TiVo box isn’t too complicated, as many of you might think.

In fact, here’s how to do it:

1. On the clicker or the front panel of the box, press [POWER].
2. Once it turns off completely, go to the mains and unplug the box from power.
3. Leave it unplugged and powered off for about one (1) minute.
4. Unplug all other cables connected to it.
5. Plug it back in again and wait another minute to plug all other cables.

NOTE: You need to hear the “click” when you reattach and reconnect the wires. This is the signal that the cable has correctly and properly linked to their respective ports.

Now, most users who experienced this problem were able to fix their boxes by doing this simple step

. But, if it did not work for you and it’s still stuck on startup, proceed to the next step, which is…

Step #2: Double-Check All Cables/Connections

There should be about four (4) connections at the back of your box, which are: power cable, Ethernet cable, HDMI cable, coaxial cable.

All these should be plugged in tightly and securely at the back of your TiVo box.

Should you be using the wireless connectivity of the TiVo box to connect to the internet, you’ll then have to connect it via a wired connection first.

Ensure that all cables are hooked up properly and that there shouldn’t be any damage or whatsoever on them.

Step #3: Is Your Ethernet Cable Plugged In?

As we mentioned above, even if you’re using the WiFi capability of the TiVo box, we’d have to connect it via an Ethernet cable first just so you can get into it successfully.

Here’s how you can do it:

1. Take an Ethernet cable and connect one (1) end to the hub or router.
2. Then, take the other end and hook it up on the TiVo box.
3. If the Ethernet cable you have is too short, you can use a network switch.

NOTE: Network switches extend the reach of the Ethernet cable. It’s like extending the reach of the connection.

Try a Different Ethernet Cable

Another thing you might want to consider is to use a different Ethernet cable.

Get a fresh line to be sure that the problem isn’t with the connectivity via the Ethernet cable.

NOTE: If you used the included Ethernet cable from the package of the TiVo box once, try using that instead.

Step #4: Use the TiVo Box on Another Telly

Then, what you want to do next is to try to use the TiVo box on a different television. If you own more than one (1) telly, try it out on a different device.

What this does is it will give you information whether the port of the telly is the problem or not. Most people often forget that the box is still connected via cables and the effectiveness of it would still rely on them.

How to Transfer a TiVo Box to Another TV?

Transferring it to a different television is easier than you may think.

In fact, here’s how you can do it:

1. Remove all wires and cables connected to the TiVo box.
2. Then, take the box and transfer it to another room.
3. Plug the power cord in first and wait for one (1) minute.
4. After that, plug all other wires in (coaxial, Ethernet, network switch, HDMI).
5. Check and see if it will go past the startup.

NOTE: When you do the transfer, make sure that you plug the power cable in first. You’d have to wait for it to be turned on permanently before you plug in other cables and connections. 

Step #5: Replace the Hard Drive

To end and finalize the process, what you want to do is to replace the hard drive of your TiVo box. It’s rather an easy and simple method compared to what most people think of it.

In fact, here’s a quick rundown of how it’s done:

1. Unplug the TiVo box from power.
2. Remove the screw at the back (Torx screw).
3. Turn it upside down and undo the clips to remove the cover.
4. Below that, remove the two (2) screws holding the base.
5. Proceed to take the HDD cover out together with the plastic housing.
6. Lastly, remove the screw that keeps the drive and the case intact.
7. Finally, reverse the process by installing the drive and reassembling the unit.

NOTE: Take a picture before you take it out, so you know what goes where when you’ll reassemble it. This will maximise and save your time when it’s time to put it back together again.

What Happens When the Hard Drive is Replaced?

Replacing the hard drive is like getting a new box, honestly. Everything is stored in the drive

. Therefore, when you replace it, all recordings saved shows, and others in the same field will be gone.

After you successfully follow this method, your TiVo box should now boot up or start up without any errors or problems! You should now be able to access it, given the fact that everything’s all cleared out!

My Virgin TiVo Box is Still Stuck on Start Up, What Do I Do?

As we mentioned above, it could be a direct hardware issue (with the TiVo box itself). Therefore, the next best thing you do is to contact Virgin Media’s Faults department and tell them about the situation.

Inform them of everything from the time when you started to experience it, what wires and cables are plugged in – as well as the troubleshooting steps you did.

This way, they’ll be able to identify whether a replacement is what you need or not.

If your TiVo box isn’t starting up, try performing a restart or a power cycle of the box first. Then, triple-check all the wires and cables connected at the back of it. Try using the box on a different telly and finalize the process, by removing and installing a new hard drive on the TiVo box.

Read Next: How to Fix Virgin Media Channels Not Available?

Final Thoughts

Being frozen on the welcome screen can truly be a pain in the neck, especially if you know you haven’t done anything with the box for it to result in this.

But, with our guide, you’ll never feel any pressure when you find your Virgin TiVo box stuck on starting up again in the future.

Are you a tech newbie and you’re not confident in doing it? Our tutorial is so comprehensive that you’ll never have any trouble understanding it!