# Got home last night and found my DVR had deleted all my saved programming
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/got-home-last-night-and-found-my-dvr-had-deleted-all-my-saved-programming/696107
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
**Created:** [August 21, 2014, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/got-home-last-night-and-found-my-dvr-had-deleted-all-my-saved-programming/696107 "2014-08-21T17:10:26Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@StGermain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StGermain)
#### Post date: [August 21, 2014, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/got-home-last-night-and-found-my-dvr-had-deleted-all-my-saved-programming/696107/1 "2014-08-21T17:10:26Z")
I turned on my TV and pulled up the DVR to see what was scheduled for the night and found that all the programming I’d saved for a rainy day (like next week when I’m on vacation) was gone. I talked to the Dish Network folks and they basically had me turn it off, turn it on, check to see if the DVR would still record, and said “too bad”. They didn’t know the cause, had no fix and said to call back if it happened again. So much for the season of the Musketeers I was waiting to watch, and the eps of Royal Pains and Suits I hadn’t watched yet.
StG
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### Author:  [@Greg\_Charles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Greg_Charles)
#### Post date: [August 21, 2014, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/got-home-last-night-and-found-my-dvr-had-deleted-all-my-saved-programming/696107/2 "2014-08-21T17:17:26Z")
If it had been Comcast, they would have sent a technician over to kick you in the nuts too.
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### Author:  [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)
#### Post date: [August 21, 2014, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/got-home-last-night-and-found-my-dvr-had-deleted-all-my-saved-programming/696107/3 "2014-08-21T17:36:18Z")
That really sucks! One of the main reasons to keep paying for cable IMHO is the ability to easily DVR stuff. Even though with Hulu and whatever you can “go to” whatever episode you want but it’s still not the same. The DVR is my dad’s best friend.
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### Author:  [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)
#### Post date: [August 21, 2014, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/got-home-last-night-and-found-my-dvr-had-deleted-all-my-saved-programming/696107/4 "2014-08-21T17:39:40Z")
This is definitely a case where I say look for the shows online. You recorded them, you should get to save a copy to watch next week.
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### Author:  [@RivkahChaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RivkahChaya)
#### Post date: [August 21, 2014, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/got-home-last-night-and-found-my-dvr-had-deleted-all-my-saved-programming/696107/5 "2014-08-21T17:45:49Z")
You effectively didn’t get the service you were supposed to have for a period of time. I would demand a partial refund for the time. My cable service will do this, albeit only if I ask. In other words, if the internet and TV work, but the DVR doesn’t, I’ll get a refund of something like $10/day for every day it wasn’t working. If the internet is down but not the TV, partial refund. If the channels of my movie package are scrambled for a day, but not the regular channels, partial refund.
I always complain and demand the refund, because I want stuff fixed ASAP, so I want to be known as the PITA customer who demands the partial refund, therefore, fix her stuff ASAP.
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### Author:  [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)
#### Post date: [August 21, 2014, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/got-home-last-night-and-found-my-dvr-had-deleted-all-my-saved-programming/696107/6 "2014-08-21T17:54:57Z")
Had you deleted a bunch of anything recently? There’s a way you can fuck it up and delete everything without realizing it- I did it to myself a couple of years ago. I’m still not exactly sure what I did; I was trying to delete a whole bunch of episodes of a show, and somehow deleted everything. I saw it happen in front of me… my timers were still there, but the saved stuff was totally gone afterward.
He’s not denied any service; his satellite still works fine, I’m sure. If I was him, I’d just get a new DVR; Dish is usually pretty good about doing that if you tell them it’s screwed up.
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### Author:  [@StGermain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StGermain)
#### Post date: [August 21, 2014, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/got-home-last-night-and-found-my-dvr-had-deleted-all-my-saved-programming/696107/7 "2014-08-21T17:59:38Z")
**RivkaChaya** - I’m fortunate that I have very rarely had any service issues with Dish Network. But I’ll call the C/S line tonight and see if I can negotiate a discount.
**BigT** - The problem with downloading them is I have limited internet access at home, through Verizon wireless. Part of the perks of living in the country, far from fiber optics. Three HD eps will use most of my allotment for a month. If I had good internet I’d get rid of my dish altogether.
**Greg Charles** - Being nut-less, they’d have to find somewhere else to kick me.
**Bump** - I may have deleted _something_ - I usually do after I’ve watched it. But I can’t imagine having deleted everything. In fact, as I recall, I went into one of my group folders, selected all and deleted, but just for that folder. I thought…
StG
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### Author:  [@JohnGalt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnGalt)
#### Post date: [August 21, 2014, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/got-home-last-night-and-found-my-dvr-had-deleted-all-my-saved-programming/696107/8 "2014-08-21T18:07:47Z")
Nothing else to add, but my condolences. It’d almost be like losing your cell phone with all of your pictures and movies on it; your life must seem so empty!
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### Author:  [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)
#### Post date: [August 21, 2014, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/got-home-last-night-and-found-my-dvr-had-deleted-all-my-saved-programming/696107/9 "2014-08-21T18:20:02Z")
give the DVR a test before hoping to save a bunch more. record a ton of stuff even though you don’t want to watch it. put a lot of stuff on it, do a lot of operations with it.
give it a chance for the machine to mess up if it’s bad.
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### Author:  [@StGermain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StGermain)
#### Post date: [August 21, 2014, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/got-home-last-night-and-found-my-dvr-had-deleted-all-my-saved-programming/696107/10 "2014-08-21T18:23:18Z")
> [@JohnGalt](#):
>
> Nothing else to add, but my condolences. It’d almost be like losing your cell phone with all of your pictures and movies on it; your life must seem so empty!
Indeed, I briefly considered suicide last night because of the bleakness of my future. I was only saved by the fact the the new season of Doctor Who starts Saturday. Peter Capaldi saved my life!
StG
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### Author:  [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)
#### Post date: [August 21, 2014, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/got-home-last-night-and-found-my-dvr-had-deleted-all-my-saved-programming/696107/11 "2014-08-21T18:23:21Z")
Happened to me several times. I’ve looked to find out that overnight that for whatever reason, my box had been wiped clean. Nothing saved, and no future programs scheduled to record. Pretty annoying.
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### Author:  [@StGermain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StGermain)
#### Post date: [August 21, 2014, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/got-home-last-night-and-found-my-dvr-had-deleted-all-my-saved-programming/696107/12 "2014-08-21T18:35:32Z")
I have an external hard drive connected to my DVR, but I normal only save the things I might want to rewatch there. The programming on it was still intact, so maybe in the future I’ll store more stuff there.
StG
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### Author:  [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)
#### Post date: [August 21, 2014, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/got-home-last-night-and-found-my-dvr-had-deleted-all-my-saved-programming/696107/13 "2014-08-21T19:07:44Z")
Moved Cafe Society --\> MPSIMS.
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### Author:  [@shiftless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shiftless)
#### Post date: [August 21, 2014, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/got-home-last-night-and-found-my-dvr-had-deleted-all-my-saved-programming/696107/14 "2014-08-21T19:28:45Z")
Had you been saving the shows for a long time? Our Cox DVR will sometimes set times to be saved for only a limited time. The setting can be changed.
> [@Greg\_Charles](#):
>
> If it had been Comcast, they would have sent a technician over to kick you in the nuts too.
Lucky. Cox charges extra for that service.
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### Author:  [@Sunny\_Daze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunny_Daze)
#### Post date: [August 21, 2014, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/got-home-last-night-and-found-my-dvr-had-deleted-all-my-saved-programming/696107/15 "2014-08-21T19:35:02Z")
FWIW, i had neighbors report this problem, so I went with DirecTV. (I also had the out in the country must use a satellite issue at the time).
You might want to ask for new equipment. Could be a drive failure.
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### Author:  [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)
#### Post date: [August 21, 2014, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/got-home-last-night-and-found-my-dvr-had-deleted-all-my-saved-programming/696107/16 "2014-08-21T20:55:48Z")
Might also check “deleted programs” on the Hopper. It keeps them there for a day (or two, not sure, not my hopper) and they can be restored in that time frame.
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### Author:  [@StGermain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StGermain)
#### Post date: [August 21, 2014, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/got-home-last-night-and-found-my-dvr-had-deleted-all-my-saved-programming/696107/17 "2014-08-21T21:04:15Z")
**Gatopescado** - I don’t have the Hopper (Hoppa, on TV). Just their regular DVR.
StG
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### Author:  [@MindsEye\_Watering](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MindsEye_Watering)
#### Post date: [August 21, 2014, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/got-home-last-night-and-found-my-dvr-had-deleted-all-my-saved-programming/696107/18 "2014-08-21T22:24:53Z")
> [@bump](#):
>
> Had you deleted a bunch of anything recently? There’s a way you can fuck it up and delete everything without realizing it- I did it to myself a couple of years ago.
Did that myself. TWICE.
And I’m the tech-savy one in the house.
I did do the “Bonehead Dance.”
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### Author:  [@GusNSpot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GusNSpot)
#### Post date: [August 21, 2014, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/got-home-last-night-and-found-my-dvr-had-deleted-all-my-saved-programming/696107/19 "2014-08-21T23:26:34Z")
We don’t save important stuff. Watch the good stuff as soon as we can. Maybe 3 days max.
All the rest he have had to lose once.
Also one time we lost the ability to record but could play the saved stuff so DISH let us keep the old box until we got them viewed.
Watched as much as we could ‘live’ until the new box came.
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### Author:  [@StGermain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StGermain)
#### Post date: [August 21, 2014, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/got-home-last-night-and-found-my-dvr-had-deleted-all-my-saved-programming/696107/20 "2014-08-21T23:37:51Z")
**Gus** - I normally don’t watch the first season of new programs. It’s called “The Firefly Effect” - the heartbreak of falling in love with a show, only to have the heart ripped out by the networks. And I’m a lazy viewer.
StG