Member Since: 23 Oct 2007
Location: greenville, sc
Posts: 124
Does satnav system use a real hard drive?
I saw a few posts about how the hard drive for the satnav system is behind the screen...but is it a standard sata disk drive that you can attach to a computer and poke around in?
I had this grand vision of being able to access the image files that make up the god awful home screen interface so i could replace them with my own designs...2013 LR4 HSE lux | Santorini Black | 5.0 V8
9th Feb 2014 5:38 pm
jack2006
Member Since: 12 Feb 2009
Location: Matlock, Derbyshire
Posts: 106
The nav unit on later D4 is in the IAM (Integrated Audio Module) which also houses the FM radio. The hard disk fitted in this module is 2.5 inch and if I remember looks pretty much standard. That said I don't know its format so unsure if you could read it directly. One thought is that the map updates are done via th eUSB port so perhaps you could access the drive via that?
Jack
13th Feb 2014 8:14 pm
wiggs
Member Since: 03 Sep 2006
Location: Manchester
Posts: 14368
You can't read any data from the hard drive .. I have tried G4 Gone ...but not forgotten
13th Feb 2014 9:03 pm
pherplexed
Member Since: 23 Oct 2007
Location: greenville, sc
Posts: 124
2013 LR4 HSE lux | Santorini Black | 5.0 V8
13th Feb 2014 10:35 pm
luciogodoy
Member Since: 14 Apr 2008
Location: Windsor - UK
Posts: 356
wiggs wrote:
You can't read any data from the hard drive .. I have tried
Jesus you have tried all"
LucioI'm riding a R1250GSA Triple Back
Previous love: Disco 3 HSE MY07, D4 heated Steering/W, D4 rear cluster, D4 extended roof rack, D4 grille & air grille, D4 rear bumper, colour coded arches + front bumper, side-steps, Webasto timer/ remote control, De-Tangoed Xenon headlights + HID, LEDs all around, reverse CAM (RR hack) + brightness, DLR LEDs, 3-click indicator, SatNav on the move, EGR's done, front/rear antiroll bar Polybush, gearbox pan/filter + oil mega-flush.
13th Feb 2014 10:48 pm
doddsy72
Member Since: 04 May 2011
Location: Exmouth WA
Posts: 29
Hard drive access
Hi All
So the files cannot be accessed, I guess because they are written as code.
BUT : can someone try to "clone" their drive using drive imaging software ?
This could be amazing for those of use without sat nav, if a standard disc could be cloned and the inserted, enabled with iidtool in the ccf ?
Cloning does not care about encrypted files as it copies the raw data then rewrites it back exactly as it found the original. It takes minutes to do.
Maybe this would be a way around standard update procedures, and allow newer data discs to be put on older systems?
All data on the drive would be captured, thus any software installs too.
It make me wonder if the icontrol systems would work from RR to D 4. ?
Come on wiggs, this must be a teaser ?
30th Oct 2014 3:13 am
TheOneAndOnlyNikolaus
Member Since: 13 Jul 2008
Location: Vienna
Posts: 140
Trying to clone the drive also might open the opportunity to replace the HDD with a SSD to improve loading performance of the Navigation System...
30th Oct 2014 7:57 am
Nubber99
Member Since: 13 Apr 2014
Location: Poole
Posts: 289
I have a D4 sat nav that I'm going to fit to my D3.
The hard disc is an Hitachi one, used in automotive applications.
It's IDE, not SATA. So if you want to use an SSD, you'll need an IDE one.
It's 40GB, which is a size you just can't get in an SSD, so you''ll have to use a 64GB one.
I tried to clone it using a USB-IDE converter, and all the apps I usually use and work just wouldn't do it. This was under Windows.
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20th Dec 2014 12:28 pm
promitheus
Member Since: 04 Jul 2009
Location: Afidnes, Greece
Posts: 570
Most of these systems are usually UNIX based, so I'd guess you'd have more chances to succeed if you tried accessing the drive from a Unix machine.
20th Dec 2014 1:20 pm
Nubber99
Member Since: 13 Apr 2014
Location: Poole
Posts: 289
Yes - the bootable CD I linked to is Linux based.
20th Dec 2014 1:25 pm
Mr.Tom
Member Since: 01 Jun 2014
Location: St Neots
Posts: 1641
It's a real mix bag, but most are Linux, there is also winCE, WEA7, vxworks, android, green hills as well....Sill protection - LED internal lights - LED reverse lights - boot liner - Dog Guard - Rock sliders
MY12 D4 HSE - been and gome
MY16 D4 Landmark
20th Dec 2014 2:47 pm
Nubber99
Member Since: 13 Apr 2014
Location: Poole
Posts: 289
True, there are lots of operating systems that are used in devices like sat nav's etc.
The important thing is if whatever you are using to address the disc can read it sector by sector and not presume any type of disc format.
Even when you find something that seems to work, the final result isn't correct.
I think that using a linux os to read the disc is more likely to work than others, because you are a lot closer to the hardware than you are with Windows.
I guess you could use something else, but I'm not that familiar with other os's. We used to use VxWorks a while back, but that was in a semi embedded system with no disc. WinCE might work, I guess.
20th Dec 2014 2:54 pm
Mr.Tom
Member Since: 01 Jun 2014
Location: St Neots
Posts: 1641
Sorry, my last post obviously did not come across properly. I meant there are lots of operating a systems used in the car head units. All those listed have been deployed in vehicles that I know of. I think the disco 4, at least my12 is , linuxSill protection - LED internal lights - LED reverse lights - boot liner - Dog Guard - Rock sliders
MY12 D4 HSE - been and gome
MY16 D4 Landmark
20th Dec 2014 5:31 pm
doddsy72
Member Since: 04 May 2011
Location: Exmouth WA
Posts: 29
Cloning the drive
Should be easy enough to find an IDE drive, I am really surprised the newer tech is not involved.
Have you tried Clonezilla ? That's good for Linux based stuff.
I wish I had opted for the Sat Nav, just so I could have a play with the hardrive.
I spent years building corporate disk images and cloning them using various tools.
Nubber99, is onto it, forget what OS is on there and do a low level clone.
If it works it will be identical, the car would not know it has a different disk installed.
here is a little blog, using Linux Ubuntu and DD to perform a low level clone.
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I was hoping you were going to be the one to crack it 
