The invention relates to recovering files stored on a HDD of a Personal Video Recorder (PVR) in the case of a crash of the HDD. Every time a file is stored on an external medium special information of the file system of the HDD is stored—optionally in encrypted form—on the medium as far as enough storage capacities available there. According to the invention the stored information is overwritten if a rewritable medium is used. By that the medium can be optimally used. If the HDD fails the stored information can be used to copy the files to external media.