I'm stuck already (4GB CF HD)
 

I've just returned to my A1200 project after another wave of nostalgia. :bowdown

Basically, I've purchased an IDE>CF adapter off Ebay, stuck a 4GB Sandisk CF card in there but cannot get it to show up? I put the WB3.1 install disk in but none of the tools seem to be able to do anything with regards to partitioning it. :banghead

Am I missing something obvious? :help

The program to use is HDToolbox in the HDTools directory. Check its icon information if there is a tooltype reading SCSI_DEVICE_NAME=scsi.device. If it is not scsi.device, then change it and retry.

If the CF card is not recognised, then it's probably incompatible.

In that program under SCSI it shows a device with define new, edit old and delete old.

If I click define or edit it brings up a screen asking for the number of cyclinders, heads etc what is the right settings to use?

The card was bought from Amigakit so I doubt it's that.

edit: on the main hdtoolbox screen it says Interface(SCSI), Address(0), LUN(0), Status(Unknown) and my only available option is change drive type which takes me to the settings earlier.

The HDToolbox icon information says SCSI_DEVICE_NAME=scsi.device as you described.

in the screen asking for cylinders etc, click read drive information

Ok I think I made progress, the "st9190ag" that was showing up is presumably a profile for the original 170GB HD that came with the Amiga, I selected that and it seemed to make a 170GB partition.

What settings do you use for a 4GB CF though? or do you just make them up and nearest to 4GB as you can?

I already tried that it says "Unit is not a disk (type 7).

was the compact flash adapter bought from amigakit too?

Edit i see in first post it wasn't

No Ebay.

I had already been using the 4GB CF card on PC if that matters? so it's probably FAT formatted.

It shouldn't matter, Hdtools should see it regardless of what filesystem is on there.
Don;t use it with that 170mb definition..it's incorrect and may damage the drive.

Yeah that's what I though.

I wouldn't have thought it mattered as CF don't have any heads or cyclinders?

Anyway, I've managed to get two partitions... when I clicked read drive information and it gave that "Unit is not a disk (type 7)" error it still updated all the cyclinders etc even though the partition size showed as -270MB I went along with it and it seems to have worked okay.

Thanks for your assistance.

I've got two 1912MB partitions is that right or should it be bang on 4GB with a CF?

Also do I need to change anything in the advanced drive options, I've heard MaxTransfer needs to be changed to 0x1fe00 but is there anything else?

Thanks again.

I got a "not enough room" message when it came to the Workbench Fonts disk, there's nearly 2GB free? :confused

Sounds like you're getting there Mick, I remember having to search these forums when I set my CF card up. I'm just about to shoot off to work, but have a look at this thread to see if there's some useful info:

http://eab.abime.net/showthread.php?...200+hard+drive

:)

I'll have a read of that now thank you and yes I've managed to get WB3.1 installed perfectly now, the fonts disk error was due to too big a partition so I'm strictly under 2GB now. Sorry for the panic I expected it to be a lot easier than this but I guess I've been dumbed down something chronic by 15yrs Windows use. :laughing

loadwb
endcli

...it's all flooding back now. :cheese

Thanks for all the assistance everyone.

Plug it back in your PC and use winuae to install ClassicWb ;)

Yes I will be sure to give that a try.

BTW I have been doing some research and I think I know why I was having trouble with HDtoolbox and this error:

Apparently most compact flash cards are factory set to operate as an "optical memory device" (type 7), there is supposed to be a program Sandisk released to change it to a "direct access device" (type 0) which I think should allow HDtoolbox to detect it as a fixed disk hard drive.

Then again I need another CF card anyway for PCMCIA transfer use so I might just pick up a Transcend CF card for the main HD, these are said to work automatically as either.

Here is a good source of information if anybody is interested:
http://www.thinkwiki.org/wiki/Compact_Flash_boot_drive

Press F12.
Remove cf card.
Reinsert.
Resume Emulation.
Try again, you will find it works, :).

I'm trying to do this without using WinUAE if I can help it, it would feel like cheating. :laughing

I've ordered a Transcend 4GB CF hopefully that will partition in hdtoolbox on the Amiga without any such issues and I'll just use the Sandisk for transferring stuff (it was part of a PCMCIA kit anyway).

I need to look into getting some kind of video adapter or RGB scart cable, my PC is interfering with the standard RF connection something chronic.

Just did this myself...
In WinUAE I had to choose IDE0 and for HDToolbox for the drive prep, I chose uaehf.device. Then I was able to install the OS in AmigaOS and get it to work in WinUAE.
(I've seen people mention having to use other than IDE0 and/or scsi.device, so I'm not sure it's the same with every setup.)

Just tried the CF card in my A1200 and it worked..
In fact, that's the fastest AmigaOS boot I've ever seen.. :-) WOW!!!

Of course, then I remembered that, being a "clean" install, there's no FAT driver for the PCMCIA card, so I couldn't easily transfer anything..
Hmm.. Should have done that in WinUAE first, while I still had the card the PC.
Oh well, I was thinking of using ClassicWB anyway, and now I know it works..

Apparently, my cheapo IDE-CF adapter is one of the ones that doesn't work with the HD light. I know there's a fix, but I think I'll just get it all set up before I start breaking things..

Also, are there any recommendations for covering the adapter, so it doesn't short out anything? Just place it in a little anti-static plastic or something like that?
I wouldn't think that the adapter would get very hot???

desiv

No, with this combination it definitely does not work. You can either choose IDE0 controller and scsi.device or UAE controller and uaehf.device. A mixture cannot work. Scsi.device is the driver for the internal IDE controller (IDE0, IDE1 etc.) and uaehf.device is the driver for the UAE pseudo-controller. In HDToolbox you need to use the driver for the controller the HDD is connected to.

I've seen people using the antistatic plastic bag the adapter came in.

I just stuck a strip of electrical tape over the solder points on the back of mine.

Scratch that.. (What I typed and just deleted) :bash
You're right which you knew.. :agree

I just checked and my current WinUAE config isn't IDE0 for the HD..

My bad..

desiv

Bit of an update I got the Transcend 4GB CF today and it was even more difficult to set up.

Using HDToolbox I got no errors as such but I was only ever able to see the first partition, in the end I wiped the card with Windows and used HDinst from aminet and managed to get it set up with 3 working partitions via that.