Amiga out of loft. What now ha?

[Kola]

Hi guys,

I got my Amiga out of the loft. Back in the day I didnt have a harddrive, but somewhere along the line I have picked up a CF card to whatever port that is front left of an Amiga 1200.

I have accessed the card in my laptopp via a USB covertor and there is stuff on there.

How do I get to see the card from my Amiga 1200?

When it boots up it loads right into workbench. How about that? I thought I had to put floppys in it to get this to happen back in the 90s.

I do remember buying bits and pieces for it around a decade ago but dont remember doing anything with that. This is obviously where the CF card has came from.

I think it best I am classed as a total and utter newbie. Any advice to get me up and running greatly appreciated.

[alexh]

You've almost certainly got an IDE device of some kind inside your A1200 that it's booting from. Probably an IDE->CF adapter and another CF card.

What you need to do next is get CFD (the driver that activates the PCMCIA slot for your external CF card) and also FAT95.

You could use a PC formatted 720k disk. Or you could take the IDE device out of your A,1200 and plug it into your PC and use WinUAE to get the files on there.

Once you have CFD on the IDE drive you will be able to use the external CF card to transfer files from the PC.

Maybe you will be in luck and CFD will already be on the drive just not set up correctly?

Google for Amiga CFD FAT95 for countless guides on his to do it.

It will become second nature on how to transfer games/demos/apps from PC to Amiga once you're going

[Kola]

Hi Alex,

Thanks muchas for the detailed reply.


Stupidly I am going to just try for now from where you say " Maybe you will be in luck and CFD will already be on the drive just not set up correctly"

Is thats the case (as if but im kinda lazy so try that first)

Is this what I need to do?

[ Show youtube player ]

Ill give this a whirl tomorrow and report back with thanks or thanks and way more questions

[alexh]

Yes that's it.

The directories and partitions on your system will look a little different.

First see if you have lha installed already? (Lha is the Amiga equivalent of Zip) Just open cli (shell) and type lha. Something like "Command not found" you'll have to look for lha.run too.

If you get to the end and PCMCIA CF card doesn't work reliably, in addition you may need cardpatch from aminet installed

[Kola]

Oh my word. Alex, thanks but you're talking in riddles haha.

Ive never ever used Shell in my life and have no clue how the directories are set up on an Amiga. Happy to learn though and again very thankful for your time but you're going too fast.

I do understand the consept of Shell. I have used Terminal (very very very x 15 basically) on Linux Mint.

So,

1 - " First see if you have lha installed already? (Lha is the Amiga equivalent of Zip) Just open cli (shell) and type lha. Something like "Command not found" you'll have to look for lha.run too."

Got most of that. Where do I look for lha.run. Just everywhere in the System folder?

2 - " If you get to the end and PCMCIA CF card doesn't work reliably, in addition you may need cardpatch from aminet installed "

Mate Ill se if I can do 1 first and then report back.

Very thankful for your time

[van_dammesque]

I'd start by opening the thing up (and PSU but make sure it has been disconnected from the mains for an hour, as the charge may linger, it can be very dangerous!!!)
Check for leaking or bulging caps, if a battery is present check that leakage too.

[Turran]

Here is one example or leaking caps, but it does not have to be this bad for it to be time to have them replaced. http://eab.abime.net/showthread.php?t=98613

If the 2 solder joints on either side of the cap is not nice and shiny but instead is a dull gray, its time.

More likely than not, its time for sure. And like van_dammesque said, if you have an expansion in there, check if there is a battery on it that looks corroded.

If in doubt, take some pics for us =)

[Kola]

Hiya all,

Opening things up and soldering and stuff way beyond my capability. If It blows up I guess Ill just have to get another. I know this may seem ridiculous to thoughs who have the skill set. But I just got a new Combi boiler fitted. To the Heating Engineer its a piece of P. To me I wouldn't know where to start.

I suppose most people on these boards are whizz kids with this stuff. Like my heating engineer to the Combi. To me it is completely and utterly alien. I have tried taking things apart before. Broke them in one way or another. Think I am very heavy handed. Again again, not everyone can become a surgeon just because they want too. No, Im thankful for your help but these things to me best left to those that can. Shame no one lives near. Id gladly pay someone to do it all.

On the note of the hard drive and sorting all these files and such. Can I just buy the HD card with all this stuff on it. Or isn't there an image file anywhere I can just apply? I was on a classic mac forum once and they had an install image and you just followed this YT vid and did what he did and then your mac was up and running with all the apps you could ever need.

[alexh]

At this point you don't need to open it up. It works. Use it. If you enjoy using it and want to extend its life later it's about £60 to send it away to somewhere like RetroPassion to get it serviced before it breaks down..

Follow the video you linked to. It shows you how to use the mouse to open the HDD, shows how to find the folder with the Shell program and it opens a window you can type in.

Once you can do that we can talk you through looking what's on your HDD. I really think everything will be in there just not quite set up right.

Once it's working you'll be able to download anything you like and transfer it using the external card.

Yes you can pay a premium for a replacement **internal HDD/CF card**. But you would have to unscrew your Amiga to replace it.

I think we can get CFD and FAT95 working on your HDD without opening it up using what you have. You set up up once before or you were in the process of trying to.

Worst case someone posts you a floppy disk with the programs in.

[malko]

Originally Posted by Boing-Ball

I believe this to be a duplicate thread to this one….

http://eab.abime.net/showthread.php?t=113818

Closed by Jope, as the OP was looking for illegal copied Workbench/AmigaOS from users on this forum….

You should put down your crusading knight's armour and read better. Perhaps your lowered visor prevents a close reading

[fgh]

Originally Posted by Boing-Ball

I believe this to be a duplicate thread to this one….

http://eab.abime.net/showthread.php?t=113818

Closed by Jope, as the OP was looking for illegal copied Workbench/AmigaOS from users on this forum….

I’d say it was closed as members were being jerks instead of helping him out.
He has a 1200, getting help installing the OS is not illegal.

[TCD]

Maybe it is worth reading the board rules: http://eab.abime.net/faq.php?faq=eab..._ks_wb_faqitem

[Kola]

Hi,

For the 100th time I cannot understand how I can be doing anything illegal when I bought my A1200 in 1992 from Dixons here in UK.

People asking me why I haven't got original workbench disks. Seriously??? Dont you guys go out or move house or anything? 32 years ago (1992) I was engaged to a girl. I haven't a clue where the £500 ring went or the girl or what her name was but you expect me to be lying just because I cant find some disks?

Im ex military, 22 years, I have move like 700 times! Things get lost, misplaced etc etc.
Anyhow, I haven't come on here to argue or bicker but understand people love doing this as a pastime.

I'm sorry if I have brought the EAB into disrepute with MI6 and the FBI and if the SAS have been dispatched to top me for my gross copyright violation of wanting an OS for "MY" Amiga.

It is worth noting I have been a member here for a lot of years. Im not some troll. It would be nice if people could just take my word rather than just write me off.

It may be worth it if the Mods are allowed to Moderate. Rather than the trumped up members. Too many chiefs.

I have nothing further to say on this so flame away.

You know what I have. I wish everyone well.

[alexh]

It's a little crazy but rules are rules. ("The Zone!" contains lots of games under copyright. But we seem to turn a blind eye to that.)

There is nothing any of us can do openly on this forum even though every A1200 owner owns a copy of AmigaOS 3.0+

BUT you already have AmigaOS 3.0+ on a booting HDD inside your A1200!

If you are very stuck, someone here could send you LHA, CFD and FAT95 on an Amiga floppy disk for you to install onto your HDD. Once installed you can download anything you need to your PC to transfer to the Amiga using the external PCMCIA CF adapter.

BUTI imagine you already have these files. Just not set up correctly. Follow the instructions above, get a Shell open, list your hard drive contents and report back we can instruct you.

[Retro1234]

I'm impartial but it is a bit crazy I could upload a CF image that boots strate into MAC OS but not in Workbench.

It maybe possible to help you what physical Disks do you own?
Do you have a CF?

If he's talking about an internal CF it maybe possible to upload an image that he can easily write back on Windows or other OS.

Originally Posted by Retro1234

Maybe with something like WinImage or USB Image Tool
https://eab.abime.net/showthread.php?t=67293
http://eab.abime.net/showthread.php?...77#post1244677
Someone could have created an image of Amiga Format Coverdisk 40 or maybe an Aros bootdisk to get you started.

[malko]

Originally Posted by Boing-Ball

Read much? Title says it all… [...]

Titre says : "Amiga out of loft. What now ha?"

The other thread you are referring to has a title that says : "Can anyone compile a CF card that I can just plug into my A1200 and it will work?"
That's correct, but what's wrong with asking for help. And furthermore proposing to pay for the work done/time spend doing it ?
Amiga is NOT PC in the sense that a multitasking GUI OS is included with the computer. In PC world you have to buy it aside (bundle exists but OS is NOT included). In Amiga world, you buy new OS & ROM release only if you have the use of it or want it.
So, at the first place, was the help he asked for, including an OS release not binded to the computer he owns ? I see absolutely no evidences of that in this other thread.

Why didn't you choose at first place to help him setting up a CF card. Given the hassle it can be, as the second post in the thread, it would have been more constructive than what you have posted...

Furthermore, with you way of seeing things you are not entitled to share with your friends/colleagues any disk(s) that include commands such as : "addbuffets, ask, assign, avail, binddrivers, break, CD, changetaskpri, copy, date, delete, dir, diskchange, diskdoctor, echo, ed, edit, else, endcli, endif, endskip, eval, execute, failat, fault, ff, filenote, getenv, iconx, if, info, install, join, lab, list, loadwb, lock, makedir, mount, newcli, newshell, path, prompt, protect, quit, relabel, remrad, rename, resident, run, search, setclock, setdate, setenv, setpatch, skip, sort, stack, status, type, version, wait, which, why, etc." even if the person own the same Amiga as yours...
This sounds weird, you know... Also, with your way of seeing things, I am not sure anyone will be willing to help you if once your WB disks get damaged/lost/eaten by your dog,cat,etc.. even if only a few files get corrupted.

Originally Posted by Boing-Ball

[...] Op was asking for a copy of Workbench/AmigaOS… Thread has been edited since…. This closed by a Moderator… [...]

I cannot see any proof of any OP's posts being edited (OP: Kola).
Usually, when a post is edited, there is a note at the bottom of the edited post. Can you see any that I don't in Kola's posts ?

By the way, you can jump here to read the reasons why the thread was closed : https://eab.abime.net/showpost.php?p...21&postcount=3

Originally Posted by Boing-Ball

[...] Time to refresh yourself with the rules perhaps…

I have seen no one not following the rules. Simply, try not to interpret too much. Reason for me to ask you to "put down your crusading knight's armour"

[malko]

@Retro1234 : nice new avatar

[alexh]

Originally Posted by Retro1234

If he's talking about an internal CF it maybe possible to upload an image that he can easily write back on Windows or other OS.

He doesn't know what is inside his Amiga and I am getting the feeling he is reluctant to open it. (Understandable, there are screws to loose, case clips to break, keyboard ribbon cables that don't go back in etc.)

And if he did open it, and it was a CF card inside, the OP could just as easily load WinUAE and copy CFD, FAT95 and LHA directly onto it.

[Retro1234]

Could be an interesting project to create an image with tools or Games/AGS that someone can just easily and quickly write to an CF on a PC with one of these imaging apps.

[alexh]

I was of the understanding there were images out there which as long as you had a set of workbench floppy disks they could install "backwards", i.e. copy the required non-distributable files from the disks to the HDD on the first boot.

I seem to remember they worked with 1.3, 2.04, 2.1, 3.0 and 3.1

That said I can't find any