Check CF hard disk for errors

illy5603 · 20 June 2017, 22:59

Hello,

I have been using the same 4GB CF card in my A1200 for about 9 years now. The other day, a checksum error message appeared while using the A1200 in workbench. I clicked on it and it went away.

I am using FFS but I do have IDE-FIX97 board installed and have the doobrey patched scsi.device kicked up into ROM. Both partitions, DH0: and DH1: are under 2GB.

What utility or command can I use to check and repair the file system? That aside, is there any benefit to going with another file system going forward? I don't know if my technical chops are up to rebuilding this system from scratch.

jPV · 21 June 2017, 07:36

In old times I used ABTools (Ami Back Tools) to fix any FFS filesystem errors. It did fix checksum errors, but it also could mark bad blocks if the disk was physically damaged. I think I used it by its "Analyst" or such option, which first checked the disk and then asked for further options to fix any found errors.

So, I'd try that nowadays too with such 2GB/4GB/FFS setup. But I'd seriously recommend to make a raw image of the CF card first to other computer. If anything goes wrong, then you can always revert it to the original situation, or even to other card if the current card is just too messed up or broken.

ABTools was always successful and quick while other options like Disksalv etc were just too slow and unreliable in comparison.

Jope · 21 June 2017, 08:49

Another vote for ABTools. FFS checksum errors are not always due to media corruption. Very often they are a result of a power cut or reset during writing.

illy5603 · 21 June 2017, 18:04

Thanks for the replies. I have a second CF card that I have been backing up the main one to every so often. Is it possible to make this CF card bootable in advance in case I need to swap them or would I have to have my 3.1 floppies to boot from?

idrougge · 21 June 2017, 20:03

How did you do the backups? Via PCMCIA?

jPV · 21 June 2017, 21:53

Quote:

Originally Posted by illy5603

Thanks for the replies. I have a second CF card that I have been backing up the main one to every so often. Is it possible to make this CF card bootable in advance in case I need to swap them or would I have to have my 3.1 floppies to boot from?

If you have made the backup by copying by raw images, then it's naturally bootable (1:1 copy), but if you have just copied the files in filesystem level, then it depends how have you formatted the second card and do you have bootable flag on its RDB.

illy5603 · 21 June 2017, 22:25

Currently I plug the second CF card into the PCMCIA slot and copy all from Diropus. I have an available port on my IDE-FIX Express adapter so I could plug it in there as well I suppose and have it always available.

jPV · 21 June 2017, 23:00

When it's in PCMCIA, it likely is in FAT format and that doesn't preserve Amiga's native file attributes, so it isn't a perfect backup. If you want a good backup by copying in filesystem level, you'd have to plug it in IDE and reformat it to Amiga filesystem and copy then (preferrably from the shell with "Copy ALL CLONE", although DOpus probably preserves file attributes too, but not 100% sure about that).

idrougge · 21 June 2017, 23:12

You can use PCMCIA for Amiga format as well. Direct HDToolbox to cfd.device and partition it like a normal hard drive. Then use GiggleDisk to make a suitable mountlist. Now you can easily swap cards between IDE and PCMCIA (but no longer readable for a PC or Mac).

illy5603 · 21 June 2017, 23:50

Ok, I will look into all of these things. I have a CF card that I use to transfer files between my MAC and Amiga that I believe is FAT. I will stop backing up to this CF and use it only to transfer archived files over from my Mac when I download them from the net.

I have another CF card and I do not remember if it is formatted or not. I will try to format with HDtoolbox as suggested. If I cannot get it to format from PCMCIA slot as suggested I will see if I can fit it alongside the existing CF card inside the 1200. I will then work on a copy batch file to mirror the contents from the original CF card to this second one. I am not familiar with giggle disk, so I don't really understand with that is going to do for me.

Amiga1992 · 22 June 2017, 05:27

Quote:

Originally Posted by idrougge

Now you can easily swap cards between IDE and PCMCIA (but no longer readable for a PC or Mac).

They can be read by WinUAE on the PC though

That's a great tip, I didn't know cfd.device would work with a regular Amiga filesystem!

To be fair, I don't think I ever, or rather rarely, ran into issues with copying Amiga stuff to a FAT volume. Issues usually involve either stupid characters on filename (like using *) or very long filenames.

illy5603 · 22 June 2017, 06:55

I don't use WINUAE right now but compatibility would be cool. I got the CF card scanned with Amiback Tools and it appears clean, must have just been a random read glitch. Man this thing is fast with the ide-fix97 scsi.device in RAM.

jPV · 22 June 2017, 07:23

Quote:

Originally Posted by Akira

To be fair, I don't think I ever, or rather rarely, ran into issues with copying Amiga stuff to a FAT volume. Issues usually involve either stupid characters on filename (like using *) or very long filenames.

Well, if you're making a backup of the system files or installed software, you'll at least lose the S bit from scripts and the P bit from commands which can be made resident. Your system won't be as intented after that, even if you wouldn't notice it first. You probably notice some scripts failing sooner or later.

File comments are also lost and at least I don't like that either... I like keeping download info etc what you have on those.

idrougge · 22 June 2017, 12:01

Same here. Not to mention that FAT does crazy things with file names shorter than 9 characters.

Daedalus · 22 June 2017, 12:52

And, probably of lesser importance but still mildly annoying, FAT will round all file dates to the nearest 2 seconds.

Amiga1992 · 22 June 2017, 15:53

I see there's more problems than I originally thought.
In any case, my method of backing up is popping the card in WinUAE and making an image of it. That way I don't lose a thing and restoring to a backup is easy.

ily, I suggest you be rid of FFS though, as it is prone to errors like what you just mentioned.

illy5603 · 22 June 2017, 16:58

Quote:

Originally Posted by Akira

I see there's more problems than I originally thought.
In any case, my method of backing up is popping the card in WinUAE and making an image of it. That way I don't lose a thing and restoring to a backup is easy.

ily, I suggest you be rid of FFS though, as it is prone to errors like what you just mentioned.

I imagine I would have to have another CF card formatted in the appropriate file system first, set it as bootable and then copy everything over? I have never used or installed another file system before so I am not sure how to go about it.

idrougge · 23 June 2017, 01:39

I just did this via PCMCIA when I filled up my old card and needed to migrate to a bigger card.

20 June 2017, 22:59	#1
illy5603 Registered User Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: SPaT CiTY Posts: 557	Check CF hard disk for errors Hello, I have been using the same 4GB CF card in my A1200 for about 9 years now. The other day, a checksum error message appeared while using the A1200 in workbench. I clicked on it and it went away. I am using FFS but I do have IDE-FIX97 board installed and have the doobrey patched scsi.device kicked up into ROM. Both partitions, DH0: and DH1: are under 2GB. What utility or command can I use to check and repair the file system? That aside, is there any benefit to going with another file system going forward? I don't know if my technical chops are up to rebuilding this system from scratch.

21 June 2017, 18:04	#4
illy5603 Registered User Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: SPaT CiTY Posts: 557	Thanks for the replies. I have a second CF card that I have been backing up the main one to every so often. Is it possible to make this CF card bootable in advance in case I need to swap them or would I have to have my 3.1 floppies to boot from? Last edited by illy5603; 21 June 2017 at 18:10.

21 June 2017, 23:50	#10
illy5603 Registered User Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: SPaT CiTY Posts: 557	Ok, I will look into all of these things. I have a CF card that I use to transfer files between my MAC and Amiga that I believe is FAT. I will stop backing up to this CF and use it only to transfer archived files over from my Mac when I download them from the net. I have another CF card and I do not remember if it is formatted or not. I will try to format with HDtoolbox as suggested. If I cannot get it to format from PCMCIA slot as suggested I will see if I can fit it alongside the existing CF card inside the 1200. I will then work on a copy batch file to mirror the contents from the original CF card to this second one. I am not familiar with giggle disk, so I don't really understand with that is going to do for me. Last edited by illy5603; 21 June 2017 at 23:57.

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21 June 2017, 07:36	#2
jPV Registered User Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: RNO Posts: 1,006	In old times I used ABTools (Ami Back Tools) to fix any FFS filesystem errors. It did fix checksum errors, but it also could mark bad blocks if the disk was physically damaged. I think I used it by its "Analyst" or such option, which first checked the disk and then asked for further options to fix any found errors. So, I'd try that nowadays too with such 2GB/4GB/FFS setup. But I'd seriously recommend to make a raw image of the CF card first to other computer. If anything goes wrong, then you can always revert it to the original situation, or even to other card if the current card is just too messed up or broken. ABTools was always successful and quick while other options like Disksalv etc were just too slow and unreliable in comparison.

21 June 2017, 08:49	#3
Jope - Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Helsinki / Finland Age: 43 Posts: 9,861	Another vote for ABTools. FFS checksum errors are not always due to media corruption. Very often they are a result of a power cut or reset during writing.

21 June 2017, 20:03	#5
idrougge Registered User Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Stockholm Posts: 4,332	How did you do the backups? Via PCMCIA?

21 June 2017, 22:25	#7
illy5603 Registered User Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: SPaT CiTY Posts: 557	Currently I plug the second CF card into the PCMCIA slot and copy all from Diropus. I have an available port on my IDE-FIX Express adapter so I could plug it in there as well I suppose and have it always available.

21 June 2017, 23:00	#8
jPV Registered User Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: RNO Posts: 1,006	When it's in PCMCIA, it likely is in FAT format and that doesn't preserve Amiga's native file attributes, so it isn't a perfect backup. If you want a good backup by copying in filesystem level, you'd have to plug it in IDE and reformat it to Amiga filesystem and copy then (preferrably from the shell with "Copy ALL CLONE", although DOpus probably preserves file attributes too, but not 100% sure about that).

21 June 2017, 23:12	#9
idrougge Registered User Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Stockholm Posts: 4,332	You can use PCMCIA for Amiga format as well. Direct HDToolbox to cfd.device and partition it like a normal hard drive. Then use GiggleDisk to make a suitable mountlist. Now you can easily swap cards between IDE and PCMCIA (but no longer readable for a PC or Mac).

22 June 2017, 06:55	#12
illy5603 Registered User Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: SPaT CiTY Posts: 557	I don't use WINUAE right now but compatibility would be cool. I got the CF card scanned with Amiback Tools and it appears clean, must have just been a random read glitch. Man this thing is fast with the ide-fix97 scsi.device in RAM.

22 June 2017, 12:01	#14
idrougge Registered User Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Stockholm Posts: 4,332	Same here. Not to mention that FAT does crazy things with file names shorter than 9 characters.

22 June 2017, 12:52	#15
Daedalus Registered User Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Dublin, then Glasgow Posts: 6,335	And, probably of lesser importance but still mildly annoying, FAT will round all file dates to the nearest 2 seconds.

22 June 2017, 15:53	#16
Amiga1992 Registered User Join Date: May 2001 Location: ? Posts: 19,645	I see there's more problems than I originally thought. In any case, my method of backing up is popping the card in WinUAE and making an image of it. That way I don't lose a thing and restoring to a backup is easy. ily, I suggest you be rid of FFS though, as it is prone to errors like what you just mentioned.

23 June 2017, 01:39	#18
idrougge Registered User Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Stockholm Posts: 4,332	I just did this via PCMCIA when I filled up my old card and needed to migrate to a bigger card.

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