HDF file to Compact Flash, how?

[Decker]

Hey,

I have a 'snapshot' of my 4GB CF IDE that I made in WinUAE some time ago.

Since then, the IDE header on my Amiga was broken and repaired, but I was left with bad blocks here and there on my CF hard drive.

To eliminate variables I want to make a fresh card using that stable HDF image. But how?

Method 1: Write the HDF file into the card. Is this possible in WinUAE or a 3rd party solution?

Method 2:
- Mount the HDF and the CF card in WinUAE.
- Boot from WB3.0 install disk adf.
- Partition and format the card.
- Copy HDF contents to corresponding partitions.

Can I use the HDtoolbox included in WB3.0 and are there any other considerations to get it stable? In fact, the drive is pre-partitioned @ amigakit the same way as my hdf is (0.5Gb / 1.6Gb / 1.6Gb FFS).



Specs:
- A1200 + ACA1230/28, KS3.0, Timing fix done
- Image is WB3, Bloodwych's ClassicWB ADVSP, Maxtransfer and ACATune maprom configured.

[supaduper]

Yes I would use method 1.
download `WinImage` (freeware) and write it back to a CF card using a USB or whaterever CF adapter you have.

*Note, the size of the image is critical with CF cards so write it back to a card of the same size or bigger !

WinImage here : http://www.winimage.com/winimage.htm

[Decker]

Thanks, that's great! UAE only has the option to grab hdf's, I somehow assumed there would be no option for dumping hdf's back to cards.

I already went with method 2. That took some time But it's all working now.


Two conclusions:

1. Always keep an hdf of your CF handy, so that when your real Amiga gets messed up, it's easy to roll back.

2. AmigaKit did an excellent job. They charged 23€ + shipping for replacing a busted IDE and repairing a botched solder job. I would have been fine with a can't be done inspection charge for that price.

They did a neat job too, very clean all things considered.

[fitzsteve]

Method 1 will only work if the HDF was imaged from the CF in the first place or if it has been created like a real Hard Drive, i.e by creating an RDB and partitions. Also if the HDF is larger then your Media it wont work.

The best idea is to use Method 2 and then take an image of the finished CF card with WinImage and keep it as a safe backup that you can restore at any time.

[Decker]

Originally Posted by fitzsteve

Method 1 will only work if the HDF was imaged from the CF in the first place or if it has been created like a real Hard Drive, i.e by creating an RDB and partitions.

Yeah, that's what I have: HDF's of two different setups that I made for a specific 1200 (ie. partitioned & formatted in system, finished in WinUAE). Took the images after testing and left them relatively untouched after that.

Copy-paste works equally well after matching the partition sizes. I guess an advantage to copy-pasting is, you can format the card to another file system. With image transfer, you're stuck with the FS you had when you made the image.

[supaduper]

Originally Posted by Decker

Yeah, that's what I have: HDF's of two different setups that I made for a specific 1200 (ie. partitioned & formatted in system, finished in WinUAE). Took the images after testing and left them relatively untouched after that.

Copy-paste works equally well after matching the partition sizes. I guess an advantage to copy-pasting is, you can format the card to another file system. With image transfer, you're stuck with the FS you had when you made the image.

Start using the PFS on your Systems and it will do away with corrupt and non validated errors

[Decker]

Maybe I'll make the other cards PFS3 in WinUAE and swap one in, if my FFS setup starts acting up.

This is the first time I've had to roll back and it involved a faulty IDE so I can't tell how much was the result of hardware problems.

But I wouldn't mind the speed gain either. Which is apparently pretty substantial.

[sodapop]

Is Method 1 work with 2 HDF files ?
My system, built under Winuae, consists of 1 HDF for the Workbench (20Mb) and 1 HDF for the Programs (100Mb), and I would like to put it on a 150Mb CF card, to be used with my real A500 + ACA500 ...
Thanks !

[prowler]

Originally Posted by sodapop

Is Method 1 work with 2 HDF files ?
My system, built under Winuae, consists of 1 HDF for the Workbench (20Mb) and 1 HDF for the Programs (100Mb), and I would like to put it on a 150Mb CF card, to be used with my real A500 + ACA500 ...
Thanks !

No, because:

Originally Posted by fitzsteve

Method 1 will only work if the HDF was imaged from the CF in the first place or if it has been created like a real Hard Drive, i.e by creating an RDB and partitions.

So, what you will have to do is use WinUAE to create a 120MB HDF like a real hard drive by creating an RDB and partitions of 20MB and 100MB, then copy everything from your existing 2 HDF files to the respective partitions in the new HDF and finally use Method 1 to write that HDF image to your CF card.

[sodapop]

@Prowler
Thanks for your answer mate... I'll try it as soon as I manage to create this damn HDF file, wich I'm struggling to do... can't remember how I did it some years ago...
Cheers !

[thomas]

Perhaps this could be helpful: http://eab.abime.net/showthread.php?p=925762#post925762

[sodapop]

@thomas
This proved to be very useful, thank you !
Now I have my system on a single hdf, but can't figure out how to "image it" on my CF card...
I tried to make my way through Winimage, but to no avail...

[prowler]

Originally Posted by sodapop

Now I have my system on a single hdf, but can't figure out how to "image it" on my CF card...
I tried to make my way through Winimage, but to no avail...

If you change the filename extension from .hdf to .img or .ima, does WinImage let you write it to the card now?

[fitzsteve]

WinImage works with .vhd files

[sodapop]

@Prowler and Fitzsteve:

Thanks for your help !
So, I renamed my hdf to ".vhd" (should have think of that by myself, stupid me), but the option that make sense, according to me, doesn't seem to work: "Restore Virtual Hard Disk to physical drive" does not list the slightest physical drive (no C:, nor D:; nor my CF card).
So, I tried to do this: "read disk" (Cf card), then "write disk" (my HDF, renamed ".vhd", to my CF card). So my CF card now contains the .vhd of my system.
Then, I put it in my ACA500, but it does not boot.

Maybe I made something wrong when I set up the HDF in Winuae (created a 500Mb HDF, RDB option enabled, UAE hd controler, partitionned it in 2 partitions (bootable 30MB HD0, non bootable 470MB HD1), installed 2.1 WB, and made a copy of a former HD1 into the new HD1), or it's me messing it up with Winimage (most likely, IMHO).

EDIT: Ok, now everything works fine... the thing was to run Winimage in administrator mode to make it list the physical drives... so this time I could choose my CF card from the list, and do a "Restore VHD to physical drive..."

Thanks for your precious help chaps !

[klx300r]

not an emualtion guy at all so this came in very handy ..thanks for posting guys