[SOLVED] CF and UAE and desperation!

[killershrew]

I am trying to prepare a CF card for when my ACA500plus arives on tuesday. I could only find an 8Gb (No 4Gb) SanDisk locally so I figured I prepare it for use in WinUAE.

I've read every guide and thread, new and old about it and I can not get it to show up in HDToolBox. I know this is a tired subject and I am sorry. Feel free to flame me. I didnt want to necro any of the old threads so I made a new one. Admin feel free to merge with old if that is better.

Things I've tried:
CF card:
brand new, nothing done to it
disk part cleaned
disk part with create part primary (raw)
disk part with create part primary then delete part (shows as unusable in win)

right now it is in create part primary mode (raw)

I've tried using standard scsi.device and patched 44.2 version. Also tried using standard UAE controller to no avail.

Some shots:
Disk part status:


Win UAE config status (looks fine to me from what i can gather from all the threads I've read):


But still: HDToolBox is blank


Have I ran into an unusable CF card or am I missing something?

[DamienD]

Hello there killershrew,

Welcome to EAB

I'm definitely no expert in this area so I'm sure someone else will assist you shortly

This post may help though: http://eab.abime.net/showpost.php?p=1145210&postcount=2

I do always hear people mentioning setting the "Max Transfer" to "0x00F1E00" for CF cards....

[alpine9000]

I've just been through the same thing.

I created a 4gb image hdf in WinUAE, set that up (uae device for hdtoolbox)

Finally just imaged the HDF to an 8gb CF (obviously only using 4gb)

Don't have my ACA500+ yet, but it worked on my a1200.

[killershrew]

Originally Posted by DamienD

Hello there killershrew,

Welcome to EAB

I'm definitely no expert in this area so I'm sure someone else will assist you shortly

This post may help though: http://eab.abime.net/showpost.php?p=1145210&postcount=2

I do always hear people mentioning setting the "Max Transfer" to "0x00F1E00" for CF cards....

Thanks for the welcome!

I forgot to add that I am ofcourse using UAE in administrator mode.

I will look through that info very carefully!

[killershrew]

Originally Posted by alpine9000

I've just been through the same thing.

I created a 4gb image hdf in WinUAE, set that up (uae device for hdtoolbox)

Finally just imaged the HDF to an 8gb CF (obviously only using 4gb)

Don't have my ACA500+ yet, but it worked on my a1200.

Interesting approach!

I might try that. How will that fare with the wrap around problems of bigger disks?

[DamienD]

Found this on the internet that may help also:

First of all, you have to edit your WinUAE shortcut. Add the modifier "-disableharddrivesafetycheck" following to the executable path. This modifier allows to the WinUAE to use the physical drives on your PC

Then, you have to create your configuration on UAE. You know, select 68020 processor, 24 bit adressing, and AGA chipset, and the Kickstart rom you own...

After this, go to the "Hard Drives" section, and click on the button that says "Add Hard Drive". It will show you a combo box with your local drives. Select the drive that represents your CF (probably an USB multi card reader), check the "Read/write" box, give It a name (HD0, for example) and click on Add Hardrive. Now, save your configuration, and run WinUAE.

At this point, you have to partition and format your drive, so start the Workbench's Installation disk from the floppy drive (the virtual one, of course).

Once it's loaded, you have to setup your disk before installing Workbench on it, so open the installation disk, go to the HDTools drawer, and select the HDToolbox.

Don't execute it now, just select the icon, and select "Information" on the "Icon" tab of the Workbench menu.

Now it opens an information window about the HDToolbox icon. Just under the "Comment" line, there is a box with the name "Tool types", and a text that says something like "SCSI_DEVICE_NAME=blah,blah,blah...". Select this line and it will be displayed on the box below. Modify the text to match this: "SCSI_DEVICE_NAME=uaehf.device", and click on Save.

This line tells to the HDTools program that it must use the embedded WinUAE's hard disk driver.

Now you can open the program, partition your disk (your CF), format it, and install Workbench on it.

[alpine9000]

Originally Posted by killershrew

Interesting approach!

I might try that. How will that fare with the wrap around problems of bigger disks?

Not sure.

I'm using a mac, so direct access to the CF via winuae running in a VM seemed unlikely to work.

I stuck with 4gb as that seemed like the most likely to work. The image has 3 partitions, 500, 1650 and 1650 as that was the config that was on the AmigaKit CF that came with my a1200.

[killershrew]

I only have my old 500 (1.3, ECS Agnus) that I've had since 1991. I have a GVP8 HD+ 105Mb drive from that era that still boots but I dont want to stress it with new stuff so i keep it in an eternal state of perpetual (ca) 1995.

[nobody]

Erase the partitions first on windows. Use some partition editor software..
Then Workbench will detect the card, that's what happened with my card.
Be careful not to erase Windows partitions.

[thomas]

Originally Posted by killershrew

But still: HDToolBox is blank

Check icon information of HDToolbox. There should be some tooltypes you might have to change:

For UAE controller there should be SCSI_DEVICE_NAME=uaehf.device
For IDE controller there should be SCSI_DEVICE_NAME=scsi.device

Only if SCSI_DEVICE_NAME matches controller it will find the HDD. It does not matter whether it is a CF card a HDF or anything else.

In order to use IDE controller, you have to set matching KS ROM and Chipset. If you use KS ROM for A1200 you have to set Chipset to A1200, too.

[killershrew]

I used setting from a CF prepare guide. I will try also standard a1200 config (will be using 3.1 rom on aca). Will def check tool info on icons, not done that yet.

Right now my 8 year old is making me play homm3 though

Skickat från min SM-G900F via Tapatalk

[nobody]

For more help: i used Active partition manager. Erased cf card partitions, then insert card on Windows. Obviously then you will not format it on windows. Then attach the card on Winuae

http://pcdisk.com/

[Toni Wilen]

Thomas already replied with all the important answers

Not having erased partition or Windows mounted partition would affect "add harddrive" list. Either drive would not appear in list or appears as "access denied" or refuses to mount read-write.

(-disable.. has been obsolete for ages)

[nobody]

I tried many times with changing HDtoolbox icon information and nothing happened, when i erased partitions of cf card then it detected the card.
But could be some problem on my reader too, you never know.

[killershrew]

Config set to cloanto licensed 3.1 rom and AGA chipset.
Tried to use both uaehf.device and scsi.device options in Icon but problem persists. HDinstTools had scsi.device remmed out but "unremming" it made no difference.

I read in ome places about cards that just wont work with UAE, could this be the case or are there still things to try?

[killershrew]

And I really really appreciate you guys taking the time to try and help me Thanks. I found somewhere to order a 4Gb CF online so it should be arriving next week if I cant get this to work

[Toni Wilen]

It still sounds like not using A1200 hardware (chipset -> chipset extra).

Attach your config.

[killershrew]

YES! That did it! just that Little Word extra made all the difference! Such a silly mistake! Shows up now. On to next step!

Thank you so so much!

I might be visiting my wifes family in Tammerfors in the summerso I might drop by Tavastehus and drop a few beers at your doorstep

Originally Posted by Toni Wilen

It still sounds like not using A1200 hardware (chipset -> chipset extra).

Attach your config.

[killershrew]

I've succesfully (I think) partitioned and set up a ClassicWB 68k CF card to use in my ACA500plus. Thank you everyone who helped!

[killershrew]

I wanted to put [SOLVED] before the title for others who search this but I cant find a way to edit the actual thread title?