Trying to transfer ClassicWB to 4GB CF and at the end of my tether!!!

[pinchez]

I've spent a fortune and an absolute age building my Amiga 1200 with Blizzard Mk IV 030 FPU with 64mb and Amigakit 4GB CF Kit etc.

Early this morning I installed WinUAE on my PC with KS 3.1, Classic Workbench and thought I better try copying the files from the ClassicWB.HDF to my 4GB CF before I start installing games etc. just to make sure it works.

I've had so many problems and read so many solutions I think my heads going to explode! Every step of the way has been an uphill struggle. But through share determination I've managed to get as far as being able to mount the 4GB CF in WinUAE, make 2 partitions and format them but now I'm stuck

I've made a 500mb temp.hdf and copied classicwb to it using Shell "copy HD0: SDH0: ALL CLONE" this worked. I then Mounted my 4GB CF and Temp.hfd and also mounted Workbench 3.1.adf on DF0: and booted. All loads fine and I have my 2 hard drive partitions (GHD0: & GHD1), temp partition (SDH0) and Workbench floppy. I then open Shell and "copy SDH0: GHD0: ALL CLONE" it starts copying but after about 30 seconds I get block errors.

I've looked this error up and from what I understand I have to alter the maxtrasfer in HDToolBox to 0x1fe00, So i've tried doing this over and over even deleting CF through Diskpart and starting again but I can not get "maxtrasfer 0x1fe00" to save or stick in the settings it just reverts back to default.

Guys I really am at the end of my tether with this and I'm thinking of ending my Amiga dream and getting rid. Please somebody help me

[prowler]

Originally Posted by pinchez

I've looked this error up and from what I understand I have to alter the maxtrasfer in HDToolBox to 0x1fe00, So i've tried doing this over and over even deleting CF through Diskpart and starting again but I can not get "maxtrasfer 0x1fe00" to save or stick in the settings it just reverts back to default.

Guys I really am at the end of my tether with this and I'm thinking of ending my Amiga dream and getting rid. Please somebody help me

When altering the MaxTransfer in HDToolbox to 0x1fe00, you need to press the 'Enter' key afterwards. Then you'll find it will stick.

[johnim]

hi have a look at my guides

http://eab.abime.net/showthread.php?t=61048

http://eab.abime.net/showthread.php?t=61180

as prowler said you need to press enter after each change you make for it to stick

[pinchez]

Thanks guys

I decided to follow johnim's guide and followed it to the letter remembering to press enter etc. Doh!

But after I've changed to sfs, partitioned and changed maxtransfer settings etc. I click save changes to drive and get the following error "Error 28 on write!"

I did the Diskpart in Windows 7 and turned off MSE. I also ran WinUAE under System administrator.

Any ideas?

Thanks

[johnim]

did you tick read/write for the cf in uae

also reset uae and see if it shows the partitions

[pinchez]

Yeah read/write ticked just double checked and no partitions after reset

I have followed your guide exactly except for the Diskpart bit, where you used Volumes I used Disks :-

1. Open a elevated command prompt. "Right click and Run as administrator"
2. Type Diskpart.
3. Type List Disk. "Find the number for your CF card"
4. Type Select Disk "" <--- Your CF card number.
5. Type Clean

The Volume method you used didn't work for me and after a min or so of "Clean All" I got an Error. The above method worked perfectly however.

I was able to set and save partitions yesterday but can't for the life of me figure out whats wrong..

[fitzsteve]

Sometimes Win7 can be a PITA with new versions of WinUAE, I know it's dangerous but I still use an old version of WinUAE with WinXP and HardDisk safety check disabled to prep my drives, I've never had any issues and have 100% success with every CF I have tried.

If you want to send me your CF I will prep it for you, install your chosen CWB and send it back to you, if that helps

At least then you have one working and you can pull your hair out all again later setting up the next one

All the best,

Steve.

[pinchez]

Thanks for the offer Steve, But I actually think i'm getting somewhere

I exited WinUAE, Formated the CF to Fat32 in Windows, Ran Diskpart (method above), Followed your guide but this time after I made the 3 partitions (500, 1400, 1900) and before I changed to SFS I saved them and re-started in WinUAE and I got my partitions

After this I continued with your guided and made the SFS changes etc. to each partition and saved them. Re-started WinUAE again and all partitions were correct so I am now following your guide to formating them with "sfs format"

I've been formatting the 500mb DH0: for the last 5mins and busy light on the CF reader is blinking away so I guess it must be working but how long does it take?

Thanks again

[fitzsteve]

Hi pinchez,

Always do a 'quick' format as full formats are intended for real HDD's, not for CF media as they write and erase every single block and will in the long run damage the CF, not to menation the amount of time a full format takes. I don't know, maybe forever lol. best make yourself a nice sandwich and a cup of tea!

Glad you're making progress

Steve.

[pinchez]

Hi Steve, Yeah figured it out and did the quick format lol

Ok, I managed to get everything sorted as far as the partitioning and formatting are concerned and all's good.

But I still get block errors when trying to copy a mounted ClassicWB.hdf as SDH0: to my 4GB CF i.e In WinUAE I type "copy SDH0: DH0: ALL CLONE" but after 30 seconds or so I get Block Errors

I even switched back to Standard File System and set MaxTransfer at 0x1fe00 but still I get Block Errors during copying..

Could this be an issue with my CF? It's a brand new kit including the IDE interface I bought from Amigakit and it's a Kingston Card. I heard Sandisk are the best but surely Amigakit wouldnt sell something not up to the job, would they?

2 Solid days of this now!!!

[fitzsteve]

TBH the only time I've seen block errors is with mad media, max transfer usually just gives errors when you try to run WHDLoad games that have larger files.

I'm still happy to look at the card for you but if it came from Amigakit new they might rather you return if for replacment.

Have you tried using directory opus to copy the files to your new partition? All the protection stuff will be preserved and thats normally what I do.

Does sound like some kind of issue somewhere though, CF or USB adapter maybe?

Steve.

[FOL]

Originally Posted by fitzsteve

TBH the only time I've seen block errors is with mad media, max transfer usually just gives errors when you try to run WHDLoad games that have larger files.

I'm still happy to look at the card for you but if it came from Amigakit new they might rather you return if for replacment.

Have you tried using directory opus to copy the files to your new partition? All the protection stuff will be preserved and thats normally what I do.

Does sound like some kind of issue somewhere though, CF or USB adapter maybe?

Steve.

Steve, sounds like he has delete / removed the partitions we set up.
I would agree with you, as OS3.9 auto sets the correct MAX Transfer.
Old versions stick it as 0xFFFFFFF, unless you manually change it.
What about the Blocksize, you have to set that to 512kb on each partition if you select SFS.
Another thing to try is UAE scsi device and not IDE0 under HDD options.

This is why we sell them pre-partitioned and formatted. So such issues can be avoided.

All that was needed, was mounting the CF from us in WinUAE and mounting the CWB HDF and copying from one to the other.

What about trying "copy SDH0: all to DH0:"

[johnim]

hi again pinchez if you look at the send of my guide from page 84 i use the sfs format command which should take a few seconds to format

not the normal format

What about the Blocksize, you have to set that to 512kb on each partition if you select SFS.

hi fol if he has followed my guide it should be 512

[Arnie]

I bought the 4gb CF from Amigakit, pre partitioned as SFS, and it worked straight away. The card is a kingston aswell.

[pinchez]

Thanks again guys

Partitioning and formatting is not the problem any longer as I can create a CF with all correct settings as in the guide with correct block size and max transfer settings. The whole sfsformat problem was because after pressing return I was waiting for it to tell me it had finished. I soon worked out it had finished without telling me it had! and I had my formatted partitions.

When I first got the Amiga CF kit I did try it out in my Amiga and it worked perfectly but I only had workbench 3.0 disks to use with it and wanted to use 3.1 so I thought I may as well partition and format the way I wanted it and copy over ClassicWB and that is when the problems started!

I also have an integral 512mb CF which I tried, again following the guide but again when it came to the point of copying over ClassicWB I get Block Errors

I don't believe the 4GB Kingston CF from Amigakit is faulty and so that only really leaves one thing it can be and that's my CF reader which is a very old USB 2 multi card reader. Unfortunately it's the only CF reader I have so I'll have to buy another..

Btw Happy new year everyone

[FOL]

Originally Posted by pinchez

Thanks again guys

Partitioning and formatting is not the problem any longer as I can create a CF with all correct settings as in the guide with correct block size and max transfer settings. The whole sfsformat problem was because after pressing return I was waiting for it to tell me it had finished. I soon worked out it had finished without telling me it had! and I had my formatted partitions.

When I first got the Amiga CF kit I did try it out in my Amiga and it worked perfectly but I only had workbench 3.0 disks to use with it and wanted to use 3.1 so I thought I may as well partition and format the way I wanted it and copy over ClassicWB and that is when the problems started!

I also have an integral 512mb CF which I tried, again following the guide but again when it came to the point of copying over ClassicWB I get Block Errors

I don't believe the 4GB Kingston CF from Amigakit is faulty and so that only really leaves one thing it can be and that's my CF reader which is a very old USB 2 multi card reader. Unfortunately it's the only CF reader I have so I'll have to buy another..

Btw Happy new year everyone

Ah,

Once installed using our installer, you can press I when our logo appears to relaunch the installer to install a different version.

[pinchez]

Bingo!!!

I started from the beginning and did exactly as before and followed johnim's excellent guide. Using the same CF reader I removed the 40cm USB extension meaning the USB plug litteraly just sticks out of the reader and then I plugged it in a different USB port on my PC to the one I have previously been using.

One other change I made thanks to the advise of FOL is to use "copy SDH0: all to DH0:" instead of "copy SDH0: DH0: ALL CLONE" as I have previously been using to copy ClassicWB to my CF which was giving me the Block Errors.

I can't really pinpoint what made the difference but I'm over the moon it now works. I have plugged the CF card back in to my Amiga and it's running perfectly in High Res laced on my 16" LED screen using the RGB Scart lead I bought from Amigakit.

Just need to figure out how the best way of putting on all those lovely WHDLoad Games and Demo's. I'm hoping to do this the less stressful way by using the PCMCIA Transfer Kit I purchased from Amigakit and a spare 512mb CF so I don't have to remove the CF card from the Amiga

Thanks again for all you help guys and if anyone can point me in the direction of a good WHDLoad Guide that works well with ClassicWB ADVSP I would be very grateful

[fitzsteve]

Thats awesome news

PCMCIA transfers are perfect for a few games or files but doing large packs of games that way is very slow.

It's much faster if you hook the CF back up to the PC and use WinUAE, you can boot from your CF and mount another partition (a folder on the PC) with all the WHDLoad games in it and use directory opus to extract them into you A,B,C,etc folders.

You should move them to a larger partition and edit the assign, see the CWB Tutorials:

http://classicwb.abime.net/classicweb/tutorials.htm

Have fun!

Steve.

[pinchez]

Cheers Steve

Yeah I'll follow your advise and not screw down the top on my Amiga just yet!

Think I better spend some time with the wife now as she's been a bit of a retro widow lately

I'll check that guide out later though.

Cheers

Mark

[johnim]

great stuff pinchez glad you got her sorted

yea the whdload games take ages to transfere even in a pc

go and start it then come back later