Compact Flash card - how to format/partition and install WB?

RGB_Gamer · 26 February 2010, 06:26

I have a Compact Flash card, which is 4gb, and a compatible CF to IDE card. I am going to use it with my CD32 with SX32 MK II. The card is currently formatted for FAT32, so how do I format it to work on my system?
I have had a lot of trouble doing it with WinUAE, and I have read many threads about it (they all seem to hard drives needing to be RDB partitioned, but obviously this thing isn't. I want to install workbench 3.1 on it.

Perhaps there is a way to format/partition it with some sort of special CD?

Thanks for the help!

Chain · 26 February 2010, 08:05

its only in czech, bu cou can guess how to do it just from pics probably
http://www.amigaportal.cz/index.php?...&Itemid=200273

RGB_Gamer · 26 February 2010, 08:11

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chain

its only in czech, bu cou can guess how to do it just from pics probably
http://www.amigaportal.cz/index.php?...&Itemid=200273

Ok great, but since my drive is a 4gb drive, how many partitions should I do and how large for each ? My 4gb CF card is currently formatted for FAT. Do I need to partition it in a different tool before trying it in HDToolbox?

misjah · 28 February 2010, 00:06

Yes, it`s a different file system. Check out this [ Show youtube player ]. It should help.

RGB_Gamer · 28 February 2010, 11:02

Quote:

Originally Posted by misjah

Yes, it`s a different file system. Check out this [ Show youtube player ]. It should help.

Let me remind you, I am trying to set this Compact Flash card up with WinUAE since it will eventually go in my CD32/SX32 MKII. I have no real floppy disk drive.

I am following the video, but when I get to HDTools, it doesn't see my Compact Flash card.

misjah · 28 February 2010, 11:54

Well, that`s the same problem I`m having with WinUAE. I solved it by formating with my A1200. After formating with real Amiga, WinUAE recognizes the card as an empty HDD and installation and preparing works.
I guess I can`t help you at this point since I`m having the same issue.

RGB_Gamer · 28 February 2010, 11:57

Quote:

Originally Posted by misjah

Well, that`s the same problem I`m having with WinUAE. I solved it by formating with my A1200. After formating with real Amiga, WinUAE recognizes the card as an empty HDD and installation and preparing works.
I guess I can`t help you at this point since I`m having the same issue.

I don't have an A1200 unfortunately. I can't get anywhere in the above video link since WinUAE doesn't recognize my CF card.

what boot floppy image should I be using?

cosmicfrog · 28 February 2010, 12:09

did you start winuae with -disableharddrivesafetycheck ?

RGB_Gamer · 28 February 2010, 12:21

Quote:

Originally Posted by cosmicfrog

did you start winuae with -disableharddrivesafetycheck ?

Yes I did.

Toni Wilen · 28 February 2010, 13:41

If you use WinUAE 2.0+ and you need to use -disableblahblah to make the card available: drive has PC filesystem and is still mounted in Windows.

Remove it first using Windows disk management.

thomas · 28 February 2010, 14:27

Quote:

Originally Posted by Toni Wilen

If you use WinUAE 2.0+ and you need to use -disableblahblah to make the card available: drive has PC filesystem and is still mounted in Windows.

Could you add a check to harddisk handling (both uaehf.device and IDE hardware emulation) whether data actually has been written and to throw a bad return code if not, so that HDToolbox displays an error message rather than pretending that everything went fine ?

Quote:

Remove it first using Windows disk management.

CF cards are not shown as harddrive in Windows disk management. Removing the drive letter is not enough. You have to run DiskPart and clean the disk entirely.

RGB_Gamer · 01 March 2010, 05:33

Ok, I ran Winuae without the -disableharddrivesafetycheck option an loaded it up using the workbench install floppy. I then ran HDToolbox and made sure it said SCSI_DEVICE_NAME=uaehf.device

I was FINALLY able to get it to see my CF card. I was able to partition the disk drive, but even though it sees the full 4gb, I made two 250mb partitions (one for the workbench install which is DH0, the other for programs which is DH1), and then a 1900mb partition (DH2) and another with the rest DH3. I then rebooted workbench, and was able to see all the partitions except for DH3.

What is the largest size for a partition?

Loedown · 01 March 2010, 10:58

2Gb, as long as it's contained in the first 4Gb.

CF can be a bit finnicky, format your other partitions, then after all that go back and check on DH3:

Keep in mind to fast format, not full format the partitions.

RGB_Gamer · 01 March 2010, 11:01

Quote:

Originally Posted by Loedown

2Gb, as long as it's contained in the first 4Gb.

CF can be a bit finnicky, format your other partitions, then after all that go back and check on DH3:

Keep in mind to fast format, not full format the partitions.

I ended up having a 3gb+ sized DH2. How would I go about splitting that into 2 equal parts?

thomas · 01 March 2010, 11:29

Quote:

How would I go about splitting that into 2 equal parts?

I wonder if you really need to ask everything twice. You already created several partitions of different sizes, didn't you? Why do you now need to ask how to do it? Just reduce the size of DH2 and create a DH3 in the new empty space.

cosmicfrog · 02 March 2010, 12:45

Quote:

Originally Posted by Loedown

2Gb, as long as it's contained in the first 4Gb.

fed up of this, max file size is 2gig max partion size is 4gig

though not recommended to have partions greater than 2gig as it might not be able to validate properly if it has to

26 February 2010, 06:26	#1
RGB_Gamer Registered User Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Bay Area, California, USA Posts: 57	CD32+SX32- how to format CF card/install WB 3.1? I have a Compact Flash card, which is 4gb, and a compatible CF to IDE card. I am going to use it with my CD32 with SX32 MK II. The card is currently formatted for FAT32, so how do I format it to work on my system? I have had a lot of trouble doing it with WinUAE, and I have read many threads about it (they all seem to hard drives needing to be RDB partitioned, but obviously this thing isn't. I want to install workbench 3.1 on it. Perhaps there is a way to format/partition it with some sort of special CD? Thanks for the help! Last edited by RGB_Gamer; 26 February 2010 at 06:47.

01 March 2010, 05:33	#12
RGB_Gamer Registered User Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Bay Area, California, USA Posts: 57	Ok, I ran Winuae without the -disableharddrivesafetycheck option an loaded it up using the workbench install floppy. I then ran HDToolbox and made sure it said SCSI_DEVICE_NAME=uaehf.device I was FINALLY able to get it to see my CF card. I was able to partition the disk drive, but even though it sees the full 4gb, I made two 250mb partitions (one for the workbench install which is DH0, the other for programs which is DH1), and then a 1900mb partition (DH2) and another with the rest DH3. I then rebooted workbench, and was able to see all the partitions except for DH3. What is the largest size for a partition? Last edited by RGB_Gamer; 01 March 2010 at 06:10.

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26 February 2010, 08:05	#2
Chain A-Collector, repairments Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Czech Rep. Age: 50 Posts: 1,536	its only in czech, bu cou can guess how to do it just from pics probably http://www.amigaportal.cz/index.php?...&Itemid=200273

28 February 2010, 00:06	#4
misjah Registered User Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Zanzibar Posts: 59	Yes, it`s a different file system. Check out this [ Show youtube player ]. It should help.

28 February 2010, 11:54	#6
misjah Registered User Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Zanzibar Posts: 59	Well, that`s the same problem I`m having with WinUAE. I solved it by formating with my A1200. After formating with real Amiga, WinUAE recognizes the card as an empty HDD and installation and preparing works. I guess I can`t help you at this point since I`m having the same issue.

28 February 2010, 12:09	#8
cosmicfrog The 1 who ribbits Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: leek, Staffs, UK Age: 56 Posts: 3,557	did you start winuae with -disableharddrivesafetycheck ?

28 February 2010, 13:41	#10
Toni Wilen WinUAE developer Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: Hämeenlinna/Finland Age: 49 Posts: 26,502	If you use WinUAE 2.0+ and you need to use -disableblahblah to make the card available: drive has PC filesystem and is still mounted in Windows. Remove it first using Windows disk management.

01 March 2010, 10:58	#13
Loedown Precious & fragile things Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Victoria, Australia Posts: 1,946	2Gb, as long as it's contained in the first 4Gb. CF can be a bit finnicky, format your other partitions, then after all that go back and check on DH3: Keep in mind to fast format, not full format the partitions.

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