Amiga Hard Drive in Windows

11 April 2018, 00:42

Thanks to a few people here, got the A1200 up and working. Amazing it's still going after storage for 18 odd years.

Still worried something will go bang or the HD will die, so would like to 'back-up' the HD without buying anything new.

I have a HD cradle that I could plug into my Windows laptop via USB. What will Windows make of the Amiga 3.5" drive? Will it read it direct? I also have WinUAE up and running. I assume possible to mount to that? Just asking before I take the A1200 apart again; it just feels so fragile...

indigolemon · 11 April 2018, 11:39

WinUAE should just be able to use it directly, just make sure you don't let windows format it when you plug it in ( as it assumes anything it can't read is clearly broken, since no other operating systems exist :P ).

The caveat is some old drives don't work in the USB enclosures sadly, in those cases you need to get a 2.5 to 3.5 adaptor and plug into a motherboard directly.

Other option is to get a CF to PCMCIA solution, and back up files to a CF on the Amiga itself. Something like: https://amigakit.amiga.store/catalog...roducts_id=440

Lorfarius · 11 April 2018, 12:28

Use Win32 to take a full image of it in Windows first.

Toni Wilen · 11 April 2018, 12:39

Common USB compatibility problem is mostly worked around now. Reason: very old drives don't support LBA and most/all USB adapters assume LBA capable IDE drives. This is easy to notice, if Windows detects the drive correctly but drive capacity is reported as zero bytes: it is CHS-only.

WinUAE 3.6.1 has workaround for CHS-only drives that makes it possible to image it fully or even mount it as Amiga drive (writing is not allowed) without need for using mainboard IDE port (which have been obsoleted years ago).

indigolemon · 11 April 2018, 13:00

Quote:

Originally Posted by Toni Wilen

WinUAE 3.6.1 has workaround for CHS-only drives that makes it possible to image it fully or even mount it as Amiga drive (writing is not allowed) without need for using mainboard IDE port (which have been obsoleted years ago).

Great news! Nice one Toni

11 April 2018, 16:30

Thanks for the advice everyone. Will try over the next few days.

XPD · 20 April 2018, 02:42

Wasnt an IDE drive, but SCSI, years ago I connected my old drive to a SCSI card on my PC, booted up WinUAE, and it booted off the drive. My backup solution was just a copy straight to my PC's drive, then zipped up and distributed to multiple locations for safe keeping

Still have the original physical drive, hasnt been used again since, but no reason why I cant do the same again should the ZIP's corrupt

11 April 2018, 00:42	#1
aNdy/AL/COS Posts: n/a	Amiga Hard Drive in Windows Thanks to a few people here, got the A1200 up and working. Amazing it's still going after storage for 18 odd years. Still worried something will go bang or the HD will die, so would like to 'back-up' the HD without buying anything new. I have a HD cradle that I could plug into my Windows laptop via USB. What will Windows make of the Amiga 3.5" drive? Will it read it direct? I also have WinUAE up and running. I assume possible to mount to that? Just asking before I take the A1200 apart again; it just feels so fragile...

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11 April 2018, 11:39	#2
indigolemon Bit Copying Bard Join Date: Jan 2017 Location: Kelty, Fife, Scotland Age: 41 Posts: 1,293	WinUAE should just be able to use it directly, just make sure you don't let windows format it when you plug it in ( as it assumes anything it can't read is clearly broken, since no other operating systems exist :P ). The caveat is some old drives don't work in the USB enclosures sadly, in those cases you need to get a 2.5 to 3.5 adaptor and plug into a motherboard directly. Other option is to get a CF to PCMCIA solution, and back up files to a CF on the Amiga itself. Something like: https://amigakit.amiga.store/catalog...roducts_id=440

11 April 2018, 12:28	#3
Lorfarius Registered User Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Glossop/UK Posts: 532	Use Win32 to take a full image of it in Windows first.

11 April 2018, 12:39	#4
Toni Wilen WinUAE developer Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: Hämeenlinna/Finland Age: 49 Posts: 26,505	Common USB compatibility problem is mostly worked around now. Reason: very old drives don't support LBA and most/all USB adapters assume LBA capable IDE drives. This is easy to notice, if Windows detects the drive correctly but drive capacity is reported as zero bytes: it is CHS-only. WinUAE 3.6.1 has workaround for CHS-only drives that makes it possible to image it fully or even mount it as Amiga drive (writing is not allowed) without need for using mainboard IDE port (which have been obsoleted years ago).

11 April 2018, 16:30	#6
aNdy/AL/COS Posts: n/a	Thanks for the advice everyone. Will try over the next few days.

20 April 2018, 02:42	#7
XPD Geek Kiwi Join Date: Aug 2014 Location: Auckland, New Zealand Age: 47 Posts: 209	Wasnt an IDE drive, but SCSI, years ago I connected my old drive to a SCSI card on my PC, booted up WinUAE, and it booted off the drive. My backup solution was just a copy straight to my PC's drive, then zipped up and distributed to multiple locations for safe keeping Still have the original physical drive, hasnt been used again since, but no reason why I cant do the same again should the ZIP's corrupt

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