Getting CF card set-up as a real Amiga HD

[keitha1200]

I can't get rid of the PC partition problem after spending umpteen hours at it. I believe I'm suppose to erase the disk but I've no idea how! (tried format in XP and in Winuae). I've also add the disksaftey command to WINuae.exe via the 'Run' command on XP's tool bar (afterwards WINuae boots up! is that right?)

The CF card is 64mb. I also tried the card in my A600 (fitted to 44pin CF reader) but got the 'Unit is not a disk' (Type 7). I also tried a second and third CF cards with the same results; with WINuae and the 600 (32mb and 128mb).

Any advice would be great

I've posted the following picture's, as picture's speak louder than words
Apologies about the odd picture shape

Format as 'FAT' under XP3



WINuae configuration:



About to select HDtoolbox in WINuae:





CF is ID


l:file error





Same on 3.1 Install

[sneeker]

Try runing disk adminstrator from control panel > administrative tools, that should list the cf card as a drive, if theres any partitions listed, delete them (There should be a 60mb partition going off what you have posted) once thats deleted and theres no partitions it should be visable in hdtoolbox...

Im struggling as Im doing the same with a 30gb hdd, but I got workbench installed earlier

[thomas]

Your first hardcopy shows what is wrong: as long as the CF card is readable by Windows, WinUAE will refuse to write to it.

Connect your CF card to a PC which has Windows Vista or 7 installed, run DiskPart, enter

list volume

then

select volume n

replace n by the number from the list which is next to the drive letter of your CF card. Be very careful to select the CF card and not another hdd.

Then enter

clean

and finally

exit

Remove the CF card and go back to your XP PC. Now WinUAE should allow to write to block 0.

XP has DiskPart, too, but it does not show removable devices. You might try to remove the drive letter from the CF card in Windows Disk Managerment, but I don't think this is sufficient.

[keitha1200]

Ah I didn't know that

Still getting the same problem in WINuea. Here's a picture from my disk management:

I've delete the letter but there isn't any other opinions rather than format



Don't have a CF reader on my Vista laptop

[prowler]

You need to delete the partition.

Right click on the "CANON_DC 1MB FAT Healthy" partition shown in the Windows XP Computer Management window for Removable Disk 2 and select "Delete Partition..." from the menu which appears.

[keitha1200]

The partition is 'ghosted out'

[prowler]

Hmm... It seems that WinXP's Disk Management has the same limitations as the DiskPart command line tool.

I wonder if Vista's DiskPart tool would run under WinXP?

Edit: Probably not. I've just tried running the Windows 7 SP1 version of DiskPart in WinXP and I get the error message "diskpart.exe is not a valid Win32 application" popping up followed by "Access is denied" at the DOS prompt.

[keitha1200]

Might be getting somewhere now 'i think'. I've installed a DOS MS programme called: DiskPart

It looks like the right thing!



Still trying to suss the commands (don't want to delete my C: drive)

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/l...=ws.10%29.aspx

PS the MS page says something about it not working in Vista

[keitha1200]

Originally Posted by thomas

Your first hardcopy shows what is wrong: as long as the CF card is readable by Windows, WinUAE will refuse to write to it.

Connect your CF card to a PC which has Windows Vista or 7 installed, run DiskPart, enter

list volume

then

select volume n

replace n by the number from the list which is next to the drive letter of your CF card. Be very careful to select the CF card and not another hdd.

Then enter

clean

and finally

exit

Remove the CF card and go back to your XP PC. Now WinUAE should allow to write to block 0.

XP has DiskPart, too, but it does not show removable devices. You might try to remove the drive letter from the CF card in Windows Disk Managerment, but I don't think this is sufficient.

Would the above instructions work in the XP/MSDos version?

[prowler]

You need to select the disk to focus on, then the partition, and finally select delete.

BTW, I am using DiskPart version 5.1.3565 too.

Edit1:

Originally Posted by keitha1200

Would the above instructions work in the XP/MSDos version?

Yes, I think those commands would work (selecting the disk to focus on and then 'clean').

But bear in mind the fact that the disk is removable might still defeat the operation.

Edit2: This page has some hints on how to use some command line options, which may be helpful:

http://benosullivan.co.uk/windows/in...om-windows-xp/

and it's where I got the Windows 7 SP1 DiskPart version 6.1.7601 from.

Edit3: Here's another useful page:

http://www.michaelhanley.org/blog/20...a-usb-key.html

(The download here is DiskPart version 5.1.3553, not version 6.1.7600 as shown in the screenshot.)

[thomas]

I already mentioned above that XP DiskPart ignores CF cards and USB readers and the like. You need a Vista or 7 machine to do this.

Perhaps it works in XP if you connect the CF-IDE adapter to the motherboard's IDE controller.

[keitha1200]

Thanks for all the 'top' posts It's certainly been a learning experience.

I don't have a CF reader on Vista laptop (looks like I'll have to buy an adapter), nor Windows 7.

1) Is it possible to carry out the same operation via plugging in a Type II PCMCIA CF card reader adapter, into Type III cardbus slot (on my laptop).

2) Does anyone know which early version of Nero/etc will burn Amiga readable cds, or is that a waste of time without a 95/98/ME computer.

I've got to say: The whole experience isn't an easy procedure, and a certain element of computer knowledge is def required, however I'll know what to do next time

cheers

[thomas]

1) I don't know how compatible PCMCIA slots are, but if it fits, it should work. It would probably show as a removable media reader, though.

2) every modern Amiga CD file system should be able to read Joliet.
Every useful burning program should be able to write ISO9660 level 2, not only early versions.
As you've got WinUAE up and running you could as well use an Amiga program to burn Amiga CDs, for example MakeCD. Enable uaescsi option on Expansion panel.

[keitha1200]

Ah 'thank you' , that sounds like a good workable idea

I tried using Nero 7 to burn a cd using Joliet. The Amiga (3.1/3.9OS) could see the disk and the individual files via the workbench tool bar 'Show all files' but archiver(s) would just crash with a message something like 'DMS error, not executable' or something like that.

All this hassle because of read-write disk error on the PCMCIA Ethernet driver disk

It's learning a experience

[keitha1200]

Sorted CF reader issue Using DiskPart on Vista Home, did all the commands, and change the drive number and now:

Winuae doesn't see the CF card now

[thomas]

Where is the hardcopy of WinUAE not seeing the drive?



I don't believe you unless you prove that you know where to look at.

[keitha1200]

Am probably doing something wrong. [edit] I'm tempted to reassign the drive letter via disk management

[thomas]

Does your login user have admin rights? WinUAE needs admin rights to access real harddrives.

It's probably a good idea to attach winuaebootlog.txt also.

Edit: did you stay on Vista? Then you need to right-click WinUAE and select "Run as Administrator".

[keitha1200]

Thomas? you're star yes completely forgot about 'Run as Administrator' in Vista

[fgh]

There are a couple free programs that lets you 'clean' (delete partitions/mbr) removable media under XP: Partition Wizard or EASUS Partition Master.