Broke my CF card installation

manicx · 26 January 2020, 08:54

It's being a long time since I posted but I managed after several years to find space to set up my beloved Amigas. And managed to screw up from the 1st second.

My CF card came pre-partitioned from Amigakit. I just had to copy the files. Don't ask me how I did it back then. I just remember that I kept backups of my games folder and my WB, not from programs. (I found these).

So, the story is that (take it easy guys) I didn't like the ADH0 and ADH1 names, so I decided to change to DH0 and DH1. Just like that. And of course, now I cannot see the drive.

So, my questions are:

a) Can I recover these, even through WinUAE and how if I can? I mounted it with a CF reader, see the drive but not the partitions or anything.

b) If I can't, I still have the original 3.5" drive and cable. But don't remember the pins stuff. Please check this photo and let me know how to connect and check if it works (connect both ways). The 2.5" IDE side on the cable has 4 empty spots on one side.

c) How can I repartition the CF, maybe through WinUAE? I have a fully working AmigaOS 3.5 Installation there with HDToolBox. And maybe install something like SFS?

d) My PC doesn't have an IDE port. If my original HDD is ok, how can I transfer my files, well, the Programs stuff because I have the games and WB.

Thanks in advance...

EDIT: Managed to connect my old 3.5" HDD and seems to work on the Amiga.

fitzsteve · 26 January 2020, 11:33

Hi,

If you only changed the device names then it should still work, are you sure you didn't delete the partitions?

Do you know what the file system was? You might be able to recover them with fpsdoctor if you're using pfs3?

I don't know if FFS had a similar set of tools.

For setting up new you could follow my guide, it's very old now but still works for a basic setup! The second guide is a bit more in depth for using an alternative file system like SFS or PFS3.

[ Show youtube player ]

[ Show youtube player ]

Don't worry I'm not pimping my Youtube for revenue, there's no ads so you can watch without interruption

fitzsteve · 26 January 2020, 11:35

By the way I have used one of these to connect my IDE SSD to my PC and it works very well or you can get the a USB HDD Caddy:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2-5-3-5-S...AAAOSwq-1a2PpQ

manicx · 26 January 2020, 11:45

Thanks for your feedback. The card came pre-partitioned from Amiga Kit. 1GB for system and 3 for Programs and Games. Also had SFS. I just renamed it, didn't delete anything. And after restart, I got the screen for inserting floppy.

I also have a USB to HDD thingy from Sharkoon. Tried to check my HDD on the PC and it was not even showing on in the Explorer so I couldn't mount it in WinUAE too. If I had a full backup of the second partition, I would worry less. Now I am freaking out.

thomas · 26 January 2020, 15:10

You should put the CF card into the reader and connect it to the PC. Run WinUAE and in the Add Harddrive window click on Create Image File.

Once done, keep the CF card in a safe place, make a backup copy of the image file and then do further work only on the Image file.

If HDToolbox is all you used, then all data is still there, just hidden. HDToolbox only edits the partition table in the beginning of the card, it does not touch the actual partition or the data on them.

You should install a nice AmigaOS in WinUAE so that you can work comfortably and add the image file only as second drive. Otherwise you would have to do everything from the command line.

At first you should run this program: http://thomas-rapp.homepage.t-online.../hddreport.lha
It will tell us if there is anything left which can be repaired easily. Maybe you just change some options in HDToolbox which you can simply change back. (Partition names shouldn't matter in this respect.)

If there is nothing in the partition table any more, you might try this to search for lost partitions: http://aminet.net/package/disk/salv/RDBrecov
BTW, I am working on a new version of this, with GUI and more comfort. Maybe you want to test it?

manicx · 26 January 2020, 17:55

Hi Thomas

Thank you very much for your help. I created the hdf from the CF card. Mind you, it has two partitions.

So to the point. I used only HDToolBox. I don't recall changing anything else, this is why it was a bit of a shock for me.

In my PC, I have a very nice OS3.5 installation with all the goodies. For a start, how do I mount the disk? I need some advice on the options

Not sure if the first is correct or I need something else. And also in the second one, if I have to tick something.

As the options are in the images, I cannot see anything in the OS, in HDToolBox it shows it but it cannot read anything on it. So if you can, please advise me on the settings and then I can run the hddreport.

Also, yes, I will happily try anything.

PS. I can always upload the hdf image in google drive for anyone who may want to give it a try.

thomas · 26 January 2020, 20:25

Please run hddreport and attach the report here.

manicx · 26 January 2020, 20:31

Thomas, are the settings ok to mount the generated hdf file in WinUAE?

thomas · 26 January 2020, 22:58

Doesn't matter probably. If HDToolbox sees it then it's ok.

I would have let everything default. Just add hardfile, select hdf, ok. RDB mode is important, but that's set automatically if there is an RDSK id at the beginning of the file.

manicx · 27 January 2020, 00:06

Hi again Thomas. The only way to be seen in HDToolBox was with these settings

I attach the txt.

thomas · 27 January 2020, 09:22

Quote:

Originally Posted by manicx

The only way to be seen in HDToolBox was with these settings

I don't think so. You have to tell HDToolbox where to look. If HD Controller ist set to UAE, before you run HDToolbox open its icon information and change SCSI_DEVICE_NAME to uaehf.device.

Quote:

I attach the txt.

Code:

    Errors:
      Invalid ID 4C534547 in block 1. Expected 50415254 (PART)
      Invalid ID 4C534547 in block 3. Expected 46534844 (FSHD)

I think I know what happened, I've seen this before. It even happens with WinUAE using scsi.device.

scsi.device of Kick 3.1 has a MaxTransfer issue with CF cards. It can only write (or read) 128KB in one go. Larger chunks are not split correctly and become corrupted.

For partitions you can bypass the issue by setting the MaxTransfer value to 0x1fe00. But HDToolbox itself does not care. It always writes the whole partition table in one chunk. If the partition table (including the file system code) becomes larger than 128KB, it won't be written correctly.

Unfortunately all of the partition entires are gone, so we have to search the entire disk for partitions. If you used SFS as file system, this shouldn't take too long, though.

Get the latest version of rdbrecov from http://thomas-rapp.homepage.t-online...s/rdbrecov.lha

Then change HD controller in WinUAE to UAE as described above.

Run rdbrecov from a shell window like this:

Code:

rdbrecov uaehf.device 3 c 6196 cs 1260

Note that the unit number (3) changes with the place of the image file in WinUAE's harddrives list. I assumed that it will be in the fourth place like on your screenshot (just not IDE:0 but UAE:3).

This should give a list of your partitions rather quickly. Using the values shown you should be able to recreate your partitions using HDToolbox.

Anyway you should post the output here so that I can double check it.

CFou! · 27 January 2020, 11:49

Quote:

Originally Posted by manicx

Hi again Thomas. The only way to be seen in HDToolBox was with these settings

I attach the txt.

try Zarnal boot disk(ADF) :
https://www.amigafrance.com/tutoriel...o-pfs3-winuae/

manicx · 27 January 2020, 18:53

Quote:

Originally Posted by thomas

I don't think so. You have to tell HDToolbox where to look. If HD Controller ist set to UAE, before you run HDToolbox open its icon information and change SCSI_DEVICE_NAME to uaehf.device.

Code:

    Errors:
      Invalid ID 4C534547 in block 1. Expected 50415254 (PART)
      Invalid ID 4C534547 in block 3. Expected 46534844 (FSHD)

I think I know what happened, I've seen this before. It even happens with WinUAE using scsi.device.

scsi.device of Kick 3.1 has a MaxTransfer issue with CF cards. It can only write (or read) 128KB in one go. Larger chunks are not split correctly and become corrupted.

For partitions you can bypass the issue by setting the MaxTransfer value to 0x1fe00. But HDToolbox itself does not care. It always writes the whole partition table in one chunk. If the partition table (including the file system code) becomes larger than 128KB, it won't be written correctly.

Unfortunately all of the partition entires are gone, so we have to search the entire disk for partitions. If you used SFS as file system, this shouldn't take too long, though.

Get the latest version of rdbrecov from http://thomas-rapp.homepage.t-online...s/rdbrecov.lha

Then change HD controller in WinUAE to UAE as described above.

Run rdbrecov from a shell window like this:

Code:

rdbrecov uaehf.device 3 c 6196 cs 1260

Note that the unit number (3) changes with the place of the image file in WinUAE's harddrives list. I assumed that it will be in the fourth place like on your screenshot (just not IDE:0 but UAE:3).

This should give a list of your partitions rather quickly. Using the values shown you should be able to recreate your partitions using HDToolbox.

Anyway you should post the output here so that I can double check it.

Hi Thomas

I am reattaching hddreport.txt using uaehf.device and the image of the rdbrecov running the command as you mentioned (click to enlarge). I see it mentions SFS partition System, but it doesn't mention my second partition, with the name Work. Not sure if it is one of the others.

I appreciate your help.

thomas · 28 January 2020, 22:57

It seems like it gets more complicated than I first thought.

No, the names given in the list are the volume names you'd see on the Workbench. Neither of them is called Work. Even worse, if the first partition (System) is correct, then the second partition (HDD) must be a ghost because it overlaps with the first one (the first starts at cyl. 2 and has a size of 1138 cyls which means it ends in cyl 1139. The second partition cannot start at cyl 815. It must be at cyl 1140 or later.)

Currently I have not much time beside my normal work. Maybe we can postpone this to the weekend.

Above you suggested to upload the image somewhere. This would probably speed up things a lot as I could do all the tests on my own. If you like you can upload it directly to my NAS drive using ftp. Send me a pm to get the login details if you are interested.

manicx · 29 January 2020, 11:35

Hi Thomas. Thanks for your answer. I will upload the image to google drive and send you the link in a PM. Thanks again.

26 January 2020, 08:54	#1
manicx Junior Member Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Athens, Greece Posts: 991	Broke my CF card installation It's being a long time since I posted but I managed after several years to find space to set up my beloved Amigas. And managed to screw up from the 1st second. My CF card came pre-partitioned from Amigakit. I just had to copy the files. Don't ask me how I did it back then. I just remember that I kept backups of my games folder and my WB, not from programs. (I found these). So, the story is that (take it easy guys) I didn't like the ADH0 and ADH1 names, so I decided to change to DH0 and DH1. Just like that. And of course, now I cannot see the drive. So, my questions are: a) Can I recover these, even through WinUAE and how if I can? I mounted it with a CF reader, see the drive but not the partitions or anything. b) If I can't, I still have the original 3.5" drive and cable. But don't remember the pins stuff. Please check this photo and let me know how to connect and check if it works (connect both ways). The 2.5" IDE side on the cable has 4 empty spots on one side. c) How can I repartition the CF, maybe through WinUAE? I have a fully working AmigaOS 3.5 Installation there with HDToolBox. And maybe install something like SFS? d) My PC doesn't have an IDE port. If my original HDD is ok, how can I transfer my files, well, the Programs stuff because I have the games and WB. Thanks in advance... EDIT: Managed to connect my old 3.5" HDD and seems to work on the Amiga. Last edited by manicx; 26 January 2020 at 10:35.

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26 January 2020, 11:33	#2
fitzsteve Professional slacker! Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Kent, UK Age: 44 Posts: 6,683	Hi, If you only changed the device names then it should still work, are you sure you didn't delete the partitions? Do you know what the file system was? You might be able to recover them with fpsdoctor if you're using pfs3? I don't know if FFS had a similar set of tools. For setting up new you could follow my guide, it's very old now but still works for a basic setup! The second guide is a bit more in depth for using an alternative file system like SFS or PFS3. [ Show youtube player ] [ Show youtube player ] Don't worry I'm not pimping my Youtube for revenue, there's no ads so you can watch without interruption

26 January 2020, 11:35	#3
fitzsteve Professional slacker! Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Kent, UK Age: 44 Posts: 6,683	By the way I have used one of these to connect my IDE SSD to my PC and it works very well or you can get the a USB HDD Caddy: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2-5-3-5-S...AAAOSwq-1a2PpQ

26 January 2020, 11:45	#4
manicx Junior Member Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Athens, Greece Posts: 991	Thanks for your feedback. The card came pre-partitioned from Amiga Kit. 1GB for system and 3 for Programs and Games. Also had SFS. I just renamed it, didn't delete anything. And after restart, I got the screen for inserting floppy. I also have a USB to HDD thingy from Sharkoon. Tried to check my HDD on the PC and it was not even showing on in the Explorer so I couldn't mount it in WinUAE too. If I had a full backup of the second partition, I would worry less. Now I am freaking out.

26 January 2020, 15:10	#5
thomas Registered User Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Germany Posts: 7,002	You should put the CF card into the reader and connect it to the PC. Run WinUAE and in the Add Harddrive window click on Create Image File. Once done, keep the CF card in a safe place, make a backup copy of the image file and then do further work only on the Image file. If HDToolbox is all you used, then all data is still there, just hidden. HDToolbox only edits the partition table in the beginning of the card, it does not touch the actual partition or the data on them. You should install a nice AmigaOS in WinUAE so that you can work comfortably and add the image file only as second drive. Otherwise you would have to do everything from the command line. At first you should run this program: http://thomas-rapp.homepage.t-online.../hddreport.lha It will tell us if there is anything left which can be repaired easily. Maybe you just change some options in HDToolbox which you can simply change back. (Partition names shouldn't matter in this respect.) If there is nothing in the partition table any more, you might try this to search for lost partitions: http://aminet.net/package/disk/salv/RDBrecov BTW, I am working on a new version of this, with GUI and more comfort. Maybe you want to test it?

26 January 2020, 17:55	#6
manicx Junior Member Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Athens, Greece Posts: 991	Hi Thomas Thank you very much for your help. I created the hdf from the CF card. Mind you, it has two partitions. So to the point. I used only HDToolBox. I don't recall changing anything else, this is why it was a bit of a shock for me. In my PC, I have a very nice OS3.5 installation with all the goodies. For a start, how do I mount the disk? I need some advice on the options Not sure if the first is correct or I need something else. And also in the second one, if I have to tick something. As the options are in the images, I cannot see anything in the OS, in HDToolBox it shows it but it cannot read anything on it. So if you can, please advise me on the settings and then I can run the hddreport. Also, yes, I will happily try anything. PS. I can always upload the hdf image in google drive for anyone who may want to give it a try.

26 January 2020, 20:25	#7
thomas Registered User Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Germany Posts: 7,002	Please run hddreport and attach the report here.

26 January 2020, 20:31	#8
manicx Junior Member Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Athens, Greece Posts: 991	Thomas, are the settings ok to mount the generated hdf file in WinUAE?

26 January 2020, 22:58	#9
thomas Registered User Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Germany Posts: 7,002	Doesn't matter probably. If HDToolbox sees it then it's ok. I would have let everything default. Just add hardfile, select hdf, ok. RDB mode is important, but that's set automatically if there is an RDSK id at the beginning of the file.

28 January 2020, 22:57	#14
thomas Registered User Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Germany Posts: 7,002	It seems like it gets more complicated than I first thought. No, the names given in the list are the volume names you'd see on the Workbench. Neither of them is called Work. Even worse, if the first partition (System) is correct, then the second partition (HDD) must be a ghost because it overlaps with the first one (the first starts at cyl. 2 and has a size of 1138 cyls which means it ends in cyl 1139. The second partition cannot start at cyl 815. It must be at cyl 1140 or later.) Currently I have not much time beside my normal work. Maybe we can postpone this to the weekend. Above you suggested to upload the image somewhere. This would probably speed up things a lot as I could do all the tests on my own. If you like you can upload it directly to my NAS drive using ftp. Send me a pm to get the login details if you are interested.

29 January 2020, 11:35	#15
manicx Junior Member Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Athens, Greece Posts: 991	Hi Thomas. Thanks for your answer. I will upload the image to google drive and send you the link in a PM. Thanks again.

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