English Amiga Board - View Single Post - AMIGA 4000D internal ide cf card size limit?

ahandyman59 · 07 September 2021, 19:23

I realize this is an old thread, but I have the same kind of problem. I have been using WINUAE to format 4gb and 8GB CF hard drives for years, but just recently picked up an A4000. I have 3.1.4 kickstart roms, and AmigaOS 3.1.4. I also have made a 3.1.4 install disk that has PFS3AIO on it. I have formatted 32 gb CFs before with the A1200, but with the A4000, the CF automatically goes to "ATA 2+" and even attempting to manually set it to ATA 1 does not work. The 32 gb CF will not format. I am suspicious that certain CF cards may work and others won't. This specific CF is a San Disk Ultra II.

MAKE SURE THE 32gb CF IS ALREADY IN THE READER BEFORE LOADING WHDLOAD!

My typical process is:
1. open Windows DiskPart and find the cf card with "List Disk". Select the disk (identifiable by being near to 30gb, while all other drives are multi TB...), the type clean to remove everything off the CF completely.
2. With the CF completely empty, bring up WINUAE with Admin Rights. Select 68040 for CPU, AGA chipset with A4000, For ROM select the 3.1.4 ROM. (NOTE: This ROM has to be uploaded, as it is not in the typical set of ROMS), Set your RAM, I typically go 8mg fastram, for floppy drives, I have the modified 3.1.4 install disk in DF0: and Workbench in DF1:.
3. When you get to hard drives, click on Add Hard Drive, look for the one identified as UNK (around 29.8gb) and select it, change from "UAE (uaehf.device)" to "Commodore A600/A1200/A4000 IDE". Below ATA-2+ is automatically set. I try to change it to ATA-1, then "Add hard drive", then click on Properties again and sure enough it is set to ATA-2+. I have even tried "Full Drive/RDB mode" and again setting it to ATA-1.

4. Start WINUAE. When you get the Amiga workbench, navigate to HDToolBox.
5. Click on Change Drive Type. Click on "Define New...", and then "Read Configuration", then click "OK", then "OK" again and then "Continue".
6. Click on "Partition Drive". I typically set the first partition to just under 4gb. Click on Advanced Options and click "Add/Update...", so we can set the filesystem to PFS3. Click on "Add New File System", then in the box that comes up, replace "FastFileSystem" with "PFS3AIO" or whatever you have your PFS3 set to in you l: (lower case L

folder. For DosType change the typical 0x444F5303 to "0x50465303" version and revision can be left alone. a new line with a Custom File System shows up, with it selected, click "Ok". Now back on the Partitioning screen, click on the "Change..." button directly above the "Add/Update..." one. Click on the "File System:" button until you have selected "PFS/03". Now look for "MaxTransfer" and set it to 0x1fe00. PRESS ENTER or it will not save., now click on "Ok". Make sure you have created a Partition Device Name (I typically go with DH0, DH1, etc...). You can create as many partitions as you want, but at least 1 that is bootable.
7. Click on Ok to finish partitioning. You should now be back to the Hard Drive Preparation screen. Click on "Save Changes to Drive" on the bottom Right to save your new configuration.
8. Now click on "Exit". This often asks for you to confirm and notifies that DH0 will be written over. Sometimes WINUAE notifies you it has to restart. IF it does not, restart anyway!
9. If you did everything correctly, after a few seconds, DH0: will show up. Use Format to make the drive usable, but only use QUICK FORMAT, with a CF hard drive!

In my case, what is happening is that none of the newly partitioned hard drives show up. It's like the drive did not get complete writes to it. Something was changed, but not all apparently. I have done this 7-8 times and it still will not work with 32gb CF cards. I also have used it with Transcend CF cards with the same results.

Am I doing something obviously wrong somewhere?

07 September 2021, 19:23	#6
ahandyman59 Registered User Join Date: Mar 2017 Location: Tacoma, WA USA Posts: 94	I realize this is an old thread, but I have the same kind of problem. I have been using WINUAE to format 4gb and 8GB CF hard drives for years, but just recently picked up an A4000. I have 3.1.4 kickstart roms, and AmigaOS 3.1.4. I also have made a 3.1.4 install disk that has PFS3AIO on it. I have formatted 32 gb CFs before with the A1200, but with the A4000, the CF automatically goes to "ATA 2+" and even attempting to manually set it to ATA 1 does not work. The 32 gb CF will not format. I am suspicious that certain CF cards may work and others won't. This specific CF is a San Disk Ultra II. MAKE SURE THE 32gb CF IS ALREADY IN THE READER BEFORE LOADING WHDLOAD! My typical process is: 1. open Windows DiskPart and find the cf card with "List Disk". Select the disk (identifiable by being near to 30gb, while all other drives are multi TB...), the type clean to remove everything off the CF completely. 2. With the CF completely empty, bring up WINUAE with Admin Rights. Select 68040 for CPU, AGA chipset with A4000, For ROM select the 3.1.4 ROM. (NOTE: This ROM has to be uploaded, as it is not in the typical set of ROMS), Set your RAM, I typically go 8mg fastram, for floppy drives, I have the modified 3.1.4 install disk in DF0: and Workbench in DF1:. 3. When you get to hard drives, click on Add Hard Drive, look for the one identified as UNK (around 29.8gb) and select it, change from "UAE (uaehf.device)" to "Commodore A600/A1200/A4000 IDE". Below ATA-2+ is automatically set. I try to change it to ATA-1, then "Add hard drive", then click on Properties again and sure enough it is set to ATA-2+. I have even tried "Full Drive/RDB mode" and again setting it to ATA-1. 4. Start WINUAE. When you get the Amiga workbench, navigate to HDToolBox. 5. Click on Change Drive Type. Click on "Define New...", and then "Read Configuration", then click "OK", then "OK" again and then "Continue". 6. Click on "Partition Drive". I typically set the first partition to just under 4gb. Click on Advanced Options and click "Add/Update...", so we can set the filesystem to PFS3. Click on "Add New File System", then in the box that comes up, replace "FastFileSystem" with "PFS3AIO" or whatever you have your PFS3 set to in you l: (lower case L folder. For DosType change the typical 0x444F5303 to "0x50465303" version and revision can be left alone. a new line with a Custom File System shows up, with it selected, click "Ok". Now back on the Partitioning screen, click on the "Change..." button directly above the "Add/Update..." one. Click on the "File System:" button until you have selected "PFS/03". Now look for "MaxTransfer" and set it to 0x1fe00. PRESS ENTER or it will not save., now click on "Ok". Make sure you have created a Partition Device Name (I typically go with DH0, DH1, etc...). You can create as many partitions as you want, but at least 1 that is bootable. 7. Click on Ok to finish partitioning. You should now be back to the Hard Drive Preparation screen. Click on "Save Changes to Drive" on the bottom Right to save your new configuration. 8. Now click on "Exit". This often asks for you to confirm and notifies that DH0 will be written over. Sometimes WINUAE notifies you it has to restart. IF it does not, restart anyway! 9. If you did everything correctly, after a few seconds, DH0: will show up. Use Format to make the drive usable, but only use QUICK FORMAT, with a CF hard drive! In my case, what is happening is that none of the newly partitioned hard drives show up. It's like the drive did not get complete writes to it. Something was changed, but not all apparently. I have done this 7-8 times and it still will not work with 32gb CF cards. I also have used it with Transcend CF cards with the same results. Am I doing something obviously wrong somewhere?