Formatting USB Flash Disk

[smoorke]

is it possible to have both and RDB and a MFT on the same disk?
if so how would one create such an oddity?

the reason i'm asking is i want to have a FAT32 partition alongside the amigados partitions
to store the winuae executable and ADOS rom
so i can have the comfort of always having my personal amiga configuration on hand

and no i'm not going to use a hardfile on the FAT partitition
unless there is no way possible to have both an MFT and RDB

[Toni Wilen]

Create 2 or more regular MBR partitions, set Amiga partition's type to 0x76 (same as Amithlon uses. I don't know how to do this in Windows).

Partitions with type 0x76 will appear in WinUAE's "Add Harddrive" dialog and works exactly like real RDB harddrive.

[smoorke]

thanks, looks like i'll have to dig around a while to find the tool i need.
Windows XP isn't up to the job. no fdisk utitlity on an installed sytem.
if Fdisk is even fit for that task

[OddbOd]

fdisk was binned at the same time DOS was, under Windows XP you can create partitions with exotic types using the Diskpart command (not well known but very powerful) just make sure you read the documentation carefully and it shouldn't present any problems.

[ceztko]

Originally Posted by OddbOd

fdisk was binned at the same time DOS was, under Windows XP you can create partitions with exotic types using the Diskpart command (not well known but very powerful) just make sure you read the documentation carefully and it shouldn't present any problems.

Well, it takes less time to download and load a linux live cd, using utilities like fdisk, cfdisk or parted than reading and understanding that syntax documentation of diskpart you linked. As usual, windows system tools developers should learn some unix concepts before actually doing anything...

[smoorke]

Maybe i'm doing something wrong but for some reason the M$ Diskpart tool won't recognize my USB stick as a drive. Therefor i can't select it, clean nor create any partitions on it.
I even tried with another flash disk i had, alas to no avail

[Toni Wilen]

Friendly warning before it is too late: No OS/software/whatever bashing in my forum.

[OddbOd]

Originally Posted by smoorke

Maybe i'm doing something wrong but for some reason the M$ Diskpart tool won't recognize my USB stick as a drive. Therefor i can't select it, clean nor create any partitions on it.
I even tried with another flash disk i had, alas to no avail

I'll give you the bad news first, you haven't done anything wrong, the problem is that diskpart does not work on removeable disks (FYI the Windows Disk management console cannot partition removeables either).

Now for the good news, a USB stick can be partitioned as Toni described and it does work (and I've actually tried it this time ).

The way I did it was to first get a copy of Ranish Partition Manager 2.40 and put it on a bootable DOS floppy. After rebooting with the floppy and USB stick attached I deleted the existing FAT partition off the stick and created two new ones of equal size, the first FAT, the second type 76, I let Ranish format the FAT partition and booted back to Windows. WinUAE now recognised the second partition and I was able to partition it from Workbench using HDInstTool, I only used this because the version of HDToolBox that I have (2.22) couldn't find the disk.

Hopefully I haven't left too much stuff out and you can get it working soon.

[smoorke]

I'm not having any luck with the linux install cd i have either.
Even though it shows my flash disk, this rather dated Mandrake distro i had lying around doesn't allow it's setup program to define non-linux partitions at the beginning of a disk.
I'll try that ranish thing when i can get my hands on a machine which still has a floppy drive

[DamienD]

Originally Posted by smoorke

I'll try that ranish thing when i can get my hands on a machine which still has a floppy drive

I'd hate to see you get so close to a solution and then fail as you don't have a FDD available...

...so I created a basic Windows 98SE Boot Disk for you which launches Ranish Partition Manager 2.40. I then made a Bootable CD .ISO using this Boot Disk

Check out The Zone!, just burn this .ISO and you're away

[ceztko]

Originally Posted by Toni Wilen

Friendly warning before it is too late: No OS/software/whatever bashing in my forum my forum.

At this point, it's quite an advice, seeing that diskpart refuse to consider an usb flash as a block device (ok, this is *nix speaking ).

[smoorke]

Thanks for the boot image DamienD, but seems like your work was in vain. The laptop im using doesn't have a bios that supports usb booting and thus Ranish Part Manager can't see my flash disk.
Oh, uhm Toni was actually correct in repremending me. I'ue already edited my post.

[DamienD]

Originally Posted by smoorke

Thanks for the boot image DamienD, but seems like your work was in vain. The laptop im using doesn't have a bios that supports usb booting and thus Ranish Part Manager can't see my flash disk.

No problem, in the past I've created a DOS Boot Disk that loads USB drivers

Give me an hour or so, I'll try to find the USB driver files again and work out the syntax. From memory you have 3 choices with the drivers:

... Enabling only USB 2.0 controller
... Enabling only add-on/onboard USB 1.1 controller
... Enabling integrated USB 1.1 controller

You just need to tell me what your laptop's USB controller is...

Actually, scrap this. I'll make a boot disk with each selection as a menu item

[DamienD]

All done and tested using my Laptop + Sony 1GB USB Memory Stick

The Laptop doesn't have USB BIOS support and only has an integrated USB 1.1 controller... Ranish Partition Manager can see the USB device

PS. I've attached the file to this post so that it doesn't disappear in 7 days just in case anybody else in the same situtation needs it in future.

[smoorke]

Thanks DamienD, This should do the job just fine. I'll keep you posted on my succes.

Just a quick inquiry/request for Toni.
With you adding removable support to WinUAE, will it recognize and automatically add the amiga partitions i will be having on my disk or will only the FAT partition show on the Amiga side?

[Toni Wilen]

Originally Posted by smoorke

Just a quick inquiry/request for Toni.
With you adding removable support to WinUAE, will it recognize and automatically add the amiga partitions i will be having on my disk or will only the FAT partition show on the Amiga side?

uaehf.device on the fly automount is very different compared to directory filesystem automounting. It will happen someday but I have no plans yet (at least not until directory filesystem automounting is "perfect")