hdtoolbox issues

[Jimbo]

Hey guys

Please bare with me, been a while since I did this. Ok I have an A1200 with 3.1 roms, internal cdrom, 60gig HD, 8 meg of fastram. Ok I got the A1200 with DH0: set to 2 gig, which works great to boot from. Now I want to set two 3 gig partitions as well. So I goto hdtoolbox set the partitons, click ok. Next screen says status changed, so I click save, then status says not changed. Then I click exit and it says I have to reboot for stuff to take effect. I do this, but once DH0 has booted back into workbench my new partitions are not there to format. I also tried setting a 1 gig partition but still only my 2 gig DH0 is on screen. I dont have access to winuae to do this for me. I really don't know what I am doing wrong, any help would be great.


Many Thanks

[rkauer]

Which Workbench version are you running?

If 3.1 you need some patch to see the rest of the drive. Install IDEfix97, for example.

Also you need a suitable file system, like SFS or the FFS of 3.5/3.9.

At last, try HDInstTools (from Aminet), as it have a built-in format option (no need to quit the program to perform the format task).

[Hewitson]

I have to ask why you've made your boot partition 2gb.. Surely 200mb is far more than enough.

HDInstTools as suggested above is much better for using with large drives than 3.1 HDToolBox.

[Jimbo]

Hey guys

Thanks for the replies, it does have idefix97 installed. Workbench 3.1, I will try HDInstTools tonight thanks for this info. Regards the 2gig boot partition, thats how it came.

Thanks

[thomas]

I will try HDInstTools tonight thanks for this info.

Do not use HDInstTools, it will delete all you existing partitions.

it does have idefix97 installed

Make sure that you have replaced idefix by loadide reset in startup-sequence.

[Hewitson]

HDInstTools will not delete any partition HDToolBox wouldn't.. I've been using it for years.

[Jimbo]

Originally Posted by thomas

Do not use HDInstTools, it will delete all you existing partitions.




Make sure that you have replaced idefix by loadide reset in startup-sequence.

I have C:IDEfix in my startup, is this the part I need to change? Like C:loadide reset

Thanks again

[Jimbo]

Well. I went to the system folder then used the format app. It seems my partitions are showing in there. Just running a format on one of the partitions. I thought they were meant to show on workbench as ??? or something and then you did the format. But it seems to be doing it, will have to see if they show after a format and reboot.


Cheers

[thomas]

Originally Posted by Hewitson

HDInstTools will not delete any partition HDToolBox wouldn't.. I've been using it for years.

It does. HDInstTool is not able to use a geometry which does not match the one it calculates internally. It does not even use the geometry you enter into the input fields. And it does not recognise any partition which was created with the other geometry, i.e. it will delete all partitions if the HDD was installed with another partitioning program. Only harddrives which were installed with HDInstTools can be edited with it. Harddrives installed by another program will be reinnstalled by HDInstTool. It's a very dangerous bug. It's the only major bug, but it is so serious that it's not recommended to use this program unless you never used another program before.

[thomas]

Originally Posted by Jimbo

Just running a format on one of the partitions.

Well, then be prepared that your boot partition will be currupted and that you need to start all over from the beginning again.

***NEVER*** format a partition which crosses the 4GB border or is above it!! The format program is not able to access past the 4GB limit.

Always use quick format.

And before you try to access any partition beyond the 4GB border you need to check which file system is used. FastFileSystem version 40 and below is not able to access past 4GB either. If you use it, it will again corrupt your boot partition!

[thomas]

Originally Posted by Jimbo

I have C:IDEfix in my startup, is this the part I need to change? Like C:loadide reset

Thanks again

Yes, exactly. There should be a comment around c:idefix which describes it.

[Hewitson]

Thomas: Ah sorry, I see what you mean now. I've ran into that problem myself.

I still think HDInstTools is much better than WB 3.1 HDToolBox for large drives though. (Unless its possible to use 3.9 HDToolBox on 3.1?)

[Jimbo]

thank you thomas, you are correct I did break by boot drive. Oh well least I can set the boot drive up myself this time. I am installing windoze on a seperate partition I will do all this in winuae I think. So it will go into a real A1200, 3.1 roms with workbench 3.1. The drive is 60gig. I will set the boot partition to about 500 meg. Now how many more partitions can I have after this and whats the max size I can set them to?


Many Thanks

[Hewitson]

Originally Posted by Jimbo

thank you thomas, you are correct I did break by boot drive. Oh well least I can set the boot drive up myself this time. I am installing windoze on a seperate partition I will do all this in winuae I think. So it will go into a real A1200, 3.1 roms with workbench 3.1. The drive is 60gig. I will set the boot partition to about 500 meg. Now how many more partitions can I have after this and whats the max size I can set them to?


Many Thanks

Not sure on the Amiga partition limit..

Without patching scsi.device, you can only use a maximum of 4GB of that drive.

A 64 bit filesystem is also needed. SFS is by far the best.

A slower alternative is FFS v45.

[Jimbo]

Thank you for all the help. I was told on the forums if I install classicwb full, as I have the 8meg fast I will be ok. This will have all the apps included to get these partitions setup right. SO I think thats my next stop, install that all in winuae then whack the drive back in the A1200 and see if she behaves.

Cheers

[RizThomas]

Hello All,
Reading the thread, it was mentioned that the HDInstTools from Aminet (which I have) has a format button.
For the heck of me, I have tried many times following Steps to prepare CF as HDD, going through partition and format using the new HDInstall.
THE FORMAT Process NEVER FINISHED (FOR HOURS) WHEN I DO THIS. If I cancel the process and reboot (of course), all the preparations, partitioning are gone:
In this process, I followed max transfers, using uaehf.device, tell it to use SFS, changed HDInstTools to Device=uaedhf.device, ID0, etc...no succes at all.
Then I followed someone's guide by just using the 3.1 Install adf..got it to work for me.
I wonder what am I doing wrong in the first process... and also was wondering if my other successful process has some limitations.
Meantime, I am currently enjoying my new CF drives on my A1200/A4000 --prepared by the last method..

Can someone enlighten me?

[ancalimon]

Is there a patch for HDtoolbox from AmigaOS 3.1 ?

[Jope]

Originally Posted by ancalimon

Is there a patch for HDtoolbox from AmigaOS 3.1 ?

Yes, for the removable cards there is a patch. For 64bit math, I don't think anyone made one.
http://aminet.net/package/disk/misc/HDToolBoxPatch

[ancalimon]

Originally Posted by Jope

Yes, for the removable cards there is a patch. For 64bit math, I don't think anyone made one.
http://aminet.net/package/disk/misc/HDToolBoxPatch

So would installing and than partioning a 500gb harddrive with os3.1 hdtoolbox make it somehow incompatible with OS3.9 hdtoolbox? What happens when you do such a thing. Does hdtoolbox from 3.9 complain about anything?

[Jope]

Originally Posted by ancalimon

So would installing and than partioning a 500gb harddrive with os3.1 hdtoolbox make it somehow incompatible with OS3.9 hdtoolbox? What happens when you do such a thing. Does hdtoolbox from 3.9 complain about anything?

No, it doesn't become incompatible. It is just an aesthetic problem with negative numbers printed on the screen by the old hdtoolbox. The partitions it makes are just fine and you can easily calculate the correct sizes for yourself based on the geometry and the start + end cylinders.