CF card errors?

clownstyle · 12 November 2013, 21:43

Hi all,

My CF card bought from amigakit.com seems to be playing up. In all fairness, this was bought a couple of years ago now. (Think it's a kingston)

I have reformatted the drive a number of times, installing GAAE classic workbench.

I have tried setting max transfers to 0x001FE00 as suggested, but still seem to get some checksum errors.

I did try the PFS3 filesystem, thinking this might get rid of some of the errors but then I got: wrong index block ID error

- Although I managed to install PFS3 without errors.

The drive gets to a point where I cannot re-edit any partitions in HDtoolbox, winuae gives the error: winuae block zero write failed - Which I believe is related to the drive partitions, rather than Administrator rights (I'm already running as admin) I'm left with no alternative but to wipe the partitions with EaseUS partition manager - Disk Part refuses to clean the drive for some reason, with the error: Diskpart has encountered an error: the system cannot find the file specified...

I hear there is a way to fool WinUAE into writing to the drive, but I will need to be running XP, and an old version of WinUAE.. Tried this in a virtual machine, but that didn't work, although I think that was due to the environment.. I would dual boot XP if this would work.. I think FitzSteve might be able to help me with this, because I had seen it in one of his posts.. Just unsure what version of WinUAE would use the -disablehardrivesafetycheck option?

So it's either something I'm doing wrong, or I need a new CF card. Any tips?

PS - Just realised this could go in the hardware forum

thomas · 12 November 2013, 23:00

If every software you use is telling you that this CF card can no longer be written to, then it's time to get a new one.

Usually people ask how data can be recovered from their dying storage. But you've already destroyed everything there was to recover, so you are prepared to trash it and start from scratch with a new one. Just do it.

prowler · 12 November 2013, 23:03

Quote:

Originally Posted by clownstyle

Just realised this could go in the hardware forum

So I've moved it for you.

clownstyle · 12 November 2013, 23:05

Thanks for that Thomas. I think all I was really looking for was a confirmation that I needed a new one

You have a lot of experience, if I get a new card is it worth using a PFS3 filesystem on an a600?

Can you recommend any brand / type of CF card? People seem to recommend the Sandisk ultra II from what I have read so far.

PS- Thanks Prowler

thomas · 12 November 2013, 23:18

For speed reasons it's definitely worth to use PFS3 on a slow computer.

On the other hand due to its "atomic commit" mechanism it does a lot of writes to the same sector on the partition. AFAIK CF cards don't do wear leveling like SSDs do, so I could imagine that PFS3 shortens the card's live time more than FFS does.

But anyway I am surprised that the CF card died for you at all. Actually I thought that it was not possible to do this with AmigaOS. Thinking about what CF cards are made for, i.e. storing lots of photos or videos and being wiped before every new vacation, I would mean that this would stress the card much more than a more or less read-only operating system.

clownstyle · 12 November 2013, 23:21

I'm quite suprised it died as well. That's why I thought it might be me doing something wrong.

The PFS3 error does seem to suggest it's the card though, as well as the constant checksum errors when I try and write something in dopus using FFS

Nobby_UK · 13 November 2013, 03:06

I had a 4 Gig Kingston Card die on me after only Six Months use

12 November 2013, 21:43	#1
clownstyle Registered User Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Birmingham, UK Age: 41 Posts: 139	CF card errors? Hi all, My CF card bought from amigakit.com seems to be playing up. In all fairness, this was bought a couple of years ago now. (Think it's a kingston) I have reformatted the drive a number of times, installing GAAE classic workbench. I have tried setting max transfers to 0x001FE00 as suggested, but still seem to get some checksum errors. I did try the PFS3 filesystem, thinking this might get rid of some of the errors but then I got: wrong index block ID error - Although I managed to install PFS3 without errors. The drive gets to a point where I cannot re-edit any partitions in HDtoolbox, winuae gives the error: winuae block zero write failed - Which I believe is related to the drive partitions, rather than Administrator rights (I'm already running as admin) I'm left with no alternative but to wipe the partitions with EaseUS partition manager - Disk Part refuses to clean the drive for some reason, with the error: Diskpart has encountered an error: the system cannot find the file specified... I hear there is a way to fool WinUAE into writing to the drive, but I will need to be running XP, and an old version of WinUAE.. Tried this in a virtual machine, but that didn't work, although I think that was due to the environment.. I would dual boot XP if this would work.. I think FitzSteve might be able to help me with this, because I had seen it in one of his posts.. Just unsure what version of WinUAE would use the -disablehardrivesafetycheck option? So it's either something I'm doing wrong, or I need a new CF card. Any tips? PS - Just realised this could go in the hardware forum Last edited by clownstyle; 12 November 2013 at 22:41. Reason: I'm a dumbass

12 November 2013, 23:05	#4
clownstyle Registered User Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Birmingham, UK Age: 41 Posts: 139	Thanks for that Thomas. I think all I was really looking for was a confirmation that I needed a new one You have a lot of experience, if I get a new card is it worth using a PFS3 filesystem on an a600? Can you recommend any brand / type of CF card? People seem to recommend the Sandisk ultra II from what I have read so far. PS- Thanks Prowler Last edited by clownstyle; 12 November 2013 at 23:18.

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12 November 2013, 23:00	#2
thomas Registered User Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Germany Posts: 7,025	If every software you use is telling you that this CF card can no longer be written to, then it's time to get a new one. Usually people ask how data can be recovered from their dying storage. But you've already destroyed everything there was to recover, so you are prepared to trash it and start from scratch with a new one. Just do it.

12 November 2013, 23:18	#5
thomas Registered User Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Germany Posts: 7,025	For speed reasons it's definitely worth to use PFS3 on a slow computer. On the other hand due to its "atomic commit" mechanism it does a lot of writes to the same sector on the partition. AFAIK CF cards don't do wear leveling like SSDs do, so I could imagine that PFS3 shortens the card's live time more than FFS does. But anyway I am surprised that the CF card died for you at all. Actually I thought that it was not possible to do this with AmigaOS. Thinking about what CF cards are made for, i.e. storing lots of photos or videos and being wiped before every new vacation, I would mean that this would stress the card much more than a more or less read-only operating system.

12 November 2013, 23:21	#6
clownstyle Registered User Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Birmingham, UK Age: 41 Posts: 139	I'm quite suprised it died as well. That's why I thought it might be me doing something wrong. The PFS3 error does seem to suggest it's the card though, as well as the constant checksum errors when I try and write something in dopus using FFS

13 November 2013, 03:06	#7
Nobby_UK Registered User Join Date: Jul 2013 Location: Liverpool Posts: 2,600	I had a 4 Gig Kingston Card die on me after only Six Months use

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