DH1 Never finishes validating - fix?

[Photon]

(Ye olde problem. Just looking for proper software to stop it from validating forever for my A1200/060/Kick3.1.)

When copying files in WinUAE to the card with Diskmaster, it stopped in the middle saying DH1 wasn't validated. I copied the same dir to DH0: right after, and that went fine.

On each reset, the same block comes up as having a read/write error. I've added 2000 buffers and left it on for hours, still validating. Also tried the card in WinUAE again, as sometimes that fixes it in a jiffy.

Works fine to access and run all the files on DH1, just can't write to it anymore.

Any neat software that removes the file(s) pointing the the bad block(s), marks them up as non-working if they're unwritable, and removes the 'requires validation' flag?

You know, something like DiskDoctor, but that actually fixes the disk instead of destroying it.

Edit: Jesus, I didn't write it's FFS!? DH1/DH0 are both FFS formatted under kick 3.1, using HDToolbox to partition in WinUAE weeks ago.

[Marcuz]

Fixdisk possibly:
http://aminet.net/search?query=fixdisk

[altcomputing]

Originally Posted by Marcuz

Fixdisk possibly:
http://aminet.net/search?query=fixdisk

Remember FixDisk is very old and supports only <48MB partitions!

Give this a try: http://aminet.net/package/disk/salv/DiskSalv11_32

As far as I remember, DiskSalv can also mark BadBlocks. Even if not, it will certainly fix the validation.

Best practice is to replace the disk with another one as badblocks tend to grow with time.

I also noticed that newer drives (mostly WD's) suffer from a phenomenon I call "soft badblocks" that disappear completely when given "badblock" is erased (or simply being written any data to). This happens very often on newer WD drives, and on other manufacturers (Seagate, Samsung) to some extent, too.

Most of the time I receive a bad PC for service is that it has a single badblock that prevents the OS from booting. I run MHDD on PC to determine which block it is, and once found, erase it. It disappears and suddenly the PC is booting fine.

[rkauer]

If you can't rescue the disk with DiskSalv, then Quarterback Tools 5.x is the shiz.

[Jope]

And if QBTools doesn't do it, then ABTools. Naturally all of these only work for FFS partitions.

[roy bates]

hi photon

have you tried lowering the amount of buffers to around 120.and re-format it.

[Photon]

I have 110 buffers actually And... rescue the disk... sure, DH1 might go all corrupted, who knows. But normally it's a backup/copyto kind of disk so it's not end of times if one file is corrupted, not being able to write to it is a much more severe PITA.

But in WinUAE I've copied about 100MB to DH1 without a single error (and 400 MB to DH0). Must say I haven't written to it much when I've used in the Amiga, but when I have it has worked fine. I've used it for maybe 1.5 weeks.

Thanks for the program tips, will try'em I used QB & Disksalv back in the day of course, but it's always nice to know true tested ones on the 68060+CF+FFS combo.

Edit: Worked fine on 2GB (<4GB) CF card (DH1 start within 1GB) with ABtools (Aminet patches not needed), 'Analyst' button. Apparently Quarterback is in TOSEC, only patches on Aminet. Might try Dave Haynie's DiskSalv on Aminet if it happens again just to test...

[Supamax]

Originally Posted by altcomputing

Most of the time I receive a bad PC for service is that it has a single badblock that prevents the OS from booting. I run MHDD on PC to determine which block it is,

What's MHDD?

and once found, erase it.

Which tool do you use to erase it?

[prowler]

Originally Posted by Supamax

What's MHDD?

Hi Supamax, here's the link:
http://hddguru.com/software/2005.10.02-MHDD/

Originally Posted by Supamax

Which tool do you use to erase it?

MHDD.

[Photon]

Let it be said that it's unlikely a pretty new CF card like this would get a bad block from anything but an incompatibility or software misfire during a write, unlike HDDs*, who suck. So much that I will never put a harddisk in any computer I ever fix up or buy. Ever. Not once.

* noisy, hot, slow record players with technology from the 1970s.

[Supamax]

Originally Posted by prowler

Hi Supamax, here's the link:
http://hddguru.com/software/2005.10.02-MHDD/

Thanks! A REALLY great piece of software...
I didn't know it.

[brufnus]

Sorry, I know this is somewhat off topic, but I can't help mentioning it here.

A couple of weeks ago I was running WB 1.3 with KS 1.3 on a tiny 43 MB SCSI drive on my CDTV, and shortly before that I actually only had a floppy drive, since my CD-ROM drive was failing.

Now I'm running AmigaOS 3.2, KS 3.2 from a 36 GB Compaq Ultra Wide drive, and have a Toshiba 40x SCSI CD-ROM drive attached.
It wasn't without several issues to get this far, though... in the middle of everything, my 36 GB drive's bitmap turned sour, and even with the new OS 3.2 diskdoctor I wasn't able to salvage it.
Since I had a primary boot disk and merely intended to clone everything to that Compaq 36 Gig drive, I didn't bother trying any more repairs... but another preparation in WINUAE was needed, though.

I haven't yet been successful with installing SFS and make it work afterwards, but I think I know the reason - it turned out the FFS version or whatever, included with AmigaOS 3.2 might cause problems, too, IF "direct SCSI access" is not ticked in HDToolBox. I think that's why my bitmap was ruined.

Once I have my 50-to-68 pin adapter idle again, I'll try once again with SFS on a 73 GB SCSI drive... I have a strong feeling the "direct SCSI access" will solve the problem with that file system as well.

Anyway, it seems I have no problems running two 18 GB partitions, of which the primary is also boot partition, with AmigaOS 3.2 and it's native file system. That's quite an evolution for my system in such a short span of time...wow! :-D

[brufnus]

Originally Posted by Photon

Let it be said that it's unlikely a pretty new CF card like this would get a bad block from anything but an incompatibility or software misfire during a write, unlike HDDs*, who suck. So much that I will never put a harddisk in any computer I ever fix up or buy. Ever. Not once.

* noisy, hot, slow record players with technology from the 1970s.

Well, that sounds pretty general to me. I wouldn't say that about SATA-600 or SAS drives, though... ;-) (And, in principle, you can install these on an Amiga, too, with the appropriate adapter hardware, right?) ;-)

That being said - I'm still using 20 MB MFM full height 5.25" drives on my Myarc Geneve 9640... c".) even more exotic than the CDTV...