WINUAE & PFS3aio issues

[digitalMedic]

Hi all,

Running the latest beta version of WinUAE (4.9.0 b28 64bit) and am having some issues with making harddisk files. I am also using the new AmigaOS 3.2.

The problem is when I try to make a harddisk file using pfs3aio, the files are created on the windows side and show up in HDTools for partitioning and what not, but they never show up to be formatted. I also have the pfs3aio in Ram and assign L: to Ram: when I am setting up the drives.

I am setting the dostype to 0x50465303 (which I noticed is different than the dostype listed in WinUAE's options which is 0x50465300?) and the max transfer to 0x0001FE00 as documented in a thread on here. After the needed reboot, nothing.

After reboot, I reopen HDTools and it finds the drives with all the changes but it says that new drives were added or removed from the system and the file system is no longer PFS3aio. I am not doing anything different then when I was using Amiga OS 3.1.4 and it worked then.

I did manage to get the disks to show up to be formatted when using the default filesystem in AmigaOS 3.2.

What am I missing? I thought this would be an ok place to ask since Toni created WinUAE and PFS3aio.

P.S. I know there are other ways to create harddisk files, but I like doing it this way as it is how it is done on real hardware.

[thomas]

The new WinUAE can be confusing because it creates fake partition tables for non-partitoned HDFs.

In order to use HDToolbox on a HDF you have to enable "Full drive/RDB mode". Only then you can save changes permanently.

[digitalMedic]

Thank you Thomas. I got it to work using the "Full drive/RDB mode" button. I had tried it before and it wasn't working so I am wondering, do I select that button before I create the hdf file (with the create button), or select that button before I leave the hdf create screen? I did it both times on this go around because I was not sure.

[Tomislav]

WinUAE configuration don't remember if you used "Full drive/RDB mode" button. If RDB is not defined in hard disk file and you just loaded WinUAE configuration you need to press that button again.

In HDToolBox when you fill text box you need to press <Enter> that text in that box will be accepted.

[thomas]

WinUAE recognises RDB mode from the RDSK identifier in the first four bytes of the HDF. When you create a new HDF, it does not have this identifier and thus RDB mode is off. The identifier is written by HDToolbox when you initialize the disk.

So the right sequence is
- create HDF
- add HDF
- press the RDB mode button
- start emulation
- run HDToolbox
- initialize drive
- save changes to drive

After that the HDF has the identifier and when you add it again WinUAE will automatically switch to RDB mode.

[digitalMedic]

Thank you again Thomas.