HDF Problem with WinUAE

Steve · 20 June 2009, 18:13

I have a very annoying problem. Whilst using WinUAE 1.6.0, I suffered a HDF harddrive crash within the emulation. I think I may have been playing a WHDLoad game at the time. The Amiga guru'd and then reset and then reset and then reset again. It now refuses to boot correctly. It loads up the workbench screen then after a few seconds resets again.

I am using the ClassicWB installation but I don't want to start installing everything again from scratch if I can help it. Anyone know what I can do to recover this dodgy HDF file?

thomas · 20 June 2009, 18:16

How big is the HDF ? Can you upload it somewhere ?

Steve · 20 June 2009, 18:19

Quote:

Originally Posted by thomas

How big is the HDF ? Can you upload it somewhere ?

Not really, its 200MB.

thomas · 20 June 2009, 20:08

Compressed (ZIP, RAR, 7Z) ?

Steve · 20 June 2009, 20:32

I mght try create a new HDF and copy all the data to that one. Might be worth a try??

thomas · 20 June 2009, 20:45

If you think that a corrupted file system structure is the cause for the crashes, then copying everything to another hdf is a good idea.

andreas · 20 June 2009, 23:06

Steve, you may fire up the original HDF to or $insert_your_fave_filehosting_service_here as well.

Steve · 21 June 2009, 02:05

It has information on it I can't give out. For example registered WHDLoad key amongst other stuff. So I can't upload it unfortunately.

FOL · 21 June 2009, 12:33

Quote:

Originally Posted by Steve

It has information on it I can't give out. For example registered WHDLoad key amongst other stuff. So I can't upload it unfortunately.

Try altering the config your using?
I get this when messing with CPU settings sometimes.

Also, what about "early boot menu" and booting with no startup-sequence and loadwb from there and see what happens. If it dont crash, then you deffo got a config prob or something loading in HDF that it doesnt like.

Steve · 27 June 2009, 10:54

Quote:

Originally Posted by FOL

Also, what about "early boot menu" and booting with no startup-sequence and loadwb from there and see what happens. If it dont crash, then you deffo got a config prob or something loading in HDF that it doesnt like.

Its 100% not a configuration problem. The HDF itself is totally f**ked. I have tried using the early start-up menu and booting with no startup sequence but it won't even get as far as the command line. All I get is the standard software failure screen. I have even tried booting using another HDF which works but if I also add the damaged HDF and don't even boot from it there is still a software failure screen. I give up.

thomas · 27 June 2009, 11:23

Quote:

I give up.

That's too early IMHO. If I read this thread, there is not one single helpful hint yet and you didn't even start to recover anything.

First we need some more information about the HDF. How big is it exactly (in bytes) ? Is it a standard HDF (without partitions) or is it in RDB mode (partitioned with HDToolbox or similar) ? Did you use a non-standard file system ? Which one ?

If you boot another HDF and add the damaged one, can you disable the damaged HDF in the early startup menu and then boot successfully ?

Steve · 27 June 2009, 12:13

Quote:

How big is it exactly (in bytes) ? Is it a standard HDF (without partitions) or is it in RDB mode (partitioned with HDToolbox or similar) ? Did you use a non-standard file system ? Which one ?

It is exactly 200MB. Here this is what WinUAE shows when you mount it.

12800 cyls, 409600 blocks, 200.0MB/200.0MB DOS..... [444F530500000000]

It was formatted using FFS and contains directories only. It doesn't use RDB mode.

Quote:

If you boot another HDF and add the damaged one, can you disable the damaged HDF in the early startup menu and then boot successfully ?

I've just tried this and it did work. I was able to boot successfully once the drive was disabled. On reset when the drive is automatically enabled I get the software failure.

thomas · 27 June 2009, 13:23

Ok, here is a recovery procedure which should work:

- get DiskSalv from Aminet and unpack it onto the working HDF. Also make sure that there is enough space on the working HDF to take all the files from the damaged HDF. Or create a third one which is large enough.

- make sure that the working HDF is the first entry in WinUAE's HDD list.

- add the damaged HDF as second entry (drag it up if it's not the second one). Click on "Enable RDB mode" in the add harddrive window.

- now boot. It should boot successfully and the damaged HDF should be invisible.

- open a text editor and enter this:

Code:

Device          = "uaehf.device"
Unit            = 1
Flags           = 0x0
Surfaces        = 1
BlocksPerTrack  = 32
Reserved        = 2
LowCyl          = 0
HighCyl         = 12799
Buffers         = 50
MaxTransfer     = 0x7FFFFFFF
Mask            = 0xFFFFFFFE
DosType         = 0x444f5300

Save it as Sys:Storage/DosDrivers/HDF.

- open a shell window and enter

mount hdf:

if nothing happens, enter

hdf:

Now it should crash. That's ok, it's just a test that the dosdriver works. Let it reboot and open Sys:Storage/DosDrivers/HDF in a text editor again. Change the line with DosType so that it reads

DosType = 0x00000000

Save it and enter mount hdf: in a shell window again. Nothing should happen.

- run DiskSalv. It should show HDF in the list of possible drives. Select it, select OFS and Salvage and Start. DiskSalv should find all files on the damaged HDF and copy it to another location of your choice.

Hope this helps.

Steve · 27 June 2009, 17:11

Wow, that is complicated! Looks like fun tho. I'll let u know how I get on. Thanks! :-)

Ironclaw · 27 June 2009, 17:22

If it's a HDF u can't get into, simply boot from a workbench disk and enter the HDF like that.

Steve · 28 June 2009, 10:22

Quote:

Originally Posted by thomas

open a shell window and enter mount hdf:

if nothing happens, enter hdf:

Ok, I'm up to this point in the procedure. Everything seems to have gone ok up to this point. Once the hdf driver is mounted and then I try to access it I come across a problem. Not a valid DOS disk. Eek!

EDIT: Oh is that part just a test for the dosdriver? Ok, maybe I should carry on with the rest of the procedure and see what happens.

thomas · 28 June 2009, 10:55

Make sure that the dosdriver points to the right HDF. The unit number refers to the entry in WinUAE's hard drive list. Unit = 0 is the first entry, Unit = 1 is the second entry, Unit = 2 is the third entry and so on.

Also check that the specified size is correct. (HighCyl - LowCyl + 1) * BlocksPerTrack * Surfaces * 512 = size of HDF in bytes

If both is correct, then Not a DOS disk is better than everything you got before. Just continue with DiskSalv.

thomas · 28 June 2009, 10:59

One correction:

Quote:

12800 cyls, 409600 blocks, 200.0MB/200.0MB DOS..... [444F530500000000]

You should not choose OFS in DiskSalv but FFS INTL DirCache.

Why the hell did you use DirCache ??? This only invites trouble.

Steve · 28 June 2009, 11:16

Quote:

Originally Posted by thomas

You should not choose OFS in DiskSalv but FFS INTL DirCache.

Why the hell did you use DirCache ??? This only invites trouble.

I thought when I reached this point that I should be using FFS instead of OFS. I went ahead and tried with OFS and got some very odd results.

It scanned the HDF which took about 30 minutes and generated thousands of errors. Then it asked me to restore what it could and gave me an option of DISKSALVE-EXTRAS or something like that. Then it spent a couple of minutes restoring stuff. Strange that the files it tried to restore are files from the drive unit 0 not unit 1 which is the bad drive. I have it set to unit 1 in the driver script and it is definitely the second one in the list of four drives I have installed. The files that it did "restore" are all corrupt anyway. Must be to do with the file-system setting.

What the hell is DirChache?? lol. I can't remember using this option but I guess I must have ticked it for some reason. Whats so bad about it.

I'll try again using FFS INTL DirCache.

Steve · 29 June 2009, 00:46

I am now getting an "Unknown command" error in the shell. This is after I have mounted the HDF successfully. When I try to access the HDF I get the error message.

20 June 2009, 18:13	#1
Steve I Identify as an Ewok Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: North Lincolnshire Age: 45 Posts: 2,356	HDF Problem with WinUAE I have a very annoying problem. Whilst using WinUAE 1.6.0, I suffered a HDF harddrive crash within the emulation. I think I may have been playing a WHDLoad game at the time. The Amiga guru'd and then reset and then reset and then reset again. It now refuses to boot correctly. It loads up the workbench screen then after a few seconds resets again. I am using the ClassicWB installation but I don't want to start installing everything again from scratch if I can help it. Anyone know what I can do to recover this dodgy HDF file?

27 June 2009, 13:23	#13
thomas Registered User Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Germany Posts: 7,035	Ok, here is a recovery procedure which should work: - get DiskSalv from Aminet and unpack it onto the working HDF. Also make sure that there is enough space on the working HDF to take all the files from the damaged HDF. Or create a third one which is large enough. - make sure that the working HDF is the first entry in WinUAE's HDD list. - add the damaged HDF as second entry (drag it up if it's not the second one). Click on "Enable RDB mode" in the add harddrive window. - now boot. It should boot successfully and the damaged HDF should be invisible. - open a text editor and enter this: Code: Device = "uaehf.device" Unit = 1 Flags = 0x0 Surfaces = 1 BlocksPerTrack = 32 Reserved = 2 LowCyl = 0 HighCyl = 12799 Buffers = 50 MaxTransfer = 0x7FFFFFFF Mask = 0xFFFFFFFE DosType = 0x444f5300 Save it as Sys:Storage/DosDrivers/HDF. - open a shell window and enter mount hdf: if nothing happens, enter hdf: Now it should crash. That's ok, it's just a test that the dosdriver works. Let it reboot and open Sys:Storage/DosDrivers/HDF in a text editor again. Change the line with DosType so that it reads DosType = 0x00000000 Save it and enter mount hdf: in a shell window again. Nothing should happen. - run DiskSalv. It should show HDF in the list of possible drives. Select it, select OFS and Salvage and Start. DiskSalv should find all files on the damaged HDF and copy it to another location of your choice. Hope this helps.

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20 June 2009, 18:16	#2
thomas Registered User Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Germany Posts: 7,035	How big is the HDF ? Can you upload it somewhere ?

20 June 2009, 20:08	#4
thomas Registered User Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Germany Posts: 7,035	Compressed (ZIP, RAR, 7Z) ?

20 June 2009, 20:32	#5
Steve I Identify as an Ewok Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: North Lincolnshire Age: 45 Posts: 2,356	I mght try create a new HDF and copy all the data to that one. Might be worth a try??

20 June 2009, 20:45	#6
thomas Registered User Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Germany Posts: 7,035	If you think that a corrupted file system structure is the cause for the crashes, then copying everything to another hdf is a good idea.

20 June 2009, 23:06	#7
andreas Zone Friend Join Date: Jun 2001 Location: Germany Age: 50 Posts: 5,857	Steve, you may fire up the original HDF to or $insert_your_fave_filehosting_service_here as well.

21 June 2009, 02:05	#8
Steve I Identify as an Ewok Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: North Lincolnshire Age: 45 Posts: 2,356	It has information on it I can't give out. For example registered WHDLoad key amongst other stuff. So I can't upload it unfortunately.

27 June 2009, 17:11	#14
Steve I Identify as an Ewok Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: North Lincolnshire Age: 45 Posts: 2,356	Wow, that is complicated! Looks like fun tho. I'll let u know how I get on. Thanks! :-)

27 June 2009, 17:22	#15
Ironclaw Banned Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: ... Age: 46 Posts: 3,313	If it's a HDF u can't get into, simply boot from a workbench disk and enter the HDF like that.

28 June 2009, 10:55	#17
thomas Registered User Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Germany Posts: 7,035	Make sure that the dosdriver points to the right HDF. The unit number refers to the entry in WinUAE's hard drive list. Unit = 0 is the first entry, Unit = 1 is the second entry, Unit = 2 is the third entry and so on. Also check that the specified size is correct. (HighCyl - LowCyl + 1) * BlocksPerTrack * Surfaces * 512 = size of HDF in bytes If both is correct, then Not a DOS disk is better than everything you got before. Just continue with DiskSalv.

29 June 2009, 00:46	#20
Steve I Identify as an Ewok Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: North Lincolnshire Age: 45 Posts: 2,356	I am now getting an "Unknown command" error in the shell. This is after I have mounted the HDF successfully. When I try to access the HDF I get the error message.

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