Help transferring bulk files to A1200 CF HDD on a PC

[CDTV1991]

My A1200 uses a compact flash card as the hard disk. I use a CF card reader to transfer files from my PC to the CF card within WinUAE.

I need to transfer a couple of hundred meg to the CF HDD and I am doing this within WinUAE, from a file folder on my PC (which shows up in Workbench) to my CF HDD via the reader.

Workbench is booting directly from the CF hard disk, attached to my PC via the card reader.

The file transfer takes hours and often fails. Transferring small numbers of files is ok, but vey slow.

Any other ideas for transferring these files faster and more reliably?

I can't simply do it via Windows as its an Amiga formatted HDD, so incompatible.

[1time]

Maybe use a null-modem cable?

I got so bored with exactly this problem, so i bought a network card (PCMCIA) to solve the problem.

[fitzsteve]

You are already doing it the fastest way, Null modem or PCMCIA network will be much slower.

Maybe the CF is on it's last legs? Or it might be the way you have prepared the CF try adding some extra buffers - open a CLI Shell and type:

addbuffers <drive>: 1000

example:

addbuffers DH0: 1000

(do for the drive/partition you want to copy to)

Also I assume you have WinUAE setup with a faster CPU speed/JIT? +Z3 Fast Ram? This will help, plus there is a turbo mode but I forget the key stroke to enable it...

Hope that helps,

Steve.

[thomas]

Originally Posted by CDTV1991

The file transfer takes hours and often fails. Transferring small numbers of files is ok, but vey slow.

This is not ok. Copying files inside WinUAE should be almost as fast as copying files in Windows Explorer. And it should never fail.

What does "fail" mean? What happens exactly?

[Methanoid]

Got MaxTransfer set correctly?

[Toni Wilen]

How are you copying files? Not all file utilities handle very deep paths or long file names.

Try plain "copy from: to: clone all quiet" and uaehf.device.

[FOL]

I would agree with steve, I used to get same problem when I first ventured into CF HDD.
I had to leave my PC on for 24 hours once, until I learnt about buffers.

As soon as I added 2000 buffers, it only took about 20 mins to copy over 3GB's of data across, with no errors.

[CDTV1991]

added buffers and used a higher powered emulated amiga in WinUAE and the transfer was much quicker.

It was failing because every few minutes Windows would try to recongise the CF disk and a box would pop up asking to format the disk, which woukd interrupt the file transfer in WinUAE

So now I want to copy the entire contents of my CF card to my PC. Speed is sorted, so how do I go about preventing that annoying interrupt?

Also, how many buffers can you add before the benefit stops?

[johnim]

so how do I go about preventing that annoying interrupt?

cancel before you transfere files

[fitzsteve]

That message should only pop up the first time you insert the CF, I'm wondering if the card reader is resetting it's self?

Have you another CF reader to try?

[johnim]

mine dont interfere i dont even cancel it

[FOL]

Mine used to do that, it would go for about 30 mins, then stop.
I had to do F12, unplug reader, plug it back in, then unpause WinUAE and it would continue normally.

[CDTV1991]

I've bought another cheap USB CF reader for my PC just in case its a loose connection at the USB end as it did seem to be a bit sensitive when moved. When it arrives I'll update this thread.

[fitzsteve]

Originally Posted by CDTV1991

I've bought another cheap USB CF reader for my PC just in case its a loose connection at the USB end as it did seem to be a bit sensitive when moved. When it arrives I'll update this thread.

Good luck

[keitha1200]

Originally Posted by fitzsteve

You are already doing it the fastest way, Null modem or PCMCIA network will be much slower.

Maybe the CF is on it's last legs? Or it might be the way you have prepared the CF try adding some extra buffers - open a CLI Shell and type:

addbuffers <drive>: 1000

example:

addbuffers DH0: 1000

(do for the drive/partition you want to copy to)

Also I assume you have WinUAE setup with a faster CPU speed/JIT? +Z3 Fast Ram? This will help, plus there is a turbo mode but I forget the key stroke to enable it...

Hope that helps,

Steve.

Ah I didn't know that! 20+ years on and the Amiga still has lovely wee tricks up it's sleeve Nice one

[Toni Wilen]

Originally Posted by CDTV1991

It was failing because every few minutes Windows would try to recongise the CF disk and a box would pop up asking to format the disk, which woukd interrupt the file transfer in WinUAE

My guess is hardware problem or broken adapter firmware that hates some newer USB features, perhaps for example power saving etc..

Slower transfer speeds (when writing to CF) are normal because there are no delayed write caches. Windows won't cache plain block devices because caching is normally handled by filesystem drivers.

Cache needs to be implemented in WinUAE (workaround is huge buffer numbers but buffers isn't exactly same as real cache) but it isn't trivial and it is very easy to create cache that misses some corner cases, also handling possible disk errors will be complex.