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Amiga computer related discussion => Amiga Hardware Issues and discussion => Topic started by: Legerdemain on August 21, 2003, 03:22:58 PM
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I've connected a 20gb 2.5" IDE HD to my beloved A1200. Only problem is that when I try to partition the drive HDToolBox can't partition more than 6gb of the available 20gb... actually 6gb is all that is shown.
Is this some kind of bug in HDToolBox? It it some kind of built in restrain? Or is it simply me who is having a bad day? =)
I do know that there's a 4gb limit for each partition, but that isn't really the problem here... since I can't even find the other 14gb:s to partition... =)
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And this is when starting from scratch with reading data from drive etc?
You have the proper scsi.device patch?
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Ah, I see. So, an alternative is to first patch the ROM... and then eventually extract the scsi.device from the ROM and use it as an ordinary device? (So I don't need to patch it again and again)?
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you have to patch the rom at each time you power up the miracle IF you want bigger than 4gb hds.
the partitions can be any sizes,
just not the first one,
wich must reside beneath 4gig or 1 gig, not sure.
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Okay...
So, I'll take it from the start now... since I do know how to solve the problem, but it isn't possible to do it the way I am supposed to.
1. To get my HD up and running I need to patch the scsi.device.
2. I'm running a Blizzard 1260, and to patch the scsi.device I need to have it in FastROM mode. (I'm trying to use Frap to do the patch, can't find any other program).
3. When the scsi.device is patched, I need to extract it from the ROM, using GetSCSI, and turn it into a "real" device that I can put into Devs.
4. After all this is done, I can softkick everything up to 3.1, since I don't currently have my 3.1 ROM in this very A1200.
But, Frap refuses to work. It simply says "Unable to write into the FastROM".
No matter if i turn on or of my only jumper on the 1260.
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Obviously I must be doing something wrong. But I can't see what it is I am doing wrong.
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If you`re running the old FFS, then you`ll need the updated version of that too.
Then you`ve also got a load of other fun, such as an old HDToolbox and dos.library that isn`t 64bit aware.
The easiest solution is buy OS3.9 and the 3.1 ROMs to go with it.
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I don't see what you are discussing here. There is a simple and always working way how to partition any hdd:
1. read the docs that came with the hdd. Ususaly everything needed is said there.
2. check the jumpers of the hdd. Some manufacturers add a jumper to limit the capacity for old PC BIOSes. This feature must be *disabled* for the Amiga.
3. verify that the install dialogue of HDToolbox gets the correct data with the "read data from drive" button. If the hdd manual does not show the values, go to the home page of the manufacturer to obtain the values. The most important value is "totat number of blocks" on the hdd. Especially if you read numbers like 16384 or 65536 or something near this for cylinders, ignore them. These are just dummy numbers for old PC BIOSes. Get the real numbers instead which must be much higher.
4. If HDToolbox does not obtain the correct values, enter them by hand.
5. the result of multiplying heads, sectors and cylinders must match the total number of blocks. Multiplied by the block size (512) gives the capacity of the hdd. Should be around 20 billion bytes (about 18 GB).
6. Save changes. Now you should be able to partition the entire drive.
7. Now be carefull: the 4GB limit applies to the hdd, not to the partitions. So think of a hidden line at the 4GB border of the hdd. The boot partition *must* be on the left of this line.
8. In order to *access* (not partition) the area above the 4GB line, you need a patch for the scsi.device. This could be either IDEfix97 or the OS3.9 ROM Update. As said before, this must be loaded on every power on.
9. Beware: accessing the area above the 4GB line without such a patch will not give you an error at once. But the access will be deviated to the area below the line and may (*will*) destroy data there. In the worst case the partition table will be destroyed and on the next boot-up all partitions are gone.
10. The size limit for partitions is not a matter of the scsi.device but of the file system. AFAIK the FastFileSystem or OS3.1 has a limit of 2GB. But this does not matter because this FS cannot access the area above 4GB either. You need to use SFS or similar.
11. Before you save data to the hdd you should check your setup using the programs from the Check4GB archive on Aminet. You should do the test twice: once directly after power-on without startup-sequence, so you test if the *boot* partition works without the patch applied, and a second time after the patch is applied, then *all* partitions should be ok. Partitions signalled as not ok must not be used for storing data.
Bye,
Thomas