Amiga 600: How to upgrade to WB 3.1?

[andersbm]

Hi all!

I am very new to this forum and Amiga computers in general (had one when I was 12 years old, but that's like aaages ago now).

Bought an A600 with a ACA630-30 card, 20 GB (!) HD and a Easy ADF Transfer Kit. It came with Workbench 2.1 installed.

But I would very much like to do "a clean installation" and start from the scratch. So I bought a Kickstart 3.1., V. 4.0 from AmigaKit.com and now I am kind of stuck! :-(

For some reason I got the idea into my head, that it was still possible to buy Workbench 3.1. on floppy disks from AmigaKit. However, this is not the case.

Therefore, I need to either find a 2nd hand or download a WB 3.1., from some place. I will only use my A600 for gaming, using mainly WHD Load games.

Should I:

1) Download a WB 3.1. and make new floppys with Easy ADF?

2) Download WB 3.1. to my flashcard and somehow install it from there? (is that even possible).

3) Another option, which I have not considered yet?

Hope to hear from anyone, soon :-)

All best
Anders
Copenhagen

[andersbm]

purchase AmigaForever, this package has everything you need and a lot more !

or seek for adf of WB3.1 (easy to find with google)

Thanks for the kind advice. I was under the impression that AmigaForever is emulation for other OS (PC, Mac etc.) only?

All best
Anders

[andersbm]

Personally I would download the six disk ADF's of Workbench 3.1 (Google is your friend) and do a fresh install on the Amiga with them.  They'll have everything you'll need to get the system running under 3.1, then you can use your CF or somesuch to transfer updates and other files over from your PC onto the A600.

Thanks a lot for the good advice :-) I think I'll do it this way. Then I'll also have the floppy's, which might come in handy when I screw up at some point ;-)

Considering that I will be using the A600 to play game (as many as possible!), are there any updates/cool software, which you would recommend?

All best
Anders

[andersbm]

It is, but it comes with ADF images of all the OS installation disks.

Ah, I see. Handy! :-)

I'll look into purchasing one then. Any special edition, which would fit my purpose better?

[andersbm]

If you buy AF it is illegal for you to use the ADF images on a real Amiga due to Cloanto's licencing deal with Amiga Inc, so you might as well save yourself the money and google the filenames I just gave you   Either way you are breaking the law.

Auch! He he, I don't like breaking the law in any ways - but when dealing with this kind of software I sometimes feel that it's almost impossible to avoid ;-)

Thanks for all the good advice! Looking much forward to gaming one of these days.

AB.

[andersbm]

http://archive.org/details/Commodore_Amiga_TOSEC_2012_04_10


Workbench v3.1 rev 40.42 (1996)(ESCOM)(M10)(Disk 1 of 6)(Install)
Workbench v3.1 rev 40.42 (1996)(ESCOM)(M10)(Disk 2 of 6)(Workbench)
Workbench v3.1 rev 40.42 (1996)(ESCOM)(M10)(Disk 3 of 6)(Extras)
Workbench v3.1 rev 40.42 (1996)(ESCOM)(M10)(Disk 4 of 6)(Storage)
Workbench v3.1 rev 40.42 (1996)(ESCOM)(M10)(Disk 5 of 6)(Locale)
Workbench v3.1 rev 40.42 (1996)(ESCOM)(M10)(Disk 6 of 6)(Fonts)

WOW!
Just ... WOW! Thanks man. There is ... like ... a LOT of files :-D

[andersbm]

Hi again Nicholas.

The Wokbench 3.1. files are in various versions. For example:
Workbench v3.1 rev 40.42 (1996)(ESCOM)(M10)(Disk 1 of 6)(Install).zip
Workbench v3.1 rev 40.42 (1996)(ESCOM)(M10)(Disk 1 of 6)(Install)[m2].zip
Workbench v3.1 rev 40.42 (1996)(ESCOM)(M10)(Disk 1 of 6)(Install)[m3].zip
Workbench v3.1 rev 40.42 (1996)(ESCOM)(M10)(Disk 1 of 6)(Install)[m].zip

Do you know what the differences between these files are and are there any, which should be avoided?

Once again: thanks for your help. So very much appreciated.

Anders

[andersbm]

The "m" means possibly modified, so avoid if a clean version exists (like the first Install in your list).

You can download the pdf file here which explains the "Naming Convention" as it's called:
https://archive.org/details/TncV20110827

Ah, I see. Makes sense about the flags and the naming etc. Would just have been cool if it was written exactly what the modification was. But I'll just download the non-modified and hope to find a place in Copenhagen that sells floppy disks tomorrow ;-)

Thanks for all the good comments.

Anders

[andersbm]

Hi again guys.

Picking up on an old thread here. I finally got around to installing a new kickstart ROM and downloading Workbench 3.1. files to y CF Card.

But now I have a new problem! SIGH!

When I insert a new floppy (or old one for that matter) and try to format it, the system claims that the floppy is write protected (which it is NOT). Hence it cannot write the WB 3.1. ADF file to the floppy and I am stuck again.

This happens when using both EASY ADF transfer to floppy and if I use Workbenchs formatting tool.

Do you have any idea what can cause this problem?

Is it perhaps a faulty/broken floppy drive?

Hope to hear from someone soon.

All best
Anders

[andersbm]

Hi again guys.

Thank you for all the kind replies. I fixed my floppy problem pretty "analouge": Took out the screws and opened the case, inserted a floppy, and saw that the little blakc plastic tap, which is supposed to check if a floppy is write protected, did not activate when inserting a floppy. Hence, I simply pushed gently down on the floppy after I inserted it, and VOILA!, suddently is was a writable floppy :-D

BUT, now I have a new problem :-(

Transferring ADFs to Floppy and making my brand new Workbench install set, was no problem at all. Started installing Workbench 3.1. and everything seemed to work smoothly. HOWEVER, when I rebootet after the final message ("The installation of Release 3.1. is now complete. To enable Release 3.1. you must reboot your amiga") - WELL, then NOTHING NEW HAPPENS! :-( It still boots in good ole' Workbench 2.1. :-(

I tried installing Workbench 3.1. three times in 3 different languages. Still the same result!

Also, after rebooting I get an error message: "ERROR: can't load keymap KEYMAPS:dk. However, I do not believe that this has got anything to do with the lack of a genuine 3.1. workbench boot.

Anybody have any good ideas on how I should fix this problem?

All best
Anders
Copenhagen

[andersbm]

Hi Mike.

Thanks for the very fast reply :-D
I will try to perform the operation that you suggest here. One very odd thing: When I do a mouse right-click and go to "Version", then it gives me the follwing info: "Kickstart Version 40.63, Workbench 40.42, 3.1 ROM". As far as I have been able to research WB 40.42 = WB 3.1.!!! However, my Workbench screen looks nothing like the characteristic "blue workbench 3.1", which I remember from my childhood. It looks just like the same old dull 2.1. How can this happen?

Hope to hear from you again :-)
Anders

[andersbm]

Blue 3.1? Are you sure about the versions? The Workbench 1.3 was the one with the blue background, the later ones are (by default) grey-coloured.

Arw, DARN! You're absolutely right! Just Pictures Googled Workbench 1.0, and that is exactely what I remember. Just thought that the 3.1. I have now, looks "older" with more boring graphics than the 1.0. Hence, the confusion. So perhaps I am already on Workbench 3.1. without knowing it. Silly! ;-)

[andersbm]

Hi again Mike.

Well that's good and bad news. Good because it does seem to work afterall. Bad because I was hoping that 3.1. would give me a tiiiny bit better graphics ;-) And also, the refference to "the blue look" is just me remembering my old Workbench 3.1.

"A clean slate" install sounds like just the thing for me! :-)

But just a newbies question: I have a 20 GB old iPod HD installed in my Amiga. Can I partion this HD in two and then make 1 for WB 3.1. and 1 for "Games"? Have NO experience with HD on an Amiga 600 whatsoever :-)

[andersbm]

And yes, PS: Thanks for the hints about the more "modern" look. I'll definately look into that :-)

[andersbm]

DH0: Workbench, 400MB
DH1: Work (music, graphics programs, whatever), 1700MB
DH2: Games, 1900MB

This keeps all your partitions smaller than 2GB, and your formatted capacity within the 4GB space.  This is the "safe" option, feel free to go bigger if you want the "risky" option.  All of these settings can be changed within HDToolbox on your 3.1 Install disk.

*disclaimer - I'm sure someone will come along and tell you different in about a minute.  

SUPERB!

I'm only going to use the A600 for games (for a start at least), so going for new file formats etc. is just waaaay over my head! ;-) Hve done the partitions now and hope to boot the install disk succesfully in a min :-)