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Offline hbarcellosTopic starter

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Creating a CF Card to use as an A1200 hard disk
« on: December 09, 2008, 09:49:26 AM »
Hello all,

    I've bought a 2.5 IDE/CF adapter in order to use it as my A1200 hard disk.
    I have created a hardfile on WinUAE and it's now ready to be transferred to the CF.
    But... Anyone has a suggestion about how can I do it? I don't have a 2.5 IDE connector on my desktop, so I used one of those IDE->USB adapters (to connect a harddisk as an USB drive). The Frankstein looks like this:


Photo 1

Photo 2

But... XP says: No Media on drive F:

Any suggestions??


}~ A1200 - Apollo 68040 - HOTLY running OS 3.1
}~ Powerbook G4 1.67 running MorphOS 3.2 without Wifi.
}~ Powermac Quicksilver 933 with Radeon 9600 XT (r300) LOUDLY running MorphOS 3.2
}~ [MY iOS GAME]: http://goo.gl/S9nWB (Amiga users can get it FREE[/color], just ask me)
 

Offline darksun9210

Re: Creating a CF Card to use as an A1200 hard disk
« Reply #1 on: December 09, 2008, 09:57:20 AM »
hmmm... check that the CF card is getting power from the USB adapter? otherwise, i unno  :-?
can your PC boot from USB devices? can you see it in the bios/boot menu? if you can, it might be worth starting a windows install to the CF card to force it into "disk" mode? what does windows disk management think it sees?

A500, A600, A1200x3, A2000, A3000, A4000 & a CD32.
and probably just like the rest of you, crates full of related "treasure" for the above XD
 

Offline alexh

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Re: Creating a CF Card to use as an A1200 hard disk
« Reply #2 on: December 09, 2008, 09:57:49 AM »
I am not quite sure what you intend to do with that Hardfile. I've personally never done it that way. I've always mounted the CF card as DH0: in WinUAE and then partitioned & formatted and installed WB that way.

Not sure how you can transfer the contents of a pre-prepared hardfile to a CF card in a way that will be readable with the Amiga.

I am afraid you'll probably have to start again!

Remember to change the MAX TRANSFER size in HDToolbox to a value that is supported by your A1200's IDE interface. Something below 128Kbytes like 0x1FE00 or below 64Kbytes 0xFE00 (whichever works for you).

Before you start you should make sure that your CF card works with your A1200. Not all do!!! Attach it, boot from the workbench disk and try to partition it with HDToolbox (don't forget the MAX TRANSFER) and format it.

If you're having trouble getting the Amiga to see the CF card you may have to change the CF card's internal settings. From "REMOVABLE" to "FIXED" which you can do for *some* SANDISK cards using a tool on the PC (not with a USB adapter :-() called atcfwchg.com
 

Offline mingle

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Re: Creating a CF Card to use as an A1200 hard disk
« Reply #3 on: December 09, 2008, 10:08:56 AM »
@hbarcellos,

To simplify things, I suggest using a normal USB card-reader (the ones for digital camera cards) on your PC, rather than the setup you have - that may introduce problems...

I've had no trouble getting my CF card set up using WinUAE on an XP PC, and then using the card in my A1200...

There's a thread somewhere going through teh steps...

Cheers,

Mike.

 

Offline hbarcellosTopic starter

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Re: Creating a CF Card to use as an A1200 hard disk
« Reply #4 on: December 09, 2008, 12:02:07 PM »
First of all, thanks for the replies.

Well, as soon as I get Windows XP to read it (I'm conviced that I'll need a regular USB->CompactFlash adapter), my plans are the following:
* Format the Compact Flash inside UAE (using all those -forcedetection and etc...) It's 1gb
* I'll set MAX TRANSFER to a value below 128kb
* Then I'll take DOPUS and copy ALL files from my DH0: to DH1: (which I expect to be my Compact Flash)

Would not work this way?

And... why some compact flashs are not supported? Anything in particular that I should search?

}~ A1200 - Apollo 68040 - HOTLY running OS 3.1
}~ Powerbook G4 1.67 running MorphOS 3.2 without Wifi.
}~ Powermac Quicksilver 933 with Radeon 9600 XT (r300) LOUDLY running MorphOS 3.2
}~ [MY iOS GAME]: http://goo.gl/S9nWB (Amiga users can get it FREE[/color], just ask me)
 

Offline alexh

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Re: Creating a CF Card to use as an A1200 hard disk
« Reply #5 on: December 09, 2008, 12:53:52 PM »
Quote
And... why some compact flashs are not supported?

Because they pretend not to be hard drives and so are removable without rebooting Windows. As time goes on fewer CF cards will work until someone updates the scsi.device or CFD drivers.

Quote
Anything in particular that I should search?

FIXED vs REMOVABLE.

Quote

But... XP says: No Media on drive F:

I am pretty sure that means your CF card is set as REMOVABLE and is unusable in it's current form with an Amiga.
 

Offline hbarcellosTopic starter

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Re: Creating a CF Card to use as an A1200 hard disk
« Reply #6 on: December 09, 2008, 01:59:57 PM »
FIXED vs REMOVABLE.

Is that information easily available printed somewhere??

Just found this:

"For the best compatibility, Compact Flash shown as fixed disk are recommended instead of removable. How do I determine what type my CF card is?
A. The card must be connected through an interface which is capable of detecting a CF card as a fixed disk, such as IDE or SATA. The CF card must be formatted and partitioned with a drive letter."

So, that does not  mean that FIXED or REMOVABLE is not only how the system deals with the card? OR there's a HW difference inside the card?
}~ A1200 - Apollo 68040 - HOTLY running OS 3.1
}~ Powerbook G4 1.67 running MorphOS 3.2 without Wifi.
}~ Powermac Quicksilver 933 with Radeon 9600 XT (r300) LOUDLY running MorphOS 3.2
}~ [MY iOS GAME]: http://goo.gl/S9nWB (Amiga users can get it FREE[/color], just ask me)
 

Offline alexh

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Re: Creating a CF Card to use as an A1200 hard disk
« Reply #7 on: December 09, 2008, 02:38:01 PM »
Firmware difference inside the card
 

Offline hbarcellosTopic starter

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Re: Creating a CF Card to use as an A1200 hard disk
« Reply #8 on: December 09, 2008, 05:37:24 PM »
Glad to know that's is a firmware. Look what I have found:

"Sandisk has a utility that enables you to format the Ultra II as a fixed disk. Thus allows XP to hibernate, resume or shutdown. If I could go back, I'd probably put the OS onto the Ultra II and my Media on the Extreme III."

and... here's my picture:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/24302172@N06/3095281786/

Sandisk Ultra II!

So, probably it will work right?
}~ A1200 - Apollo 68040 - HOTLY running OS 3.1
}~ Powerbook G4 1.67 running MorphOS 3.2 without Wifi.
}~ Powermac Quicksilver 933 with Radeon 9600 XT (r300) LOUDLY running MorphOS 3.2
}~ [MY iOS GAME]: http://goo.gl/S9nWB (Amiga users can get it FREE[/color], just ask me)
 

Offline hbarcellosTopic starter

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Re: Creating a CF Card to use as an A1200 hard disk
« Reply #9 on: December 09, 2008, 05:44:01 PM »

The name of the tool is: atcfwchg.com

But I just can't find it anywhere on the net. I'll take a look at some torrent and/or P2P at night...

}~ A1200 - Apollo 68040 - HOTLY running OS 3.1
}~ Powerbook G4 1.67 running MorphOS 3.2 without Wifi.
}~ Powermac Quicksilver 933 with Radeon 9600 XT (r300) LOUDLY running MorphOS 3.2
}~ [MY iOS GAME]: http://goo.gl/S9nWB (Amiga users can get it FREE[/color], just ask me)
 

Offline alexh

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Re: Creating a CF Card to use as an A1200 hard disk
« Reply #10 on: December 09, 2008, 07:47:20 PM »
Jesus did you even read my first post?  :roll:

http://www.mattan.org/articles/portege/sysfiles/ATCFWCHG.zip

As I said it doesnt work with USB adapter. REAL PATA IDE interface only
 

Offline hbarcellosTopic starter

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Re: Creating a CF Card to use as an A1200 hard disk
« Reply #11 on: December 09, 2008, 08:14:11 PM »
Err...

:horse:  <-------- That's me!

Do you happen to have this utility?
}~ A1200 - Apollo 68040 - HOTLY running OS 3.1
}~ Powerbook G4 1.67 running MorphOS 3.2 without Wifi.
}~ Powermac Quicksilver 933 with Radeon 9600 XT (r300) LOUDLY running MorphOS 3.2
}~ [MY iOS GAME]: http://goo.gl/S9nWB (Amiga users can get it FREE[/color], just ask me)
 

Offline alexh

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Re: Creating a CF Card to use as an A1200 hard disk
« Reply #12 on: December 09, 2008, 08:16:48 PM »
Feckin hell. :-o I think you must be blind.... 8-)

See my last post!

Google for the exact syntax for use, or if you really need help I'll post back here ;-)