How to install a PCMCIA Compact Flash card on an A1200?

[fannypad]

I've recently got hold of a PCMCIA-to-CF adapter and a 64MB compact flash card for transferring files to and from my bog standard, single floppy drive A1200 with WB 3.0.

I am an absolute Amiga novice when it comes to things like this as I've only ever used it for running Octamed

I've downloaded and, to the best of my knowledge, installed fat95 and compactflash.device, but nothing's working and I'm at a loss as to what to do next.

All the files seem to be in the right place and CF0: is already mounted, but nothing happens when I insert the adapter & card, and typing "cd cf0:" in a shell window gives "no disk present in device CF0".

So, is there a complete step by step, start to finish guide out there for getting a CF card working with an A1200?

Any help much appreciated as this is slowly driving me insane...

[1NOM155]

the PCMCIA its 16bits or 32??? if its 32bits doesn't work on Amiga's

[fannypad]

It's an old adapter so I'm guessing 16bit. Is there a way of checking?

I'm most probably doing something wrong somewhere along the line. A step by step guide would be very helpful indeed.

[Akiko]

@fannypad

If it's not compatible try this Simple and straightforward  :-)

[fannypad]

That does look tempting, but it's an extra £14 plus postage which might be totally unnecessary if I've all I've done is ballsed up the software installation.

[Amiduffer]

Hi, had the same issues with my A1200. Just read this old thread.

PCMCIA and 1200 thread

[fannypad]

Thanks for the link, but I'm still none the wiser as to whether I've done everything correcly and put all the files in the right places.

"Install compactflash.device and fat95" is all well and good if you know exactly what you're doing... I however don't  :-P

If anyone could write a quick step by step guide for setting up a CF card just for file transfers (not booting or anything fancy) that'd be much appreciated.

[Piru]

compactflash.device and fat95

Both packages include installation instructions.

[fannypad]

...which I've followed to the dot and get what I mentioned in the first post in this thread.

Again, I am a total Amiga novice when it comes to things like this as until now I've only ever had to flip the power switch and stick a disk in. It took me a while just to work out how to get a command line up.

So any help would be greatly received.

[Amiduffer]

OK, thats cool. If you're inexperienced, that not a problem.

This is the other part you're going to need.

Aminet

CFD and Fat95 will get your CF card to work, and you'll know because an icon will appear when the card is plugged in.

Do you have a harddisk already installed in the 1200?

Do you have file programs like DirOpus or DiskMaster?

[fannypad]

Nope, it's a bog standard A1200, no hard drive, with just the five Workbench 3.0 disks and a floppy with CFD and fat95  .lha archives that a kind forum member made for me. No other programs and no way of getting anything else onto it (hence the need for the CF adapter).

I've followed the install instructions and as far as I can tell have all the files in the right places, but get no CF0: icon when plugging in the adapter. I've tried using it with several CF cards.

When I double click the CF0 icon in Devs/DOSDrivers I get the "CF0 already mounted" error.

Apologies if this is all basic stuff that's been covered a thousand times, I did search the net and this forum but, again, "install CFD and fat95" was as far as instructions went.

[Amiduffer]

Uh oh! I hope you didn't modify your original 3.0 WB disks! You did copy them, and work off the copies, right?

Make your life easier, get a used laptop harddrive for that 1200. You can get a few gigs for practically free and the cables are at www.amikit.com

[Amiduffer]

Oh, silly. Here's a tutorial on both installing a harddrive in your 1200 and a compact flash hd.

CF tutorial

HD install

That might help you.  :-)  Good luck!

[fannypad]

No, I didn't touch the original WB disks, they're safely tucked away.

Thanks for the tutorials, but I don't really have a need for a HD/CF drive inside the Amiga. All I'm aiming for is getting the PCMCIA CF adapter working so I can transfer files between PC and Amiga. No booting or anything complicated, just simple file transfer.

As explained, I'm at a loss as to why no CF0: icon shows when I insert the adapter & CF card. All the files seem to be in the right places.

[Anthomatic]

Might be a silly question, but are you sure you are pushing the adapter in all the way? The PCMCIA slot seems way too fragile to me and I tend to get worried that I'm bending pins when inserting a card! Just a thought....