Formatting CF (CompactFlash) with WinUAE- Dramas

[RedWarrior]

This is both hardware and software- wasn't sure which forum to post in, but anyway...

I'm trying to use HDToolBox within WinUAE to partition and format my 4gb CF card, though it's not cooperating. It doesn't seem to detect the drive... not sure what else to try?

Tried HDInstTools - says "No Devices Found"...

there was one other HDD tool part of the OS3 disk set, though it wanted me to guess a number between 1 and 6 before formatting... and didn't fill me with confidence.

Any reason my CF card isn't an option for HDInstTools/HDToolbox? It's there as a drive etc on the Workbench Screen and everything...

Appreciate your input!

Cheers, =)

[RedWarrior]

Bonus Question:
I also  installed a bunch of stuff on the 4GB CF card, just for testing purposes in WinUAE- I've finally got my PCMCIA CF Card reader working on my A600... Though it won't read the 4GB disk for some stupid reason... the 128meg CF card works fine...

When the 4G one is in it says there's no disk in CF0: ... doing my head in.

Solutions welcome!!!

Cheers, =)

[Marcb]

G'day

Did you "add hard drive" in WinUae?


*edit* Also , make sure you load Winuae with "-disableharddrivesafetycheck" option.

[ganyaik]

You have to change the device name from SCSI_DEVICE_NAME=scsi.device to SCSI_DEVICE_NAME=uaehf.device in the HDToolBox tooltypes temporarily in winuae.
Select HDToolBox's icon, then right click and -I think- "Information" menuitem in the WB.

[rkauer]

 Selecting the hdtoolbox icon and pressing "R-Amiga + I" does the right same thing.

[RedWarrior]

Hi- thanks for the input- tho tried the changing info line to uaehf.device, and uaehd.device (assumed the post had a typo), tried scsi.device... the one in there had icddisk.device as a default... no luck

Not sure how to disable the safety check thing in Winuae, though it's already showing up as an icon and is working properly... just not being detected by these HD programs... no drives show up at all.

Also- any idea why the 4GB card won't work in the pcmcia slot? I'm installing it as a CF harddisk tomorrow (hopefully trying to), but don't want any nasty surprises... (4gb too big or some crap)

Thanks for the help =)
RW

[Xamiche]

To change the HD safety option you need to change the Target information in the WinUAE short cut to;

"C:\Program Files\WinUAE\winuae.exe" -disableharddrivesafetycheck



Or whatever your path to WinUAE is.

Edit:

I did the same thing your attempting, not too long ago. I had trouble getting Workbench in WinUAE to see the hard disk. Make sure the CF Card doesn't already have a windows type partition. If it does, WinUAE seems to not wont to recognise it. After I added the 'disableharddrivesafetycheck' in the WinUAE shortcut, I got a KillDisk programme and nuked the partition on my CF Microdrive, then opened WinUAE and clicked the "Add Hard Drive" button", and found my CF Card in the drop down menu.

[RedWarrior]

Yep- found that in the instructions- ran it from a command window- thought STILL no luck.

"No Drives Attached to System" is the message... Changing the info line on the HDToolBox makes it rescan all the "slots" upon opening, but still it finds no drives.

I'm using a copy of HDToolbox from I don't know where... there didn't seem to be one in the automatic profiles in the Amiga Forever OS setups.

Suggestions for 4gb PCMCIA mystery still welcome...

Cheers,
RW =)

[Xamiche]

Are you finding the drive in the Add Hard Drive drop down menu?

[pyrre]

I'm installing it as a CF harddisk tomorrow

Is this a CF - IDE adapter or is it connected via the PCMCIA port on the side of the a600?
PCMCIA on amigas are 16 BITs and i don't think they can access 4 gigabytes... But a CF-IDE adapter should work just fine...

[Xamiche]

Oh, you have the CF card connected via the PCMCIA slot? Well that's different. I did mine with a CF -> IDE adaptor connected to the IDE interface in the Amiga. I'm not sure how it would work with a PCMCIA CF adaptor.

[RedWarrior]

*DEVICE* and *VOLUME* both say N/A in the WinUAE setup- I've done the whole "ADD HARDDRIVE" procedure, and now I can't see it in Workbench...

Should it be DH4: or a proper DH?: setting? HD controller is set to UAE...

This is totally out of my depth.

Using IDE controller tomorrow, so hopefully once I get this thing partitioned in UAE, it will be relatively painless to install in the 600...

Thanks for helping out here...

[Xamiche]

Just an FYI on changing the HDTools device. It's 'uaehf.device' not 'uaehd.device'. The 'hf' part isn't a typo.

[Marcb]

RedWarrior wrote:
*DEVICE* and *VOLUME* both say N/A in the WinUAE setup- I've done the whole "ADD HARDDRIVE" procedure, and now I can't see it in Workbench...

This is fine, mine reads the same for device and volume.

Whilst still in WinUae Properties dialog, select the CF ( left click on it) then click on properties at the bottom right of the dialog.

In the Harddrive settings dialog that comes up, HD controller should be UAE, if it isn't change it to that and that should fix it.

If that isn't it then I'm stumped.

[RedWarrior]

Jackpot! I had to killdisk the whole CF card (takes ages!) and have followed all the above- I'm now at the part where I have to define the drive type... heads, cylinders, numbers and settings galore... [edit]

I pressed the detect configuration button... all systems go... formatting... everything working so far!! unreal!

CF IDE installation tomorrow...  hope u can handle another round of questions!

Thanks heaps!!

=)