Why cant I format my CF Card on a500+

[djos]

thanks, I'll try that - I'll add it after the autoaddram for my 8mb fast ram.

[Rebel-CD32]

How do I install pfs3 and why use that instead of SFS?

A few reasons, the main one in your case is that PFS3 will run on any Amiga and SFS requires a 020+. PFS3 is also slightly faster than SFS in the tests I've run. The main archive comes with an AmigaGuide file which should help get you through the installation process, but it's the same as installing any filesystem on a partition once you have the handler installed. Remember the MaxTransfer settings, and check the Mask is right, and use 150 buffers since it seems the minimum recommended for PFS3. Since memory is tight, try not to create too many auto-mounting partitions if you're using PFS3.

There are several advantages to using a replacement filesystem over FFS, speed increase and no disk validation errors are the best ones, but you also get longer filenames and proper undelete ability.

If you want to stick with FFS and just increase the buffers permanently to speed it up a bit, you can change the amount it has in HDToolBox rather than adding the command to the Startup-Sequence.

[Lurch]

@djos Not wanting to hijack your thread but if you are still looking at a 500 plus board...

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/COMMODORE-AMIGA-A500-MAINBOARD-REVISION-8A-PERFECT-FAST-UK-SHIPPING-/290770253300?pt=UK_VintageComputing_RL&hash=item43b341f5f4

[djos]

@djos Not wanting to hijack your thread but if you are still looking at a 500 plus board...

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/COMMODORE-AMIGA-A500-MAINBOARD-REVISION-8A-PERFECT-FAST-UK-SHIPPING-/290770253300?pt=UK_VintageComputing_RL&hash=item43b341f5f4

Oooh, tempting!

[paul1981]

Looks like SFS and PFS require a 68020 so that rules them out, looks like Im stuck with FFS for now.

I wonder why it's so slow on my real miggy, using WinUAE and a 500+ HW profile (including 1mb chip & 8mb fast ram) it's very responsive by comparison.

This version of PFS doesn't require a 68020, and it's KS1.3 compatible (yes, has 68000 DirectSCSI version included):
http://aminet.net/package/disk/misc/pfs3ks13

I use it on two A600's with 20GB Toshiba 2.5" drives, both 68000 and KS2.0 and it works brilliantly.
PFS eats more RAM than FFS, so I only have one Partition (my machines are only 2MB fast). Also, minimum amount of buffers required for PFS is 70, which is what I use and it's fine.

Backtracking a bit to your original problem, if a disk is validating then you'll just have to wait for it to complete, or it will never complete (may take ages depending on partition size). When your Workbench screen appears, select your partition that you suspect to be validating, and select Icon Information. It will tell you there under Disk State "Validating" or "Read/Write". If it's validating, let it complete. It's finally complete when the drive access light goes out (assuming your floppy drive light on your A500 light is wired as hard drive light as well).

Edit: Almost forgot to mention, validating a partition requires a certain amount of memory, dependant on partition size (larger partition = more memory required). I don't know the numbers involved unfortunately, I just remember reading about it. But yes, I'd move to PFS3 for sure.

[djos]

Cheers, I'll have a go tonight.

[paul1981]

Cheers, I'll have a go tonight.

If your fast ram is not AutoConfig ram, then my guess is that the validate procedure will fail simply because it starts validating before you add the memory with the "autoaddram" command... basically the validate procedure won't see the extra ram that you probably need to successfully validate the partition.
One option would be to disable it in the early bootmenu and then mount the partition later (after you run the autoaddmem command)...or something similar along those lines. Then as soon as the partition is mounted (manually), it will start validating and your 8MB fast will already be in the memory list...therefore it should validate. Again though, go the PFS3 route and discard everything I've said.

[djos]

Interesting, I do have an autoconfig 8mb board on the way so it'll be interesting to see what diff that makes.

[djos]

Btw, I tried an IBM 2.5" 1.44GB mechanical HDD briefly this morning but I dont think my 25watt PSU was providing enuf juice and so my 500 would crash while booting from floppy - I prolly should have disconnected my external Floppy but ran out of time.

[danbeaver]

This probably will not solve your speed problem, but as to the validate issue, Dave Haynie's DiskSalv2 has a Validate function to take care of that task prior to booting.  I assume you could do it in UAE, or someone else's Amiga.  Also, a freshly formatted disk/partition should not need validation.

[djos]

It seems to do validate the disk at each boot up - I've checked and once WB is running the Validation is finished.

It is still painfully slow even with Buffers set to 70 - the fastest I've seen it boot was with just a single 501mb FFS partition as it only took 30secs to start loading the OS and was fairly responsive once WB was loaded. As soon as I added 2x 1.7GB FFS partitions it was back to being very slow.

I did discover one other issue with the v402 IDE68k during my testing tho - because the IDE connector is to the left of the CPU the IDE cable naturally wants to drape across the CPU causing it to overheat after about an hour of running. :p I re-routed the cable a bit to prevent this happening again.

[danbeaver]

I have no experience with your IDE device, so I'm asking the same thing you are asking, "What are other peoples experience with it and CF cards?"  I know Amiga IDE is slow without a dedicated and buffered interface, and CF cards slow that down even further, but (once the PSU issue is resolved) if your IDE works OK with a real HDD (which has an internal buffer) what kind of performance can be expected from a CF card?

[djos]

Arrrgh, got one of my 4GB CF cards working perfectly in WinUAE with PFS3 (not DS - dunno what the diff is either) using ClassicWB on a 500mb system part with a 3.3GB Data part and it wont boot in my real miggy! :confused:

I get the drive clicking in 15seconds (vs 2mins with FFS) and I see HDD activity for about 1 min with a black screen then HDD activity stops and nothing happens!

Should I be using PFS3-DS or is this a case of having 2x partitions with buffers of 300 each doesnt work with my current non-autoconfig 8mb ram (i have 1mb chip)?

[paul1981]

Arrrgh, got one of my 4GB CF cards working perfectly in WinUAE with PFS3 (not DS - dunno what the diff is either) using ClassicWB on a 500mb system part with a 3.3GB Data part and it wont boot in my real miggy! :confused:

I get the drive clicking in 15seconds (vs 2mins with FFS) and I see HDD activity for about 1 min with a black screen then HDD activity stops and nothing happens!

Should I be using PFS3-DS or is this a case of having 2x partitions with buffers of 300 each doesnt work with my current non-autoconfig 8mb ram (i have 1mb chip)?

Boot from your Workbench disk, load HDToolBox and check that the MaxTransfer setting for each partition is set to 0x1fe00, and then save the changes.
There's a "Large Hardrive Support" drawer in classicwb I believe, and also a youtube video somewhere that tells you how to enable it (you'll need this for your 2nd partition to work correctly as it's above 2GB). Or as an alternative, use PFSDS (direct scsi version from the pfs3ks13 package).

[djos]

Ok I've got it "mostly" working - looks like i had the buffers set too high considering I only have 1 mb chip chip-ram, dropped them to 50 for each drive and it's ok.

what does the "direct scsi" version do that the normal version doesnt? (im using gayle IDE)

[djos]

@djos Not wanting to hijack your thread but if you are still looking at a 500 plus board...

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/COMMODORE-AMIGA-A500-MAINBOARD-REVISION-8A-PERFECT-FAST-UK-SHIPPING-/290770253300?pt=UK_VintageComputing_RL&hash=item43b341f5f4

Bah, finally gave in and bought one, the desire to restore my 500+ to 100% got too strong! :biglaugh: