Amiga 600: How to upgrade to WB 3.1?

[nicholas]

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

Yeah like Paul said, avoid the modified ones if you can.

[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

[Djole]

Just mount a RAD and write adf to it, much faster and no need for floppies.

[som99]

I would put the A600 hard drive in a computer and install via WinUAE to the hard drive then just put the hard drive back in the Amiga.

Also I prefeer TSGui over Easy ADF, more sucessrate (for me at least) it and it supports writing HDF's back to hard drives! Great for backups (and loads faster then copying everything from within WB or DOS)!

[Oldsmobile_Mike]

Clean the floppy drive, including the write-protect sensor?

[Oldsmobile_Mike]

I would put the A600 hard drive in a computer

Kind of laughing at this comment, "put the A600 hard drive in a computer"... what, the A600 isn't a computer?    Everything you're trying to do can be done directly on the Amiga, just as Commodore intended.  Everyone advocating the use of WinUAE just wants to take the easy way out, LOL.  

If you google "clean amiga floppy drive" there are many, many threads and videos on this subject that will come up.  If every disk you insert is complaining about being write protected, I'd start there first.  

[som99]

Kind of laughing at this comment, "put the A600 hard drive in a computer"... what, the A600 isn't a computer?    Everything you're trying to do can be done directly on the Amiga, just as Commodore intended.  Everyone advocating the use of WinUAE just wants to take the easy way out, LOL.  

Whoops, I rarely tend to do a misstake like that :S I got a quite hectic phase right now, first I got a break in in my car and 2 days ago I bought a new house and ive given up smoking a few days ago so ill blame it on that ^^

Well back on topic, sure WinUAE is the easy way out but it works, I myself tend to do a HDF backup on my miggys quite often since I play around a lot in them and want to be able to rollback if i mess something up to much to my best working WB config.

There is no reason not do do it the easy way for me since I got limited spare time and doing a direct copy from within WB locks my miggy from use for a few hours (it really takes a few hours to do a copy on the real hardware for me), I do not get any satisfaction watching my my Amigas HDD led blink for 2-4h when I know it takes minutes on a Windows machine and those 2-4h could be spend doing somthing fun on my Amiga.

Just the satisfaction of knowing a copy was done on the real hardware is not nearly enough to compensate from hours of fun actually doing something on the Amiga instead.
But hey we all are different, some like this some like that and enjoy different things

[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

[Oldsmobile_Mike]

Congrats on fixing the drive!  

Re: the install problem, it sounds like you're trying to install 3.1 overtop of an existing 2.1 setup.  Since there's no telling what's going on with that existing installation, I usually have the best success by first booting off the 3.1 Install disk, then use HDToolbox to wipe whatever existing partition data you have, set up new partitions (make sure to check the "Bootable" option for your first partition, and press enter in each field after changing anything), reboot (again booting off the 3.1 Install disk), format your new partitions, then install 3.1 with the installer script.

Try that and let us know how you get on, also if you search Youtube there's several videos from people showing how to install 3.1.  I've been meaning to make a video myself, but you know, that whole "never enough time" thing.  

[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

[Oldsmobile_Mike]

Workbench and Kickstart are two different things - you've got the 3.1 ROM installed correctly, but only running Workbench 2.1 on top of that.  No worries, we'll get ya fully updated to 3.1 here, soon.  

[Amiga_CDTV]

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?

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.

[Oldsmobile_Mike]

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

Okay, I had to re-read your question again.  It does sound like you're running Workbench 3.1, however if you've installed it on-top of an existing 2.1 installation then it may be some of your preferences are getting mucked up based on files from the old versions.  Definitely recommend trying that "clean slate" approach mentioned earlier.  

[Oldsmobile_Mike]

When you're done there check out mfilos's awesome blog post about making 3.1 look more modern.  Personally I love VisualPrefs and Rebel's palette, but I'd skip Birdie on an ECS machine.  

http://www.mfilos.com/2012/01/guide-making-workbench-prettier-using.html

Also don't forget PeterK's updated icon.library!  

[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 :-)