What now? I/O errors on big files

[rvo_nl]

Hi all, you may remember me from this thread:

http://www.amiga.org/forums/showthread.php?t=67551

As said I am currently installing 2 a1200's, one with a 2.5", one with a 3.5" hard drive.

I have managed to install the Amiga with the 2.5 hard drive fine, by connecting it to my ide-fix express in my main machine and putting all files on the drive needed for my 'Perfect Install'.

This morning I did the same thing for the 3.5 of the other Amiga, and it went much faster than before. (Around 5Gb in a few hours, not bad) So I put the drive in its new home, booted up Workbench, all went fine. Until I tried unpacking some of the lha archives I had put on. Most of them return I/O errors when unpacking, even when unpacking from Ram!

I have put one of the failing archives on a spare floppy and tried it out on my main Amiga, also corrupted. This means the files on the drive are corrupted. I am trying to find out why, ofcourse.

Immediately I went to HDToolbox, which is set up as follows:

250 Mb System - FFS (dont hate me, Thomas)
500 Mb Work - SFS
250 Mb Emulation - CFS
7000 Mb Games - SFS

Checked the Mask and Maxtransfer settings, they were different from the other 2.5 machine. Perhaps I forgot to set them.. Could that be the issue? They were set to:

Mask: 0x7ffffffe
MaxT: 0xffffff

On the other machine I have them set to:

Mask: 0xFFFFFFFF
MaxT: 0x7FFFFFFF

Before I copied the files on the drive. Changing them didnt solve my issue.

Is there any other thing that could be fauly? Like the chipmem? Can I test this somehow? (the machine does have a blizzard 1230 but the same problem occurs when I disable it)

Any advice is welcome here!

Edit: I have just found this thread: http://www.amiga.org/forums/showthread.php?t=33909

I guess I should disable 'fast mode' on the ide-fix and copy all files again. At the same time I will use the shortest IDE cable I can find.

In the meantime I still appreciate other ideas.

[TeamBlackFox]

I/O errors normally mean one of four things:

Bad RAM
Bad HDD
Bad Cables
Bad Controller

Not necessarily in that order. I'd try another cable - then do some heavy I/O transfers. That should help isolate some causes. Looks like you're already onto something - good luck.

[Thomas]

They are not true I/O errors. LhA just calls it an I/O error if it reads past the end of the file when it encounters corruption.

IDEfix solves MaxTransfer problems only while the IDEfix software is running. If you copy files before the software is started, restrictions of the Kickstart driver apply. And for that MaxTransfer is way too high. Files bigger than 128K are corrupted if MaxTransfer is bigger than 128K (= 0x20000 or 0x1fe00). It does not harm to set MaxTransfer to 0x1fe00 everywhere and always.

BTW, which file system is used for your Emulation partition?

[freqmax]

Is there consistent I/O errors upon only reading?

[rvo_nl]

IDEfix solves MaxTransfer problems only while the IDEfix software is running. If you copy files before the software is started, restrictions of the Kickstart driver apply.

Understood, but idefix was running when I copied the files. It was the only way to get the drive, connect on port 1 of the Express, to be recognised at all. I still suspect my hard drive doesnt like the fast mode of the Idefix Express. Strange, since its quite a new 250Gb drive. (yes, and Im using only 8. I know, I suck)

 

And for that MaxTransfer is way too high. Files bigger than 128K are corrupted if MaxTransfer is bigger than 128K (= 0x20000 or 0x1fe00). It does not harm to set MaxTransfer to 0x1fe00 everywhere and always.

Thanks for that, I couldnt find a definitive answer to that anywhere. Have to admit, I dont have any trouble with my settings on my main Idefix/060 machine, but those 2 hardware additions may have something to do with that?

BTW, which file system is used for your Emulation partition?

So far, nothing. Or just Workbench' Custom File System. I have already got Mac and PC partitions working on my main machine, not sure when / if Im going to bother with all that again for the other 2 machines. They are not auto mounted so not that important right now. Ofcourse they are within the first 4Gb.

[rvo_nl]

going to try Idefix 'slow mode' now and will post the results. Will also use a shorter IDE cable and make sure Maxtransfer settings are at 0x1fe00.

edit: so far, so good. copied archives unpack fine when copied to ram on my main machine. Now copying the whole 5Gb again. Results later.

[freqmax]

Regarding IDE watch out for stubs and improper termination.

[rvo_nl]

results: problem solved. I suspect the fast mode of the ide-fix express, mostly due to the other thread about that subject. but thomas is ofcourse right aswell, maxtransfer was set too high, resulting in errors. the shorter IDE cable may have helped, not sure.
 
 thanks all.

[freqmax]

Increase maxtransfer when reading. It ought to eliminate some causes to the problem?

In order to understand the nature of this system.