WHDLOAD problem on my A1200+BPPC

[Eco]

I've tried to run a bunch of WHDLOAD games from BTTR but not many seem to be working for me. Over 90% of the games I've end up with the following kind of error message when starting:

Exception "Access Fault" ($7008)
PC = $59E83450 (Resload $1450)
Long Write to $7FFFD

Trying any or all of the normal compatibility tooltypes is not helping this error at all:

PRELOAD
NOAUTOVEC
NOVBRMOVE
NOCACHE
NOCHIPCACHE
PAL

I know the 040 is probably the worst choice in the compatibility sense, but it can't be this bad..?

My hardware configuration is as follows:

1.d4 A1200 with 3.1 roms
OS 3.9 with BB2
BPPC 040/25 & 603e/200, 96MB ram
BVision
ZIV busboard

[x56h34]

Do you run BlizKick? Turn off SpeedyIDE and problems should be gone. Other than that, NOAUTOVEC, NOVBRMOVE, NOCACHE always do the trick for me. This combination is very good:
NOCACHE
NOAUTOVEC

Also usually just NOCACHE is enough.

[Eco]

Yes, I run blizkick, but I haven't used the SpeedyIde module, so it's not that.

I'll have to do some more tests on the games I have, but cursory testing of 10 games resulted in exactly the same error with NOCACHE and NOAUTOVEC tooltypes.

I think it could be something else going on..

[x56h34]

Definitely a patch is causing trouble, or something else which runs at all times in your OS3.9 setup. You'll have to go through the process of elimination and turn on and off certain patches or programs, and try WHDLoad out.

[Mad-Matt]

The chances of cracked images frrom bttr working with whdload are very slim and will cause the sort of problems you are experiencing. Some whd installs do openly supportt the odd bttr image but that is generaly for file bassed games only.

The only other thing worth mentioning is the nochipcache option (or could be ChipNoCache, not on miggy right now to check) which is required for stable usage of whdload on amigas with bppc cards where chipmem is noncachable.  This can be enabled in in the default prefs file located in s: to save having to put the tooltype in all ya games.

[Eco]

I know that WHDLOAD only supports originals; I've been trying out ready-made installs and my stack of original games, but success rate has been very slim.

I'll try the chippy cachy tooltype some more when I get home from work today. Maybe it'm spelling it wrong..

[Eco]

The correct spelling for the tooltype is indeed ChipNoCache, but it doesn't do me any good with this error. I still get the Access Fault I described earlier, almost every game fails with it.

[Mad-Matt]

Can you name any specific games that have this error ? As a whd tester i have 99.9% of all the whd games so I can try running those particular games to see what there doing on my setup.

Im running bppc 040, Os3.9 and Whdload 16.1. I do use blizzkick modules.  I use ChipNoCache by default in my whdload.prefs file. as is required for bppc cards.  Alot of times nocache is also required on 040 especially for really old games. Oh and be sure no tcp stack is currently running in background or at very least no interfaces online, as these mess with whdload in a not so nice way.

[Eco]

Okay, here goes:

Alien Breed Tower Assault
Chaos Engine 2 AGA
Deuteros (installer v1.9)
Elfmania (installer v1.2)
Future Tank
James Pond 2 AGA (installer v1.2)
Project X SE (installer v1.2)
Turrican 2

I've tried a lot more but these ones I have on my hard drive currently.

As for working games, Pinball Dreams works OK, as well as SuperCars II.

[Mad-Matt]

Ok i tested all those games, both ecs and aga where available. I didnt have any access faults, but its easy to see what slaves are in need of an update. Turrican2 runs terrible under whd16, slows down alot.  just to be sure its not my miggy i tested under winuae, and it has screen corruption everywhere. ProjectX kept freezing up the machine, but maybe that just my miggy getting old I have alot of freezing issues with it anyway .

One thing i do remember though, CybergraphX4.2 has a 56k Audio option.  This is very hacky and does break aga screens and whdload.  I recommend sticking to the ahi method of 56kaudio if you use such patch at all.

[Eco]

Thanks for testing the games on your setup; at least I know that they can run on this hardware

Now for the process of elimination. Better take a backup first though..

[Eco]

Progress! I can now play whdload games without the Access Fault when I do this:

1. Disable the BPPC by holding down the "2" key during boot
2. Boot without startup-sequence
3. Use whdload from cli

Booting without startup-sequence, but having the BPPC enabled, results in the "Access Fault" when using whdload.

So I guess it's my BPPC then? Do you think this can be helped? Or am I doomed to disable my BPPC (losing all the fastmem) when I want to play old games?

[Cass]

Here is how was involved the PPC on my setup. I just boot the system without any PPC apps running and any TCP/IP stack.

________
TOYOTA P TRANSMISSION SPECIFICATIONS

[Eco]

I'm a bit worried about the fact that even after a boot with no startup-sequence, WHDLoad will give me "Access Errors" if the BPPC is enabled.

I'm already booting the system with no PPC apps running or TCP/IP stack; no help if BPPC is enabled. And naturally I can't boot into 3.9 if I disable it..

[Thematic]

It could be another piece of hardware that prevents whdload from working properly; I admit I don't know much about the details involved, hardware banging I mean. Some interrupt that needs to be suppressed.

But for instance, in my startup-sequence I have lines that
disable graphics cards vblank if I press a key (GetQual). It took me a good while to figure that one out, but now I can put some notes about a game on my monitor and have it stay there while the native video goes to the TV.