Question for Amiga experts

[Gryzor]

Hello guys!


I'm setting up an Amiga 600 for some friends, and I got for them a pre-set-up CF card with WB3.1 . I tried it yesterday and I'm getting the error: "not a DOS disk in device GDH0".


Now, the A600 (thanks mate - you know who you are) only has 2.05 ROMs in it so it can't run WB3.1, so I'm ordering a 3.1 ROM (anyone got one to spare?). However, I'm not sure whether that error is due to the incompatibility or because the card has a problem. The store's support (Amigastore.eu) said that 2.05 can't handle the filesystem on the card; other Amiga users, however, have told me that it should be giving me a different error...


Anyone can proffer their expert opinion?


Thanks!

[rpalmer]

you don't have a driver for the CF card or the card is FAT32 and not FAT16.

Try aminet for drivers for a CF card. I remember they have drivers for PCMCIA adapters.

I have 2 A1200's one in a tower and one as is.

rpalmer

[Bryce]

The guy who made the CF card "Cloanto" is a member over on Amibay. Maybe ask him there for some tips?

Bryce.

[NiNxPe]

Have you tried to do a test with WinUAE with A600 configuration with ROM KS + 2.6 and using your CF card?
My experience on A1200 + CF is that my card is prepared in advance under WinUAE (actually I installed *AmiKit for Real Amiga* (AKReal - unofficial) and sometimes I do the update via internet by giving the CF card in the PC under WinUAE).

[Gryzor]

Thanks for the replies, guys!

@rpalmer : FAT? Isn't it supposed to be FFS? It's not PCMCIA btw, it's an IDE adaptor.
@Bryce : Yeah, thought I'd first ask the people I know, then expand Do you know his name there?
@NiNxPe : good point, I could do that. Only thing is, until I'm perfectly sure I'd prefer not to plug it into my PC - who knows what Windows could do to the card! (ooh, didn't know about AKReal, I should really put my A1200 to work )

[Bryce]

No, just checked and he's not a member there.

Bryce.

[VincentGR]

I imagine that the CF is used through your IDE port.
Does the A600 has expansion RAM?
If your filesystem is not FFS and the luck of RAM is the cause.

For more info call 

[Gryzor]

Bryce: Ah, shame, but I bet lots of other people there can help if I don't have an answer soon
@VincentGr : Yes, IDE, but apart form that the A600 is nude. Really? The presence of RAM affects the compatibility of the IDE HDD??? I think we should sit down for a cup of coffee

[VincentGR]

Amiga 600 has 1MB chip RAM. Even with an unexpanded 1200 with 2MB of CHIP you cannot run WHDload games which I thing this is the story of yours there.

If it has SFS formated partitions then it need 020, I don't know what's inside but I can take a look though there no point of using HD with 1MB of RAM.
You can only boot to workbench and just stairing at it 

Talk to your friend cause I can upgrade her, if he agrees I will send you a link what to buy and I'll make a dream wb for him.

[Gryzor]

Oh I know I won't be able to run WHDLoad slaves due to memory limitations, what I said was I didn't know the filesystem is memory (or CPU) dependent.

Yup, please do send a link

[ZbyniuR]

I think if you don't have AGA and you don't use some specific utility you don't need KS and WB 3.x
2.0 is fine. More useful is buy more RAM least 1MB extra than KS 3.x.
WB after booting with few simple useful patch take about 200KB, so with only 1MB, left not enough memory to run least half games from partition. To start from floppy 1MB is enough in most cases.
WHDLoad to load games from HDD/CF without instal version consume a lots of memory, it is recommended 2MB chip and 4MB fast RAM least (depend how many disc game take). This is quite expensive to A600, and quite unnecessary. Most popular games have installer original or made by fans to run from HDD/CF. Because AGA games you can't start on A600 anyway. So only little quantity games you have to start from FDD/HxC. Thats was normal before WHDLoad become trendy.

Sometimes HDD/CF doesn't work if some strong guy, put plug in wrong place, one pin move a side.
I suppose on your CF is one big partition, too big for KS 2.0,
I think should be max 2GB on each partition. You can check it what is on this CF on some a friend A1200 or WinUAE if you have right connector or Amiga.
I hope you have WB 2.x system disks to instal own WB on CF. You can format this CF with 3.1 or sell it and try other one. Or if you keep this one try later with other CF with 2.0 inside A600 and this CF-3.1 put on left PCMCIA port to copy something worth it. Did you try put this there?

I hope you find a way to enjoy your Amiga.

[VincentGR]

Sorry I was out.

So as I said there is no point to work an HD with this config.
You can try the cheap way with a gotek for games or you can buy this :

http://amigakit.leamancomputing.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=1102
Vesalia Online - ACA-620

I have one and it's awesome but I use it with 3.1 ROMs.
All in one, a more powerful cpu than A1200 and enough RAM.
I think it does softkick too.

[Gryzor]

Oops sorry I missed the last two responses! Thanks, things are becoming clearer.

I think for the purposes of this machine - a machine sitting in a cafe/bar for occasional play it would be too much to turn to memory expansions and CPU upgrades. So i'm scratching the CF (keeping it for my A1200 probably ) and going for the Gotek way, which from what I see, booting into an adf menu and all a-la HxC is really nice.

Anyone knows anyone reliable who sells Amiga-modified Goteks?

[VincentGR]

 

Commodore Amiga 500 600 1200 USB Floppy Drive Emulator | eBay

[Gryzor]

Well yes, I should have put more emphasis on "reliable", as in tested I know there are a few out there selling them!

[VincentGR]

He has 100% Positive feedback 
I don't know personally someone who sells so I have this link in my bookmarks.
I wanted one too but I am thinkink the expensive solution caus my cpc will be sad without a solution 

[Gryzor]

Well, if you've got an Hxc you can use that instead?

[VincentGR]

Yes, it works on many machines with different jumpering I think, I don't have one but a friend uses it to many machines externally or internally.

[Gryzor]

Ah if you don't have one then yes, the Gotek is much cheaper...

[roy bates]

have a word with fitzsteve over at amibay,he sorts cf cards for people over there as a service he is very nice.

just open a thread asking for help,he probably see it anyway and give you some advice if you want to do it yourself.

[Gryzor]

Cheers mate

[KaosOverride]

It's safe to plug the CF card at a Windows XP or above and use WinUAE to boot the CF.


Maybe Win will ask if you want to format the card, just say NO.


Then add the CF drive as a hardrive under the emu, or use Roadkill Diskimage to cooy the full CF in raw mode to an image file for Winuae (Don't mind the .img extension, is like .TZX/.CDT that are the same container for data but because is for diferent systems, you call them with each extension...)


After booting your CF, or backup image, you can see if SfS is in use (020 cpu needed), ffs or what else...


Also you can reformat the CF under WinUAE, use the workbench disks images to reinstall, etc and test  WB 2.1 with the A600


Roadkill Diskimage might fail at the very last sector, at certain situations is "normal", image still works!! And you can write it back again!

[Gryzor]

Thanks man, I had missed your reply!

[Sleazy]

I got a couple from a guy called Lesoliel over on the JammaPlus forum. He charged £23 delivered and they came ready flashed and just needed plugged into the Amiga.


I have put one in my A600 and the other in a friends A500 - they are superb.

[Gryzor]

I got a couple from a guy called Lesoliel over on the JammaPlus forum. He charged £23 delivered and they came ready flashed and just needed plugged into the Amiga.


I have put one in my A600 and the other in a friends A500 - they are superb.

Thanks mate, are you talking about the CF or what?