#Strange Problem
11 messages in this thread
Hi all,
I'm the proud owner of a new A4000/30. Which is a vast improvement over
my old A500. I've been spending the last few days trying to get my system
up the way I want it but have run in to a coupla very strange problems.
For some reason it seems Workbench doesn't like to load some things from
my hard drive.
It's a very strange problem because the computer will run it just fine off
a floppy-even if it's the ONLY thing on the floppy. The computer will
also run it just fine from the RAM Disk. But if I drag the program onto
one of my Hard drive partitions and then double click, I get a 'Unable to
open ProWrite tool' or Unable to open SimEarth tool. Draging the very
same icon to Ram and double clicking will load and run the program
however.
This is a problem with SimEarth and my ProWrite Programs. On my A500 all
I had to do was drag the drawers over onto my HD and they worked fine.
Now no matter what I try I can't seem to get either of these programs to
load off my Hard Drive, they only load from RAM: or floppy.
The Only thing I can think of is some new Path, Assign, or Something else
new in OS 3.0 that I don't know about. I've re-installed my System
software twice and tryed using Commodores virgin startup-sequence but that
doesn't work either.
Is there something here I'm just missing?
HELP!!!
Craig Glaser
Craig,
Why not call New Horizons and ask for Tech Support?
You are asking for some specific product support and alas, I don't use
either program.
-mark=
Otto Pilot Engaged..
I Don't think it's really a Tech support problem…I've been playing
around with it a bit and it's getting really confusing now. This is what
I've done.
#1) open shell and place prowrite floppy in df0:
#2) issue- COPY DF0:ProWrite RAM:
#3) CD: RAM
#4) RUN ProWrite
#5) Presto! It loads and Works.
Now, if I Do the Above but instead of copying to ram, I copy it to a Hard
Drive partition, when I try to run it I get a BAD LOAD HUNKFILE ERROR
Hmm. Here's where it gets weirder. If I then copy the file from my
Partition back to RAM, it no longer works there either. I can run the
file from floppy or RAM (copied from the floppy). But as soon as it
touches my Hard Drive the file won't load anywhere. I LISTED the file
before and after and it always stays the same number of bytes. I can't
figure out what's going on.
This SAME thing happens with SimEarth and (I found out today) ProCalc. If
I copy by shell or drag the icon to RAM and run it, it works. It works
off floppy. It WON'T work if I run it off the Hard Drive, and once it
touches a Hard Drive partition that particular copy of the file will no
longer work anywhere I put it, even if I put it back on RAM.
I guess I just can't figure out why I've got three separate programs that
work fine off of floppy or if I drag (or copy) to RAM: But all give the
same error off the hard drive (Bad load hunkfile). Meanwhile everything
else seems to work fine (Autopilot, PageStream,any of the Workbench
programs etc). Something has got to be wrong here. But what? Bad IDE
controller? but then why does everything else work? I've tried every
Virus checker I could find and they all came up negative. Although the
ones that will check your system vectors show some of mine being offset.
But could that be due to OS3.0 and the virus programs written for 2.04+?
I guess if someone could tell me it's just an incompatability to the new
OS I'd be happy, but why then do they run off floppy or from RAM? It's
driving me nuts because it doesn't make sense.
The thing that REALLY bothers me is why does the load hunkfile (what ever
that is) suddenly become bad when the file touches any of my hard drive
partitions AND stays bad from that point on.
Any help would be greatly appreciated. I'd really like to know if this is
a software or hardware problem.
Thanks,
Craig Glaser
Craig,
One thing to try is to change the MaxTransfer value for your hard disk,
using HDToolBox. I assume that you are using an IDE drive in your 4000 – many
IDE drives (designed for the PC world) cannot handle large data transfers.
Setting the MaxTransfer to 0xffff will get around this problem, if indeed it is
what is causing your problems.
Remember to reboot after changing the value in the RDB before trying it to
see if it worked. I also strongly advise making sure you have a backup of your
hard disk before changing anything in the RDB.
Hope this helps….
– BobR
Bob,
THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!
It worked. The Max Transfer rate was at 0xffffff, I cut it down to what
you suggested and it worked fine after that. Makes sense now that I know
IDE can't handle fast transfers. Alot like a fast modem without CTS I
imagine. This had me running around through loops. I'll probably
actually get to sleep at a reasonable time now. Last few nights I've been
all over internet, local boards, waiting around the Conference areas here,
etc… Funny how these things are always so simple at the base of it 🙂
Later, and omce again thanks much!
Craig Glaser
Craig,
No reason to start doing something sensible like getting to sleep at a
reasonable time. Now that things are working, you can concentrate on
being productive. Who needs no stinkin' sleep. <grin>
Glad it helped….
– BobR
Sleep is an inadequte substitute for caffeine!
Chris – Fast and Low on my '020!
…Is it significant that my spell checker doesn't know "Intel"?
CG >>It worked. The Max Transfer rate was at 0xffffff, I cut it down to
what you suggested and it worked fine after that. Makes sense now that I
know IDE can't handle fast transfers.<<
You might also try "0x1fe00" as the MAXTRANSFER rate, and remember to
set the maxtransfer for each partition.
CG >>Alot like a fast modem without CTS I imagine.<<
Yep. It get worse with the 2.5" IDE HD's, where the drives RAM cache is
often smaller than their 3.5" counterparts.
Ron.
– ap'ing with AP. (Eagles may fly, but weasels aren't sucked
into jet engines.)
O.K., I'll try. You almost certainly have some problem either with the
Hard Drive hardware or the way it's set up. If you are using the original
Commodore harddrive setup it's probably not that, so I'd take it back to
your dealer and get the hard drive swapped out. BTW, I haven't heard that
any of those programs have problems with 3.0, at least if you're using the
latest versions. You ARE using Procalc 2.0, for instance?
-Karl Speaking from the Rubble.
See my message Strange Problem II.
It's not the program, it's something wierd with the hard drive transfer
handler. I'm going to try Bob's suggestion on changing my max transfer
rate.
The Really wierd thing is, I got it to work off my partition by
compressing the original then decompressing it to the partition. If I try
to copy it by either shell or WB it gives my a Bad Load Hunkfile message.
P.S. I got my computer through Computer Answers in Canada, they put a 210
Meg drive in it. If Bob's suggestion doesn't work, I'll open the hood an
see exactly what drive it is and go from there I guess.
Later,
Craig Glaser
Craig,
It sounds like something is wrong with your hard disk from your
description. I have seen stuff like this when the maxtransfer settings
were incorrect for the drive that you are using.
What drive/controller are you using?
What kind of Amiga?
-mark=
Otto Pilot Engaged..