Getting an MBR back onto your CF cards
Posted: Wed Mar 27, 2013 5:01 pm
Some customers have been tripped up by the fact that the CFFA3000 needs a CF card formatted with (FAT16 OR FAT32) AND a valid MBR at block 0.
Most CF cards aleady have an MBR written to block zero, but if you ever use that CF card in an older CFFA with ProDOS, it would have over-written
the MBR. Doing a regular format under windows will NOT put the MBR back onto block zero.
To get the MBR back onto block zero using a Mac is very easy, just use the disk format/partition tool that comes on the Mac.
To write an MBR using Windows 7 is much less straight forward.
Below is the method I use. I found this on the inter-tubes, and if you know better way let me know.
First you have open a command (CMD) windows with administrator privileges!
Click Start->All Programs->Accessories. Then Right-Click on "Command Prompt" and select "Run as Administrator". Answer "yes" if prompted for permission.
(NOTE: If you use a "Command Prompt" that does not have administrator privileges, the process described below will appear to work, but will NOT change the disk!)
Now you should have a command prompt (DOS Box) open. The following commands can be entered.
**** WARNING **** Making a mistake on the "select disk" step could result in the complete loss of all data on your PC's harddrive!!!!!!!!!!!!! Don't make a mistake!
Now you can go to your windows explorer and right-click on your CF drive (if present) and select Eject. Skipping this step usually doesn't hurt anything.
But I do it anyway.
-Rich
Most CF cards aleady have an MBR written to block zero, but if you ever use that CF card in an older CFFA with ProDOS, it would have over-written
the MBR. Doing a regular format under windows will NOT put the MBR back onto block zero.
To get the MBR back onto block zero using a Mac is very easy, just use the disk format/partition tool that comes on the Mac.
To write an MBR using Windows 7 is much less straight forward.
Below is the method I use. I found this on the inter-tubes, and if you know better way let me know.
First you have open a command (CMD) windows with administrator privileges!
Click Start->All Programs->Accessories. Then Right-Click on "Command Prompt" and select "Run as Administrator". Answer "yes" if prompted for permission.
(NOTE: If you use a "Command Prompt" that does not have administrator privileges, the process described below will appear to work, but will NOT change the disk!)
Now you should have a command prompt (DOS Box) open. The following commands can be entered.
**** WARNING **** Making a mistake on the "select disk" step could result in the complete loss of all data on your PC's harddrive!!!!!!!!!!!!! Don't make a mistake!
- Code: Select all
diskpart
list disk
select disk (id) // (id) = Number of the disk you are trying to setup with an MBR. Get this right!
online disk
attributes disk clear readonly
clean
convert mbr // This might give an error, don't worry
create partition primary
select part 1
active
format fs=FAT label=(name) quick // The label= part is optional
exit
Now you can go to your windows explorer and right-click on your CF drive (if present) and select Eject. Skipping this step usually doesn't hurt anything.
But I do it anyway.
-Rich