Fixed or not fixed, this is the question :-)

[Ralph A. Schmid, dk5ras]

Hi,

during some tests I have used a CF card marked as removable, and it
works as it was fixed, XP boots up just fine, the EWF is
operational...two years and some updates ago Windows even refused
starting from such a CF.

What has happened? Can I rely on this behaviour and use standard CFs
as boot device from now? Is there some reference, some documentation
regarding this behaviour?

Thank you for any input!


-ras

--

Ralph A. Schmid

http://www.dk5ras.de/ http://www.db0fue.de/
http://www.bclog.de/

 

[Franz Leu]

Am 20.01.2010 14:20, schrieb Ralph A. Schmid, dk5ras:

Hi,

during some tests I have used a CF card marked as removable, and it
works as it was fixed, XP boots up just fine, the EWF is
operational...two years and some updates ago Windows even refused
starting from such a CF.

What has happened? Can I rely on this behaviour and use standard CFs
as boot device from now? Is there some reference, some documentation
regarding this behaviour?

Thank you for any input!


-ras

Did the problems with the same CF occur on a different Hardware than on
what it has been working before?
Some CF's behave differently depending on the access mode. A common
behaviour is that if accessed in True IDE mode it idnetifies itself as
'fixed' while they show up as 'removable' when accessed in PC Card mode.

Generally, XPe used to request for 'fixed' CF's and would not boot from
'removable' CF's.
As far a my experience, this has not changed.

HTH
Franz

 

[Sean Liming \(MVP\)]

XPe can boot from fixed or removable CF devices. Not all CF cards were
created equal. Preparing the CF to boot XPe was one of the issues. Sometimes
a MBR fix up tool was needed. UFDPREP is the best know method to prepare CF
cards now.

The other issue was EWF. XP / XPe can only see 1 partition on a removable
device. This has not changed. RAM-REG mode was a challenge to setup in the
early releases. RAM-REG is became an overlay option when FP2007 came out.

Some developers have reported different issues regarding CF cards. The most
consistant positive feedback was for 3 manufacturers. I have them listed
here: http://www.seanliming.com/WES2009_XPe.html. Pretec was also mentioned
recently.

--
Regards,

Sean Liming
www.sjjmicro.com / www.seanliming.com
Book Author - XP Embedded Advanced, XP Embedded Supplemental Toolkit

 

[Franz Leu]

Am 20.01.2010 22:08, schrieb Sean Liming (MVP):

XPe can boot from fixed or removable CF devices. Not all CF cards were
created equal. Preparing the CF to boot XPe was one of the issues.
Sometimes a MBR fix up tool was needed. UFDPREP is the best know method
to prepare CF cards now.

I don't really believe this since my experience is different.
I have some CF's that I could not boot from even when bootprep'd (FAT16)
with the XPe tool back in 2006, I now tried to use these CF's when
preparing with ufdprep and they still are not bootable. They all are not
industrial type CF's and are probably marked as removable CF's even if
accessed in True IDE mode.

Franz

 

[Ralph A. Schmid, dk5ras]

Some CF's behave differently depending on the access mode. A common
behaviour is that if accessed in True IDE mode it idnetifies itself as
'fixed' while they show up as 'removable' when accessed in PC Card mode.

The hardware is the same, a CF/IDE-adapter, and the drive identifies
itself as "removable" in the file explorer.


-ras

--

Ralph A. Schmid

http://www.dk5ras.de/ http://www.db0fue.de/
http://www.bclog.de/

 

[Franz Leu]

Am 21.01.2010 11:05, schrieb Ralph A. Schmid, dk5ras:

The hardware is the same, a CF/IDE-adapter, and the drive identifies
itself as "removable" in the file explorer.


-ras

AFAIK, if you attach the CF using a CF/IDE adapter, it must be a fixed
disk to be able to boot XPe.
I didn't try but it may be possible to boot from this 'removable' CF if
connected via a USB Card Reader.

HTH
Franz

 

[Ralph A. Schmid, dk5ras]

AFAIK, if you attach the CF using a CF/IDE adapter, it must be a fixed
disk to be able to boot XPe.

It is attached to the IDE port of an Intel 945GME chipset.

I didn't try but it may be possible to boot from this 'removable' CF if
connected via a USB Card Reader.

No USB involved...


-ras

--

Ralph A. Schmid

http://www.dk5ras.de/ http://www.db0fue.de/
http://www.bclog.de/

 

[Sean Liming \(MVP\)]

Like I said: Not all CF cards are created equal. I had a CF (IDd as
removable) from a manufacture that booted perfectly. I went to the store and
purchased the same exact make a model, and the CF card would not boot.

I used to have a list on my site of all the CF cards that have been tested
and used by others. Over the years that list has been paired down to the 3 I
have listed now.

--
Regards,

Sean Liming
www.sjjmicro.com / www.seanliming.com
Book Author - XP Embedded Advanced, XP Embedded Supplemental Toolkit