Compact flash card questions;

[barry.peterson]

I have been playing with my CF cards. Some are just not recognized and some kill the title screen. Hopefully someone here is wiser than I am and knows why:

 

I have a couple of Lexar cards that, if my memory is correct, shouldn't work. They are labeled "USB Enabled" and no others have that label.

 

I have one Transcend. Is that another brand on the non-workable list?

 

I have three Axiom 1GB cards that don't work but look new.

 

I have 2 Apacer 4GB cards that don't work (but I have a couple of 2GB Apacer cards that work fine)

 

I have 3 SanDisk 2GB cards labeled 2004 that don't work (but others labeled 2003 but otherwise identical do work)

 

All of my CF cards work fine with TIDIR, although 4GB cards show as 2GB, no problem (but other 4GB cards show as 4GB).

 

All of the above cards have been reformatted using Windows 10, FAT non-quick format. But still won't work. Could formatting with a different OS make a difference? Linux? Apple?

 

Any suggestions?

 

 

BTW: when I quick format the above units, then fire up TIDIR and tell it yes I do want to use a PC-formatted device, it shows all of the previous files except for volume #1. I assume that was overwritten.

 

 

[+mizapf]

When formatted as FAT16, partition sizes are limited by fdisk to 2 GiB (although 4 GiB is technically possible).

[PeBo]

correct, Lexar "USB enabled" don't work. (they look like they work, but take em out and put the in the TI and nope, return em to TIdir and the first voiume is nixxed forcing another initialization as a CF disk, which won't work..

 

I've had the best luck with small format Kingston cards (512 and 256) but none of their newer cards. The 4GB cards from Arcade Shopper (Sandisk Ultra 4GB (which is really only 2GB because of nanoPEB disc format)) also work without fail.

 

You can store pretty much every disk based program available for the TI on a 1 or 2GB card. (Every E/A converted educational program AND the complete volumes of Plato (nearly 500 disks) won't fill a 512GB card, so a single 4GB card, will be the only card you'll ever need no matter how much your disk based storage requirements grows

 

Bottom line though, you're right CF's are not created equal, and some brands/models will work and others won't for no apparent reason.

Edited September 17, 2017 by PeBo

[barry.peterson]

When formatted as FAT16, partition sizes are limited by fdisk to 2 GiB (although 4 GiB is technically possible).

 

I assume FAT16 is Windows FAT:

 

[barry.peterson]

Bottom line though, you're right CF's are not created equal, and some brands/models will work and others won't for no apparent reason.

 

I'm wondering if another operating system might act differently.

 

Also, IIRC, in the olden days we could low-level format an MFM drive then DOS format would install the boot sector or FDISK/BOOT would sometimes repair problems and recover files?

 

I have low-level formatted IDE drives, which was supposedly not possible. I have >18GB in several cards and could trash them but would prefer not to do that.

[Stuart]

I suspect that for the CF cards that don't work on the TI, the problem is an electrical or timing incompatibility, and no amount of re-re-reformatting on a PC is going to sort that.

[RickyDean]

I wouldn't trash them yet, there are several possibilities, such as using a usb to cf adapter and using them with a gotek floppy adapter. Or maybe with TIPI when Jedimatt gets it ready. I also recently bought a serial to usb storage device I am going to play with and see if it can be used with the TI and Geneve. I just need to get a good system up and running.

[barry.peterson]

And, is there a reason why only three disks are available?