Little Red Reader 128 CRC error

[MIRKOSOFT]

Hi!

I wanted to buy Big Blue Reader 128, but I found Little Red Reader which is freeware with some limitations.

And makes problem:

If I try to load MSD directory always shows this error:

DOS error #9 Header CRC error
27,read error,45,09

Don't understand, when I'm formatting PC-diskette I'm using header e.g. "MSDOS"
- maybe can be problem that I'm formatting it in Windows 7 Ultimate x64... (default FAT)

Can anybody help me?

Many thanks for every advice.

Miro

[Hydrophilic]

What size are you trying to format?  3.5 inch disk (1581) you should be able to read if you format Double Density (1.44 MB); for 5.25 inch disk (1571) you should use 720 KB.

For 3.5 inch disk you may not have a choice; there is a hole (or not) at the top left that indicates the density of the disk and Windows or disk mechanism may refuse to format as 1.44MB if there is no hole... this is from memory, because this PC I'm using now does not have any floppy drives for me to check...

[MIRKOSOFT]

I'm formatting standard 3,5" capacity - 1,44MB.
But disks are 2HD.
Also want to say - I'm using these disks for 1581 too - no problem to use for drive 1581, formatting R&W...

[Hydrophilic]

The 1581 can't read high density 2.88MB disks, AFAIK.  If Windows will let you, format the disk as 1.44MB.  If Windows will not let you, and there is no hole at the top left of the disk, then drill a hole there and try again.

Edit
I see you said you are using 1.44MB... it might be disk will not format correctly with lower capacity... in that case I can only suggest to find some DD disks, which I know is difficult these days...
/Edit

[MIRKOSOFT]

Disks are 2HD - but I'm formatting 1,44MB...

[Blacklord]

What size are you trying to format?  3.5 inch disk (1581) you should be able to read if you format Double Density (1.44 MB); for 5.25 inch disk (1571) you should use 720 KB.

For 3.5 inch disk you may not have a choice; there is a hole (or not) at the top left that indicates the density of the disk and Windows or disk mechanism may refuse to format as 1.44MB if there is no hole... this is from memory, because this PC I'm using now does not have any floppy drives for me to check...

This strikes me as wrong.

5.25" should be formatted to 360k (DS DD) for MS DOS - not 720k.

Ergo DS DD 3.5" disks must be formatted to 720k not 1.44mb

[MIRKOSOFT]

So, here's Q:

Big Blue Reader 128 v4.1 (if I know correctly) works with 1.44MB floppies, or not?

Thank you very much.

Miro

[Blacklord]

I wouldn't try it - the drive uses double density, double sided disks - not high density disks.

[RobertB]

Ergo...

Who is Ergo?! 

...DS DD 3.5" disks must be formatted to 720k not 1.44mb

Lance is on the right track (pun... pun...).  Here is how 3 1/2 disks format out:

     DSDD - 720k on a PC, 880k on a Commodore 1581
     DSHD - 1.44 meg on a PC, 1.6 meg on a Commodore 1581/CMD-2000/CMD-4000
     DSED - 2.88 meg on a PC, 3.2 meg on a CMD-4000

          Truly,
          Robert Bernardo
          Fresno Commodore User Group
          http://videocam.net.au/fcug

[RobertB]

The 1581 can't read high density 2.88MB disks, AFAIK.

Some 1581's can read DSHD (1.4MB PC, 1.6MB C=) disks.  I have one such drive.  However, they cannot reliably write to DSHD disks.

          Truly,
          Robert Bernardo
          Fresno Commodore User Group
          http://videocam.net.au/fcug

[RobertB]

Big Blue Reader 128 v4.1 (if I know correctly) works with 1.44MB floppies, or not?

Ah, a good question.  BBR 128 will work with DSDD disks in a 1581.  However, our club has not tried it with a DSHD 1.44MB disk in a FD-2000.  We could test that at our November meeting.

          The October meeting is the club dinner,
          Robert Bernardo
          Fresno Commodore User Group
          http://videocam.net.au/fcug

[MIRKOSOFT]

Why I want Big Blue Reader 128?

Look at:

http://www.sogwap.net/sogwap/bbr_features.htm

there's written all

Miro

[RobertB]

Why I want Big Blue Reader 128?

Look at:

http://www.sogwap.net/sogwap/bbr_features.htm

It's a very sophisticated program, and it was demonstrated at CommVEx v6 2010.

          Traveling to Los Angeles,
          Robert Bernardo
          Fresno Commodore User Group
          http://videocam.net.au/fcug
          The Other Group of Amigoids
          http://www.calweb.com/~rabel1/
          Southern California Commodore & Amiga Network
          http://www.sccaners.org

[dabone]

No 1581 can read 1.44 formatted disks. Some can read 1.44 disk when formatted as 720k.
To do this you need to cover the hole on the left side of the disk so the PC floppy thinks it is a DSDD disk. They will not hold this data reliably but sometimes it will work to let you transfer data.

If you have any spare amiga disks around, you could reformat them, they are dsdd.


Later,
dabone

[RobertB]

No 1581 can read 1.44 formatted disks.

Some 1581's can read DSHD (1.4MB PC, 1.6MB C=) disks.  I have one such drive.

    In Los Angeles,
    Robert Bernardo
    Fresno Commodore User Group
    http://videocam.net.au/fcug
    The Other Group of Amigoids
    http://www.calweb.com/~rabel1/
    Southern California Commodore & Amiga Network
    http://www.sccaners.org

[MIRKOSOFT]

Hi!


Is it that drive FD-2000?


Miro

[Blacklord]

If you have any spare amiga disks around, you could reformat them, they are dsdd.

Make sure you archive whatever is on them first - you never know what can be hiding on some of those disks.

[wte]

LRR works fine with 1,44 MB HD disks but you need a FD 2000 or FD 4000 (I do this since more than 20 years).

You have to use 720 kb formatted Disks in a 1581! May be (if you are lucky) you can use HD disks (720 kb formatted) but the most 1581 drives really needs DD Disks. I always got errors with my drive when I tested HD disks.

I've never heard about a 1581 working with 1,44 MB formatted disks. And I do not believe that before I can put my finger into the drive hole of the disk and the disk slit of the drive.

Regards WTE

[RobertB]

And I do not believe that before I can put my finger into the drive hole of the disk and the disk slit of the drive.

Oh, a doubting WTE.    Well, you will have to wait longer than 3 days for the drive to rise.    However, I will be in Europe next summer, and if you are there, I can bring the 1581 drive in question and show you how it can read a HD disk formatted at 1.6 megs.
     Side story... I discovered this 1581 behavior years ago.  When ModPlayer was a commercial product, I paid creator Nate Dannenberg for the software, and he postal-mailed me a HD disk.  The HD disk contained ModPlayer and .MODs of various musical tunes (yeah... Airwolf!).  One of my 1581's was able to read that disk with ModPlayer and most of the music (one or two tunes could not be read).  I e-mailed Nate about that, and he responded that he had formatted the HD disk as a 1.6 meg disk on his CMD-4000 drive.  I also told him that my other 1581 could not read that HD disk at all.

          Hey, I can even bring you the original ModPlayer HD disk,
          Robert Bernardo
          Fresno Commodore User Group
          http://videocam.net.au/fcug
          The Other Group of Amigoids
          http://www.calweb.com/~rabel1/
          Southern California Commodore & Amiga Network
          http://www.sccaners.org

[wte]

And I do not believe that before I can put my finger into the drive hole of the disk and the disk slit of the drive.

Oh, a doubting WTE.    Well, you will have to wait longer than 3 days for the drive to rise.    However, I will be in Europe next summer, and if you are there, I can bring the 1581 drive in question and show you how it can read a HD disk formatted at 1.6 megs.
...

The format of an 1.6 M CMD-formatted HD disk is completely incompatible with the 1581 DOS. This seems to be a real enigma! (much bigger than the mystery of the resurrection)

Regards WTE