Microdrive 340MB on MobilePro 770

Hello,

I'm trying to use a 340MB Microdrive on a MobilePro 770, which is HPC/Pro (CE 2.11). I tried to download the updated atadisk.dll from Hitachi site, but got no success. I followed the instructions on CESD-H-0021, which seems the same as the ones on Hitachi site, but same problem. The only difference is that I can't use ActiveSync, so I've downloaded the atadisk.dll using a dial-up connection (the one in mips4300, which seems to be the correct one for VR4121) and copied it over the old atadisk.dll on \Windows folder using Total Commander. Reset, and nothing. MP770 shows a Storage Card folder, but it's empty, and right after inserting it, I get the following message:

"Would you like the system to format the Storage Card folder so that the system can use it? Yes/No".

The drive is already formated, I can read it fine in a Jornada 720 or my PC. If I select the option to format, I get the following message:

"There was an error verifying a write operation to sector 0. The storage card may be write protected, faulty or unsupported (error code 31). Do you want to ignore this error? Yes / No"

Any comments/ideas/tips on this are very appreciated!

Thanks,
Claudio Neves

Update: Well, on this page: http://www.hitachigst.com/hdd/support/mddwnld.htm Hitachi lists the VR4121 as MIPS4300, but on Control Panel / System it says only MIPS4000. I've tried both MIPS4000 and MIPS4300 atadisk.dll and still no success.



Edited by nevalabs 2005-06-24 12:28 PM

I doubt I can be much help to you, but I know that when I insert my storage card in the 770, it occasionaly doesn't recognize it. I don't know if it doesn't seat properly, or what.

Usually if I remove and re-insert, it is recognized.

Optionally, have you checked to see if you some how did write protect the drive? I'm sure you did, but just checking.

Good luck and keep us posted.

The first thing to check is that it has actually replaced the driver.
Check the file dates against the one in ROM and the CESD/Hitachi one, if it isn't being replaced then you need to obviously work on that.

Secondly if you've tried to put linux on the drive, be wary of it having boot sectors and boot strap/loaders on it. It may be worth putting it into a Windows laptop and using the NT4, 2000 XP disk manager to scrub it completly, start again but DONT format it, let CE do it.

Also on a PC, Scan it for errors.

Thanks for thetiptonian and C:Amie, I've only had time to try again today.

I've checked the dates/sizes to confirm that atadisk.dll was really replaced, and yes, it was replaced. The original file in ROM have 18k and have a date in 98, the new one is 22k and is dated in 99.

I don't have linux on the Microdrive, but have NetBSD. I've took care of zeroing beginning of the FAT partition as described on the install guide to make sure WinCE would still recognize the drive. Anyway, I could have done something wrong and that could be the problem. But it isn't. The other Microdrive I've bought arrived today, it was being used on a digital camera and have a FAT partition. Unfortunatelly, it gives the same error , and it works perfectly on Card Reader on PC or even on the MP770, mounting the fat partition on netbsd. Just wince doesn't recognize it!

Does anyone have a MIPS HPC Pro (or maybe even HPC2000!) system where Microdrives work and could send me the ATADISK.DLL ?!

Thanks for all the help.

Claudio Neves

I have a MP780 running a 2GB Hitachi microdrive, and it works fine. (Well, it cuts my battery life down to 3-4 hours from nearly 6 hours, but that's another story. ) I just have the same ATADISK.DLL you downloaded from the Hitachi site though (that's where I got mine). Maybe a problem with your CF slot?

EDIT: Oops. Forgot to mention I am running the Mips 4300 version of the DLL.

Edited by btrimmer 2005-07-01 11:13 PM

I've just tried again with the MIPS4300 ATADISK.DLL, and still no good. Oh well...

Just to clarify, here is my setup: I have 2 x 340MB Microdrives, say A and B.

A: have a 35MB FAT partition, and the rest is a NetBSD partition. Can access and copy files to the FAT partition normally under PC, Jornada 720 and even from the MP770, but only from NetBSD (not from Wince)

B: Have a single FAT partition. Was being used on a digital camera, formats ok and scandisk ok on Windows. Can copy files on Windows, Jornada 720 or from the MP770, but only from NetBSD (not from Wince). NEVER messed up with partitioning or anything with this one.

Since both are recognized and can be used ok on the MP770 when running NetBSD, probably the slots are OK. I've tried on both CF and PCMCIA (with adapter) slots.

The OS version and most of the hardware on MP770 and 780 are the same, right ? Only difference is the CPU speed (131MHz vs 168MHz or something similar to that).

Thanks,
Claudio Neves

Have you tried hard-reset?