Re-Imaging CF Drive / Partitions

[Caseh]

If I create an image from my existing 2GB CF, modify and re-image using a tool like WinImage does anyone happen to know if it will retain the same partition structure when written back to the CF? At the moment, once backed up and mounted in Windows, it has what appears to be two partitions. One with the games folders etc and a system partition (can't tell, unable to browse it) and if it can be helped i'm trying not to destroy the existing structure.

Not had an x68000 for long and i'm trying to spend as much time playing it rather than working on recovering it if that can be helped.

[SuperDeadite]

I assume you are opening it with editdisk?  Editdisk's x68k support is really crap honestly.  If you have 2 partitions it can only open one of them.  And it seems to be random which it likes.  On my personal image it will open the first, but not the second.  A friend sent me his image, and I can open the second, but not the first.  XD 

I highly recommend doing any majors changes within an emulator.  It takes longer, but much safer.

[Caseh]

I am indeed using editdisk. Read somewhere that it can cause corruption of files but opening two instances of it means you can drag and drop from one to the other, worth the risk for me as long as you have a backup before you begin. Can also export folders straight to PC desktop and get file/folder sizes from a top level without any fannying about

I assume the emulator can mount more than one .HDS image at once? Then it would be a matter of copying from one drive to another using LHES or something? It still leaves me with the dilemma of how that will be written back to the CF once i'm done though.

Apologies if the questions seem noob-esque, i'm used to working on an Amiga file system. Far more straight forward, can mount the CF directly into an emulator and it has visibility of local PC drives so you literally drag from PC desktop straight to CF and bang that into the Amiga and it's good to go. The x68000, not so straight forward unless i've missed something.

[SuperDeadite]

Anything you copy through editdisk you should check that file sizes match the original exactly.  Corruption is very easy.  Not worth the hassle of checking every file imo.

Yes, I just mount multiple drives within an emulator and use copyall command to move stuff around.  Takes a bit of typing, but it is completely safe in my experience.

For taking a file or folder out of an image, I use WINDRV.SYS. 
http://www.gamesx.com/wiki/doku.php?id=x68000:editing_and_adding_files_to_hard_disk_images

[Caseh]

Thanks for the info, after a bit more research I'm toying with the idea of hooking a SCSI CD-ROM up to it instead. We have a few knocking about in work so the cost would be minimal and I could transfer stuff without needing to open the x68k up.

[llioncourt]

I'll take a chance on this topic... I also got a 2GB CF and it now has the V4 image, but is using about 900mb, right? So is it possible to use the rest to fill it with xdf images on another "partition"?

[SuperDeadite]

Yes, the X68K supports partitions, and you can have 2 active partitions on the boot drive.
Meaning first partition will show up as A:, and the second as B:

[llioncourt]

Great!! How can i do it?

[SuperDeadite]

Use format.x of course.  Note, you can't just add a partition to the NFG image, it doesn't work that way.  You need to either start from scratch and build your own image or by using someone else's.

[Caseh]

I can dump my image at some stage if it's allowed? Looks like it was put together back in 2012 by a Japanese chap, someone may recognise the work/mod with the SRAM in the attached image. CF drive contents are dated 2012, haven't confirmed the space used but it's rip of a 2Gb CF so a 2Gb file. Might be of interest to someone I guess.

[neko68k]

I'd like to see that.