Re: Notice: MicroDrive Software Update
- From: "Bill Heckel" <wheckel@xxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Fri, 27 Apr 2007 05:05:21 GMT
Is there a new website for the software update ? The link below does not
work.
William
"Henry" <apl2research(.a.t.)comcast.net> wrote in message
news:56adncplTbvys6LYnZ2dnUVZ_oqdnZ2d@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Notice to all MicroDrive series owners:
A new version of the MicroDrive setup utility has been released. It's
available as just the updated files or as disk images in ShrinkIt format
here: http://reactivecomputers.gotdns.com/MicroDrive/
Background:
The update corrects an issue that has allowed Windows to potentially
corrupt CF cards without the users knowledge. All users of the MicroDrive
series of Controllers are urged to download the new software and run the
Setup utility again. All that's needed is to select 'W' twice to rewrite
the corrected partition information to your CF card. Once written, reboot
and you're done!
The Issue:
It seems that for some time now users of the MicroDrive series Controllers
have been having an issue when inserting their CF cards in Windows based
computers. Most users have reported that when they insert their CF card
in to their PC based CF Card Reader Windows will automatically open a
window displaying what appears to be corrupted data. Even if this window
didn't appear, Windows would tend to think that the CF card might contain
data related to the PC and allow users to access it directly without any
warnings. Of course ProDOS is not directly accessible through Windows,
hence CiderPress, and trying to write anything directly to the card would
ultimately render the CF card corrupted and unusable on your Apple.
Most Windows XP systems are set by default with 'Auto Insert' enabled.
Auto Insert is the feature that when a user inserts a piece of media (CD,
Floppy, CF Card, etc.) it will automatically open a window, prompt you for
an action of what to do or start a program. Windows likes to keep track
of things, sometimes too well. If a user inserted their CF card and a
window opened, Windows would sometimes write a 'tracking' file
(DESKTOP.INI) back to the CF card when the window was closed or the user
used the Windows USB utility 'Safely Remove Hardware'. Unlike what most
people think, this is not Bill Gates's last attempt to destroy ProDOS once
and for all but a way to help Windows identify and track what the media
has been used for. It also holds settings like how you prefer to have the
media's contents displayed. As mentioned above, any attempt to write data
to the card without using CiderPress will ultimately render the CF card
corrupted and unusable on your Apple.
Some users have also been using the Windows USB utility 'Safely Remove
Hardware'. This is probably the worst thing a user can do as Windows will
almost undoubtedly try and write to the CF card when used. We recommend
NEVER using this utility when using ProDOS formatted CF media on your PC.
The reason Windows thinks it's dealing with media that might be PC related
is due to the fact that the MicroDrive Setup utility wasn't totally
erasing Block 0 where some of the DOS format resides, the last 255 bytes
of Block 0 to be exact. Windows would then 'see' this last little piece
of DOS format and think the CF card might contain PC related data and in
doing so start to treat the CF card as a PC storage device.
The Resolution:
The updated MicroDrive Setup utility will now zero the final 255 bytes of
Block 0 on the CF card. This will prevent Windows from mistaking the
ProDOS formatted CF card as being DOS formatted. You can verify this by
looking in CiderPress or Windows. As a Logical Drive CiderPress will show
the card as 'Removable - Format Not Recognized'. ***We always recommend
using Physical Device rather then Logical when using CiderPress.*** If
you try and open the CF card in Windows it will now report 'Card Not
Formatted. Format?'. Although it's still possible to destroy your CF card
with Windows, it's now at least much harder to inadvertently do so.
Mr. Lange, Mr. Garber and myself would like to personally thank Mr. Fadden
of FaddenSoft.com for helping us find and identify this issue. Any
corrections or comments to this notice are always welcome. If anyone is
having issues downloading the updates please feel free to contact me
directly.
--
Henry S. Courbis
www.GSE-Reactive.com
Apple II Series Legacy Hardware - Come take a look at what we have to
offer!
.
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