2 partitions on USB drive visible in WinXP, PLS help to Dumy... Options

[KillerRabbit]

I'v partitioned USB Stick using Paragon Partition Manager to 2 partitions.
I'v instaled SLAX live cd on the first partition and when I boot PC to SLAX -
I see both partitions and there is no problem.
But when I put the USB Stick in to PC (running WinXP), then I can see only the first partition (with SLAX)...


I tried many utilities, and searched many pages with no succes...
Then I'v found this forum and many Topics with many links, but I'm completely lost in this...

I want to have one partition bootable with SLAX and on the other one with data usable in Win...

Dont you know, how to make visible both patitions in Win (alternetive drivers, soft,etc...) ?

Help PLS...

[jaclaz]

Here:
http://www.911cd.net/forums//index.php?showtopic=14292

Get the Hitachi microfilter.

Search on the board for "hitachi" to find more posts about the matter.

Otherwise, DEPENDING on the controller your stick uses, it could be possible to make it "declare" itself as a fixed disk, thus allowing XP to see more than the first partition.

There are links on the board for "Production tools" for OTi and Prolific I-Create:
http://www.911cd.net/forums//index.php?sho...181&st=378#

In the previous linked to thread there is a link to a newish version of the OTi one.

Check this also:
http://www.911cd.net/forums//index.php?showtopic=15776

And post info on your specific USB stick, maybe someone has a link for THAT device.


jaclaz

[edborg]

.....................................
And post info on your specific USB stick, maybe someone has a link for THAT device.

jaclaz

Any idea on what this 'anonimous' (no brand) 2GB USB stick could be?
The only available info is Vid&Pid:

Name: (USB2.0)
Logic Driver: I:\

VID&PID: Vid_0204&Pid_6025
Speed: high speed

VendorID: USB 2.0
ProductID: Flash Disk
Product Revision: 2.00

Vendor Description:
Product Description:
Serial Number:

edborg

[jaclaz]

@edborg

(Remember, google is your friend... )

Searching for VID 0204 USB
led me here:

CENTON
http://forum.centon.com/showthread.php?p=707#post707
http://usbkeydrive.com/v1105/download.htm

USBLINE
http://www.usbline.com/download.htm

Controller:
Chipsbank 2080 or CBM2080

and then:

http://www.chipsbank.com/en/index.htm
http://www.chipsbank.com/en/product/xx/cbm2080.htm

It seems like the only specific utility I can find is called "flashdiskmanager":
http://www.espidi.com/en/download/flashdisk/dn_cb.htm
but of course cannot say IF it works on that stick and WHAT features it has.

jaclaz

UPDATE:
There is a tool for CBM2080 here:
http://4esky.68ab.com/cbm2080.rar
2.8 Mb download
Inside there is the UMPtool (maybe Usb Mass Production tool) + other utilities and Chinese docs for the CBM1180/CBM2080 controllers

English manual appears to be here:
http://www.crystalking.com.tw/Flash/PDF/eManual.pdf

[edborg]

@edborg

(Remember, google is your friend... )

This is really a lot of valuable info, which I'll have to study in detail! Thanks for collecting it for me.

In the meantime, this is what I did with that Chipsbank stick before getting your reply and without any specific tool.
I post it here in case it allows explaining some unexpected behaviours:

formatted it XP bootable with MS Format + MKBT, and tested with boot.ini - OK
formatted it XP bootable with HP Format (which usually works better), but it does not boot! (see below)
re-formatted it with MS Format - OK
transferred a full WinXP (created with Dietmar's Tutorial3) from an USB disk
added to the registry specific Vid&Pid and Hard_ID for the stick - OK

installed Hitachi Microdrive to make it fixed and add a data partition -OK
Partition Magic sees it as fixed, but detects an error which wants to correct
after correction it recognizes it, but gives error when resizing partition to add a new one
after re-formatting it from PM, partitioning becomes possible - OK
the stick is now fixed and partitioned -OK
added ntldr, (Dietmar's) ntdetect.com and test boot.ini and booted: disk error!
re-formatted with HP Format, and got partitions removed!
but HP Format (after PM Format) makes it now bootable! (see above)
re-partitioned with PM - OK, it's now fixed, partitioned and bootable
re-transferred the full XP from the other USB disk, with specific Vid&Pid and Hard_ID -OK
the stick now boots, but appears removable when booted and can't see the other partition
it only appears fixed (and sees the other partition) when in the original XP where Hitachi it was installed -OK

According to Dietmar's instructions in Tutorial4, Hitachi MD + PM should make it permanently fixed.
How is it possible (if it is possible) to obtain that result for a stick, without specific tools?
I've obtained that with another USB disk (but not stick).

edborg

[jaclaz]

How is it possible (if it is possible) to obtain that result for a stick, without specific tools?

It is NOT possible, or to be more exact, nobody has yet found a way/written an appropriate program to do so.

I've obtained that with another USB disk (but not stick).

Disks are generally seen as "fixed", as the contoller bit is set, sticks usually are not.

it only appears fixed (and sees the other partition) when in the original XP where Hitachi it was installed

Yes, unless you use the specific tool to set the controller bit as fixed, (or someone finds another way), the stick can be seen as fixed ONLY if the removable bit is "filtered" by the Hitachi Filter Driver (and now you know why it is called "Filter Driver" )

Finally, as said before, PM appears to have a number of "internal checks" and some "undocumented/not standard" ways to deal with partitions/formatting.

All in all, best way I found to reliably fdisk/format an USB stick is still imaging it to a file, mount it as a raw drive in Qemu (booted from a Win98 bootdisk with Freedos Fdisk), then use standard commands to fdisk/format it, and optionally for more advanced chores, either use Ranish Partition Manager and bootpart in Qemu, or unmount it, mount it with ken kato's VDK as virual drive and use on it the standard NT/W2K/XP command line format, finally image the file back to the stick.

jaclaz

[edborg]

It is NOT possible, or to be more exact, nobody has yet found a way/written an appropriate program to do so.
Disks are generally seen as "fixed", as the contoller bit is set, sticks usually are not.
Yes, unless you use the specific tool to set the controller bit as fixed, (or someone finds another way), the stick can be seen as fixed ONLY if the removable bit is "filtered" by the Hitachi Filter Driver (and now you know why it is called "Filter Driver" )
......................
jaclaz

So, there's no point in partitioning an USB stick made fixed with Hitachi Filter, as the other partition is almost never accessible, and not when the stick is booted!
I shall re-unify partitions with PM (without hopefully having to reinstall XP) and put data on the same partition, to at least be able to use the whole space available on the stick.
Thanks for your help, jaclaz
edborg

By the way, I didn't manage to use the Chipsbank production tool to make it fixed permanently.

[jaclaz]

as the other partition is almost never accessible, and not when the stick is booted!

Well, you have to install the Hitachi Driver also on the OS on the stick...

This can even be an advantage, as a second partition on the stick will only be visible when booted from the stick itself or when connected to a DOS or Linux PC, a "normal" PC with 2K/XP won't see it unless it has the Hitachi Filter installed.....

By the way, I didn't manage to use the Chipsbank production tool to make it fixed permanently.

Yep, sometimes you win, sometimes you lose...

jaclaz

[edborg]

Well, you have to install the Hitachi Driver also on the OS on the stick...

That's ... obvious!!! Why didn't I get it myself? Sometimes I definitely lack of imagination!

This can even be an advantage, as a second partition on the stick will only be visible when booted from the stick itself or when connected to a DOS or Linux PC, a "normal" PC with 2K/XP won't see it unless it has the Hitachi Filter installed.....
jaclaz

This opens a new range of uses for the second partition! I'll think about it.
edborg

[namiran]

eagerly waiting for the new tutorial hihi

so eager i wrote in the wrong post sorry about that