CF Card conversion question

[AustinFa04]

So, I have been combing the forums and internet attempting to find the best way to convert my console computer from a HDD to CF card. I have the 4GB CF card and the CF card IDE adapter, ect. and I am told I need to download the V5.1 OS from the forums here, and backup my files onto "floppy disks" (however I did get the usb floppy emulator), go through a myriad of steps to install the OS ect...

Anyways, two questions...

1.) Why cant I simply just image my drive onto the CF card and go?

2.) If I am not concerned about my mix files on the drive other than the OS (I do all my mixing in the box), can I just load the OS onto the CF card and put in my ESN number and authorize it?

The reason for these probably over simplistic questions is in my quest to do this conversion I have had to look at several different forums and threads to try and piece together the actual steps that are needed for my purposes, and I think it may be over complicating the whole process.
I don't need a 5.1 crack because I already am running an authorized copy of that, with all plugins enabled, I don't really care about any of my files beyond the ones that would come with a clean install, I simply want to ditch this HDD and replace it with the CF card.

Sorry if I sound frustrated, I think I am just experiencing information overload and am looking for a simplification of the steps.

[arjepsen]

Yeah, I can't see why you couldn't simply clone the harddrive - just make sure you have made backup of your sensitive files

[Y-my-R]

One thing that I think a lot of people stumble over, is how the "destination drive" (CF card in this case) is formatted.

My experience is that if you format the CF card (or harddrive you intend to use) from a PC or Mac, and then try to install the Mackie OS directly on it, IT WILL FAIL.

To be able to INSTALL (not clone) without error, the harddrive (or CF card) needs to be formatted from the D8B. I'll have to look how exactly it works, but there's a file on the first floppy, that you need to add a line to, that says something like "Format=on". When booting the D8B with that setting in there, it will prompt to format the harddrive.
When installing the OS to a drive that was formatted like this, it usually works.

Having said all of this, CLONING of an exiting drive should work, as long as you clone the whole drive/partition and restore the entire thing to the destination drive (i.e. CF card). Restoring this should then also restore the "D8B formatted" drive, and it should be possible to boot from that.

With all that said... to be able to tell what's going wrong, can you describe what you did (e.g. what program do you use for cloning... some apps don't clone the boot sector (or EFI partition on newer computers) and then it's likely not to work, etc.), where things go wrong, and what exactly is happening (e.g. error messages, how far the D8B boots before giving you an issue, etc. etc.)?

[AustinFa04]

I had to order a new CF card because the one I had was apparently corrupted in some fashion, so I am waiting on that to arrive. It is a 4GB CF card, and I am using the Delock CF to IDE Converter adapter with it.

I do not have the original Floppy install disks, so I bought a Gotek SFR1M44-U100 3.5 Inch 1.44MB USB SSD Floppy Drive Emulator to replace my floppy drive in the D8B computer and am looking for the OS V5.1 installation files online.
but the hope was to use AOMEI backup and restore to try and image my current HDD onto the CF card to skip looking for those installation files and figuring out how I am supposed to put them on a thumb drive.

[Jondav1120]

Hi Austin,

The files to produce the floppies are here for Windows, and here for Mac.

Regards

John

[AustinFa04]

Thank you John.

Do do I just use the ESN number found on the Licensing page of the setup window on my current OS to re authorize after installing this onto the new CF card?

And I assume I just extract these files on to my "emulated floppy" (ie my thumb drive), then boot from that drive?

[AustinFa04]

So...

I went through all the steps to for this process...

1.) got a USB floppy drive emulator (the one recommended in these forums)
2.) 4GB CF card
3.) CF card to IDE converter (again, the one recommended here)

4.)Downloaded the USB Floppy Manager and followed the appropriate steps to emulate the floppy drive partitions to install the image files for the 5.1OS
5.) Installation successful onto the the CF card!

6.) go to boot up and recieve this message...
"Searching for Boot Record from IDE - 0 . . OK
Copyright (C) 2000 MDI
File Not Found
BOOT FAIL

Could I have a corrupted image file, and the OS didnt install correctly?

[Jondav1120]

Hi,

Do do I just use the ESN number found on the Licensing page of the setup window on my current OS to re authorize after installing this onto the new CF card?

Unless you have a known working ESN / Authorisation code that matches your ESN, then, no this will only install 5.1 in demo mode. Mackie have not supplied authorisation codes for a long time, so your only hope of getting 5.1 working is the "cracks" in this thread here. Munks crack is on page 5, and jf-uk provided the second crack on page 16. These cracks require a working demo version of 5.1 to be already installed.

Regards

John

[AustinFa04]

Hi Austin,

The files to produce the floppies are here for Windows, and here for Mac.

Regards

John

I'm still not sure what I am supposed to do with these files?

[AustinFa04]

Okay, I fixed the boot problem. Apparently there was a setting in my bios I had to change in order for it to boot... Now to get this authorized...