Re: [NTLK] Formatting & Erasing Linear Flash Cards

On Tue, Aug 5, 2008 at 12:15 AM, James Wages <james@kiramek.com> wrote:
> On 8/5/08 12:28 PM, "L.W. Brown" <lwb@mac.com> wrote:
> > you could erase/format the blank card in your Newt
>
> How? As I stated in my previous post, I cannot do so when I insert the
> card
> with the Prefs open.
>

James,

I'm a bit lost as to what you mean by this statement.
Since I haven't used my Newton in awhile I pulled it out and just powered
it up. After power up I inserted a Flash Card which brought up the Flash
Card Pop Up Window. This allows you to rename the card, Save new info to the
card, Erase (Format) the card and Backup to the card and Exit the Pop Up
Window.

Now by what you stated i started the Newton, then opened up Prefs and with
that open then Inserted the Flash Card. But still this provided the Flash
Card Pop Up Window which allows you to Erase(Format) the card.

Now when this is done in this order it provides me a Pop Up Window which
states, 'Do you want to completely erase this card? (Inserting a card with
"Prefs" open allows erasing damaged cards without reading them.)'

Personally I've never done this so this IS new to me...hm....

I tapped Erase and the following message popped open, 'This will delete all
information on this card. Are you sure you want to erase it?'. I tapped
erase and the Flash Card Pop Up Window opened after it completed erasure.

Either erase will format a Flash Card.

>
> On 8/5/08 12:49 PM, "Sonny Hung" <sonnyhung@gmail.com> wrote:
> > It could be that there is some corruption
> > in the data that is preventing the
> > card fro being readable. When copied
> > and re-written down to the card is
> > still present.
>

Thank you LW for clarifying this more lucidly than I :)

And I reiterate - Have you the option to format the card also with another
Newton with the same NOS or older? And I don't recall if you did or not but
did you format the card in the PC and then try to format the card in the
Newton the Regular Way I described, not the way you described which I
tested?

I've only had one or more occasions where I could not access the Flash Card.
Most occasions was that there was a problem when I tested the ATA Driver and
on a rare occasion I was just using the Newton and I eventually had to Erase
the card to access it.

I think (imho) that you are stuck in a rut or mind set of thinking in PC
terms expecting it to work a certain way. It happens.... but Newton is using
a proprietary format here.

I'm also not sure what use it will be to access the card with a PC. The
final answer for you is to get it to work with the Newton. And that will
mean that a Newton will have to format it. You might want to hook up with
another Newton User to see if they can format the card. I'd help out but I'm
in NYC area.

An off the wall option is to use the ATA Driver to format the card and see
if it works. Then format it back with the Newton. But still I say try the
regular Erase by not having Prefs open when you insert the card and get back
to us whatever the results and both ways :-)

Much success James!

-- 
God bless,
Sonny Hung
the Hung Family
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