Card Write Protected

[mr_rmz28]

Hello –

Fairly new H8000FW owner here… and I had some trouble loading the 5.5B1 firmware with the included 32MB card & adapter this evening. (I'd not tried using the card for anything until now.) Formatted as FAT on a Windows computer ok, and was able to copy/unzip the firmware files to the card there directly ok. But the H8KFW would not find the card when booting up with the "2" key pressed. It went right to "Awaiting Contact" or something like that.

So I went and got another SanDisk (128MB this time) card out of a camera, formatted it, loaded it up the same way… and upgraded the H8KFW to 5.5B1 just fine.

The problem now is that when using either card, I cannot save any programs to the card. I get messages indicating the card is write protected. ("Cannot update: Write Protect Press any key to continue.") For the 128MB card, the unit reports the amout of available card space. For the 32MB card, the unit reports 0 free space on the card, and often hangs (becomes unresponsive) for several seconds while accessing the card.

I don't see any sort of little write protect switch on either of the SanDisk CF cards or on the California PC CF to PC Card adapter that came the unit. Am I missing it somewhere and this is a case of user error, or is there maybe setting in the H8KFW that protects the card? If not, I guess I'll buy another adapter, if you think that'd be the next logical step in troubleshooting… or try whatever is suggested given my unexpected results using the card tonight.

Thanks for any insight.

– Rich

[IDeangelis]

Hi Rich

congratulations on your Eventide and thank you for the very accurate report!

I haven't seen this problem in any of my cards. You may want to try to format the card(s) on the Eventide and check if this enables storing presets to them.

Please let us know…

all the best

Italo

[mr_rmz28]

Thanks Italo!

After further tinkering & experimentation, I've determined that my 32MB card just will not work with the H8KFW. It will not format, it will not read… and the unit becomes very sluggish, probably as it's attempting to access the card, and losing that battle. This card is, however, fine plugged into my card reader in my computer… so it can live there I suppose.

After further tinkering, experimentation, and ***re-reading the manual***, my 128MB card is fine. I was not executing the save keystrokes properly. Highlighting "save" (below "rename", and above the [Save] softkey) and pressing the Select button works like it's supposed to with this card… so my mistake and thanks for your patience.

I do still, however, receive the write protect message when using the <Update> softkey when trying to update a modified program. It appears, in the 5.5 manual, to be as simple as tweaking a setting in a program (I've got the asterisk next to the name now), pressing the Program button twice, and then pressing the <Update> softkey. This is where I get the write protect error (and was what I was doing last night.) Highlighting the [Save] softkey to confirm the location is "Internal" and selecting various empty or non-empty locations makes no difference. Space on "Internal" reads 461.1 K. Reading the "Updating a Program" section of page 129 in the 5.5 manual makes it look very simple… but I'm stuck.

[IDeangelis]

Hi Rich

have you tried to reformat the 128MB card on the H8000 itself?

I will try w/my cards on 5.5 beta to check if it happens here too; it may well be a bug…

later

I

[mr_rmz28]

Yes… It formatted just fine last night, and using the documented save procedure will store programs fine.

The problem I can't seem to figure out now is what's going on when I use the <Update> softkey to either the Internal memory or to the working 128MB card.

[IDeangelis]

You can't upgrade a factory preset! You can only re_save it in user RAM after tweaking.

Is that what is causing the "write protect" message, isn't it?

best

I

[mr_rmz28]

Well, that's what I guess I'm trying to understand. Yes, this is a factory program that I've changed. I have the * next to the program name in the display. I hit the <Update> button and I get the write protect message.

The last  paragraph at the bottom of page 129 in the 5.5 manual makes it sound like I can tweak a factory program as I have and just press one button,  the <Update> button… and it implies that it will create a User version (my version) on either the internal memory or on the card since it says it will display them together, and has a screenshot of 3 different Amp-u-lation patches (Factory, User, and Card.)

The second to the last paragraph, however, says that the <Update> button is used for user programs, so…

Are you and the manual saying then that I have to Save it first (Hey – I'm good at that now!) either to internal memory or to the card before I can use the <Update> button, and then just on my copy?

If that's the case, then it's easy enough. I'm just trying to get a grasp of how to do this simple task after having been thrown the initial curve ball of a bad CF card.

Thanks again!

[IDeangelis]

The factory presets can't be upgraded/erased as they are protected. When an Update is performed some kind of erasing and subbing goes on so it can't be done on factory ones.

The way to go with factory programs is to save them after you have done your tweaking. If you will tweak them further, then Update will work.

Unit ROM and user RAM are two different areas that don't mix.

best

I

[mr_rmz28]

Ok… Thanks. It makes sense now. I appreciate your help.

– Rich

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