Cannot install on some Sandisk Compact Flash drives

[THG]

I purchased a bunch of Sandisk Compact Flash drives. I have a problem, the install menu does not show up. It's no problem with any of my SanDisk Ultra II Compact Flash drives.

 

[matthewowen01]

is the drive at least a gig in size?

can we get the make and model of the drive.

 

[THG]

I didn't see any model number, I had to use hdparm in Linux to actually find out. The product is a SanDisk 512 MB CompactFlash Card with model number SDCFB-512-A10.

However, I figured it out, some CF cards are factory-set to "removable mode" defined in the CF standard. I had to use the DOS application "ATCFWCHG.COM" to change the card to "fixed mode".

 

[Bohs Hansen]

afaik you need a stick of atleast 1GB for FreeNAS 8+, so that might be why you're having trouble with your 512mb sticks

 

[THG]

I didn't get that far, and I have the same problem with some of my 4GB drives. The solution is to set the drive to fixed disk mode. That can be done with the attached file.


To set the card to fixed disk mode


If the card is on the primary IDE channel, type:

Code:

ATCFWCHG.COM /P /F

If the card is on the secondary IDE channel, type:

Code:

ATCFWCHG.COM /S /F

To set it back to removable disk mode


If the card is on the primary IDE channel, type:

Code:

ATCFWCHG.COM /P /R

If the card is on the secondary IDE channel, type:

Code:

ATCFWCHG.COM /S /R