Compact Flash problem

[polive]

I'm trying to install a program to a small form factor PC that's using a 2 gig CF for a HDD. It's got WinXP SP2 installed and all chipset drivers, etc.

I've freshly installed WinXP and another program to the CF drive no problem. The weird thing is that this program will install no problem to the SFF PC using an external HDD. This program also installs to other desktop PC's no problem.

I just need it to install using the CF directly with no external HDD necessary. It keeps telling me to insert the Run Disc when I have no problems with it installed on multiple other PC's.

I am not that familiar with CF drives. Do they need a special driver installed? I just don't understand why it won't load properly. BTW the program files total about 1 GB so there should be enough space on the CF to run the program.

[bob]

I would not reccomend using compact-flash for any operating system unless its read-only. Flash memory does have a limit to how many read/write cycles it can go through.

[drizzt81]

did you install the program on the CF drive when the HDD was connected? It could have written some files onto the HDD instead of the CF drive.

[polive]

the problem is that it needs to be a compact flash -based system ,for ruggedness and durability. I did a fresh install of WinXP with SP2, loaded some other small program, and then the program I need to run. It gives me a "insert setup disc" error. No hitches installing WinXP or the other program. This time I used an 8 gig CF. Freshly quick formatted using NTFS. No go. This program does install on the same machine using a HDD on the IDE interface, but spec says it wants a CF so I'm kinda stuck. :confused:

[drizzt81]

quick aside: turn off the Pagefile for the CF volume; that should increase the lifetime.
have you tried running DiskMon (http://www.microsoft.com/technet/sysinternals/FileAndDisk/Diskmon.mspx) and FileMon (http://www.microsoft.com/technet/sysinternals/FileAndDisk/Filemon.mspx) to capture what the program you are running is looking for? My reasoning is that if it says "insert disk" there must be some file-access that does not work... on the CF drive. Maybe running these tools you can isolate this and find some workaround? Sorry that I cannot be of more help.

[rodsfree]

the problem is that it needs to be a compact flash -based system ,for ruggedness and durability. I did a fresh install of WinXP with SP2, loaded some other small program, and then the program I need to run. It gives me a "insert setup disc" error. No hitches installing WinXP or the other program. This time I used an 8 gig CF. Freshly quick formatted using NTFS. No go. This program does install on the same machine using a HDD on the IDE interface, but spec says it wants a CF so I'm kinda stuck. :confused:

This might not mean anything - but all of the CF drives that I've got - thumbs, pens, and cards for the wife's camera - require being formatted in FAT not NTFS.

If you stick a pen drive into a Windows XP computer's USB port and format it. The only option I can remember getting is to format as FAT.

I'd try formatting the CF card that I was going to use as FAT then installing XP on it. XP will install to a FAT drive without requiring that it be formated to NTFS.

Just my 0.02 - If adjusted for inflation would mean that I owe a lot of people a lot of money. :rolleyes:

[polive]

You can read my other thread in this section to find what I did to get the damn thing to work.

Also set your page file to none, to save read/writes. Fixed Disk Industrial Grade fixed my problems, just in case anyone needs the info.