Hacking cIOSX rev21: controller lag [FIXED!]

[PrimeTime 84]

HDD without controller lag issue with cIOSX Rev20+
I-O Data HDL-GS 620GB

 

[netspy]

Added, thanks PrimeTime 84 and Disasterous !

 

[Kittymat]

Lag =WD Passport Essentials 500gb & 1TB

No Lag = Seagate Freeagent GoFlex 1.5TB

 

[netspy]

Thanks a lot Kittymat ! Added to list.

(from now on, I continue to update the thread, and I thank in advance every people who will give further information, but I won't create a new "thank you" post everytime, or the topic will soon be quite boring to read. But every information is still highly appreciated !)

 

[Pat123456789]

Hi, I've got a bad news :
I've tried the WD MyBook Essential 1TB and it has the controller lags issue with the "Wario shake it" test and with Trackmania.
However, there are no lags with a Fujitsu 80GB 2.5" HDD from an old laptop mounted in an old "Icy Box" usb-powered extern box. (I've even used the usb cable from the MyBook).

All the HHD I've tested are formated in FAT32 with 32k clusters (primary partition). I've desactivated the auto spin-down for the MyBook and the MyPassport.
I'd be interested to know the settings of Lacius, maybe the differences would be an answer.

Mine is :
cfg usb loader rev 62
cIOS 249 rev21 base 56
priiloader 0.6
HBC 1.08
System menu 4.1e
all the official IOS updated with Modmii
Wii bought in 2008

Fortunately, all the other cIOS work with the MyBook, so I can still enjoy my wii.

 

[netspy]

I'm sure the "Western Digital My Book Essential Edition 500 GB USB 2.0 Desktop" is lag-free, because that is the model I'm using right now (old model with the big green button, not the blue one -> this one).
But I can't say anything about the 1TB models.

I sent back the Seagate Expansion 500GB I've just bought, and I consider buying a Seagate FreeAgent Go 500GB instead (since Disasterous told us this Seagate model doesn't have the lag issue). The WD My Book Essential 500GB is working perfectly for me, but I would rather use a 2.5-inch USB powered HDD, I think it's more convenient.

 

[zizer]

i have hitachi 2 Tb and no lag

 

[Pat123456789]

@ netspy
Ok, it's not exactly the same.
It's the blue one : http://www.wdc.com/en/products/products.aspx?id=240
Its reference is WDBAAF0010HBK-EESN. It becomes difficult to differenciate the products.

If you have formated the HDD, have you deleted the virtual disc that contains the smartware software?

 

[netspy]

@zizer: thanks, can you give us the exact name of the model ?

@Pat123456789: I bought this WD drive years ago, and it doesn't have any smartware inside. The drive was formated in FAT32 (32k clusters) using EASEUS Partition Master Home Edition.

 

[zizer]

Hitachi XL Desktopdrive 2Tb

 

[vinzanity]

Not to bump this topic or anything but let me share with you my experience with CIOSX20 or higher. I do not think that this is a hard drive issue but rather a "hard-drive format" issue. I used CIOS37rev19 for Rockband2 and Rockband3 for DLCs from SD card using USBLoaders. But when i filled-up my 2GB SD card i wanted to use my spare 4GB cards but of course IOS37 did not support that. I had 2 320GB Buffalo ministation lites that was formatted FAT32 and WBFS respectively and although they had different games, the only common games in the hard drive was the Rock Band games for my brothers so that they would not have to remove one cable and plug the other one since Rock Band was mostly what they loved to play. I decided to take the gamble and installed CIOS56Rev20 on slot 250 and was happy that I was able to play from USB and at the same time use my 4GB SD card. The hard drive i plugged in was the one formatted to WBFS and enjoyed playing for hours. All was good until i plugged the FAT32 formatted hard drive and played a few minutes but saw that the DLCs had "hiccups", 1 second freezes that throw off the timing and made the music seem like a pirated disc being played from a DVD-player that had a failing lens. At first i thought it was my SD card and kept on formatting it. But both the 2GB and 4GB cards did the same thing. Accidentally I plugged my hard drive that was in WBFS format and tried it again. I was surprised that there was no freezing at all. I was about to reformat it to FAT32 but because i saw that the higher CIOS versions worked better with WBFS i didn't!

So here are my tests: (Using Wario Shake It Save Select Screen Test)
-Buffalo Ministation Lite 500GB formatted to WBFS running from IOS56Rev21 :Flawless! No Lags!

-Seagate Expansion 320GB formatted to FAT32 running from IOS56Rev21 :As Expected Lags galore! Every 10 seconds!

I have no time to reformat my Seagate to confirm this but it might help those that want to use the newer revisions of Wanin's firmware without those lag issues if proven correct.

 

[netspy]

Interesting story, thanks vinzanity.

However, people are reporting HDD working correctly even when formated with FAT32 (that's the case for me with the WD Essential Edition 500 GB USB 2.0 Desktop).
It could be nice if someone could reformat in WBFS a HDD known to have the lag issue and see if the lag still happens (I don't think I'll find the time to do this in the next days, but maybe later if still needed).

BTW, did somebody here report working HDD that are not formated in FAT32 ?
I'm especially interested in Disasterous answer, since I consider buying a Seagate FreeAgent Go 500GB and want to use FAT32 with it.

 

[BBogey]

I had the drive in WBFS format before, and because of the lag I formatted to fat32. I tried also different partition sizes 16GB and 130GB and with different cluster sizes 4-32kb, but no difference.

First I though the cluster size fixed the issue when playing around, but I had just reverted back to rev19, and didn't know that rev19 installer makes backup in 250. Is it so? So I though I still had rev20 in 250 what I used for testing, but actually I was testing with rev19 backup and thats why it was working. I have rev20 on 248 and tested that, and oh no lag is still there.
So my setup currently is

lags:
248 rev20 base 56
250 rev21 base 56

no lag:

249 rev19 base 57
hermes v4: 222 base 38, 223 base 37-38
Hermes v5.1: 224 base 57

Earlier I have had also 250 base 57 rev20 and it lagged

 

[netspy]

Thanks BBogey, for this answer and for all the testing you've done in the cIOSX rev21 thread.
From your experience, it seems that the HDD is the main cause for the lag, no matter the file format you use. vinzanity, are you sure the 2 HDDs you use are exactly the same ?

 

[vinzanity]

yup both buffalo ministation lite 320GB, just different color (HD-PEU2). My white colored-one was in WBFS and my Black one was FAT32. Both of have been given away to my friends. The one i'm left with now is a red 500GB ministation lite and a black seagate expansion (pre-freeagent models). I'm just sharing my experience and if someone who has lag problems have some spare time maybe this may be of help. If not then it's really Hermes' cios as the only choice.

 

[netspy]

Ok, thanks for your help, it's appreciated.

 

[Hielkenator]

Hi, here's my experience,

My old, recently revived, WD Elements 1TB drive FAT 32, Adapter powered : No lag using CIOSX rev 20b.
My new Packard Bell Silver 640 FAT 32 usb powered : Lags as Hell using CIOSX rev 20b. Even in the wiiflow and CFG Loader gui.

Using Hermes Cios v 5.1 : NO ISSEUS.

 

[nando]

do any USB loaders support ciosx rev 21, with base 58?

 

[toss01]

I wrote this in the other thread but will add it here

"WD lag in twilight princess.. i just run around and link seems to stutter for a second as if the hard drive is thinking? is that what other people suffer?

WD passport essential 320gb

FAT32 loading

will try rev19 out as everyone has mentioned (I went from rev 17 straight to 20 due to formatting to fat drives)"

 

[Hielkenator]

I wrote this in the other thread but will add it here

"WD lag in twilight princess.. i just run around and link seems to stutter for a second as if the hard drive is thinking? is that what other people suffer?

WD passport essential 320gb

FAT32 loading

will try rev19 out as everyone has mentioned (I went from rev 17 straight to 20 due to formatting to fat drives)"

yep that's it.