Hacking Configurable USB Loader & 3TB Seagate Drive

[FoxMcCloud]

Hello everyone. I'm new to posting on this forum, but not new in visiting to get information. I come here a lot to get updated on the latest information.

I recently bought a 3TB Seagate GoFlex drive. Some people on this forum have had success with this kind of external drive (http://gbatemp.net/t276377-3-tb-seagate-works?&st=0), but I seem to be having some issues that I hope someone can shed some light on.

I formatted the entire 3TB HDD to WBFS (4096 bytes sector) using Wii Backup Manager 3.8. When I connect the HDD to the Wii and start CFG USB Loader, I get a message that the auto partition has not been found and that I must either select a different partition or format one to WBFS.

If I select to choose a different partition, I am presented with one partition that is 16384.00 GB in size of partition type "UNK-ee." I can't select it, so my only other option is to format it to WBFS through the USB loader. It formats without any error messages.

I then proceed to try to back up one of my games onto my HDD, and see that while backing it up the total size of the HDD is being detected as 127.9GB through the following message:

"WBFS1: 127.9GB free of 127.9GB"

The game backs up successfully though (I can play it from the HDD without having the disc inside). When I connect the drive to my PC and try to read it from Wii Backup Manager 3.8, I get an "Unusable (Unknown File System)" error, even though it was formatted to WBFS on the CFG USB Loader.

So my problem summed up is:

If I format to WBFS on my PC, the USB Loader does not read it.
If I format to WBFS onthe USB Loader, the PC does not read it AND the entire size of the drive is not recognized.

Information from CFG USB Loader's debug file:

CFG USB Loader 65

IOS:

IOS222 Base: 38 v4 (r4)
IOS223 Base: 38+37 v4 modmii (r4)
IOS224 Base: 57 v5.1 (r65535)
IOS245 : not installed
IOS246 : not installed
IOS247 : not installed
IOS248 : not installed
IOS249 Base: 57 rev21 (r21)
IOS250 Base: 57 rev21 (r65535)

open(/dev/usb2)=3 init:0 cap:732566644 ss:4096

Also, I have tried using USBLoader GX, but it times out when trying to load the HDD and it never does (even though some people here have had some luck with it).

Any help is appreciated.

 

[tbb043]

I would just format it as FAT32 and use it that way.

 

[FoxMcCloud]

I would just format it as FAT32 and use it that way.

Formatted the entire drive to FAT32 using Wii Backup Manager 3.8 successfully.

CFGUSB Loader still gives the "select a different partition or format a WBFS partition" message.

Everything else is exactly the same.

 

[PsyBlade]

that UNK-ee business sound like GPT
use MBR partitioning instead
or no partitioning at all

 

[Gabelvampir]

I'd with no partitioning in this case because the size limit for a partition in the MBR scheme is ~2TB. But don't ask me how to format a HDD with no partition (aka Superfloppy) under Windows. If I had to do that I'd use my Linux for that. Maybe you should use a Linux Live CD or something like that, I could give you the commands to do it there.

 

[PsyBlade]

on 4k drives the mbr limit is 8 times higher -> ~16TiB
one of the reasons for the switch
but it does not work everywhere and should be avoided if possible

 

[Gabelvampir]

Oh that's right, alway forgetting that. But I the Superfloppy solution will probably still be better, as long as you don't have the drive on the PC while you're installing Windows (don't know if that is still a problem, the Windows XP installer sometimes wiped HDDs wihtout partitons on them).

 

[FoxMcCloud]

Maybe you should use a Linux Live CD or something like that, I could give you the commands to do it there.

Ubuntu should be fine to do this then, right?

What are the commands? Anything is worth a try right now.

 

[PsyBlade]

for no partitioning (superfloppy) wbfs:
identify the drive in question (I assume sdx here)
!!! all data on it will be wiped !!!

install gdisk (via package management)
dl wimms wit tools by hand

run (from gdisk) : sgdisk -Z /dev/sdx
to remove old GPT and MBR info

run (from wit) : wwt format /dev/sdx
to create a new wbfs fs


but I don't know how good >2TiB wbfs partitions actually work
I'm especially concerned about what happens if you write >2TiB on it
and thus start writing beyond the border

for MBR run : man fdisk
*g*

 

[fig2k4]

that UNK-ee business sound like GPT
use MBR partitioning insteadQUOTE(PsyBlade @ Feb 20 2011, 10:58 PM) on 4k drives the mbr limit is 8 times higher -> ~16TiB

That could be what the problem is. CFG can't read GPT disks so it'll need to be initialised to use MBR.

You can do that using Windows Disk Management. Delete all the partitions/volumes, then right click on the drive to initialise and choose MBR. Then create whatever partitions you want.

It should work fine after that. Formatting in CFG or WBM shouldn't make any difference.

If it doesn't work after trying that, maybe I've introduced a bug in WBM...

 

[FoxMcCloud]

...then right click on the drive to initialise and choose MBR.

This did it!!! Can't believe I overlooked that option so many times.

As soon as I selected MBR, it split my drive into two partitions (2TB and 746.52GB). Although I can not format the smaller partition of the two, this is certainly a lot better than having the loader only recognize 127.9GB!

Now, if I can get USB Loader GX to read the drive...

 

[dexter222]

Hello everyone. I'm new to posting on this forum, but not new in visiting to get information. I come here a lot to get updated on the latest information.

I recently bought a 3TB Seagate GoFlex drive. Some people on this forum have had success with this kind of external drive (http://gbatemp.net/t276377-3-tb-seagate-works?&st=0), but I seem to be having some issues that I hope someone can shed some light on.

I formatted the entire 3TB HDD to WBFS (4096 bytes sector) using Wii Backup Manager 3.8. When I connect the HDD to the Wii and start CFG USB Loader, I get a message that the auto partition has not been found and that I must either select a different partition or format one to WBFS.

If you read the thread http://gbatemp.net/t276377-3-tb-seagate-works you will find all the info you need to get it to work.

I have one working with both CFG and GX and will be glad to answer any questions you care to post in that topic.

After glancing through some of the suggestions you received here... well it's amazing how helpful some people want to be, bless their hearts LOL

 

[PsyBlade]

But complaining that the advice not to use GPT with CFG is bad advice is helpful?
Especially after is solved the problem?

And not not telling him where the problem might lie only because I don't know how to fix it using windows would be helpful?

 

[FoxMcCloud]

If you read the thread http://gbatemp.net/t276377-3-tb-seagate-works you will find all the info you need to get it to work.

I have one working with both CFG and GX and will be glad to answer any questions you care to post in that topic.

After glancing through some of the suggestions you received here... well it's amazing how helpful some people want to be, bless their hearts LOL

I did look through that thread (many times lol). Overlooked the option to switch from GPT-to-MBR on my PC.

It's working great on CFG now! But GX still times out when detecting the hard drive for me.

And yes, bless their hearts!!! LOL

 

[whywontthiswork]

I have this same problem .. every time I format with the wbfs 3.0 (latest stable) it doesn't function .. any ideas? First it gives error saying unable to load, then it gives error unable to format, i have tried formatting from ntfs and from fat32 from both windows and from linux, and have tried changting partation sizes and locations to 4500mb and the entire drive, no luck

 

[bm123456]

I have this same problem .. every time I format with the wbfs 3.0 (latest stable) it doesn't function .. any ideas? First it gives error saying unable to load, then it gives error unable to format, i have tried formatting from ntfs and from fat32 from both windows and from linux, and have tried changting partation sizes and locations to 4500mb and the entire drive, no luck

Don't use wbfs on a 3tb , i would make a fat32 primary first (active) partition for apps and stuff., and second either ntfs or fat32 , for your wii games or movies ..use
EaseUS Partition Master