Boot problem

I am resurrecting an RPC, using a replacement boot disc (i.e. one from an earlier configuration). It’s running RO4.02 and the disc is for that version. Generally it’s working. However using !Boot, boot, and any of “Add to Apps”, Run" or “Look at” produce a “please insert BigDisc”

I do have a disc labelled “BigDisc” but it’s on IDEFS on the Unipod. The one it’s looking for is where it used to be, ADFS.

I can’t remove or replace those items using Config, because the tools won’t run. Where has it put the references please?

All the references I’ve found were in IfThere clauses, and I’ve commented them out. I still get the problem.

“please insert BigDisc”

Have you got a Desktop Settings file (!Boot.Choices.Boot.Tasks.!Boot)? That’s the usual way you end up with explicit disc references for items in !Boot…

The refrences stopping it booting are probably in !Boot.Choices.Boot.PreDesk or !Boot.Choices.Boot.Desktop but you’ll no doubt hit further problems when running applications due to disc name dependant paths saves in choices files.

A good idea is to search every file under !Boot.Choices for the name of your harddisc e.g. ADFS::HardDisc4.$ and replace it with Boot:^ which makes all the references relative to where !Boot is located, so you can move everything between filing systems without hitting disc name issues.

When you want to add anything new to Configure’s Boot sections, do a Filer_OpenDir Boot:^ navigate to where the applications is, and drag in from that window so relative paths are maintained within !Boot.

A good idea is to search every file under !Boot.Choices for the name of your harddisc e.g. ADFS::HardDisc4.$ and replace it with Boot:^ which makes all the references relative to where !Boot is located

Many references are to exactly that. however BigDisc isn’t, and wasn’t, the boot disc. It boots from HardDisc.
I’ve been through the desktop file, and everything in tasks and predesk, All are commented. The next step is to delete the lines completely, in case the comment isn’t working.

I was hoping there were specific files for “add to apps”, “look at” and “run”, which someone could point me to.

I’ve also searched through resources.configure etc – nothing found.

As the messages come up when I try to run the configure tools, and not when booting the computer, I don’t think it can be the applications producing the messages.

Next step I think is to rename tasks and predesk, and create empty versions. If I can get the tools to run, i can remove the entries from there – assuming they don’t just disappear. I’m not bothered about getting them to work – I just want to be able to use Configure.

[EDIT] I’ve now removed everything from Tasks and Predesk, and removed all references to Bigdisc in Desktop. I still get the message from AddToApps, Run and Look at. What do these tools look at please?

Incidentally these tools repeat the message so fast that Reporter overflows the text, so I can’t see anything that immediately preceeded the error message. It looks as though the message is repeated every WimpPoll.

You will find the entries created by those tools in the file

!Boot.Choices.Boot.Desktop

look down the file to find these headings:

|Start RISCOS BootBoot 0.01 Boot

|Start RISCOS BootRun 0.01 Run

also check for non-default items in the directory !Boot.Choices.Boot.Predesk

OK, I now understand the problem.

I had entries for each of the tools, add to apps, run and Look At, in the Desktop file. I had commented them out, by adding a | at the start of the line. This stopped messages during the boot process. However it doesn’t stop those tools from reading the lines, ignoring the comment, and complaining when the source was missing. I had to delete the lines to enable the tools to be used.

I also commented out an item which had been in the Run at Startup category and was on the boot disc. It didn’t run. Then I went into booy, selected Run at Startup, and it was shown. I clicked Set. The item was now back in the Desktop file, with the comment removed.

I don’t know whether this somewhat unexpected behaviour has changed in more recent versions of the OS. This is running RO4.02. I can’t imagine this happens except by design though.