Phatnoise Music Manager

[Nixlimited]

I've tried the tools in VMWare with my 60GB DMS (one day I'll actually get to use it!) using a Kenwood cradle (USB 1.1) and although I get the same 'really long time to mount PHTDTA' issue, I have no problems running the partition/formatting.

At the point where the tools stop, you should have a disk with two partitions - neither of them formatted.
You could use 'Computer Management' within windows to do the formatting and see if your situation improves.

You could also try a low level format to just double check there are no other underlying issues with the disk.

I may plug the cradle (usb 2.0) into my tuning laptop (win xp) and see if I can reformat and at least get the DMS functional again. Here's the problem: there seems to be no option in the PhatHack tools to prepare a disk that is already formatted.

[VorTechS]

There is, it's the 'Update Firmware' option.
Select 'Create New DMS' then choose your firmware, and other relevant options.  And instead of clicking on 'Create New DMS' to do the partitioning, click on 'Update Firmware'.

If you don't see the button 'Update firmware' look for the dropdown on the far right of the toolbar (known issue being resolved in next build)

[Nixlimited]

So I tried everything on a PC last night (formatted, ran PhatHack tools, then tried to use media manager). I seemed to get through the PhatHack tools fine, but then I got the familiar "unable to access e:/CurrentSetup.xml", and I also got a Windows Delayed Write error on both drives. I have to believe that the drive has gone bad. Maybe this drive wasn't tough enough to be in the car ... who knows. Hope I can return it.

Have any suggestions on anything I should try before returning it?

Have any suggestions on what type of drive to get? This is an 80GB Maxtor.

Thanks-

[markbowen]

Have any suggestions on what type of drive to get? This is an 80GB Maxtor.

As a general rule, do not get another Maxtor.  No manufacturer is 100% reliable, but Maxtors are not only particularly unreliable, they have even been known to cause hardware conflicts.  I believe the original Phatnoise drives were all Toshibas, so that is one way to go.