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Can't get CHDK to auto-load on Canon SX30...

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Can't get CHDK to auto-load on Canon SX30...
« on: 19 / March / 2012, 15:13:57 »
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I'm trying to get my Canon SX30 camera to Auto-load with CHDK... but I can't get it to todo this.  I had it working before when I first started to play around/experiment with CHDK on a 2GB SD card.  I recently Purchased a few 16GB Class 10 SD cards and I'm trying to get SHDK setup one one of those cards.

I'm trying to follow the directions in the "readme.txt" file that is in the .ZIP file.

Here is what I've done.

1  -  Downloaded the latest CHDK for the Canon SK30 with 1.00L firmware.
2  -  Placed the SD card into my card reader and unzipped the contents of  the downloaded .ZIP file onto the SD card.
3  -  Placed the SD card into my camera.
4  -  Turned on my camerA by pressiong the "Playback" button.
5  -  Pressed the "Menu" button and then scrolled down to the "Firm Update_" option and pressed the "Set" button.
6  -  When the "Update firmware version?" screen came up... I selected "OK" and then pressed the "Set" button.

At this point the camera restarted and the CHDK Splash Screen came up. According to the instructions... it says when its fully loaded... I'll see a new battery meter icon and other things on the LCD display. When my camera restarted... it was still in the "Playback" mode... I had to press my shutter button to get the camera to swtich from "Plaback" mode to the normal mode so I could see the things on my screen from CHDK

7  -  I pressed the "Shortcut" button and "<ALT>" appeared on my screen.
8  -  I pressed the "Menu" button on my camera to enter the CHDK menu.

Now here is where things don't go accoring to the instructions.  The instructions say to scroll to the bottom of the of the main CHDK menu for the "Debug Parameters" option.  I don't have a "Debug Parameters" enter the "Debug" menu... and scroll to "Make Card Bootable" and then press the "Set" button.

Now... I don't have a "Debug Parameters" in my CHDK main menu. If I go down to ""Miscellaneous Stuff" and click "Set" n that...I do have a "Debug Parameters" menu in there.  However... "Make Card Bootable" isn't in the "Debug Parameters" menu... its right in the""Miscellaneous Stuff" area.

9  -  I scroll down to "Make Card Bootable" in the ""Miscellaneous Stuff" area. and I click on "Set".
10  -  A window that says "Information" comes up and says "Finished" and OK" is selected.  So I  click on "Set"

Now according to the instructions... it says to remove the SD card and slide the write-protect to the locaked postion.  Then it says to put the SD card back into the camera and when you turn the camera back on,CHDK will automatically load.

11  -  Turned my camera off and removied my SD card.
12  -  Moved the "write-protect" switch to the "lock" position.
13  -  Inserted my SD card back into the camera.
14  -  Turned my camera back on.

At this point... my camera comes on and CHDK doesn't load in. At the top of my screen it says "Memory card locked".  If I press my "Shortcut" button... the regualr shortcut option that I have the button programmed for comes up.

So... any idea as to what I'm doing wrong???

Thanks.

Mike

Re: Can't get CHDK to auto-load on Canon SX30...
« Reply #1 on: 19 / March / 2012, 15:22:35 »
http://chdk.wikia.com/wiki/Prepare_your_SD_card

You are going to need to setup your card with dual partitions as its larger than 4G and your camera was released prior to 2011.
« Last Edit: 19 / March / 2012, 15:24:30 by waterwingz »
Ported :   A1200    SD940   G10    Powershot N    G16

Re: Can't get CHDK to auto-load on Canon SX30...
« Reply #2 on: 19 / March / 2012, 17:12:13 »
OK... I followed the direction on there to make an SD card with 2 partitions... and CHDK will auto-load now when I turn my camera on.

However... since there are 2 partitions... now if I take pictures and then put the SD card into my card reader... all I see in Windows Explorer when I select my SD card... is the partition with DISKBOOT.BIN on it.  I don't see any of the test pictures that I've taken.

I guess with this strange setup... I'm better off getting a 4GB card for playing around with CHDK.

Thanks,

Mike

Re: Can't get CHDK to auto-load on Canon SX30...
« Reply #3 on: 19 / March / 2012, 17:54:14 »
However... since there are 2 partitions... now if I take pictures and then put the SD card into my card reader... all I see in Windows Explorer when I select my SD card... is the partition with DISKBOOT.BIN on it.  I don't see any of the test pictures that I've taken.
You need to swap partitions either before you remove the card from the camera  (there is a menu item for that in the Miscellaneous menu) or using SDMinst.exe to do it on your PC.

Quote
I guess with this strange setup... I'm better off getting a 4GB card for playing around with CHDK.
That's what I do :). 4G is a lot of room unless you do a lot of video and you can get a Class 10 card for a good price.   Or you could just format your existing card with a single 4G partition and ignore the unused space.

Ported :   A1200    SD940   G10    Powershot N    G16


Re: Can't get CHDK to auto-load on Canon SX30...
« Reply #4 on: 20 / March / 2012, 12:42:19 »
Well the problem with having to swap partitions to view pictures that you've taken on a computer is...

1) you have to REMEMBER to swap the partition before removingt he card from the camers so the pictures on the SD card can be viewed on a computer

and

2)  With the partitions swapped... the next time you put the card into your camera and turn your camera on... my guess is CHDK won't automatically load in... which then defeats the purpose of me asking how to get CHDK to automatically load in with an 8GB card..

So... I guess a 4GB card for when I want to play around with some of the features of CHDK (like the remote shutter... seen a feature saying there was a way to set it up so it would capture lightning... and so on)... and then use my 16GB cards when I don't need the features of CHDK.

Thanks,
Mike


Re: Can't get CHDK to auto-load on Canon SX30...
« Reply #5 on: 20 / March / 2012, 12:58:38 »
Well the problem with having to swap partitions to view pictures that you've taken on a computer is...
1) you have to REMEMBER to swap the partition before removingt he card from the camers so the pictures on the SD card can be viewed on a computer
True - but if you "forget" it only takes a few additional seconds to put the card back in the camera, reboot, go to CHDK and do the swap.

However, if you had downloaded the little SDMinst.exe application like I suggested,  you can swap the partitions back and forth on your PC to your hearts content any time you want to.

Quote
2)  With the partitions swapped... the next time you put the card into your camera and turn your camera on... my guess is CHDK won't automatically load in... which then defeats the purpose of me asking how to get CHDK to automatically load in with an 8GB card..
It won't load automatically - true.  Unless you used SDMinst.exe to swap the partitions back before re-installing your card.  Otherwise, the recommended method is to use the "firmware update" loading method to reboot and then go to the CHDK menu's and swap the partitions.

Its not perfect obviously but until this was devised, there was no way at all to use partitions larger than 4G.

Quote
So... I guess a 4GB card for when I want to play around with some of the features of CHDK (like the remote shutter... seen a feature saying there was a way to set it up so it would capture lightning... and so on)... and then use my 16GB cards when I don't need the features of CHDK.
That will work too - its entirely a user preference thing.

Ported :   A1200    SD940   G10    Powershot N    G16

Re: Can't get CHDK to auto-load on Canon SX30...
« Reply #6 on: 23 / March / 2012, 12:03:04 »
I just got my 4GB Class 10 SD cards in the mail.  Put CHDK on the card.... followed all of the steps to make the SD card a bootable card... turned the camera off... locked the SD card... put the card back into the camera... turned my camera on... and my camera isn't booting up with CHDK :-(

Now since my camera was made before 2011...and from what I've read... I thought I would be able to make a 4GB SD card bootable and not have any problems... like I had with my 16GB SD cards.


Re: Can't get CHDK to auto-load on Canon SX30...
« Reply #7 on: 23 / March / 2012, 12:19:11 »
I just got my 4GB Class 10 SD cards in the mail.  Put CHDK on the card.... followed all of the steps to make the SD card a bootable card... turned the camera off... locked the SD card... put the card back into the camera... turned my camera on... and my camera isn't booting up with CHDK :-(
Do you get a "Card Locked" message instead ?

Quote
Now since my camera was made before 2011...and from what I've read... I thought I would be able to make a 4GB SD card bootable and not have any problems... like I had with my 16GB SD cards.
I have several 4G cards that boot just fine on my pre-2011 cameras.

Did you read and follow this :   http://chdk.wikia.com/wiki/Prepare_your_SD_card

 
Ported :   A1200    SD940   G10    Powershot N    G16


Re: Can't get CHDK to auto-load on Canon SX30...
« Reply #8 on: 23 / March / 2012, 12:38:51 »
YUp... I get the "Memory card locked" at the top of the screen.

The directions in the link says to format the memory card in the camera.  It also says "For cards 4G in size or smaller, the card needs to be formatted as FAT16 and configured to be bootable"  When I checked the properties of my card in Windows Explorer... it says its formatted to Fat32.  When I select the "Format" option in Windows Explorer... it doesn't give me a FAT16 option (it gives me "FAT32" and "exFAT" for the File System).

The reported card capacity is 3.7GB is Windows Explorer and I think 3.6GB in my camera.


Re: Can't get CHDK to auto-load on Canon SX30...
« Reply #9 on: 23 / March / 2012, 12:52:14 »
When I select the "Format" option in Windows Explorer... it doesn't give me a FAT16 option (it gives me "FAT32" and "exFAT" for the File System).
Use FAT12

If you use the SDMinst.exe utility mentioned in the wiki article,  it will do all of this for you.

« Last Edit: 23 / March / 2012, 13:25:05 by waterwingz »
Ported :   A1200    SD940   G10    Powershot N    G16

 

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