Downsize fails to update partition on my USB drive, but SpinRite works

[DaleT]

I had a freshly downloaded SpinRite exe write to my thumbdrive. When I boot my computer using this USB drive I receive the message shown in the attached photo. After I press the "any key" SpinRite runs and I can process disks. The error reoccurs every time I boot.

I have searched the forums for "downsize" and it does not appear that anyone has reported a problem with this program. The only thing I can think of that might make me different is that my thumb drive is very old and its capacity is 128 MB. That is not a typo. I scanned the thumb drive with SpinRite and it reports no problems.

128 MB is unusually small but should be large enough and the fact that SpinRite works says that it is.

What is going on?

 

[DarkwinX]

Hi @DaleT welcome to the forums.

I believe downsize is attempting to resize the Spinrite image from a 4gb image to one that fits on your USB drive.

My suggestion is to try a larger USB, perhaps 4gb if you can. I'm sure others will add to this when they see it.

 

[himemsys]

I have used both 128MB and 256MB flash drives with SR6.1 without problems.

What is Downsize? Is it something included in SR6.1 or is it a 3rd party app you are using?

 

[Steve]

I had a freshly downloaded SpinRite exe write to my thumbdrive. When I boot my computer using this USB drive I receive the message shown in the attached photo.

Hi @DaleT : Could you explain what you did, exactly? “I had a freshly downloaded SpinRite exe write to my thumbdrive.” is not clear to me?? Thanks!

 

[Steve]

What is Downsize? Is it something included in SR6.1 or is it a 3rd party app you are using?

“DOWNSIZE” is a built-in SR6.1 utility for the use of the downloadable .IMG file. Since the .IMG is a fixed size (4GB), when that thumb drive is first booted, DOWNSIZE checks the physical size of the media it's booting on and "downsizes" the partition to fit wherever it finds itself. But to be certain that it's not messing anything up, it will ONLY run on the SpinRite .IMG file. So something @DaleT is doing has confused it.

 

[DaleT]

My recollection is that I ran the Windows SR6.1 program and asked it to create a bootable DOS system on my tiny USB drive. My memory of the details may be faulty but I did it a couple times and booting the USB drive on two different computers resulted in the same message. I'll repeat the process today while making detailed notes and verify my memory.

As I said in the initial report, SR is working for me on this drive. I just thought that Steve might like to know about the problem and maybe come to an understanding. There may be another customer that has a thirty year old USB drive so this might come up again.

 

[DaleT]

Here are the details of my replication of the problem. I've put in as much as I can think of.

I'm using the SR that I downloaded on April 19th.

My PC is a 64 bit Win 8.1 Pro PC w/ all patches. The processor is an Intel i7-4770K @ 3.50 GHz. 32 GB RAM

Windows says my Thumb drive is a 128 MB ChipsBnk Flash Disk. I see the cryptic description "Device USBSTOR\Disk&Ven_ChipsBnk&Prod_Flash_Disk%Rev_2.00\6&2822a151&14". SR reports that the drive has the cyls/hds/sects configuration of 16/255/63 with 258.384 sectors and 132,251,648 bytes.

Plug the thumb drive into a USB port. Doubleclick on sr61.exe. Click "ok" on the access control dialog box. Click on "Install SpinRite on USB". Remove the USB drive and plug it in again. SR reports the Physical Drive Size as "132,251,648 (132MB)" on drive letter D:. Click the "Install SpinRite on THIS drive". SR gives me the "A SpinRite bootable operating system has been successfully installed on the drive" and I'm free to go. Exit SR.

I inserted the USB drive into my SR computer (A Shuttle XPC Model SK41G) and booted. After POST I got the message "Floppy disk(s) fail (40)" (Which is normal for this machine upon power up. This message does not occur after a reset.) I pressed F1 to continue to boot. There was a brief flash of the SR splash screen and then the DOWNSIZE message appears. After I ask to bypass the DOWNSIZE message I entered SR and it worked just fine.

I had tested using two different computers but today I dug out a third computer, this one only ten years old, and SR again produces the DOWNSIZE message.

 

[DaleT]

Sorry I downloaded SR on April 9 not 19.

 

[DanR]

I had tested using two different computers but today I dug out a third computer, this one only ten years old, and SR again produces the DOWNSIZE message.

Not to worry! DOWNSIZE was supposed to be only included in the zip file image download and NOT in the exe file download. Steve is aware and will fix this in a subsequent release.

Meanwhile, it is benign. All it does is throw up a confusing (and possibly alarming) message as you noted. You may safely bypass it.

If you wish to fix it, just edit config.sys to remove this downsize line:
INSTALL=DOWNSIZE.COM C:

Save the file and re-boot with the flash drive.

SpinRite 6.1 rel 3 will now boot and run without further ado.

You will not see the downsize message again!

 

[Steve]

Thanks for the details, DaleT. The problem is mine and I'll get it fixed. DOWNSIZE is not supposed to be loaded in the scenario you described. As @DanR said, you are completely free to ignore that message.

 

[DaleT]

Glad I could help. Despite the message, SR has been working well for me, I just thought you would like to know, being the perfectionist you are. A SSD I scanned started with a benchmark speed of 125 MB/s and ended with 350 MB/s. Thanks for the great tool!