Validating system boot partition on OS 4.1FE

[macce2]

I'm using AmigaOne G3 SE with sii Pata card (sii0680ide.device) with a 160 Gb hd and a dvdrw drive connected.
After experimenting with dma modes in Uboot, my system boot partition won't boot anymore and it has become unvalidated.
I'm using FFS2 with long filenames.
I didn't manage to fix the problem by booting from os 4.1FE or os 4.1F cds, I get plenty of "volume x has a read write error on block y" requesters and have been busy clicking them away.
After a reasonably long struggle, I managed to boot from os 4.1F cd and launch Partitionwizard, but I can't give it the right device to work with and it sees no partitions. However, the hard drive partitions icons do show up on the desktop screen, but practically can't be accessed.
I wonder if some kind of rescue/repair cd/disk solution does exist..

[RussellB]

Partition Wizard doesn't work at all with 4.1FE. If you have an older version of a 4.1 CD you might be able to use that instead to fix it as that is the only thing which support FFS2.

[macce2]

Sorry, I wrote OS 4.1F cd but I meant OS 4 F (Final) !
So, If that version of PW doesn't work, what I'm going to do next ?!
I must mention that I have replaced some files (sii_xx.mod or something and usb related) from the Kickstart drawer before.
I have also changed the Idetool command in the C drawer to the one that was in OS 4 Final cd.
I used dma mode 4 when it worked, If I remember right. But how to change that setting, if the boot partition is unvalidated

[tonyw]

The DMA settings are only a guide - if the device doesn't support them, they will be changed. So you don't need them to be correct. Your error messages say "R/W error on volume xx". Is that the system partition you are trying to boot? Or is it a data partition not associated with the boot?

I ask because if you are trying to boot from another (good) partition, you could use MTB from the CD to turn off "Auto-Mount" for the bad partition, then get the system running again.

If it's the system partition with the errors, just format it and re-install from the FE CD (or copy from your backup). Trying to repair a system partition is just wasting time and you'll never be confident of the result.

[macce2]

I'm trying to boot from my system partition, which has os 4.1FE installed.
I also have Swap partition (not mounted) and three data partitions. None of them is bootable.
I have no other bootable partition(s) or devices, apart from a hard drive with os 4 Final installed ( not connected).
I get read/write errors with every damn partition (not swap!?) when trying to boot.
The strange thing is, when trying to boot from my system partition (DH0:) , when the first requester: "volume dh0 has a r/w error on block x" appears, the backdrop screen turns light grey (like in classic Amigas with os 2.x-3.x) with white title bar...
I click it away and soon the black screen with Amiga OS 4.1 FE logo appears. Then, after a while, the loading stops and so does disk activity (?!). However, before, after several resets it was like loading (hd led on) endlessly, it seemed.

[macce2]

Oh, I did a cold boot from my original OS 4.1FE cd and I managed to check that my boot partition seemed to be ok. However, after a succesful boot from my hard drive I got several strange system lockups ( the desktop screen and wallpaper, dock etc. wont' load, and /or while starting DOpus) and soon I found my system at the same old not-working state.
And after playing with boot devices (hd, OS 4 Final cd or OS 4.1FE cd) I didn't manage to boot my system.
I guess I must think maybe replacing my motherboard battery and see if the symptoms disappear.
However, I was thinking a bootable floppy disk (or some kind of simple boot cd) would be helpful, anyway.
From where could I get one ? I have a working floppy drive connected to my AOne SE.
Any other ideas ?