Getting NAME ERR when I save program raw files

Discussion around the SwissMicros DM41X calculator
HPMike
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Re: Getting NAME ERR when I save program raw files

Post by HPMike »

Peet wrote:
Tue Oct 13, 2020 6:32 pm
HPMike wrote:
Tue Oct 13, 2020 6:16 pm
Do you mean that you copied your programs from your PC/MAC to your DM41X FAT drive, loaded them into your DM41X memory, and then tried to resave them with the same name when the NAME ERR occurred ?

Not only can't I resave any files, when I create a new program and attempt to save it, I get the same error and zero byte file.
The NAME ERR did not occurred after reformating with no files on the disk and saving the first file, the raw was OK. After copying about 20 raw from the PC to the 41x the error occurs both when overwriting a file and when entering a new name - tried differend Names "abc" "x" even "123" always a zero-byte raw with this name. Copying from the PC to the 41x is OK, the 41x can read the RAWs but not "resave" them.
OK, I see. I did not try to save a .raw file with no other files in the /PROG directory. I did copy the one .raw file that I had saved on my PC to the /PROG directory, and then attempted to save a .raw file to the FAT from my DM41X, which resulted in the NAME ERR. I'm going to try to recreate your situation by deleting all saved files and and then trying to save one again. Stand by....

Nope, same problem, even with an empty directory.

So, maybe, once any modification is made the the contents of the FAT drive after a fresh format, something gets corrupted to the point that you can't save any raw files without an error occurring. This has to be a problem with firmware, methinks.
DM15L, S/N 00548. DM42, SN: 00159. DM41X, SN: 00973. DM32, SN 00054.
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salvomic
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Re: Getting NAME ERR when I save program raw files

Post by salvomic »

the same here.
I had to format, as in my MacBook Pro USB disconnected the DM41X disk, then I had to do a reset.
After having restored the backup, now if I try to save a program with Setup or CST I get "Name err" and zero byte file.

EDIT: I retried putting first the name in Alpha, and now the program has been written.
What's the reason to write two times the name (first in Alpha and then in <new file> item)?

Salvo
∫aL√0mic (IT9CLU) :: DM42 (SN: 00881), DM41X (SN 00523), DM16, HP Prime, 50g, 41CX, 42s, 71b, 15C, 12C, 35s, WP34s -- Free42
dlachieze
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Re: Getting NAME ERR when I save program raw files

Post by dlachieze »

salvomic wrote:
Tue Oct 13, 2020 9:32 pm
EDIT: I retried putting first the name in Alpha, and now the program has been written.
What's the reason to write two times the name (first in Alpha and then in <new file> item)?
See this post for a more detailed explanation of the process to save .raw files. I think that it would be useful to include it in the DM41X manual.
DM42: 00425 - DM41X: β00066 - WP43: 00042
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salvomic
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Re: Getting NAME ERR when I save program raw files

Post by salvomic »

dlachieze wrote:
Tue Oct 13, 2020 10:10 pm

See this post for a more detailed explanation of the process to save .raw files. I think that it would be useful to include it in the DM41X manual.
yes, it would be better to include it in manual.

However, in the topic you said, rprosperi wrote «Also, note that you do not have to specify the 41 program to save via the Alpha register; if Alpha is blank, the 41X will export the current program that the 41X is set to (seen in the 3rd line of the System Info view). So you could always [shift][GTO] "MYPROG" and then shift/Setup/File/Save RAW Program and give it a name.».
Well, I had issues with the current program, first of write its name in Alpha.

Salvo
∫aL√0mic (IT9CLU) :: DM42 (SN: 00881), DM41X (SN 00523), DM16, HP Prime, 50g, 41CX, 42s, 71b, 15C, 12C, 35s, WP34s -- Free42
HPMike
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Re: Getting NAME ERR when I save program raw files

Post by HPMike »

I think we've beaten this subject to death on how to properly save program .raw files to the FAT disk. I think all of us, myself, @salvomic and @Peet understand the correct process for saving program raw files, and that the problem we're describing here is not due to user error.

Nor can it be explained by FAT disk corruption, as I have formatted mine with a media test first, and also tested it from my PC using chkdsk.

The fact that three people have reported this problem means that it's not an isolated issue, either. There is either a bug in the current version of the firmware or it has not been flashed properly on some of the shipped production units.

In any case, it's a serious problem that needs to be addressed.
DM15L, S/N 00548. DM42, SN: 00159. DM41X, SN: 00973. DM32, SN 00054.
rprosperi
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Re: Getting NAME ERR when I save program raw files

Post by rprosperi »

I was unable to reproduce the error using the sequence you wrote in your initial report on 10 Oct. and I just ran through it again now and could not reproduce it again. Perhaps there actually is an issue with your machine, though seeing the same thing in several devices would imply not). The other 2 reports are not detailed enough to try to reproduce, so lets try this.

Using a PC to format the FAT drive, or even running chkdsk, can create hidden files that could (though they should not) interfere; it's always best to format the FAT drive using the 41X f/w. As the state is unknown now (after chkdsk and write failures) please format FAT again, and then do the following (with no other steps in between format and the following, to keep it 100% reproducible):

A. Re-flash you 41X with the 1.15 f/w (the differences are minor and unrelated to this issue)
B. immediately after re-flashing, enter a simple program (same as the "MAN" example is fine, but use Global label "MAN1")
C. Save it to .raw, named MAN1
D. GTO ..
E. Got back into program mode and enter the same program again, this time named MAN2
F. Save it to .raw, named MAN2

Repeat steps D-F, adding MAN3, MAN4, MAN5

Once completed, create another copy "MAN6" but this time, when saving, select MAN1 and overwrite it (so then the .raw file will be named MAN1.RAW, but will contain a prog with MAN6 global label.

If something is fundamentally wrong, I'd expect it to appear somewhere in the process of doing the above, so I guess keep track of where it fails, and once it does, connect it to the PC and look at the /PROG folder to see what is and isn't there.

Also, note that upper case filenames are not required, you can use lower case as that may be easier. Use whatever you like, but please do document it as you do it.
--bob p

DM42: β00071 & 00282, DM41X: β00071 & 00656, DM10L: 071/100
HPMike
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Re: Getting NAME ERR when I save program raw files

Post by HPMike »

rprosperi wrote:
Wed Oct 14, 2020 1:42 am
I was unable to reproduce the error using the sequence you wrote in your initial report on 10 Oct. and I just ran through it again now and could not reproduce it again. Perhaps there actually is an issue with your machine, though seeing the same thing in several devices would imply not). The other 2 reports are not detailed enough to try to reproduce, so lets try this.

Using a PC to format the FAT drive, or even running chkdsk, can create hidden files that could (though they should not) interfere; it's always best to format the FAT drive using the 41X f/w. As the state is unknown now (after chkdsk and write failures) please format FAT again, and then do the following (with no other steps in between format and the following, to keep it 100% reproducible):

A. Re-flash you 41X with the 1.15 f/w (the differences are minor and unrelated to this issue)
B. immediately after re-flashing, enter a simple program (same as the "MAN" example is fine, but use Global label "MAN1")
C. Save it to .raw, named MAN1
D. GTO ..
E. Got back into program mode and enter the same program again, this time named MAN2
F. Save it to .raw, named MAN2

Repeat steps D-F, adding MAN3, MAN4, MAN5

Once completed, create another copy "MAN6" but this time, when saving, select MAN1 and overwrite it (so then the .raw file will be named MAN1.RAW, but will contain a prog with MAN6 global label.

If something is fundamentally wrong, I'd expect it to appear somewhere in the process of doing the above, so I guess keep track of where it fails, and once it does, connect it to the PC and look at the /PROG folder to see what is and isn't there.

Also, note that upper case filenames are not required, you can use lower case as that may be easier. Use whatever you like, but please do document it as you do it.
First, let me make something totally clear:
1) I did NOT format the FAT drive from my PC, I used the DM41X to do this
2) I ran chkdsk only AFTER I continued to have these problems, and I did NOT use the /f (fix) switch, so chkdsk only READs the FAT drive. The only writing I did was to copy the files I had backed up on the PC back to the FAT drive.

I assume that you mean not to copy ANY files/folders saved on my pc to the FAT drive (HELP/OFFIMG/MODS/STATE/) ?

Also, note that when I formatted the drive last time from f/w, it did not create the folder /PROG where .raw files are saved. So, should I not at least create that folder ? Please be very specific here.
DM15L, S/N 00548. DM42, SN: 00159. DM41X, SN: 00973. DM32, SN 00054.
HPMike
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Re: Getting NAME ERR when I save program raw files

Post by HPMike »

OK, so I went ahead and reformatted the FAT disk, recreated the /PROG folder, but nothing else, reflashed with DM41X v1.15, and ran all the program operations through saving MAN6 as MAN1. There were no errors and no zero byte files. I then copied a .raw file I had saved previously on my PC to the /PROG directory, saved another new program MAN7 as MAN2, with no error. One thing I noticed was that when I opened the CATALOG previously before reflashing was that some strange characters appeared after CAT prior to entering the catalog number, which no longer occurs. This suggests to me that somehow the originally flashed f/w may have been corrupted, which might explain the problems I've had. At this point I'm going to copy the remaining files from my PC to the FAT disk, and continue to test. If the problem reoccurs, I'll report back.
DM15L, S/N 00548. DM42, SN: 00159. DM41X, SN: 00973. DM32, SN 00054.
HPMike
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Re: Getting NAME ERR when I save program raw files

Post by HPMike »

OH, crap ! It's happening all over again. Copied everything back, and now when I save something I get name error.

I give up, gimme my money back !
DM15L, S/N 00548. DM42, SN: 00159. DM41X, SN: 00973. DM32, SN 00054.
HPMike
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Re: Getting NAME ERR when I save program raw files

Post by HPMike »

Hmm, so I reset the calculator to clear memory, and now it seems to be working again. I had reloaded a state file that was created before I did the reformat, and maybe it was corrupt somehow. Heck, maybe all the state files created previously were corrupt, so it’s getting late for me, gotta get my 8 hours of sleep. Tomorrow, I'll continue to play with this thing, and hopefully it'll behave itself.
Last edited by HPMike on Wed Oct 14, 2020 3:44 pm, edited 1 time in total.
DM15L, S/N 00548. DM42, SN: 00159. DM41X, SN: 00973. DM32, SN 00054.
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