Try:

did adding -t vfat resolve the "'You must specify file system type" error?

i also am trying to create a tivo.bak file to a fat32 drive that is connected to my system as hda. this drive has no OS on it, it's just a lage fat32 drive i use to store files.

i get the same error as gmidkff reports when i try to issue the mount command. if i go past it i can even issue the mfsbackup command and that is when it fails to make a back-up.

the fat32 drive where i want to store tivo.bak is hda
my boot cd rom is hdb
the original 80GB Maxtor tivo drive is hdc
the new 200GB Western Dig drive is hdd

i've also seen references to using a hda1 instead of hda as how to specify a file system. is this accurate?

and i've also seen people say to use this command instead of what is listed in the Hinsdale guide

mfsbackup -Tao - /dev/hdc | mfsrestore -s 127 -xzpi - /dev/hda

is this a all-in-one command that works better/faster than the hinsdale method?

Yes, that command should bypass the file system error. Have you tried it?

primary instead of extended partiton

i did try that command and it reported the same error. but it turned out that the partition i was trying to write the .bak file to was an extended fat32 partition. mfs did not like that.

so i deleted that partiton and made a 5GB primary fat32 partiton on it and that did the trick. (i could also have made this on the upgrade drive but then i would have had to copy my .bak file from it before issuing the mfsrestore)

so if you're running into this same 'must specify a file system' error - make sure that is what you are writing to - a Primary fat32 partition.

Good point - we've seen lots of problems with 'extended' also.