How to dump your own 3DS/DS games/saves.

There's three different ways to dump your own 3DS/DS games/saves.
(The tools used to dump 3DS/DSi games are not currently public.)

• WiFi
  • PROS
    • Only needs a Slot-1 card.
  • CONS
    • Needs WiFi set up to let the DS connect, which isn't always possible.
    • Needs you to run a server program on your computer, which might mean you need to dig around in your firewall settings.
    • Slow transfer speeds (hours for the larger games).
    • Will not work on a DSi/XL.
    • Does not work with any DSi games.
    -
• Slot-2
  • PROS
    • Can be done without wireless.
  • CONS
    • Requires a Slot-2 flash card in addition to a slot-1.
    • Won't work if the internal battery is dead.
    • Will not work on a 3DS/DSi/XL.
    • Does not work with any DSi games.
    -
• Hardware
  • PROS
    • Backs up any save.
    • Fast backup speeds.
    • Doesn't require a specific DS model.
    • Works on all known DS games AND current-known 3DS games.
  • CONS
    • Doesn't dump the ROM.
    • Requires you to buy some hardware.
    • Uses unsigned drivers, so you may need to fiddle with some windows settings to use it.
    • Does not work with DSi games.

-

Spoiler: WiFi

The tool used to dump games is Wood Dumper.

1. Transfer that file to your Slot-1 flash card.
2. Run it.
3. When it tells you to "Set a target card", take your Slot-1 flash cart out and put the actual game cart in.
4. Press A, and then look for an IP address on the top screen.
5. Go to your computer, and open Firefox3+, IE8+ or Chrome 5+.
6. In the address bar, type "ftp://", then the IP address listed on the DS, followed by a colon, then the number 21. For example something like ftp://192.168.2.4:21.
7. If in firefox you get a message that the port is blocked, you need to unblock port 21. If not, skip this step.
   • In the address bar, type "about:config" with no quotes and press enter.
   • Agree to the warning.
   • Right-click in the window and choose New -] String.
   • For the name, type "network.security.ports.banned.override" with no quotes.
   • For the value, use "21" with no quotes.
   • Restart firefox and try again.
8. Just press enter if it asks you for a username and password.
9. The screen that shows up should list the game as a file. Click it to start downloading it from the DS.

-

The tool used to dump game saves depends...
For 3DS saves, you will need DSaveManager.

For normal DS saves, the tool is NDS Backup Tool WiFi.
(For Heartgold/Soulsilver/Black/White, you need this tool.)
You will also need SmallFTPd 1.0.3.

1. Transfer both the program and it's .INI file to your flash cart.
2. Find your computer's internal/local IP address. In your start/globe menu, go to the "run" command. If you're on vista/7, you'd use the little white box near the bottom. Type in "CMD" and press CTRL+SHIFT+ENTER. In the black box that comes up, type "ipconfig" and press enter. It'll list a series of four numbers as your IP(v4) address, like 192.168.2.3. Write those down.
3. Edit the .INI file that comes with the backup program. You can edit it with a text editor like notepad. Change the IP address to the one you found in the previous step, and change the port number from 21 to 8080. Change both the user name and password to "test" with no quotes. Save the changes.
4. You may need to go into your firewall or other security program and allow access on port 8080.
5. Open SmallFTPd.
6. Go to Settings - General, and set the port to 8080.
7. Go to Settings - Advanced, and check "use local IP".
8. Go to Settings - Users. Choose to add one, and make sure it's username and password are both "test" with no quotes. For "directories", use "c:\temp" (no quotes) as the physical path. Give the user permissions LRW.
9. Save the settings.
10. Click the play button, and the server should start.
11. Run the backup tool on your DS/Lite.
12. It should connect to your computer. If it does not, double-check your settings and security software.
13. Take your flash cart out of your DS.
14. Put the real game in your DS and then press A.
15. Press B to dump the save.

Spoiler: Slot-2

The tool used depends on which Slot-2 cart you have.

If you have an EZFlash 3in1 the tool to dump games (a.k.a. Rom Backup) and backup saves is NDS Backup Tool 3in1. By default this tool will back up to /NDS_Backup though this location can be changed in the included INI file. It works by copying the original DS game or save data to the 3in1, then after a reboot it copies the backup from the 3in1 to a Slot-1 flash cart. DLDI patching may be required if your flash cart does not support automatic DLDI patching.

1. Download the tool from the link above and extract the NDS and INI files to the root of your flash cart.
2. (Optional) If you want to change the destination folder of the backup you can edit the INI file with your favorite text editor.
3. Make sure an EZFlash 3in1 card is in Slot-2 before you run the tool or it will give a warning and shutdown.
4. Follow the on screen instructions to swap the flash cart for an original game.
5. From here follow the on screen instructions. Backups are temporarily written to the EZFlash 3in1.
6. The DS should shutdown after a backup operation has completed.
7. Swap the original game for the flash cart and run the tool again to retrieve the backup from the EZFlash 3in1.

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If you have a Slot-2 flash cart with DLDI support like the Supercard Supercard, M3, or older model EZ4 (the newer models and kernels with SDHC support do not have DS mode and thus no dumping tools) you want Wood Dumper Slot-2

1. Download the tool and DLDI patch it for your Slot-2 cart.
2. Transfer it to your Slot-2 cart and run it.
3. Put the game you want to dump into your DS, and press A.
4. When it's completed you will find a DS rom with a datestamp in the root of your card.

-

For the save data of Heartgold/Soulsilver you need this tool for a 3-in-1.
There's another tool that works with other Slot-2 carts, but it's experimental for now, use it at your own risk.

Spoiler: Hardware

One piece of hardware is the NDS backup Adapter+ (plus, not normal). Unlike the original adapter (and other models) this supports newer games with various hardware changes, including Pokemon Heartgold and Pokemon Soulsilver, as well as 3DS games.
This device works by actually sticking a DS game cart into it, and then putting it into a USB port on your computer to back up or restore the game/save on it. It comes with the required software and a manual for using it, but this review includes more detailed instructions as well as information on getting the 64-bit drivers working if needed.

A second device is the NEO SMS4.

One final note: piracy is bad, don't do it. These programs and instructions were created for the legal owners of DS games to backup the games and save data.


Many thanks to Xastabus and FAST6191 for filling in the missing information.

 

[notmeanymore]

Might be good to include the R4i SaveDongle under the hardware solutions.

 

[felystar]

1.- I've heard in the net that "NDS Backup Tool Wifi" is able to make a backup of your original cartridge game and also to copy a game into that cartridge that isn't the one that was supposted to be in the cartridge, is that true?​

2.- I have used this but I have a problem. I create the .sav file for "Mario & Luigi Partners in Time" wich has 64kb size. Now I want to dump a .sav into my cartridge which is different, it weighs 512kb. If I try to dump that .sav, when I go into the game it seems like it is the first time I am playing the game, I have no progress, everything it's erased. I converted the 512kb .sav to a 64kb .sav using Shunyweb. I say I want to convert from a "RAW Format (.sav)" to a "RAW Format (64kb)". It seems to work well, because I get my new .sav but when I dump it into the cardrige... it doesn't work. It keeps saying there is no game saved. Then, I tried to dump the original .sav that I had in my computer, IT WORKED! Why doesn't it work with another .sav? What do I have to do? Thank you for reading this whole story ​

 

[loco365]

Did you want to add save backup using the R4i Save Dongle? I can get it all for you as I got a review one.

 

[felystar]

No, I was using my DS Lite and NDS Backup Tool Wifi DLDI patched with my M3 DS Simply and used SmallFTPD in my computer.

 

[twistedominoes]

whenever i try dumping my ds game it says secure area error...does this work on 3ds?

 

[themini278]

Sorry for bump, need to find out how to do this quickly.
Have latest AKAIO, 3in1 is in slot 2, battery isn't dead as I was able to play Mother 3.
When I start backup tool it says ' 3in1 expansion pack not found Please redo from start'
I tried both the version in this tutorial and the lastest one.

 

[ripperroo123]

Can we fix the formatting in the OP?
Also, does any software solution work on the newest Pokemon games?
Thanks in advance.

 

[Yepi69]

By the way rudolph's is up on filetrip http://filetrip.net/f826-DLDI-DS-romsave-dumper.html although I am not sure if it is the latest version.
Also http://filetrip.net/f13096-Wood-dumper-too...slot-2-r20.html has a GBA slot version.

I am not sure where you want to head with this guide though- there are "simple" methods but much like all of technology if you want to go in depth you can and it pays off fairly early on here.

Equally it would probably be good from to amend your examples to include something along the lines of "anything that has a DLDI patch"- no need to direct people to getting supercards (if you are buying such a thing you might as well get something that plays GBA games as well).

As a rough outline

GBA slot devices. There are two methods here (personally when detailing things I usually split this in two). One uses the 3 in 1 expansion pack and the other uses a DLDI capable GBA slot device.

3 in 1
These are easy to find and fairly cheap to boot- originally they were made to allow those who just wanted a handful of GBA games to have the option without paying out for a full on and more expensive GBA slot flash card.
As DS roms are considerably larger it will involve swapping things around and also NOR memory on the 3 in 1 is quite slow compared to other memory types (like SD cards).
Your stuff on the 3 in 1 is fine though.

DLDI capable GBA slot devices
Before the rise of the DS slot flash card people used GBA slot devices that had ?SD/CF card slots to run DS code - these are less common these days and a bit more expensive but you can still find M3 cards, supercards and EZ4 cards if you look around for long enough.
Do read up on them though as some can not play GBA games that well- supercards in general have bad or non existent GBA functionality, EZ4 lite compact has limited and the m3 professional has limited. To my knowledge no DLDI autopatching was ever done for GBA slot stuff (not sure about supercards though) so consider having to do it a default (if you really want there is a way to DLDI patch stuff in DS code).

As these simply sit in the GBA slot and have lots of memory (or at least the potential for it) you can simply copy an entire DS rom at more or less SD card write speeds (certainly even the largest rom would struggle to go over 10 minutes).

Wood dumper slot 2 is the chosen program for dumping roms these days.
http://filetrip.net/f13096-Wood-dumper-too...slot-2-r20.html

Assuming Wood dumper is not capable of saves then a paragraph on rudolphs kit might be in order.
http://filetrip.net/f826-DLDI-DS-romsave-dumper.html
When you first load it up you get a save dumping screen, press R and you get a save restoration screen, press R again and you get a rom dumping screen (it should produce a working dump for non TWL stuff but it will not have "all" the data (it is one of the reasons Wood dumper was made).

In the end a DLDI capable GBA slot cart is the superior method for the common man to dump DS games and saves. Obviously proper dedicated hardware is the best (and if I am correct it is the only thing that can "properly" dump TWL games) but that is not so common.

If by some chance someone has say an old EZ2 or something of that vintage there are options to dump saves using the SRAM of said cards but wifi with something like savsender is probably easier to set up in this case though.


Also "Requires a Slot-2 flash card in addition to a slot-1."- run flashme and you can dump games without ever having a DS slot flash cart grace your DS. This being said that is not so much an issue these days as nobody who cares for the latest and greatest really rocking a GBA slot device as a front line flash card any more.

Is it compatible with EZ-Flash IV? As I read, EZ-Flash IV isn't compatible with DLDI patching.

 

[FAST6191]

The EZ4 is quite capable of DLDI patching, it lacks autopatch (though if you really want there is a DS code DLDI patcher) and it does not have argv support so some of the very latest/fanciest DS homebrew might not work properly unless you launch it through http://sourceforge.net/projects/devkitpro/files/hbmenu/ or something like it.

Edit- as for pokemon I believe only the pokewalker stuff needed a specialist dumping program, one was made for those but I am not so sure what goes there.

 

[KazoWAR]

as for pokemon I believe only the pokewalker stuff needed a specialist dumping program, one was made for those but I am not so sure what goes there.

I believe you are talking about this, but it is not only for Pokemon, but supports all NDS save types.

 

[Symbolik]

I believe you are talking about this, but it is not only for Pokemon, but supports all NDS save types.

Does this allow me to, for example, transfer a savegame that I have from a flashcart/emulator to an original game cartridge?

 

[Rydian]

Does this allow me to, for example, transfer a savegame that I have from a flashcart/emulator to an original game cartridge?

Yes. Only on a DS/Lite though, as the page says.

 

[Symbolik]

Yes. Only on a DS/Lite though, as the page says.

Thanks

 

[Toni456]

-deleted-

 

[DiabloStorm]

Any other link to Dsavemanager? 404'd

Also...NDS Backup has been updated/changed around a bit, is your guide still good? (Also also...these don't delete/modify the original saves do they?)

 

[Rydian]

http://filetrip.net/others-downloads/other-systems/download-3dsavetool-v02b-f24684.html
Try that alternative if they do the same thing?

And I don't even have a way to back up any sort of saves... the only reason I have this guide is because nobody else wants to manage it.

 

[Emolsifier]

Hey Rydian, I followed your instructions and noted that the guide failed to mention a key point in succeeding in Slot-1 Wifi dumping using FTp:

Your wireless signal must be WEP(open). IF the computer generating the server is connected to a WPA network the DS being used will fail to connect regardless of whether the port is open or not. This stumped me for a good hour before I finally read it in another guide for another application for dumping.

Thanks for the awesome guide!

 

[Rydian]

Well, that goes for DS connectivity period.

 

[Kazekai]

There doesn't appear to be a place to ask this question so I hope it's fine if I ask it in here, would anyone know how to dump GBA ROMS? The file sizes are so small that I've just downloaded ROMs of my games from ROM sites but would be curious to know how to dump GBC/A games as well as DS games.

 

[FAST6191]

GBA ROM images can be dumped from various DS tools using a DS lite (more on that in a second), via a linker with an old flash cart like the EZ1,2 or 3 or a link port arrangement with the cable that came with some other carts or you built yourself*.

http://filetrip.net/nds-downloads/applications/download-gba-backup-tool-021-f3228.html
http://filetrip.net/nds-downloads/applications/download-gbaldr-3in1-gba-loader-01-final-f10977.html
GBA ROM images have no size value so you will have to fix it manually, you can use a hex editor but most just use GBATA from
http://www.no-intro.org/tools.htm

* http://chishm.drunkencoders.com/SendSave/index.html has more.

GB/GBC games.... you are pretty much going to have to build your own these days.
http://www.ziegler.desaign.de/readplus.htm
http://hackaday.com/ has had a few using more conventional chips over the years.
http://mootan.hg.to/fmgbx/ez_fmgbx.html if you have old hardware you can afford to mod (probably not but hey).
There are a few GBC carts doing the rounds so you might be able to do saves a bit there.