A beginners guide on how to set up the EZ4​

INTRODUCTION
The EZ-Flash IV is the last GBA flash cat that are still in production, but lucky for us it's also one of the best.
When I got mine a few months ago I could not find a tutorial anywhere, I had to search and email a few O.G. for help.
Many links to tutorial and/or guides was broken or are very old, so I hope a few people will find this guide helpful.


What you need:

• EZ Flash IV
• mini SD memory card
• GBA/SP/MICRO

The EZ4 can only display about 78 roms per directory, but you can have multiple directory if you have a lot of roms. (Thanks FAST6191)
A 1GB mini SD can hold a good amount of roms, and is usually enough for most people.
I know some of you want to use a micro SD to mini SD adapter, but many people have had random detection issues which leads to crashes and other problems. So an adapter is not recommended


SET UP

1. Insert your mini SD to your computer

2. Download the latest kernel here, http://filetrip.net/f4753-EZ4-Client-2009-04-03.html
It will come with everything you need except the skinning tool

3. Extract the kernel to your computer. After it’s extracted or unzipped, open it and look for this file ezfla_up.bin. Once you find it copy and paste it into root of your mini SD.

4. Now remove your mini SD and put it in the EZ4, than insert the EZ4 in your GBA.

5. Hold the [R] shoulder button and turn on your GBA.
DO NOT LET GO OF THE [R] BUTTON UNTIL THE UPDATE PROCESS HAS BEGUN. DO NOT TURN OFF YOUR GBA UNTIL THE UPDATE PROCESS REACHES 100%.

When it’s done turn off your GBA and remove your mini SD and reinsert it into your computer, go ahead and delete the ezfla_up.bin file from your mini SD memory card.

6. Go back to your kernel folder and look for the EZ Client. Double click it and the EZ Client will open.
Next click 'Config', and change the "send path" to where your mini SD card is, for me it’s F: Drive.

7. Each game needs to be patched before you can use it in the EZ4, to do this just click “open” and find your GBA roms. Select the rom you want, than press send. It will send the rom to your mini SD along with a “saver” folder.
Do not drag and drop, your game will not work properly if you do.

The EZ Client can patch more than one rom at a time, this way you don’t have to patch them one at a time.

8. Remove the mini SD card from your PC and insert it into your EZ4, insert the EZ4 into your GBA.
Power on the GBA. It will boot to the EZ4 menu. Select the game you want to play and enjoy.

Spoiler

[titlelaying NDS roms using the EZ4]
Yes the EZ4 can play DS rom, but the compatibility is horrible since this method of running DS rom is no longer used.
But if you have a passme laying around it's kinda fun to try it and have a little bit of fun with it.

Helpful tips

• If everything is in Chinese you can change the language to English.
  To change to English just press down, down, down, than (A), (A), than down, than (A).
  
  
• Some games are too big, when you select them you will get one of these message,
  “PSRAM is not enough”. In order to play these games you will need to load them to NOR memory.
  These games are 32MB (256mbit) in size. To play them just press select, than press (A) for yes and let it write to NOR.
  
  
  
• If you hate the Darth Vader skin like I do, you can change it, the process is the same as when you first flashed the EZ4, just put the ezfla_up.bin in root and update it.
  No you do not need to erase anything, just put it in root, update and enjoy your new skin.
  Yes you can delete the ezfla_up.bin file after you’re done.
  Go here for some GBA skin http://www.sosuke.com/ezflash/viewforum.ph...75488d720cb643d
  
  
• GBA Tool Advance (GBATA), this is a great little program every EZ4 user should have.
  GBATA is a gba rom tool with the functions below.
  1. Header Viewer
  2. Intro Remover
  3. Overdump Fixer
  4. fix header
  5. Intro Drawer
  6. IPS Patcher
  7. SRAM Patcher
  8. Rom Trimmer
  9. Reboot/Sleep mode
  10. Clock fix for Pokemon sapphire & ruby.
  
  Get it here: http://filetrip.net/file.php?id=223

If there is anything I missed or needs to be corrected please PM me.
​

Special thank to PharaohsVizier for his help and FAST6191, I forgot I PM you more than a few times about the EZ4.​

 

[KingdomBlade]

The last category of the competition is for alternative consoles like the Dingoo A320, A330, the GP2X, Wiz, Canoo, etc.
but it's not for "others" or "pc" or "oldies" .

I don't think it's allowed.

 

[RoMee]

I'm not sure either but,

are gba flash cart eligible???

GBA falls under the "others" category.

 

[Cyan]

Yes, gba tutorial is at the correct place here.
I think it can be useful (DS users are still playing GBA games), and the steps and pictures are well detailed.

 

[Coto]

RoMe guess I always do upgrades pressing the "R" button of my GBA/DS when flashing EZ4`s firmware.

And, if you look at your pictures, there´s a nice file called "updatelist.bat" which updates the romlist used by EZ4Client. This is useful when you run newer DS games (ie: Like Kirby Super Star / Pokemon Platinum) as by default the save file must not be longer than 256KB.

Cheers and great guide! It will help a lot of users!

 

[RoMee]

RoMe guess I always do upgrades pressing the "R" button of my GBA/DS when flashing EZ4`s firmware.

And, if you look at your pictures, there´s a nice file called "updatelist.bat" which updates the romlist used by EZ4Client. This is useful when you run newer DS games (ie: Like Kirby Super Star / Pokemon Platinum) as by default the save file must not be longer than 256KB.

Cheers and great guide! It will help a lot of users!

crap, thank for the correction
fixed now

 

[FAST6191]

"A 1GB mini SD is all you need since the EZ4 can only display about 78 roms."

Per directory sure but you can have multiple ones and you should not really have to browse the saver directory on card.

You might have an issue with some really old cards not supporting the 2 gig cards until they got an update (I believe you can just repartition) mind- 2 gig cards at the time of the EZ4 release were silly money (more expensive than 64 gig SDHC currently are).

On the other hand 1 gig is enough for a sizeable chunk of the "good" GBA collection.

Other than that great guide- I had such a thing on my to do list for ages now (although my adding things to it makes for a very dangerous drinking game).
I would consider some DS stuff (the DLDI is a bit slow compared to some of the top flight DS slot flash cards but it runs damn near every piece of DLDI homebrew where others might falter not to mention easier dumping of DS roms) and there was a fair bit of good DS stuff that hit before the final update which should work but that is probably just me being too lazy to transfer files around. GBA homebrew (specifically the stuff without a header) and the odd quirky homebrew or game that needs coaxing in some way to work or some of the issues with the client but that might just confuse matters- you have a solid guide there and searching for the rest is not too hard.

I will also mention wget sometimes triggers AV programs- it is a small exe file (not sure if it is packed) with seemingly not other function than to download things which is very similar to most virus installers (it is harmless in this case and it is actually a "port" of a linux command line program/"function" of the same name used to grab files)- it is used by the DS romlist creation/update program although newer DS roms are not really supported so you can lose it if you want and it will not trouble EZ4client in the slightest.
EZ4client itself has been known to trigger things in the past (it being a program that exists to edit other files- see similar issues with some rom hacking/patching tools) but if it does I would point you in the direction of a more sane computer security package.

 

[RoMee]

thanks FAST6191, I didn't know we can do that
I searched the EZ forum and couldn't find an answer, I just tried it and it works, thanks.

Right now this guide is only for GBA because I don't have a DS with a slot 2, but I hope to get one soon

 

[Melter]

when i try to download the kernel Kaspersky says that the file is infected by a trojan...

 

[Cuelhu]

^ Fast said it's wget. You'll probably not need it.

Good tutorial, will help many people just getting on the GBA scene.

To the Mother fans, a Mother 3 theme here. Feel free to add it to the tutorial, RoMee.

 

[Deleted-236924]

Some GBA games have flash save type, for these games you need to patch them with GBATA instead of EZ Client. Get GBATA here, http://filetrip.net/file.php?id=223
Actually, no.
EZ4Client patches those just fine.

QUOTE(FAST6191 @ May 2 2011, 04:02 PM) I will also mention wget sometimes triggers AV programs- it is a small exe file (not sure if it is packed) with seemingly not other function than to download things which is very similar to most virus installers (it is harmless in this case and it is actually a "port" of a linux command line program/"function" of the same name used to grab files)- it is used by the DS romlist creation/update program although newer DS roms are not really supported so you can lose it if you want and it will not trouble EZ4client in the slightest.
EZ4client itself has been known to trigger things in the past (it being a program that exists to edit other files- see similar issues with some rom hacking/patching tools) but if it does I would point you in the direction of a more sane computer security package.

It triggered mine, and indeed it didn't affect the functionnality of the EZ4Client after being deleted.

 

[Evo.lve]

Does the EZ-Flash IV support SDHC?

 

[Schlupi]

Does the EZ-Flash IV support SDHC?

Nope. 2 GB or lower only.

 

[Evo.lve]

Does the EZ-Flash IV support SDHC?

Nope. 2 GB or lower only.

That would explain mine not working.

 

[Mbmax]

Nice tutorial RoMee.

As this flashcart is still produced, it's a very useful and up to date tutorial.

Thanks !

 

[Terminator02]

i love you RoMee, i haven't read/followed this yet as i don't have a EZ Flash 4 yet, but once i do get it, this will be incredibly helpful

only thing i'm kind of worried about is games that use RTC (pokemon and what else?) do they still work? i heard you have to get them patched, how do you do this? how does not having RTC affect the games? what do you miss out on?

 

[RoMee]

only thing i'm kind of worried about is games that use RTC (pokemon and what else?) do they still work? i heard you have to get them patched, how do you do this? how does not having RTC affect the games? what do you miss out on?

sorry man but I don't play pokemon games, so I never even looked into it.

the only games I patched is english translation like mother 3 and love hina, tilt senor patch for yoshi topsy turvy/wario, and solar patch for boktai.

but I'll ask around, you got me kinda curious now

 

[FAST6191]

Perhaps http://gbatemp.net/index.php?showtopic=269418 might be of some use.

I am however told on a retain pokemon game the game days are considerably longer.

 

[Deleted-236924]

Perhaps http://gbatemp.net/index.php?showtopic=269418 might be of some use.

I am however told on a retain pokemon game the game days are considerably longer.

In-game days are in real-time.
24 hours per day.

I don't know where you got the whole "4 hours per in-game day", but that source is bogus.

 

[FAST6191]

I do not query the times on a real cart as I have no knowledge there (although thinking about it there probably was a reason you set a real clock at the start of the game) but the patched games appeared quite different when I tested them out many years ago.