Hacking Using DM to load GameCube games off USB [Complex]

[jonthedit]

My situation is rather complicated.

What I have
My HDD : "WD My Passport 0740 USB Device" [465 GB]
Format: NTFS
Wii : USB Loader GX; DIOS MIOS 2.10



My HDD is used for more than just Wii backups. [basically, I want the ability to load GC and Wii games yet still use it for storage. This is currently possible with Wii and Storage. I need my device to be NTFS due to the 4GB cap on FAT32.

So anyway, a while back [around the release of DM USB] I split my drive into two Partitions. The Primary was still NTFS. The other was limited to 70GB and was FAT32 [don't remember the clusters, used the lowest available in windows 7 formatting]

I applied the DiscEx format to my Mario Kart Double Dash ISO. I used CleanRip to rip the game, and am positive that it works as I've tried loading the game through a Sandisk 8GB USB with success. However, when I put the game on the second partition of my USB it refuses to load.

It IS detected within multiple USB loaders [cfg, usbgx, wiiflow] however none are successfully able to launch the game. (I get a black screen until I power off)

Any ideas what I'm doing wrong?
I'm willing to switch backup loaders and try other methods, but I'd really prefer to be able to stay on NTFS.

 

[Cyan]

FAT32 partition need to be the first partition on your drive.
If USBLoaderGX didn't told you so, you probably are using an old version, as latest beta display a warning if the drive is not compatible.

 

[jonthedit]

FAT32 partition need to be the first partition on your drive.
If USBLoaderGX didn't told you so, you probably are using an old version, as latest beta display a warning if the drive is not compatible.

How do I set the first partition on my drive? Do I just set the drive letter to be one before? I was thinking the drive letter was a windows thing and the Wii should be able to read it either way...

 

[Rydian]

Correct that the drive letter is a Windows thing, but that's not related to the partition order.

It'd be easiest to back everything up off the drive and use a partition management program to delete all the drive's partitions, then make a single FAT32 partition from start to end.

 

[bobmcjr]

FAT32 must be the first partition. Also, make sure that your hard drive has 512 byte physical sectors. http://stackoverflow.com/questions/9465451/how-can-i-determine-the-sector-size-in-windows

 

[jonthedit]

Correct that the drive letter is a Windows thing, but that's not related to the partition order.

It'd be easiest to back everything up off the drive and use a partition management program to delete all the drive's partitions, then make a single FAT32 partition from start to end.

Is there any way around that? I have my drive filled... :\

 

[Cyan]

Yes, you can use a partition manager to move the FAT32 from the end to the start. It's not done automatically, you have to do all the steps manually:

1. backup your FAT32 partition's files (this partition is short, right? it shouldn't take to much time/place to backup the content on another computer or HDD, or even on your NTFS partition if you have free space)
2. Delete your FAT32 at the end of the drive
3. Move the NTFS partition to the end of the drive (making unallocated space at the beginning).
Let the partition manager do its work (can take hours depending no your device size!)
4. Create a new Primary partition in the unallocated space, now located in font of the NTFS partition.
5. Format that Primary Partition to FAT32, 32k Cluster size.
6. restore your backup-ed files back to FAT32 partition.

 

[jonthedit]

Yes, you can use a partition manager to move the FAT32 from the end to the start. It's not done automatically, you have to do all the steps manually:

1. backup your FAT32 partition's files (this partition is short, right? it shouldn't take to much time/place to backup the content on another computer or HDD, or even on your NTFS partition if you have free space)
2. Delete your FAT32 at the end of the drive
3. Move the NTFS partition to the end of the drive (making unallocated space at the beginning).
Let the partition manager do its work (can take hours depending no your device size!)
4. Create a new Primary partition in the unallocated space, now located in font of the NTFS partition.
5. Format that Primary Partition to FAT32, 32k Cluster size.
6. restore your backup-ed files back to FAT32 partition.

Well since I've done this months ago, I've deleted the FAT32 partition.
So... Do I just skip to #3?

 

[Cyan]

yes, just use your partition manager to move the entire NTFS partition to the end of the drive (I don't know if all manager let you do that for all partition format), and recreate a FAT32 partition in front of it.

Edit:
There's also another method, you can set the NTFS partition to Extended+Logical, and the FAT32 will be the first primary partition of the drive, allowing DIOS MIOS to detect it.
I'll search the thread where another user did it.
Edit2: search function is not working correctly.

 

[jonthedit]

yes, just use your partition manager to move the entire NTFS partition to the end of the drive (I don't know if all manager let you do that for all partition format), and recreate a FAT32 partition in front of it.

Edit:
There's also another method, you can set the NTFS partition to Extended+Logical, and the FAT32 will be the first primary partition of the drive, allowing DIOS MIOS to detect it.
I'll search the thread where another user did it.
Edit2: search function is not working correctly.

I'm using the default Windows 7 device manager, do I need a different one? Any freeware you can recommend?

 

[Cyan]

I don't think Windows 7 device manager let you move partitions or change primary to extended without formating.
You can use Easeus Partition Manager
http://www.partition-tool.com/personal.htm

 

[jonthedit]

Solved. Thanks! (Please close this)