DSTWO not making proper contact with my DS Lite?

BeRNLeiGHToN · Jun 4, 2023

Hi, just purchased a DSTWO supercard and started making it work on my DS Lite, but I am seeing a potential problem with the card not making proper contact. 90% of the times when I start the console, the card is not detected so I have to turn it off, remove the dstwo, insert it again... until after several tries it is recognized... but then often when playing games it totally freezes, which I think it might be due to same issue that is giving trouble for it being detected when turning the console on.

The contacts of the dstwo look as if new, and I have already tried with two different microSDs, to discard a microSD issue.

Also, I cleaned with compressed air all the insides of the console and of the dstwo to make sure any dust is gone.

As of 2023, what is the current recommendation for fixing this?
Thanks!

Shadow#1 · Jun 4, 2023

BeRNLeiGHToN said:
Hi, just purchased a DSTWO supercard and started making it work on my DS Lite, but I am seeing a potential problem with the card not making proper contact. 90% of the times when I start the console, the card is not detected so I have to turn it off, remove the dstwo, insert it again... until after several tries it is recognized... but then often when playing games it totally freezes, which I think it might be due to same issue that is giving trouble for it being detected when turning the console on.

The contacts of the dstwo look as if new, and I have already tried with two different microSDs, to discard a microSD issue.

As of 2023, what is the current recommendation for fixing this?
Thanks!

Replace the card slot

BeRNLeiGHToN · Jun 4, 2023

Shadow#1 said:
Replace the card slot

The console was purchased brand new just a few years ago by my parents to brain train my mom, but they gave it to me after it was used like 5-6 times altogether, it's in immaculate condition. I'd be really surprised that the console really needed to have the card slot replaced already

SylverReZ · Jun 4, 2023

Try cleaning the cartridge slot with isopropyl alcohol, and if that doesn't work, then you will definitely need to replace it.

BeRNLeiGHToN · Jun 4, 2023

SylverReZ said:
Try cleaning the cartridge slot with isopropyl alcohol, and if that doesn't work, then you will definitely need to replace it.

Thank you, just to make sure that I properly understand. Both you and @Shadow#1 mean replacing a part of the console, right? Or you mean replacing a part of the card? Where is the replacement that you mean sold and would it be easy to replace myself or it is difficult(i.e micro-soldering needed)?

Shadow#1 · Jun 4, 2023

BeRNLeiGHToN said:
Thank you, just to make sure that I properly understand. Both you and @Shadow#1 mean replacing a part of the console, right? Or you mean replacing a part of the card? Where is the replacement that you mean sold and would it be easy to replace myself or it is difficult(i.e micro-soldering needed)?

https://a.aliexpress.com/_mKWpda0

Yes will require soldering

BeRNLeiGHToN · Jun 4, 2023

SylverReZ said:
Try cleaning the cartridge slot with isopropyl alcohol, and if that doesn't work, then you will definitely need to replace it.

any suggestions on how to clean the cartridge slot with isopropyl alcohol? A standar cotton q-tip head seems too big to reach the metal contacts inside the slot

FAST6191 · Jun 4, 2023

Freezing during use and lack of detection prior to that would generally be attributed to the same thing.

Compressed air only gets rid of light dust. See if you can find some contact cleaner, don't get the automotive stuff (that is designed to cut through grease and serious oxides) and instead the general household electrics stuff.

There is also the paper trick, though I seldom see it used for DSTwos. Either way a folded bit of paper such that it pushes harder onto the pins can get better contact, and as the DSTwo is top loading for the SD you can use that (or possibly wifi if you are bored).
Edit. Said paper trick is also of some use cleaning the slot if you don't want to desolder shields and pull things apart. Make a normal DS cart a bit fatter with some paper/tape and with some IPA/contact cleaner sloshing around insert and remove the card a whole bunch of times.

BeRNLeiGHToN · Jun 4, 2023

FAST6191 said:
Freezing during use and lack of detection prior to that would generally be attributed to the same thing.

Compressed air only gets rid of light dust. See if you can find some contact cleaner, don't get the automotive stuff (that is designed to cut through grease and serious oxides) and instead the general household electrics stuff.

There is also the paper trick, though I seldom see it used for DSTwos. Either way a folded bit of paper such that it pushes harder onto the pins can get better contact, and as the DSTwo is top loading for the SD you can use that (or possibly wifi if you are bored).
Edit. Said paper trick is also of some use cleaning the slot if you don't want to desolder shields and pull things apart. Make a normal DS cart a bit fatter with some paper/tape and with some IPA/contact cleaner sloshing around insert and remove the card a whole bunch of times.

Do you mean that another possibility is that the issue might be not in the contacts of the console's cartridge slot, but in the contacts of the card itself?

FAST6191 · Jun 4, 2023

Anything in the path/chain of necessary items for it to work is a possibility, though for this/the earlier post I would still be looking at the DS lite's DS slot as historically they have been trouble for many things, and not like time makes things easier.

Forgot to also mention to look into the slot and check for pin damage. Obvious bent ones is one thing but contacts losing spring tension is another (ever had a headphone jack start messing you around, same idea). You might be able to poke them and see, or they might be just that little bit lower than its neighbours (give or take the extreme ends which... you can see a DS cart pins and how it maps to them).

Indy13 · Jun 4, 2023

Hi @BeRNLeiGHToN

This can actually happen, I have about fifteen DSTwo + and I had the problem on one of them. To identify where the problem comes from, first you have to make sure that it comes from the DSTwo and not from the console for that, the test is quite simple if you have official DS cartridges or an R4 and you don't have this problem when you insert them in your DS, we can exclude the track from slot-1 of your DS (although a little cleaning never hurts) but if your cartridges are working fine, it should probably come the slot of the DSTwo where you insert your micro sd. To fix the problem, you have to cut a piece of cardboard or very thin plastic the size of your micro sd and insert it where your micro sd is placed to make a wedge. (see the pictures)

BeRNLeiGHToN · Jun 4, 2023

Indy13 said:
Hi @BeRNLeiGHToN

This can actually happen, I have about fifteen DSTwo + and I had the problem on one of them. To identify where the problem comes from, first you have to make sure that it comes from the DSTwo and not from the console for that, the test is quite simple if you have official DS cartridges or an R4 and you don't have this problem when you insert them in your DS, we can exclude the track from slot-1 of your DS (although a little cleaning never hurts) but if your cartridges are working fine, it should probably come the slot of the DSTwo where you insert your micro sd. To fix the problem, you have to cut a piece of cardboard or very thin plastic the size of your micro sd and insert it where your micro sd is placed to make a wedge. (see the pictures)

View attachment 375844 View attachment 375845 View attachment 375846 View attachment 375847

Thanks @Indy13 , Just to confirm: Does this piece of plastic go between the top side of the microSD(the side that doesn't have contacts) and the dstwo card inner wall, right?

Indy13 · Jun 4, 2023

@BeRNLeiGHToN , yes, you're right, the wedge is just here to push the micro sd on the contacts of the DSTwo

FAST6191 · Jun 4, 2023

Indy13 said:
This can actually happen, I have about fifteen DSTwo +

So you are the reason they are rare and hard to come by these days?

Indy13 · Jun 5, 2023

@FAST6191
oops I'm unmasked, but more seriously, that's the case, I have about fifteen of them, I bought them for a particular project that unfortunately I never had time to finish, at least still not to date maybe in a few years. I'm not sure finding a DSTwo at a good price is that rare, the last one I found was last week, a DSTwo with a DSi for 85 euros (91 dollars), I can't find not that really expensive, the previous month I had found another one slightly more expensive but barely it was a DS Lite with a DSTwo + for 98 euros (105 dollars), you just have to do all the marketplace regularly, after I must admit that I found these two ads on a European marketplace called Vinted which only works with few European countries, so it's a fairly small market

AkikoKumagara · Jun 5, 2023

Indy13 said:
@FAST6191
oops I'm unmasked, but more seriously, that's the case, I have about fifteen of them, I bought them for a particular project that unfortunately I never had time to finish, at least still not to date maybe in a few years. I'm not sure finding a DSTwo at a good price is that rare, the last one I found was last week, a DSTwo with a DSi for 85 euros (91 dollars), I can't find not that really expensive, the previous month I had found another one slightly more expensive but barely it was a DS Lite with a DSTwo + for 98 euros (105 dollars), you just have to do all the marketplace regularly, after I must admit that I found these two ads on a European marketplace called Vinted which only works with few European countries, so it's a fairly small market

85 Euros is still quite a bit for something that retailed for less than half of that. Wish my DSTwo didn't fall apart. The shells are so brittle that just normal use destroyed mine. It still functions but I have to make a sandwich of it and plug it in just right so that it stays in one piece

Edit: missed the part where you said a DSi came with it. Oops.

Indy13 · Jun 5, 2023

@AkikoKumagara I completely agree with you 85 euros just for a DSTwo it would be much too expensive, on the other hand, it is indeed in the lots that you can find good deals

BeRNLeiGHToN · Jun 5, 2023

Indy13 said:
Hi @BeRNLeiGHToN

This can actually happen, I have about fifteen DSTwo + and I had the problem on one of them. To identify where the problem comes from, first you have to make sure that it comes from the DSTwo and not from the console for that, the test is quite simple if you have official DS cartridges or an R4 and you don't have this problem when you insert them in your DS, we can exclude the track from slot-1 of your DS (although a little cleaning never hurts) but if your cartridges are working fine, it should probably come the slot of the DSTwo where you insert your micro sd. To fix the problem, you have to cut a piece of cardboard or very thin plastic the size of your micro sd and insert it where your micro sd is placed to make a wedge. (see the pictures)

View attachment 375844 View attachment 375845 View attachment 375846 View attachment 375847

Awesome, So yes, I did have a couple of original games so I could confirm that the issue was not with the console's slot but something to do with the dstwo card physics, since all the original cartridges do not give any issues.

As for the paper/cardboard trick, it seemed to work right away yesterday. But today when I turned it off again the dstwo was not recognized. I am wondering if a soft material like the cardboard will lose its thickness after some time, so a hard material like plastic would be better suited.

I'm a bit frustrated with this since I haven't yet been able to actually play, but will definetely persevere until I find a more stable fix.

In an old thread, a member was describing an alternative method, but I don't fully understand it. Maybe somebody can explain it to me better? I might then give it a try:

I've been having non stop issues on both of my DSTWO for my kids. After searching and reading on here, it seemed the tape trick would work off and on. Well I found a better trick that has worked 100% on both of mine and on others that had the issues. The problem appears that just the contacts needs to be raised, not the whole card.

Remove the screw off the DSTWO. Open up the flash cart. I didn't want to remove the bottom plastic beneath the contacts so I gapped it open slightly. I got some blue painters tape and cut a piece the same width and only a centimeter deep. You can look in there and see some thermal paste. I didn't want to put the tape over that since it most likely gets warm/hot. I put two layers of tape. This essentially pushes only the contact portion up and not the whole card.

I saw all sorts of fixes but as I stated, this seemed to fix everyone I've touched. Feel free to ask any questions or maybe someone can move this into the sticky.

https://gbatemp.net/threads/dstwo-detect-fix.312611/

FAST6191 · Jun 5, 2023

It is the same principle, just a more directed application of force (GBA flash carts did something similar, albeit far easier and often not even needing to open the shell). Here only the circuit needs to bend that little bit rather than the case and the board, the case in this case experiencing only getting a compressive load rather than hoping the paper/tape/shim deforms it as well. I can well see it working better, though most things worked with just it on the back of the case.

Enhanced flash carts do get warmer so the rest is saying stay away from the paste (especially with an insulator like paper)

BeRNLeiGHToN · Jun 5, 2023

FAST6191 said:
It is the same principle, just a more directed application of force (GBA flash carts did something similar, albeit far easier and often not even needing to open the shell). Here only the circuit needs to bend that little bit rather than the case and the board, the case in this case experiencing only getting a compressive load rather than hoping the paper/tape/shim deforms it as well. I can well see it working better, though most things worked with just it on the back of the case.

Enhanced flash carts do get warmer so the rest is saying stay away from the paste (especially with an insulator like paper)

With this method, if I understood properly, the part that would be slightly raised by placing a piece of painter's tape under the part I marked with red arrow in the photo?

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