Hacking Acekard 2.1 + EZ 3in1+ GBA problems

[Vyce]

OK, I've been lurking and reading and trying almost everything I've read, but I still can't solve my problem.

I have an ak2.1 and an EZ flash 3in1 plus (EZ5C3)

I had no problem saving GBA games at first, but either the data got corrupted or I misplaced/deleted something I shouldn't have, and now I cannot save any GBA games. I have absolutely no problem running GBA games, but I can't save. The games simply won't let me, or will say that the data is corrupted even in cases where there isn't any data. I tried putting in AKAIO 1.8.7, but the problem remains. I hadn't formatted the microSD out lack of back-up space, but now that I have, I'll try that, put in AKAIO again and see how it goes, but I doubt that'll solve the problem.

Sorry if there are other threads like this, but I haven't found them and I thought it improper to revive a dead thread if it was only slightly related. Thanks in advance.

 

[exangel]

OK, I've been lurking and reading and trying almost everything I've read, but I still can't solve my problem.

I have an ak2.1 and an EZ flash 3in1 plus (EZ5C3)

I had no problem saving GBA games at first, but either the data got corrupted or I misplaced/deleted something I shouldn't have, and now I cannot save any GBA games. I have absolutely no problem running GBA games, but I can't save. The games simply won't let me, or will say that the data is corrupted even in cases where there isn't any data. I tried putting in AKAIO 1.8.7, but the problem remains. I hadn't formatted the microSD out lack of back-up space, but now that I have, I'll try that, put in AKAIO again and see how it goes, but I doubt that'll solve the problem.

Sorry if there are other threads like this, but I haven't found them and I thought it improper to revive a dead thread if it was only slightly related. Thanks in advance.

Is your EZ3in1 so old that it's possible its SRAM battery is dead? if nothing at all is saving, it may be that your 3-in-1 is actually "forgetting" the saves between your system power off and your next boot.

If it's the save process in the game itself is failing, the cart is most likely damaged?

 

[Vyce]

That could be the problem, but I doubt it, since it happened after deleted some files from the microSD, some by accident, some not, and the card itself is no more than 3 years old, and hasn't had any extensive use until recently. It had regular use, but nothing like now.

 

[Game2590]

If you deleted files off the sd card then just putting akaio back on should fix the the problem as it would just replace the files that was deleted, if that doesn't fix it then it's more then likely the battery is dead and it just so happened to have died after you deleted the files.

Only other thing i can suggest is to try and fiddle with the positioning of the card as i found out with mine that i need to pull it out about half a mm for it to actually work.

 

[Hakoda]

Well, we need to isolate the problem nonetheless.

It could even be a coincidence that after you deleted those files, the SRAM battery died. However to test this theory we're going to use GBAExploader. Now to run this homebrew properly, we need the Official Team's DLDI file. Just download the Official Firmware and inside the __ak2 folder you'll find "ak2_sd.dldi". Copy it to you SD:\\__aio and overwrite AKAIO's "ak2_sd.dldi". Now download and copy over GBAExploader to anywhere on your card (I have it in the root). Run it and browse to your GBA game. Run it by pressing A then hit B so it creates a new save file. Do something in the game so that it makes something worth saving. I'd use Legend of Zelda because it asks you to make a file right at the beginning and then you can power off. Power off your DS and run GBAExploader again. It should ask you which slot to put the save file. If it does, just choose the SAV slot. If it doesn't then your SRAM battery may be dead.

 

[Masked Ranger]

When was the last time you reformated your sd card?

 

[exangel]

That could be the problem, but I doubt it, since it happened after deleted some files from the microSD, some by accident, some not, and the card itself is no more than 3 years old, and hasn't had any extensive use until recently. It had regular use, but nothing like now.

2-3 years is an awful long time for a small cell battery unless you break its contacts with a little slip of plastic (like you often see placed with a pull tab in battery powered toys). Depending on the environment it was stored in it could even corrode within that amount of time if you live in a humid area.

You should test it with the homebrew as Hakoda described to be certain.

 

[Vyce]

I replaced all the AKAIO files, I had to in order to use it at all. I installed 1.8.7 with no problems except for the GBA saves. I guess it's not AKAIO.

Thanks for all the help, guys. I'll try Hakoda's advice and let you know what happens. I'll be back in a few days when I get back to my place.

 

[Hitcher]

Well, we need to isolate the problem nonetheless.

It could even be a coincidence that after you deleted those files, the SRAM battery died. However to test this theory we're going to use GBAExploader. Now to run this homebrew properly, we need the Official Team's DLDI file. Just download the Official Firmware and inside the __ak2 folder you'll find "ak2_sd.dldi". Copy it to you SD:\\__aio and overwrite AKAIO's "ak2_sd.dldi". Now download and copy over GBAExploader to anywhere on your card (I have it in the root). Run it and browse to your GBA game. Run it by pressing A then hit B so it creates a new save file. Do something in the game so that it makes something worth saving. I'd use Legend of Zelda because it asks you to make a file right at the beginning and then you can power off. Power off your DS and run GBAExploader again. It should ask you which slot to put the save file. If it does, just choose the SAV slot. If it doesn't then your SRAM battery may be dead.

I seem to be having the same sort of problem - certain games always report 'corrupt saves' and others don't even have a save.

I followed the advice above and can play the affected games perfectly when using GBAExploader but when I try to use AKIAIO again the problem returns.

 

[Vyce]

Well, we need to isolate the problem nonetheless.

It could even be a coincidence that after you deleted those files, the SRAM battery died. However to test this theory we're going to use GBAExploader. Now to run this homebrew properly, we need the Official Team's DLDI file. Just download the Official Firmware and inside the __ak2 folder you'll find "ak2_sd.dldi". Copy it to you SD:\\__aio and overwrite AKAIO's "ak2_sd.dldi". Now download and copy over GBAExploader to anywhere on your card (I have it in the root). Run it and browse to your GBA game. Run it by pressing A then hit B so it creates a new save file. Do something in the game so that it makes something worth saving. I'd use Legend of Zelda because it asks you to make a file right at the beginning and then you can power off. Power off your DS and run GBAExploader again. It should ask you which slot to put the save file. If it does, just choose the SAV slot. If it doesn't then your SRAM battery may be dead.

Did all this, then tried Summon Night. Got "failed to write data" message upon save attempt. Castlevania lets me into the save rooms, but does nothing when I choose to save (No sparkly animations, coffins or such, just as if I canceled the saving process). This is all the same as when I didn't have the EXPLoader, so I'm thinking maybe it's not the battery, because a battery would still let me save, it just wouldn't be able to recall data after shut down.

 

[exangel]

Did all this, then tried Summon Night. Got "failed to write data" message upon save attempt. Castlevania lets me into the save rooms, but does nothing when I choose to save (No sparkly animations, coffins or such, just as if I canceled the saving process). This is all the same as when I didn't have the EXPLoader, so I'm thinking maybe it's not the battery, because a battery would still let me save, it just wouldn't be able to recall data after shut down.

In this case it may be worse than a dead battery, but let's hope that's not the problem. If corrosion occurred, there may be damage to the memory.
I think you should open it up carefully, have a look at this thread, and make sure no corrosion has occurred. And replace the battery according to the spoiler section labeled "Maintenance".

If there's any evidence of corrosion inside near the battery seat/contact you should probably just consider it rumble/expansion memory only.

 

[Another World]

an easy way to test the battery is to flash a game to nor. turn off all the save back-up options in akaio. play the game, save, turn off the ds, then run the game directly from the ds firmware as a gba cart (from nor). did the save load? if yes, then the problem isn't with the battery. you could have bad sram. the problem is that the sram tools i know about don't work with the + hardware.

akaio + support is hit or miss, it was added after a few people hacked the important things. ez flash never provided the source code for the +. my + actually vibrates for no reason on occasion and i have to take it out and put it back in. the whole + hardware never seemed that great to me but sadly it was the last produced 3in1 years after the other 2 version were pulled from production, which means you are probably more likely to get a +.

-another world