Hacking Acekard wont work

[Blu3Monk3y]

Hi there,


I have bought an Acekard 2.1 and I cannt get it to work.

I have downloaded the OS Menu software from the Acekard website which contains the _ak2 folder and the akmenu4.nds file. I am then formatting the 2GB Kingston SD chips with FAT 32 and copying this folder and file "_ak2" folder and the "akmenu4.nds" file directly to the SD card. When I put the SD card into the Acekard and put this into the DS all I am getting is a "loading" message the then I get a "Menu" message in RED has anyone got any ideas what I am doing wrong.

I have tried two different cards and two different SD cards both with FAT and FAT32.

Could the card be faulty.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Bri]

Try using the Panasonic formatter to reformat your microSD card. Also, make sure you use "safely remove hardware" before removing your microSD card from your PC.

-Bri

 

[Blu3Monk3y]

Thanks for the reply Bri,

Tried the formatter and safe removal and still the same.

 

[Bri]

Does your Acekard have a green or a black PCB?

It sounds like you're installing the firmware correctly (you should be dropping the "akmenu4.nds" file and "__ak2" folder onto the root of your microSD card), in which case you may have a faulty Acekard.

Your microSD card isn't close to full by any chance is it? You could try using a different microSD reader (sometimes the ones that come with flash carts don't work properly) or microSD card just to eliminate other possibilities (but it sounds like you already tried one or both of those things).

-Bri

 

[Blu3Monk3y]

Hi Bri, an thanks for your help.

The Acekard had a green PCB. I have half a dozen of these to. All give the same problem so I am really frustratted. Surely they all cant be faulty!!!

I am using the same microSD reader for formatting and putting homebrew apps on a NDSTT card and it boots fine. So if thats the case should this work for the Acecards!

As regards the card being full I am just placing the firmware on and no apps.

I feel abit silly saying this but placing the folder and file firmware in the root means just placing this file and folder onto the SD card after formatting without creating any folders. I know what root is but want to make sure I am not overlooking anything.

 

[kobykaan]

Hi there,


I have bought an Acekard 2.1 and I cannt get it to work.

I have downloaded the OS Menu software from the Acekard website which contains the _ak2 folder and the akmenu4.nds file. I am then formatting the 2GB Kingston SD chips with FAT 32 and copying this folder and file "_ak2" folder and the "akmenu4.nds" file directly to the SD card. When I put the SD card into the Acekard and put this into the DS all I am getting is a "loading" message the then I get a "Menu" message in RED has anyone got any ideas what I am doing wrong.

I have tried two different cards and two different SD cards both with FAT and FAT32.

Could the card be faulty.

Thanks in advance.

where it says MENU in red what does it look like??

does it look like this ..

if it does you could have a fake card card that uses a hacked TTDS firmware there are some fake M3 REAL cards doing the rounds with TTDS menus and hacked firmwares! where did you get it from?

does it definitely say AceKard 2.1 on the front and not 2.0 there were some faults with 2.0 cards!

 

[Bri]

Hi Bri, an thanks for your help.

The Acekard had a green PCB. I have half a dozen of these to. All give the same problem so I am really frustratted. Surely they all cant be faulty!!!

I am using the same microSD reader for formatting and putting homebrew apps on a NDSTT card and it boots fine. So if thats the case should this work for the Acecards!

As regards the card being full I am just placing the firmware on and no apps.

I feel abit silly saying this but placing the folder and file firmware in the root means just placing this file and folder onto the SD card after formatting without creating any folders. I know what root is but want to make sure I am not overlooking anything.

Yes, that's what I mean by "root" (the top level of your microSD card, without any folders).

Do your flash carts say "Acekard 2.1" on them or do they just say "Acekard 2" on them?

Are you using the latest official firmware (4.12) off of the Acekard website?

You're using the "safely remove hardware" utility correctly (press the "stop" button and wait for it to tell you that it's safe to remove your hardware)?

Honestly, I can't think of what you might be doing wrong, but I'm sure it's something simple. And you're right, it's unlikely that all your Acekards are bad.

-Bri

 

[Blu3Monk3y]

where it says MENU in red what does it look like??

Yes thats exactly the picture that I am getting. How can I tell if they are fake!!!

Yes it does say Ver 2.1 on the card.

Bri I have gotten a second SD card reader and using the safe to remove hardware option correctly. Still that same error.

I have 1GB and 2GB cards. Does it matter if they are formatted with FAT or FAT 32. I have tried both anyway.



Thanks again guys for your help.

 

[dewback]

WOW fake Acekards this is a first that I have heard of them.

Where did you get them from.

Also if they are a ttds clone try there loader on it. It might just work

 

[Bri]

Wait...if you're seeing the above icon, you've got a fake DSTT (or R4 or M3 Real or SCDS1 or some other flash cart that can run the DSTT firmware) with an Acekard sticker on it! I have never heard of another flash cart being sold as an Acekard 2.1!

If you can, return it to the store you bought it from -- the DSTT is a crappy flash cart compared to the Acekard 2.1.

If you don't want to or can't return it, you can try to download version 1.15 of the DSTT firmware here: http://gbatemp.net/index.php?download=2872

Do NOT put version 1.16 (the newest version) of the firmware on it because it contains code that will destroy a fake DSTT. The only difference between 1.15 and 1.16 (aside from fake-killer code) is support for a single obscure Japanese game, so there is no point in risking destruction of your flash cart by installing 1.16.

If that doesn't work, try installing the firmware from one of the other flash carts listed above until you figure out what kind of flash cart you really have (or more precisely which flash cart yours is a clone of).

-Bri

 

[Blu3Monk3y]

I am tring to figure out how to post\attach a picture so I can show you what the box and card look like!!

 

[Bri]

You can link to a picture you've uploaded to image shack or a similar website. I don't think you can upload pictures to this site until you have a minimum number of posts. You can try it though: http://gbatemp.net/?act=module&module=pix

I'd be interested in seeing what your box and flash cart look like.

By the way, where did you buy it from?

-Bri

 

[Blu3Monk3y]

This is a picture of the card and the packaging it came in.

I hope you can see it.

I would rather refrain from posting any details about where I got the card for now. Just untill I find out the problem at least. I think this would be a little unfair.

Thanks.

 

[dewback]

The box looks correct but the ak2.1 never came in white looks like might have put the incorrect product in the package.

were did it come from????

 

[Another World]

there is no ak products in white since the ak+. i have no idea what this is. i would contact team acekard and report it. someone is passing off something else as the ak2.1. they can be reached at [email protected]. you should contact who you bought this from and get your money back.

is the shell held shut with clips on the side? i would like to see an image of the innards of this linker.

-another world

 

[Bri]

The DSTT comes in white, so it's probably a DSTT or clone. The divot at the top is also indicative of a DSTT (the Acekard doesn't have a divot).

By the way, I can't see the image.

The box looks correct but the ak2.1 never came in white looks like might have put the incorrect product in the package.

Yeah, and accidentally slapped a 2.1 sticker on it? I'm sure whoever sold it to him got confused while straightening the stickers on a DSTT and an Acekard. Right!

More likely they were trying to rip someone off, since the DSTT is cheaper than the Acekard. So did this come with firmware already loaded? Otherwise, there's no way it would ever work since the website that's on it is the Acekard website and we've already confirmed that the Acekard firmware will never run on it. They could make more money slapping a CycloDS sticker on it, but it's more likely someone would notice.

-Bri

 

[kobykaan]

@Bri seems like the TTDS fakes are making the rounds like the R4 cards .... they have been seen with M3 REAL stickers (although theres R4 clones that also have M3 REAL stickers and themes! they are also used in U2 cards and now it seems to be distributed AK 2.1

....whats next a CYCLO/TTDS fake!?

@Blu3Monk3y let us know how you get on with the TTDS firmware and as Bri said avoid 1.16 DSTT firmware its designed to brick fake TTDS cards

image above re hosted ...

can you see it now Bri ?

imageshack is messed up sometimes for me so this is hosted on picoodle!

edit 2 :

The DSTT comes in white, so it's probably a DSTT or clone.

some come in black too now Bri see images on DX or DDTT website

 

[Bri]

can you see it now Bri ?

imageshack is messed up sometimes for me so this is hosted on picoodle!

Blu3Monk3y's image still doesn't work for me. It's not a problem with the host (when I try to load it by typing in the URL of the image directly it says that there's an error with the JPEG). I managed to download it, and was able to view it but it doesn't work inline in Firefox.

QUOTE(Bri @ Dec 23 2008, 07:46 PM) The DSTT comes in white, so it's probably a DSTT or clone.

some come in black too now Bri see images on DX or DDTT website

I know (and didn't say otherwise). I just said Blu3Monk3y's white flash cart is consistent with a DSTT (or clone). But the Acekard doesn't come in white, so we know it's not an Acekard.

-Bri

 

[kobykaan]

Just pointing out that it comes in other colors so even a black TTDS card with an AK2 sticker is feesable

I'm using Firefox 3.05 original image shows fine here maby if your using adblock its been accidentally added to the list of filters or check your content/exceptions in options sometimes I get the odd site added to there not sure if that's part of adblock or not!?

had a gut feeling that it was a TTDS card the RED MENU missing text is pretty distinctive to the TTDS/NEO DSTT/clones of those two cards

hopefully Blu3Monk3y can get it replaced or at least get it working even if its as a TTDS

 

[Bri]

True. But no matter what color DSTT it is, the Acekard firmware will never run on it, so whoever sold it to him was counting on Blu3Monk3y being too stupid or too lazy to try to update the firmware from the web site printed right on the cart and the box!

Blu3Monk3y, please tell us that it came with DSTT firmware already installed, so at least it would run out of the box and there would have been some chance that a naive user (who might not ever try to update the firmware) wouldn't notice they were getting ripped off. If it did come with DSTT firmware, did they even bother hacking the firmware do it said "Acekard" rather than "DSTT" in the menu?

-Bri