Hacking Behavior AK2i + 3in1

[sethirion]

My hardware is:

• NDS lite (original firmware),
• AceKard 2i (using AKAIO 1.5 with latest loader),
• EZ-Flash 3in1 (2nd board according to Wiki OR EZ5C10 ),
• MicroSDHC Sandisk 4GB.

My problem is:
Scenario: New GBA ROM to load; I run the Rudolph's GBA ExpLoader v0.58b then select my game, a pop-up comes up to select the slot to use obviously I press 'B' since it's a new game. Everything good, analyzing and writing to RAM comes up, and presto! the game can be loaded.

Then after turn the system off and on again I run the Rudolph's GBA ExpLoader, then a message comes up asking me to select the slot to save the battery... THEN it hangs up!

I have to reboot again the system to get it work again, but the SAV did create since it does not ask me for the slot.

Any suggestion? anyone with similar problem?

NOTE: this happens to me again with the Rudolph's GBA Backup Tool at the point where I select to get the battery to .sav file, it hangs up.

 

[Quanno]

Maybe a dead battery?

 

[how_do_i_do_that]

The problem is the AKAIO autopatching, it screws the gba exploader's reset function most of the time, rest of the time it randomly locks up. You would have to use the AK firmware instead to use gba exploader.

What you want to do is set up your AK2i so you can boot from either the AK firmware or the AKAIO custom firmware.

See the wiki on how to setup your AK2i for that:
http://wiki.gbatemp.net/wiki/index.php?title=AKAIO

 

[penthaler]

Why using GBA EXPLOADER, when AKAIO can load the game to ezflash without any problems?

Using
- for pc gba game convert - 3in1tool
- after converting game I copy them to card root/folder etc
- starting nds with akaio 1.5, choosing the game and...

-- press start - properties - nor to flash Y (game starts loading to ezflash memory - when completed, it starts - or freeze, but after restart of DS the game is playable DIRECTLY from slot 2)

or

-- press A button and wait for game start (must set up in ezflash akaio settings)

NEVER HAVE PROBLEMS WITH STARTING ANY GBA GAME WITH AKAIO (without any other homebrew app needed)

 

[how_do_i_do_that]

AKAIO's gba loader is not perfect, your limited number of games you play only brings you to the conclusion that it is problem free.

 

[Normmatt]

AKAIO's gba loader is not perfect, your limited number of games you play only brings you to the conclusion that it is problem free.

Well submit bug reports and they might get fixed.

 

[sethirion]

@penthaler: Have many more saves than AKAIO, creates a save file smaller (dunno why). Besides I want to use the Rudolph's GBA Backup Tool too.

Does the AKAIO 1.5 patches for battery types?
I read a the wiki "...then AKAIO will autopatch the game (for save type) and...", then I assued that it does patch.

Why does you [penthaler] use the PC tool then?

I would like to have .SAV files with out the .gba.sav, but to have a facile way to play it on the GBA emulator (PC).

 

[how_do_i_do_that]

I believe AKAIO gba loader SRAMs some of the games it can identify as needed for gba play, though it doesn't do things like save sizes correctly on some games with Flash or those games that use the backup memory, etc. Mostly minor things nobody actually notices.


@Normmatt
It is the NDS autopatching on the gba exploader file that causes the issues the OP describes, not the built in gba loader itself. The not being problem free is true for all loaders even the gba exploader, so why submit anything when work arounds already exists.

If anything it would be more of a request feature to be able to turn off autopatching for both GBA and NDS through a noautopatching file a user can make or something along this train of thought.

 

[Normmatt]

I believe AKAIO gba loader SRAMs some of the games it can identify as needed for gba play, though it doesn't do things like save sizes correctly on some games with Flash or those games that use the backup memory, etc. Mostly minor things nobody actually notices.


@Normmatt
It is the NDS autopatching on the gba exploader file that causes the issues the OP describes, not the built in gba loader itself. The not being problem free is true for all loaders even the gba exploader, so why submit anything when work arounds already exists.

If anything it would be more of a request feature to be able to turn off autopatching for both GBA and NDS through a noautopatching file a user can make or something along this train of thought.

There is no patching occuring on the exploader program except for the dldi patching, If thats causing a problem try replacing the ak2.dldi file in the __aio file with the same file from the official ak2i firmware. (as the akaio dldi is slightly different).

Reporting gba patching problems means that the internal patcher can be improved upon and thus makes it less work for others in the future.

 

[penthaler]

@penthaler: Have many more saves than AKAIO, creates a save file smaller (dunno why). Besides I want to use the Rudolph's GBA Backup Tool too.

Does the AKAIO 1.5 patches for battery types?
I read a the wiki "...then AKAIO will autopatch the game (for save type) and...", then I assued that it does patch.

Why does you [penthaler] use the PC tool then?

I would like to have .SAV files with out the .gba.sav, but to have a facile way to play it on the GBA emulator (PC).

I am using this PC Tool because I had many times troubles with GBA EXPLOADER on AKAIO (not akaio fault) and with clear roms too. After that I TEST 3in1tool and NOW I AM SATISFIED.
The .SAV file you can probably get when you change the NDS sav properties in AKAIO settings. I got this option -> .NDS.SAV and all others games (gbc and gba) got the same extension (mean .gbc.sav /.gba.sav) - so maybe after changing it will have only SAV as you like (I dont test this)