Hacking Couple of Questions

[audrey]

Hi all..

i just got my DS and DSTT last night therefore i still have alot of doubts lol..


FYI, i've read the FAQs page almost all of the topics but i couldnt find what i want to know so.... i'd just open a thread

My questions:

1) Moonshell.

I have the necessary stuffs for the moonshell (moonshl folder and moonshell.nds),
and now im not sure where should i place my mp3 at?


Is it ok for me to add a new folder in the moonshl folder and i just place all my mp3 in that folder? hmm is that the right way? else, where should i place em? im just afraid to screw things up if i place wrongly

for eg. > moonshl > MP3 (my mp3 folder name etc)



2) Putting new games/Deleting games in the sd card.

I decided to put more games in my sd card..

After i copy and paste the new games in my game folder, and also delete some old games that i didnt like, i on my console and tried out the new games i've put in but it didnt work.

The game is loading and then it stucks there (loads forever) so i switch the console off and tried another game again but still, the same problem occurs.

What have i done wrong? I heard that if i were to delete games, I have to delete the whole game folder (instead of just the games) and later paste what i want again in the sd card to get everything workin. Is that correct?



3) Creating folder/putting single file anywhere in the wrong directory

As i just got my console, i hope to be very careful with it... lol.

My question is, for eg.
IF i create a folder and paste my game files in the moonshl folder,

OR, if i put a single file thats not suppose to be there in a particular folder, (a mp3 file in TTMenu)
by doin that, will it harm my console or.... dstt? as it's in the wrong directory because moonshell is not meant for the games


Any help would be appreciated, thanks!

 

[Damademan3]

What i would do is reformat the sd card and place the games you want in a games folder. Reload your dstt menu ect then reboot the ds. I dont have issue with loading new game when deleting old ones. As for mp3 i would probably just creat a mp3 folder off the root and save them there. I dont use Moonshell but thats my thought

 

[audrey]

What i would do is reformat the sd card and place the games you want in a games folder. Reload your dstt menu ect then reboot the ds. I dont have issue with loading new game when deleting old ones. As for mp3 i would probably just creat a mp3 folder off the root and save them there. I dont use Moonshell but thats my thought

hmm.. im tryin now.. deleting the whole thing and put in again


oh..
for the mp3, you mean i could just create a folder in the sd card (the main directory of the sd card where there are other folders like moonshl, TTMenu etc....) there and place my mp3 in that folder i created? hmmm....

 

[Bri]

A few things to keep in mind

1) Format your microSD card as FAT16. Make sure you use the "safely remove hardware" option on Windows before you remove it from your PC.

2) Make sure you have plenty of free space on your microSD for save files (these are created the first time you run a new game). If you don't have enough space, it will freeze when loading the game.

3) Always put .nds and .sav files in a folder (name it "games" if you want). Don't keep them at the top level of your microSD because there is a limit to the number of files that can be at the top level (if you have too many it will freeze). So at the top level of your microSD card, you will have the "TTMENU" folder and a "games" folder. You can also make more folders for other files if you want, like a "music" folder for your .mp3 files.

To answer some of your other questions...you don't have to delete all of your files -- you can just delete the ones you want to delete and put new ones on.

I'm not sure where media files for moonshell go, but I think you can put them in any folder you want. Just create a folder at the top level and name it "music" or something.

No, you can't harm your NDS or DSTT by having extra files in the TTMENU folder. The DSTT will give you an icon that says "Menu?" if it can't find the kernel files it needs, but as long as the files it needs are there, you can also have extra files (I'm not sure why you'd want to though).

-Bri

 

[audrey]

Thanks for the response Bri

tried some stuffs just now, learning new stuffs each day

Now it's the problem of loading games.

Shall address it in the last paragraph.


1) hmm.. Just wonderin but why do I have to format the microSD card?
Other than gainin more spaces (please let me know if I'm wrong bout this

), any other purposes?


2) Free space yep.. Im using a 4gb card and theres still 1gb + left. So I think it's due to the space problem.


3) All my games are placed in a folder named 'Games'.... dont really get what you mean by 'top level of your microSD' ? Do you mean the root of the sd card



Others
Yea I've tried that, I created a mp3 folder in the main directory of the sd card and just place all my mp3s in that folder and it works.... just that theres a window that popped out and displayed an error message but it closes too fast cant read what it says.


And previously I thought it wouldn't (work) and they (the mp3s) have to go into somewhere else in the 'moonshl' folder but I'm not sure where should it goes because in the 'moonshl' folder there are more folders.... Just thought that placing in the wrong one might harm the system or something.

That is why I asked bout that.


Anyway, I still have the problem.
Some games can be played but sometimes they just couldnt load. It will stuck while loading.
(the ball icon or something on the lower left will stop moving) and I gotta switch the console off and on again.

Dont know why is it like that....

Nothing to do with corruption because I've run them and they can be played, but sometimes they just couldnt load.

 

[Bri]

1) hmm.. Just wonderin but why do I have to format the microSD card?
Other than gainin more spaces (please let me know if I'm wrong bout this

), any other purposes?

It's just to make sure it's formatted FAT16.

3) All my games are placed in a folder named 'Games'.... dont really get what you mean by 'top level of your microSD' ? Do you mean the root of the sd card

Yes, I meant the root.

Others
Yea I've tried that, I created a mp3 folder in the main directory of the sd card and just place all my mp3s in that folder and it works.... just that theres a window that popped out and displayed an error message but it closes too fast cant read what it says.

That error message is normal for moonshell, believe it or not. You can safely ignore it. If there is an actual error, that message will stay on the screen long enough to read it.

QUOTEAnd previously I thought it wouldn't (work) and they (the mp3s) have to go into somewhere else in the 'moonshl' folder but I'm not sure where should it goes because in the 'moonshl' folder there are more folders.... Just thought that placing in the wrong one might harm the system or something.

That is why I asked bout that.

Even though it won't harm anything to place your mp3 files in a folder inside the moonshl folder, you don't want to. The moonshl folder contains data for the program itself. If you ever update the program, you will most likely overwrite that folder, so place media in a folder at the root.

QUOTE

Anyway, I still have the problem.
Some games can be played but sometimes they just couldnt load. It will stuck while loading.
(the ball icon or something on the lower left will stop moving) and I gotta switch the console off and on again.

Dont know why is it like that....

Nothing to do with corruption because I've run them and they can be played, but sometimes they just couldnt load.

Unfortunately, it sounds as though you either have a bad microSD card or a bad DSTT. If you can, try using a different microSD card and see if you have the same problem. If you experience the problem with another microSD card, you probably have a bad DSTT. Can you exchange your DSTT for a new one?

-Bri

 

[audrey]

Thanks Bri.

Ok, understood. I'd place the music files in a folder at the root.

Umm hmmm~~
there might be just 1 last problem that I can think of, which is, the microSD card I got.

I bought it from someone (together with the dstt) the card is brand new and he gave me some games. I guess he didnt format the card and just throw the games in when he got the card.


because i read that E-Zibit had the similar problem too regarding the freeze loading of games:

(last post)
link here

so I guess I gotta try formatting the card and place those games in again and test the games..

FYI, mine is a 4gb microSD Kingston sdhc card (just in case you miss out sth)




- One thing I've noticed. Although I place in 61 games, there are only 53 games when I on my ds.

- 2 .ARP files are shown in my sd card in the Games folder. Both are of different games. Weird?
Coincidenlly, these 2 games are just part of the games that couldnt be loaded (sometimes yes sometimes no). I havent delete em yet.

 

[twit21]

Have you updated the DSTT kernel to v1.09? If so, then it's likely that the ROMS that just won't load are either very new and not yet supported by the DSTT firmware (happened with Assassin's Creed, which prompted the update to v1.08) or simply bad dumps and should be re-downloaded. We can possibly help you tell the difference if you tell us which games are causing the problem.

Those .ARP files are cheat files for their respective games, and are created when you set cheats to "On" in the game's options.

 

[audrey]

Ok just recharge my ds....


Hi twit21 thanks for the response

mine is V1.09 yep. The guy who I got the card and dstt from placed the necessary stuffs i need in the card.


So I've just tested out some games.... goodness.

I tested games like Brain Age, Touch of the Dead, New Super Mario Bros.... and none of em could be loaded!
okay and this too Diner Dash: Sizzle and Serve.........


Fyi, I've played them for a couple of times and also have my save files for each of em. But now they couldnt be loaded. Few hours back, I tried Super Mario Bros but it could be loaded. Strange. Goes on and off I've no idea why.


One thing tho.. Pokemon Pearl seems to be working all the time

just tested.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Sudoku GridMaster and Sudoku Mania never seem to.



Just minutes ago I tested Touch of the Dead, NOW i give it another try it works again???????



I guess I gotta format the card now.

Actually I wonder why reformatting it will help loading becomes smoother, as many people (not from here tho) seem to have experienced the same stuffs (loading problem) and they said by formatting it might help

 

[Bri]

Formatting might help if the microSD card was formatting incorrectly, or was formatted in FAT32 instead of FAT16. Also, if the card has become corrupt (for example, from taking it off your PC without using the "safely remove hardware), reformatting will fix it.

If formatting doesn't help and you've confirmed the same behavior with multiple microSD cards, the problem is more likely your DSTT. Occasionally, some DSTT's have problems making good contact with the Nintendo DS and therefore work intermittently. If that turns out to be the case with yours, you should contact the person you bought it from and exchange it for a new one.

I can confirm that I play many of the games you've listed and never have a problem.

-Bri

 

[audrey]

True, if formatting + testing with a new sd card still doesnt help then I guess it's the DSTT's problem.


Ok, gonna format now but just a question before I do so, mine is a 4gb card and it can only be formatted to FAT32 instead of FAT16 but you said FAT16 is the correct one? hmmm....


Anything below 2GB should be in FAT16 and anything above 2GB should be in FAT32 is that right?

 

[Bri]

I thought 4GB was the cutoff. Try it and see if it will let you format FAT16. Otherwise, you'll have to do FAT32. Both will work, but FAT16 might be slightly faster.

-Bri

 

[audrey]

Oh yes. Was busy playing the games till i forgot bout it! (to post)

finally theres a chance for me to use this emoticon

Hmm.. ok. Formatted in FAT32. No FAT16 option for me to select.


There are some changes tho.

The loading at the start is slower. Rather than just the phrase 'TTDS Loading', now there is this 'SYS File Loading'. Before I format only the first phrase is shown. Nevermind bout that, the scrolling of the games is much slower too. Either using Up, down, or Y - it's much slower.

Also, the screen on top of the console appears to be a little 'dizzy' while im at the menu.


Uhmm.. stuff like these are still ok.... The most impt part is the games. But everything is fine now.

Oh, and please, i hope it stays this way forever.. lol.

Dont screw up anymore! else this thread will be brought again

Lastly,
Thanks twit21 and especially Bri for the advices and help!

 

[Bri]

Glad you got it working. I think the first time you run the menu it will be a bit slower as it creates some files that it needs for saving your system settings and such. It should be a little faster to start up the next time.

Is should be noted that the DSTT is probably the fastest card at loading the menu and the games, so if yours is slow I suspect something might be wrong with your microSD card. My menu boots up in about 2 seconds, and the "SYS File Loading" message only flashes on the screen before the menu comes up (there's not really enough time to read it). Games load within 4 seconds (some faster, some slower, depending on the size of the game).

Scrolling the menu itself can be slow, particularly if you have a lot of games. Luckily, clicking anywhere in the scrollbar jumps to that location in the games list, so you can quickly get close to the game you want and then use the buttons to select the prev/next game until you find the one you want.

I don't know what you mean by the top screen being "dizzy" but I guess the most important thing is that the games work.

-Bri