Hacking DS-Lite, screwed by Nintendo themselves!!

[Lister Of Smeg]

Hi All,

Wonder if you could help me please, and hope I posted this in the correct section!!

You may remember me from around the forums, and now I seek your help please...

We (brother and myself) bought a Nintendo DS-Lite for our mum a year ago, and just outside of the warranty, the screen dispayed a defect (a fault, I believe is in Nintendo's design... as it wasnt a burn out, but random white marks scattered evenly across the screen).... anyway!! Sent into them for repair (£55, and three weeks without it)

After it comes back from repair, they automatically upgraded its firmware (we didnt ask them too) and now it has blocked the use of our R4 card, as though its not there)

B*STARDS!!!!!!

So I wondering if any of you clever people have heard of this, know of this, and more importantly.... Know how to get around it, and flash it to an older version...?? or any software that allows playing Roms on an original R4 Micro SD-Card...??

Many thanks for looking, and hope to hear from you soon....

Thanks,

Lister

:thumbsdown: Use to be a fan / support of Nintendo, the little guys.... until they did this - my mum is truly gutted now!! :thumbsdown:

 

[MelodieOctavia]

Either youre trolololing or...I don't know.


There is no DS Lite firmware that blocks the use of any flash cart. it does not exist.

 

[coattails]

You should be happy that they sent you back a DSi instead.

 

[Lister Of Smeg]

Hi DudeOnline....

Trust me, I am not Trolling..... and yes, they have.... they have certainly done something to the device since it came back, it no longer works with our original R4DS card...

We have a DS Lite, and before we sent it too them, we took out the R4 card, as it will be pretty dumb to give it back to them with that in it.....

However, got it back today and my mum went to put the card in, and it says no cartridge installed... even though its pushed in, and nothing on the card has changed since it came out!!!

I have read somewhere, and I will provide a link when I can find a VALID article saying that they have updated firmware to stop Flashcards working..... but all seems guess work at mo, with no valid firmwares or what one killed it.

I know there are about 7x different firmwares out there for it......

But basically, its no longer read by the DS, so something has changed.... and it is the same DS we sent away.... so its not new hardware or anything.... other than a new screen (and guessing, software upgrade)


Hi Coattails,

They didnt send us a DSi back..... they sent us back the original DSL (DS Lite) that we posted to them....

So yeah, any help on where to go from here.....



I have tried using Wood R4 1.07, and AceKart 2.1 (or whatever its called) and none boot, or show up... presented with the official DS Menu screen...

Many thanks,

Lister

 

[Amber Lamps]

There is no firmware that blocks it.
Try the following things (your R4 is probably dead):

Test the R4 on a known working DS or DS Lite
If it still doesn't work which it probably doesn't

try cleaning the contacts.
Some people have to cram some small paper in their DS in order to get a certain flash cart's contacts to work.

If you've ever blown on the cart or inside the DS cartridge slot, then that is why it doesn't work. Only noobs do that. Many people ruined NES decks that way. You're suppose to clean the contacts with isoprophyl alcohol normally although that doesn't work miracles. There's also contact cleaner or you can use a pen eraser to clean the contacts on the R4 cart.

It cost you 55 pounds to repair it? What were you even thinking? You can buy a used console for that much money. Should have gone on dealextreme and bought the parts you needed instead. That is $82.50 US. Sometimes in the USA you can get a new one that cheap. Yeek....

 

[EyeZ]

sounds like a contact issue, use the paper trick like Amber Lamps has suggested

 

[DarkWay]

Like Amber Lamps said try cleaning the contacts on your R4 (carefully >.>) and try the R4 in a known working DS (i.e not the one you sent off for repair) if you don't have access to another DS try the old paper trick it might just be a contact issue which I'm guessing is the case.

Have you tried putting any other DS cartridge in the DSL? (a legit one)

 

[T3GZdev]

hmm well, maby its just the cart, i have DS (orgin), DSL, & DSi, & a game n music card. it only works on my DSL, it worked on my DS(orgin) before but only sometimes, i think its thr DS (orgins) contacts.

 

[Infinite Zero]

Man that's not possible for a ds lite let a lone a dsi

 

[Lister Of Smeg]

Hi Guys,

Well I have cleaned the contacts, both ends..... inside the DS Lite, and on the Cartridge itself.....

I have removed all the files off the Cartridge and reloaded the R4 software..... and still it doesnt work. Just says no cartridge installed and shows the DS menu....


I have put an original (our ONLY original) in, and that worked first time....???

I dont have a spare DS (or a spare R4 cart) to test this on here....

But I am gonna try ask a friend to bring one with her... and try visa versa on there??


So I am starting to think there is something wrong with the software in the DS now??


Also, it was a Xmas Pressie for our mum, hense she wanted it back... did think of getting a new one... but this cost us £109/or £129 new when we got it a year ago..... and so to get rid of it, and buy a new one second hand for like £79 didnt seem worth it...


So any other ideas???

There is talk on DSi I have read, about FW 1.4 that refuses to run FlashCards......

Cheers,

Lister

 

[monkat]

did think of getting a new one... but this cost us £109/or £129 new when we got it a year ago..... and so to get rid of it, and buy a new one second hand for like £79 didnt seem worth it...


So any other ideas???

Well...you could sell off your DS if it still reads any cart, and net 0, or possibly get some cash off of buying a used DS.

 

[YayMii]

It seems you haven't tried the paper trick. Well, it works, so you should try it.

The paper trick involves physically applying paper to the R4 in order for it to have better contact with the DS. One version of the paper trick is taping paper to the R4 (near the top, on the same side as the contacts). Try different thicknesses of paper (or just add/remove paper) until the R4 appears on the DS. Make sure you don't put too much paper, or you can get it stuck in the DS.
Another version of the paper trick is physically putting paper in the R4. This is more hassle, but it makes the R4 look less ugly (compared to taping paper on the back of the R4). You open the R4 first. On the inside of the plastic case, there should be a line that sticks out. Just put your paper there, close it up, and try it. If it doesn't work, re-open it, try thicker paper (or more paper) and try again. And repeat the process until it works.

Also, something to note is that the DS lite only has 1 firmware. These other firmwares you have heard of were for the original DS.

 

[HateBreed]

.... and that's why u don't buy r4's

 

[spark1223]

If its not a contact issue than nintendo fucked up your ds. Belive it or not, I went to a store where a ds lite was refurbished by nintendo and the card reaser didnt work. The technicians are only human a may have forgot to connect something or broke it.

 

[fearofshorts]

Yeah, try an original game.
And these people are right- it is simply not possible for them to block out a flashcart software-wise on a DSL.

 

[Lister Of Smeg]

Hi Guys/Gals,

Well, what can I say.... Big thanks too all who support top not support/feedback

It works!!!!! - That'll make mum happy again...

I did try the paper trick last night, but I guess it was too thick, and didnt go all the way to the bottom (next to the connectors.

But as said, thanks to those who suggested that, and are right on the mark....

Just need to make it more elegant...

How odd though, as we have not done anything to the card since we took it out... just kept it safe, out the way of any kind of harm, sun, magnets, being lent on, the usual protection..... and then this happens. And even though the legit one worked fine, so you can see why suddenly I suspected the worse!!!

Someone is gonna be delighted to get it back.....

Cheers,

Lister

 

[YayMii]

How odd though, as we have not done anything to the card since we took it out... just kept it safe, out the way of any kind of harm, sun, magnets, being lent on, the usual protection..... and then this happens.

Well, cards like R4 and Acekard 2i are known to have loose PCBs (circuit boards), so maybe it mis-aligned when you took it out of the DS.

Glad to hear you got it working though