Hacking DSTT issues when games attempt to save

[samred]

Hi all,

Hadn't seen any answers about this. Just got two DSTTs from DX. One seems to be working swimmingly; the other is wonky. Biggest recurring issue is games flipping out when attempting to save--the game will say the cart's not there, or the game will freeze. Happens with New Super Mario Bros and Diddy Kong Racing in particular. Other games go straight to white screen when trying to load.

Firmware is official 1.17, but I checked the model and the checking software says it's legit, so I don't think it's a fake-killer issue, as some games load fine. It tested fine before I gave the card to my friend, and I even updated the USRCHEAT.DAT so she could play Chrono Trigger (initial load of that game worked fine, not sure if it wonks out later), so I dunno what gives. Wonky memory card? Need to remove the fake-killer firmware? As simple as a clean format and restart?

Thanks!

EDIT: OH! Also, what's the best way to shrink files? I was surprised when zipped NDS files didn't load, and I know other cards can auto-trim files, but I don't know how to do that manually. Thanks for any help.

 

[Bri]

If the same games work fine with one DSTT but not the other one, it is likely that one of them is either a fake or has a contact problem.

It's worth looking at the memory card and card reader first though. Try a reformat using the Panasonic formatter, make sure there is plenty of free space on the microSD card for save files, make sure the games are in a "games" folder and not on the root, and always use "safely remove hardware" to avoid corrupting the microSD card.

That said, I'm guessing it has bad contacts (there are a lot of DSTT's with bad contacts recently). You can sometimes get those to work by putting folded paper into the slot opposite the contacts before inserting the DSTT to help it make contact.

There are a lot of programs to trim files, including Rominator and TokyoTrim.

-Bri

 

[samred]

I did the Panasonic format, left over 200mb free space, put games in a save folder, used safe card removal, and confirmed that the hardware is legit (according to that little legitimacy checking .nds program). Card worked fine on my DS, but I hadn't tested the games that my friend tested on her DS.

Next time I see my friend, I'll try the paper trick. Any other tips are welcome as well in the meantime. Thanks!

 

[Bri]

Can't think of any offhand. You may have fixed the problem with the reformat and everything. Make sure to always use "safely remove hardware" or your microSD will get corrupt.

If it turns out to be a contact problem, you may want to return it for a new one.

-Bri