Hacking DSTWO booting difficulty requiring 15min wait to resolve

[maharito]

I got my DSTWO a few months ago; it worked from the start without problems, but it has slowly developed a booting problem over time. At first, I noticed that sometimes refused to start, giving the black error screen; I figured the cart/SD card seating was the issue, and reseating seemed to fix the problem. However, it didn't always; and sometimes, it never worked with consecutive 3DS boots. In trying every option, I discovered that leaving the system off for five minutes (regardless of whether I touched the cart) would just about always get the cart to work if I chose it immediately after startup. It usually wouldn't work otherwise. Now, it never works unless I wait 10 to 15 minutes with the 3DS off before getting one shot at getting it to work.

This seems like it might be a defect in the circuitry, perhaps related to some improperly stored charge. It could be related to otherwise immaterial stuff inside the 3DS as well; I won't be the one to find out. In any case, I have no reason to believe the card formatting or contact cleanliness is the issue; also, I have gotten the cart to boot and play a game at least once since the cart V1.20 firmware update and 3DS 6.0.0.11 update.

Does anyone have any ideas of what to do? I have seen at least one other similar report on the internet about having to wait with a DSTWO in order to boot it.

 

[Pong20302000]

id assume its a Dodgy MicroSD slot or MicroSD card

try different MicroSD

 

[maharito]

id assume its a Dodgy MicroSD slot or MicroSD card

try different MicroSD

Alright, I'll try swapping it with the one in my phone (exact same make, 32GB Class 4 Patriot MicroSD, bought at the same time). It'll take a while to exchange the data.

 

[Pong20302000]

just put the EOS and 1 or 2 roms just to test, not worth copying everything when you just want to test

 

[maharito]

Running the cart with my phone's MicroSD now; on the first boot after it'd been turned off in a while, I successfully tested out some games (since you were curious in the other forum, I tested Etrian Odyssey--which is 100% compatible with hotkey function--as well as the hotkey-incompatible game Peggle Dual Shot. Both correctly loaded saves.) It then would not boot after going to the Home menu, after a 30 second wait after power-off, or after a 3 minute wait after power-off. I'm not convinced the MicroSD card is the issue. (However, my MicroSD card reader died mid-transfer--I don't think that's relevant, but that's why it took so long to dig up my other reader and report in.)

 

[Pong20302000]

try resetting the 3DS system but DONT leave the cart in while the 3DS is booting up

if your using the Cheaper MicroSD reader you get with the cards they have been known to cause errors on microSD card
also make sure if you format a MicroSD you use https://www.sdcard.org/downloads/formatter_4/ otherwise you will get issues

 

[maharito]

Thanks for the tip on the SD Formatter; I've known about it for a long time, but in several months of searching I have never found someone with a reader that permitted the flash-level formatting. Am I gonna have to drop serious coin to get a reader that does?

 

[Pong20302000]

Thanks for the tip on the SD Formatter; I've known about it for a long time, but in several months of searching I have never found someone with a reader that permitted the flash-level formatting. Am I gonna have to drop serious coin to get a reader that does?

no just get one thats from a store or something
the ones that comes with flashcard from china dont last very long
if it gets very hot very quick then you know it was made for about 2cents lol


failing not having a good card reader about ive put them in my phone before and connected my phone to the computer and used the phone as the reader lol

 

[maharito]

Aha... Yes, starting the 3DS without the DSTWO in it works much better. I only have a couple other games that I don't really play, so I've just been leaving it in here and for some reason never thought to start it up without the cart. Thanks for the tip!

 

[haralds]

I just had a Patriot 32GB Class 10 fail on me. First slow read/read difficulty, then complete bricking.