Hacking EZ Flash IV miniSD: last working reset kernel?

[romanaOne]

I have an old EZ-Flash IV that cannot run any of the kernels newer than
this DarthVader one here:

http://www.ezflash.cn/zip/EZ4_20140306.zip

I have a real miniSD card 2GB in it and I want to find a kernel that can run Lady Sia. I think it needs a hard reset because the game black screens when I try to launch it. I tried holding down the L key while launching but it did not help. I tried a newer EZ Flash IV card running kernel 1.77 and holding down L does successfully launch Lady Sia.

I tried formatting the card FAT16 and FAT32, but all kernels (1.75, 1.76, 1.77) will not work: after the ezfla_up.bin is written, the GBA reboots, a blank dialogue box appears, and then the screen goes black after a few seconds.

What was the last kernel with reset but before the SDHC stuff was added--I don't care if its auto or you have to hold L--for the miniSD EZ Flash IV card?

Is there some way I can patch 20140306 Darth Vader Kernel to do the reset? Or are you supposed to hold down some other key besides L?

 

[fille]

mine is at 1.75 and cannot update to 1.77.
tryed many sdcards,hold r and put gba on,just black screen,but not gona worry about it.
if krikzz releases hopefully gba everdrive.

 

[romanaOne]

mine is at 1.75 and cannot update to 1.77.
tryed many sdcards,hold r and put gba on,just black screen,but not gona worry about it.
if krikzz releases hopefully gba everdrive.

The problem is the real miniSD card, contrary to what I have read in these forums:

In the newer EZ Flash IV, I am using a PNY microSD-to-mini-SD adapter with a 2GB microsd card. This card+adapter works in both EZ-Flash cartridges with kernel 1.77 while the real 2GB miniSD card does not work in both carts if they are updated to a kernel 1.75+

Also, it seems I was wrong about one of the EZIV carts being newer: both are marked EZ402 2006.03

So, I just need to find another microSD-to-miniSD adapter and stop using the real miniSD card.

EDIT: I found a Sandisk micro-to-mini adapter and a 4GB card. Works perfectly, Lady Sia starts if you hold down L. 1.77 kernel.

 

[Localhorst86]

Here you will find a firmware 1.77 that will always boot with the reset enabled, just if you want, though.

http://gbatemp.net/threads/ez-flash-iv-skin-1-77-ez-flat-iv.389868/

PS: shameless plug.

 

[TecXero]

1.74, 1.75, 1.76, and 1.77 should all support reset while starting with L+A. The newer kernels broke compatibility with some SD cards when adding compatibility for SDHC cards. If you're one of the unlucky few with issues with newer cards, try 1.74.

 

[romanaOne]

All is good with my EZ Flash IV: the problem was the miniSD card.

What happened was: I had been using the Darth Vader kernel (linked in the original post) but some of my games didn't work, I was able to upgrade to 1.77, but then could no longer read the miniSD card. Then I got a little confused and started testing different SD cards /EZ Flash units/GBAs. The ultimate conclusion I reached was:

If you get the blank error dialogue box followed by black screen after upgrading to 1.77 (or other SDHC-supporting kernel) on an old miniSD EZ Flash IV don't panic. The update didn't break the ez flash, it just broke compatibility with the old miniSD card. (I'd formatted it FAT16 using mkdosfs, but reformatting FAT32 didn't help.)

Just copy all your files to a new SDHC microSD, stick it in a micro-to-mini adapter, and it will work. I've tried several adapters (with the same Sandisk 4GB uSD) and they all seem fine: PNY, Sandisk, and No-name.

In the end I settled on Localhorst86's "EZ Flat 1.77" kernel although I have no strong feelings for/against Darth Vader-, Mother-, or Mario- themes.

btw, I've quit using ez-client and am using ezgba-cli for routine SRAM patching, GBATA (in wine) for special carts that need fiddling. Batch processing (for f in *.gba; do ./ezgba-cli --in-place -i "$f"; done) is not a big deal to me because I really don't like that many GBA games, but finally being able to use EZ-Flash IV Windows-free is.

 

[fille]

i have 4gb micro sdhc card,put the 1.77 firmware on it,start my gba up with r button hold,but black screen,im on 1.75.
so why its not working,i dont know,compatability problem with my sdcard,tryed others,same problem.

 

[romanaOne]

put the 1.77 firmware on it,start my gba up with r button hold,but black screen,im on 1.75.

If you were able to flash 1.77, then you are no longer on 1.75. So you are saying that you cannot flash 1.77?

Are you able to start up 1.75 and play games? Just stay with 1.75 if there are no problems.

I had a VERY old kernel and it was having problems with some games.

Which easy flash do you have? miniSD or microSD? I have miniSD and I'm using an adaptor.

 

[fille]

im using for the moment 1.75,and have an ez flash IV mini sd,with 1.74,they did support micro sd.
but im stuck @1.75,always black screen if i want to flash 1.77
its not a problem,if everdrive gba ever comes out,i buy that.

 

[romanaOne]

Just curious what is different about your cart. Do you have EZ402 2006.03 on the back of the cart?

 

[fille]

EZ4022006.03
its not necessary to update,but if they fix problems,and you cant update,you got a problem then.

 

[TecXero]

EZ4022006.03
its not necessary to update,but if they fix problems,and you cant update,you got a problem then.

It can depend on the SD card a lot of the time. The updates are nice, but sometimes they create new bugs. It's understandable, though. They don't have much space or resources in general for the kernel, so they have to pack as much as they can in there and hope it doesn't break anything.

 

[fille]

bwaah,i dont care,its not the end of world,im intrested in why it dont work.

 

[Deleted-236924]

All is good with my EZ Flash IV: the problem was the miniSD card.

What happened was: I had been using the Darth Vader kernel (linked in the original post) but some of my games didn't work, I was able to upgrade to 1.77, but then could no longer read the miniSD card. Then I got a little confused and started testing different SD cards /EZ Flash units/GBAs. The ultimate conclusion I reached was:

If you get the blank error dialogue box followed by black screen after upgrading to 1.77 (or other SDHC-supporting kernel) on an old miniSD EZ Flash IV don't panic. The update didn't break the ez flash, it just broke compatibility with the old miniSD card. (I'd formatted it FAT16 using mkdosfs, but reformatting FAT32 didn't help.)

Just copy all your files to a new SDHC microSD, stick it in a micro-to-mini adapter, and it will work. I've tried several adapters (with the same Sandisk 4GB uSD) and they all seem fine: PNY, Sandisk, and No-name.

In the end I settled on Localhorst86's "EZ Flat 1.77" kernel although I have no strong feelings for/against Darth Vader-, Mother-, or Mario- themes.

btw, I've quit using ez-client and am using ezgba-cli for routine SRAM patching, GBATA (in wine) for special carts that need fiddling. Batch processing (for f in *.gba; do ./ezgba-cli --in-place -i "$f"; done) is not a big deal to me because I really don't like that many GBA games, but finally being able to use EZ-Flash IV Windows-free is.

Yeah, the newer kernels that add SDHC compatibility break compatibility with non-SDHC cards for some reason.
If you are interested I have ezfla_up.bin for 1.72RESET which should be compatible with non-SDHC cards, and it hasn't given me any problems with any games I've ever thrown at it. Does the hard reset after loading a game.
It's using the Clearlooks v5 theme