Hacking EZFlash 3 in 1

[ShAdOwFuRi]

Hi guys,

I recently just bought an EZFlash 3 in 1 and I've been playing around with it for a while, but there's a few things that I haven't quite worked out so I was wondering whether anyone could help me =] Just for reference I'm using an Acekard 2.1 (black pcb) with AKAIO 1.3rc2+

1. Currently I run my GBA games by flashing them to NOR then running them from the NDS Menu (the one that has pictochat and everything). If I try run them any other way, be it running straight from the slot 1 or flashing to NOR then running from slot 2 via the AKAIO. I get a message saying 'no backup memory detected' (I'm playing Golden Sun). I was just wondering if there is any other way to run a GBA game other than what I have used above.

2. How do I use the Opera browser? Must I download a homebrew and load it onto my slot 1? I have heard the Opera browser is rather slow, if so are there any more preferable browser options out there?

3.In the 3 in 1 Expansion pack settings there is an option which says 'Dump SRAM', what does this exactly do?

4. Also in the 3 in 1 settings are 'Nor Mode', 'Backup GBA save at startup', 'Prompt before save/load', I know some of these are slightly self explanatory, but could someone confirm for me?

5. When I boot a game from the AKAIO (through NOR), it has 2 options; 'Boot in GBA mode, or 'Boot in NDS mode (passme). GBA mode works fine apart from the inability to save, except whenever I use NDS mode all I get is 2 white screens... Does anybody know exactly why?

 

[ShAdOwFuRi]

I'm really sorry about this double post, but this is driving me insane...

I've attempted to play GBA games (namely Golden Sun). I did so by flashing it to NOR then playing it as a GBA cartridge through the NDS menu. Then one day, for what reason I don't know, I decide to run it through AKAIO, and I find that I have to start a new game...

So I revert back to my original method and run the GBA game through the NDS menu, and still no save file...

Following this I get into my micro SD card and replace the save file with a backup I had earlier, the save file was called 'sram-2009-01-21-11-13-43', I'm guessing this is the incorrect save file because I flashed to NOR and not SRAM. Nevertheless, I don't see why running a GBA game through SRAM would cause it to delete my save file attributed to my NOR game.

Can someone please please please tell me the most efficient way of playing a GBA game that will not cause me to easily lose my save file?? I would be eternally grateful. Thanks in advance!!

P.S. Sorry if I just sounded like a complete noob, truth is I am when it comes to slot 2, so thanks for putting up with it.

 

[aphirst]

I've been pratting for the longest time. I'm starting to wonder, since Pokemon, Advance Wars, Golden Sun *just work* from NOR or PSRAM (obv. not for 32MB games), on a multitude of flashcarts: are some 3in1 units flawed? I can play and save Robotech, Minish Cap, Castlevania no problem. Advance Wars/Pokemon causes "save file has been deleted".

 

[how_do_i_do_that]

i play golden sun on the 3in1 all the time, got no issues. did you forget to manually dump your save from NOR mode?

 

[Smiths]

NDS mode is passme.
not needed for you.

 

[ShAdOwFuRi]

i play golden sun on the 3in1 all the time, got no issues. did you forget to manually dump your save from NOR mode?

What exactly is 'manually dump[ing] your save from NOR mode'?

 

[how_do_i_do_that]

there should be a Dump SRAM button to allow you to dump the save to a save file with a datestamp.

 

[ShAdOwFuRi]

Yep, I can see that, what does dumping this save file allow me to do? Also, is it only applicable if I flash to NOR? How do I save games if I play from SRAM? Or can I not?

 

[how_do_i_do_that]

you can pick up where you left of if you ended up changing the game in NOR or you can load it in VBA and play on the computer...blah blah blah, what else do you think a save file is good for. it is PSRAM not SRAM if your refering to the temporary load space.

you can also do it in PSRAM mode, this is mostly good to do in RPG games or games that save right before some event, etc.

 

[ShAdOwFuRi]

So in both PSRAM and NOR the save method is the same in that it is temporary and you need to dump it in order to create a permanent file?

In that case, why is it when I play in PSRAM mode Golden Sun will not let me save... it says 'no backup memory detected' or something along the lines of that...

 

[Evilmaster1985]

I hope you created this folder: GBA_SAV as the readme stated?

You can dump the sram to a sav file.

What I do myself is:
In PSRAM mode I press B

Then I press the R trigger.
And I press B again.

No mather where your rom was loaded PSRAM or NOR your sav should be backed up now.

Im not quite sure why golden sun refuses to run in PSRAM.
I might check out the trouble myself havent seen any games below 32 mb myself that have trouble running in PSRAM.
There is only 1 thing I can think of that can cause this problem.

Perhaps the PSRAM mode doesnt allow the game to acces sertain options of the 3-1?

Greetz, Vistabuser.

 

[how_do_i_do_that]

golden sun uses extra space than normal, run it in NOR mode. If you were using GBA Exploader, loading it into PSRAM is not a problem anymore.

 

[ShAdOwFuRi]

Ah ok, well I'm not using GBA Exploader so that could be why, is it advisable that I use it over the built in AKAIO 3 in 1 support?

Also, let's say I decide to flash a game to NOR then move the 3 in 1 to another DS as a standalone slot 2, what will happen to the save function in that case, will I simply not be able to save anymore?

 

[how_do_i_do_that]

it stays on the 3in1 until you overwrite it or the battery dies.

 

[ShAdOwFuRi]

So should I be running games on AKAIO or using GBA Exploader 0.58b?

 

[how_do_i_do_that]

If your gonna use AKAIO, your limited to when a new firmware will support a new 3in1, which is a few months after the release of the sourcecode. using the exploader your limited to a few weeks of release of the sourcecode to the new 3in1.

I find it better that the support for other hardware progress independent of the slot1 firmware, is best when you have more than 1 slot1 carts that are not the same. That way if your more of a GBA game player, you don't skip a beat when swapping between slot1 carts.

just stick to what seems better for you. If you prefer the integrated support, just wait for a new firmware, like many of those with a cyclods.

 

[Another World]

some of this was said already.. sorry for the recap.

if your 3-in-1 is a new 3-in-1+ the code in akaio might not work. it is the detection code as EZ released it, smiths just added it and changed nothing. if you recently ordered your 3-in-1 (last month or so) it might be a plus. see if it says anything on the box about 512MiB of ram (64MB), which would be the new 3-in-1.

if you use akaio just set it in the options to prompt on boot-up to back up your save. assuming your battery is fine, your save is stored in the sram. if you flash over game less than 17mb to psram that game is not stored when you power off the unit. the save for that game is stored if the battery is working. the next time you flash over a game that save file is overwritten unless you back it up and restore it. if you flash to NOR (anything up to 32mb -- 32mb is the GBA hardware limitation), your game will be stored and saved even after power off. nor has nothing to do with the battery, the battery is only for the sram which holds your save file. again the sram is shared between everything that wants to access it.

there are a hundred combinations of flashing, saving, playing which you could execute in any order. so it's easy to get confused and mess up a save. if you flash, play, save, reboot then back-up the save -- you won't run into a problem. when you flash over a game again or boot a game, akaio will ask if you want to restore that save file.

i found that heretic DS (passme rom) isn't working in anything after akaio 1.2 using the native passme code. for that game i'm using gba exploader. when in doubt use gba exploader. its nice to have native support but you can't expect it to work in every circumstance. keeping a second app on your msd for when akaio native support fails can't hurt!

if you have an old 3-in-1 you simply run opera and akaio will auto boot the ram. if you have the 3-in-1+ this feature was only recently found. the ram booting routines were not originally released. i think smiths has the code and it should be ported in already.

http://gbatemp.net/index.php?showtopic=126...p;#entry1719056

read this as well for some information on getting the 3rd option in gba exploader on acekards: http://gbatemp.net/index.php?showtopic=124086

Also in the 3 in 1 settings are 'Nor Mode', 'Backup GBA save at startup', 'Prompt before save/load', I know some of these are slightly self explanatory, but could someone confirm for me?

nor mode means when you flash over a rom it flashes to nor mode everytime. auto lets akaio pick based on file size. so smaller stuff goes to psram.
back up gba save on start up, will prompt you to back up your gba save when you start up akaio.
prompt before save/load does what it says. if you don't turn this off it will automatically save/load your gba saves. but what if you played and don't want to store that save? then you better have prompting turned on.

-another world

 

[Ballistic]

Sorry for mixing more questions in the thread, so if my EZ Flash 3-in-1 has 128 Mb of ram, does it mean it's the new one?

 

[Another World]

thats the number for your psram. it should say on the box that its expandable to 256mb of ram.

256MiB / 8 = 32MB.

that is an old kit.

-another world

 

[Ballistic]

Odd, 128 are the only numbers on the package box besides the 3-in-1. :x