Flash firmware on DS Lite

[Ondrashek06]

Is it possible to somehow update or flash the firmware present on a DS Lite or is it on some sort of non-erasable ROM chip?

 

[KleinesSinchen]

There is not much to gain.
Installing FlashMe can get rid of the Health&Safety screen as well as some obstacles not important anymore (DS game loading from SLOT-2 devices, disable signature checks for Download play).

 

[4d1xlaan]

if you like messing with stuff you can replace the firmware entirely if you want, with like creebome or fwnitro

creebome is very barebones, with just 3 buttons to load slot 1, load slot 2, or load slot 2 in ds mode, but fwnitro has some functionality that official firmware doesnt have (in exchange for losing pictochat and with less friendly ui)

there isn't really an advantage to doing this, you can do everything you'd want with official firmware + a ds flashcart, but it's cool if you're into that kind of thing

 

[rvtr]

You can always change the firmware, but
BE CAREFUL!

Before you flash anything, dump your firmware. Your original firmware has a small region of data specific to your wifi board. It is entirely unique and can't be reproduced. YOU NEED TO BACK IT UP. See below:

Fixing Wireless Communications​

Each firmware copy contains WiFi board specific data that lets it connect wirelessly. This data cannot be moved from one WiFi board to another, or you will be unable to connect online or in multiplayer games. To solve this, we will back up the original data and copy it over to the new firmware we’ll be flashing.

1. Dump your DS firmware with DSBF_dump.nds. (use a flashcart for this)
2. Open the dumped firmware in a hex editor. It will be called something like "FWD7F1EE.BIN", and is found on the root of your flashcart SD card.
3. Select offset 0x2A to 0x1FF and copy it.

4. Open the new firmware in the hex editor.
5. Select offset 0x2A to 0x1FF on the new firmware and paste the data from before.
6. Save and overwrite the edited firmware.

If you ignore this and overwrite that data without a backup, you will never be able to do local play or online ever again without replacing the wifi board entirely. There are only so many replacements out there so be careful.

 

[Ondrashek06]

You can always change the firmware, but
BE CAREFUL!

Before you flash anything, dump your firmware. Your original firmware has a small region of data specific to your wifi board. It is entirely unique and can't be reproduced. YOU NEED TO BACK IT UP. See below:



If you ignore this and overwrite that data without a backup, you will never be able to do local play or online ever again without replacing the wifi board entirely. There are only so many replacements out there so be careful.

Well, all DS parts are super-hard to get nowadays. I tried looking for a replacement battery and almost everything I found was a bootleg, and I don't think that I'll be able to find a wifi module under the cost of just purchasing another DS.

So thank you for the instructions.

 

[Marc_LFD]

There is not much to gain.
Installing FlashMe can get rid of the Health&Safety screen as well as some obstacles not important anymore (DS game loading from SLOT-2 devices, disable signature checks for Download play).

An OG DS has more to gain from a firmware update, but even that can be done through a flashcart, i.e., increase the brightness.

Mine only has on and off, though I'm very satisfied with the quality of the screen and its brightness and any brighter it'd just probably be too excessive.

Post automatically merged: Jun 3, 2024

Well, all DS parts are super-hard to get nowadays. I tried looking for a replacement battery and almost everything I found was a bootleg, and I don't think that I'll be able to find a wifi module under the cost of just purchasing another DS.

So thank you for the instructions.

Not necessarily hard, but it'd cost you the price of a used or for parts (whether untested or somewhat broken) and yeah, it wouldn't be worth it.

Luckily DSes are cheap unlike the original GBA, GBA SP 001 / 101, and GBA Micro. There were plenty of them made so the price and demand isn't that high (same could be said for the original GBA + GBA SP 001 except these go for more for some reason.. nostalgia I guess).