Hacking Freeze at Health Screen

[Jahebi]

So I'm getting the exact same issue as in this video or pretty much about the same problem as this thread only a little worse.

I just got this in the mail today, and it worked once or twice, though first time only tested to see if the card would actually work and hence didn't install the firmware. 2nd time around I did install the firmware but I didn't format it before installation so I got a FAT error once I tried booting a game. After I formatted it, put everything where it should be and was ready to go, it just started freezing at Health Screen. As demonstrated in the video, it's not the microSD that's the problem, as the same thing happens whether I have the microSD in or not. I tried all the paper tricks I could (minus the last one, since I'm using a DS Phat) but to no avail. Not sure what I should do but to ask for a replacement.

I know my DS Phat isn't the problem, as Retail Games still work. As a little bit of history though I had an M3DS Real that used to work but alas has died I guess. I have no other DS to test on.

 

[notmeanymore]

Tried turning auto-start off in the DS options? Might need to reflash the latest firmware to your cartridge. (I understand that would be a pain considering you'd need another flash cart to do it.)

Just to be absolutely clear, when you say you installed the firmware are you referring to akmenu4.nds or something like ak2ifw_update_3ds40_dsi144_onDSL.nds

 

[Deleted-236924]

I could pretty much guarantee it is a contact issue of some sorts.

 

[Jahebi]

Tried turning auto-start off in the DS options? Might need to reflash the latest firmware to your cartridge. (I understand that would be a pain considering you'd need another flash cart to do it.)

It's not on Auto-Start, it's on manual.

Just to be absolutely clear, when you say you installed the firmware are you referring to akmenu4.nds or something like ak2ifw_update_3ds40_dsi144_onDSL.nds

akmenu4.nds

If it's a contact issue, I'm unsure why none of the Contact Solutions worked.

 

[Another World]

its either a seating issue of the msd card or a contact issue. contact issue fixes need to be dialed in. if you use a bit of paper to thick you will end up causing more problems. i've found that paper about the thickness of a phonebook page works the best. you can always add a second slice if needed.

-another world

 

[Jahebi]

Seating issue? Interesting, never heard of that before. I doubt it's anything to do with the microSD though because as stated before this problem persists without a microSD in.
And how much would using something thicker than a phonebook page screw things up more? I used something about the thickness of a business card for the TK Paper Trick, so I'm wondering now if that just screwed things up some more...
Also tried with phonebook pages. No luck there.

EDIT: I'm just considering getting a different Flash Card. I don't think I'll be able to fix whatever's wrong since I've done everything to try to fix it. I don't think the guys that I ordered this from would accept returns, and even then I don't want to get a replacement for something that may well break so easily like mine did. I'm disappointed though that this issue was not at all mentioned in the review on this site (or at least not that I remember), especially since it seems so prevelant.
I'm considering a CycloDS, since a guy that I knew had one and said they had a reputation for being durable.

 

[Another World]

i've found two problems with thicker paper. the first is that it can push the contacts to high and cause a different type of contact issue. the second is that it is possible to bend the contact pins inside to slot. for these reasons i always use very thin paper and build it up slowly until i dial in the fix for that specific card.

the ak2i is a wonderful card and has a great kernel, the only problem is the contact issue. that issue wasn't always there, which is why it is not in the review. my first ak2i is probably over 2 yrs old and it works great. i have more recent cards that unfortunately all have contact issues. it is a sad pill to swallow because of how great AKAIO is.

you could try to swap your card for a working one. all acekard products have a 1 yr warranty. try [email protected].

if you get a different card please stay away from the cyclods. they have been dead as a team for over a year. they no longer support their cards. the cyclods will work on the ds lite and the ievo for the dsi/3ds. however, there are no updates to make the ievo run on the new ds firmwares.

i would recommend to you the r4idsn or the r4i gold.cn. they are from the same team. the cards are wonderful, have great support, and run the wood firmware (which is pretty much an equivalent to AKAIO).

-another world

 

[Jahebi]

Hmm...if that's the case then I have no choice but to get a replacement on the 2i. From what I've heard though R4s don't have the best durability, so I'm inclined to stay away from those. Thanks for the email, because I figure from what I've been doing I've probably accidentally broken it in the process...

 

[Another World]

the original r4 is built like a tank. even the 1:1 clones of it which are still manufactured are built to last for years. however they only work on the ds phat/lite and have a 2 gb limitation. the r4idsn and r4i gold.cn are based on the ak2i actel chip design. they are extremely well built and highly supported. they are the only two r4 "clones" to have official wood kernel support. i can't recommend them enough.

pretty much everything else is based on the ak2i or the dstt, and/or are a clone of a clone. i would stress to you to avoid all other cards with "r4" in their name.

there is also the super card ds2 to consider. a bit more expensive but it is a really fun kit to own. it has things like real time save, in-game guide, slow motion, real time cheat maker, exclusive homebrew (gba, snes, atari, dos, etc, emulation), and more. be sure to check it out.

-another world

 

[Jahebi]

Man, you sold me until you mentioned the 2gb limit. Also forgot to mention this but they aren't fully compatible with Pokemon Black 2 apparently so that's a definite bust for me.
Also the Acekard RPG looks pretty nice and sturdy, if that model is still in production I'd like to get my hands on it. If not the SuperCard DSTWO looks pretty nice...

 

[Another World]

the flash kit really has nothing to do with it, it is how the software is coded. the wood kernel has been updated to support the new pokemon game.

i talk to yellow wood goblin often. i alone have exclusive rights to release the wood kernel to the internet. i know what he is capable of as a coder and i can safely say that he isn't going to stop releasing updates until ds-mode games stop being produced.

don't believe all the rumors or conversations found on the internet. if you find a game that isn't supported make a report of it in the r4 section and he will most likely release a fix.

the rpg is no longer produced, but what you said is correct, it is one of the best built flash kits i have ever used. the main issues with it was the solder points of the mini usb connector and the integrity of the internal 1GB NAND. i personally have never had an issue with either but i do know people who did. in most cases the NAND can be fixed with a simple reformat. at this point there isn't much use for the NAND besides internal storage. accessing the kernel on the msd has been a feature of wood for a long time. there is also direct-to-sd saving so the save file is no longer written to the nand first. if you can track down an rpg, you would probably really enjoy it, thanks to the wood kernel. the rpg is again limited to the ds phat/lite, there is no way to get it working on the dsi/3ds.

your decision at this point should be compatibility vs. features. with AKAIO you get a 100% homebrew compatibility and i would argue around a 99% ROM compatibility. AKAIO isn't updated as often as it once was but we are so near the end of the ds life cycle that it doesn't really matter. Wood had a compatibility which is pretty even with AKAIO. i can't speak about the homebrew compatibility because i haven't beta tested with Wood as much as i have with AKAIO. but i can tell you that YWG and normmatt share code, so i would expect the compatibility to be equal. also, Wood is continually updated so future ROMs will most likely always receive a fix. the SCDS2 has issues with a few homebrew projects (stuff heavy on the ARM7, etc) but a very high ROM compatibility. the team is extremely active and they keep both their software and the cards bootloader up-to-date. the only real disappointment with the card is the exclusive homebrew, such as the gba and snes emulators. the dev kit for the on-board cpu isn't that great and there have been few updates to these exclusive projects. but, that isn't to say that they aren't enjoyable.

as for features, you can get most of the facts out of our reviews. if features are your thing then grab a SCDS2, you'll love what it can do. AKAIO and Wood keep it simple but provide the gaming features one would expect. these include Anti-piracy patching, ROM/Homebrew soft-reset, cheats, WIFI updates (loaders, cheats, etc), skinning support, ROM sorting features, etc.

if you have any specific questions, let me know. i've been doing this for awhile and i am happy to help.

-another world

 

[Jahebi]

Ah, judging by reviews, it turns out that the bad rep I was hearing about the R4s was about the R4 DS. The Gold actually looks pretty good, and from what I've seen Wood and AKAIO are practically the same so I'd be right at home, although I'd like to know which of those two firmwares is better since on ShopTemp they show that there's an AKAIO version of the R4i Gold (although I'm seeing no information even on their official site that such feature exists). Also I'd like to know if the sticking issue found with the Gold would affect the Phat; the review mentioned all DS models except the Phat so I'd like to know if that would be an issue if I chose to go with that model.

Ah, bad GBA compatibility? Then it's a no sale for me on the SCDS2. Guess I didn't read into that part too well on the review

 

[Another World]

the r4 review on the temp is VERY old. it is extremely outdated. it was done when the cart was fairly new. the cart saw a great bit of support after that review and most (if not all) of the issues were addressed. fast-forward to now, and wood does things we never expected the r4 to do. so again, don't put much stock in old reviews. use them as a reference point and then conduct further research.

SCDS2 GBA compatibility is really good, but it isn't perfect. consider that its emulation running via slot-1, something that was once said to be impossible. on your phat the only way you can play gba would be to get a 3in1 gba sized cart or a dedicated slot-2 flash kit. with that in mind, the few games that won't work on the SCDS2 become less of an issue.

of all the handhelds i have there isn't a single one that can emulate 100% of a systems games. even the psp official ps1 emulator has issues with a few games. this is something to keep in mind. =)

there is no AKAIO port for the r4i gold. there is a 1-off build of akaio for the r4 ultra. this was by request of team acekard as the r4 ultra is their own clone of the ak2i. designed, developed, and manufactured by them. akaio is no longer released for it, so don't buy one expecting akaio support.

the r4i gold.cn sticking issue never really affected me on the lite. it stuck a bit on the dsi. the team said that they have fixed the issue, but i have not double checked with any of the sample carts i received. it isn't a huge issue, you just need to eject the card with care. keep in mind that pretty much all flash kits have some issue or another, be it build issues, software issues, compatibility issues, support issues, etc. so don't expect to find 1 perfect card that has 0 issues, just make sure the issues the card has are minor. like taking an extra second to eject a card is pretty minor when everything else about it is near perfect (including the software support).

-another world

 

[Jahebi]

Eh, I might as well go for the R4 since I'm most familiar with Wood already, any recommended resellers?
Also I have the Phat version of this of course, but would you say this counts as a dedicated slot-2 flash kit? If so, will it work with an R4? I'm guessing it will since when I used Wood with my M3DS Real it still worked but I'd like to make sure.

 

[Another World]

the official build of wood only supports the 3in1. wood all-in-one was made for the m3, from what i recall, and whoever made it may have incorporated m3 adapter support.

i can't recommend any resellers but make sure you get the card with the right web site address on it. there are many "r4i gold" flash kits, but only one that is supported by wood.

-another world

 

[Jahebi]

...so I'd have to buy another expansion pack then...
You mean it doesn't natively support Wood? That's weird, any advice on that?

Also, a bit of an odd thing; I tried using my M3DS Real again and after heating it, the DS and the microSD (by quite literally blowing on it) it started working again. Now I'm wondering if, much like the contact issue for the Acekard 2i, if this is something that can be fixed as well. It'd save me the trouble at least of having to buy a new Flash Card again...

 

[Another World]

wood can flash .gba files from slot-1 to a 3in1 expansion pack in slot-2. so wood supports the 3in1, not the other way around. but with that said, you can also use the homebrew gba exploader to accomplish the same task from any slot-1 flash kit.

wasn't the m3ds real abandoned by the m3 team? with the r4i gold.cn and wood you get much better support and current rom fixes.

-another world

 

[Jahebi]

I know it was, but even without an update to Wood for M3 for over a year, Pokemon Black 2 is actually working as expected so I don't mind that it's not supported by the team anymore really. For that reason I'd like to know if what's going on with my M3DS Real is some sort of contact issue as well or else a similar physical issue.

Also, is it really called the R4i Gold.cn? The .cn there doesn't seem like it'd be the name of a product as much as the name of their address.

 

[Another World]

there is a .com website team and a .cn team. the card wood supports is by the .cn team. so we refer to it as the r4i gold.cn.

-another world

 

[Jahebi]

Oh, interesting, I'll have to look into that in case my M3 dies again...

...and speaking of that, I take it you have no idea what's wrong with my M3