Hacking Help Getting EFA-Linker 256 Mb to work in a VM

[Tylor Lilley]

Hello all.

I recently dug up my old purple 256 Mb EFA-Linker and have been trying to get it installed correctly for the better half of the day now. I will spare you the details of this adventure except what you need to know:

I have a laptop running Windows 7. Having read about how the linker only works on computers with Windows XP, opted to go the Virtual Machine route via VirtualBox. As such I followed this tutorial: http://gbatemp.net/threads/using-virtualbox-to-manage-legacy-gba-flashcarts.275407/

I slowly figured my way through setting up VirtualBox using an old disk of Windows XP. I think that part is working now. The next hurdle was finding and installing the correct drivers for the EFA-Linker. I think I did that part correctly too, as I did the two separate installs and pointed them to the right files in the right folders that came with the software download. Now I get a green light on the linker when it is plugged in (I used Version 1.0, the EFA "Simple" version of the software after first trying the later versions which did not work). But for some reason when I run the client that came with it, it just keeps saying "No card found".

I deleted and re-setup the VM, the drivers, and the software each a few times, to no avail. I'm really kind of stuck at this point, and after reading countless posts on the forum, I was not able to find any with a situation that matched mine, and broke down and decided to try posting here.

Does anybody have any idea what might be the casue of this? Anything I'm missing? I would be in your debt forever.

Thanks.

 

[macmanhigh]

Only thing i can think of is Enabling the Device in VM like this

I've had this problem with other USB devices i try to run in VM(like my Vita that Win7 wasnt picking up)

Make sure its enabled BEFORE running ur desired OS in VM not while running it.......U should be able to highlight the Boot OS in VM menu and click settings or so and make sure the USB device is checked in

 

[how_do_i_do_that]

You can only add HID compliant usb devices from the menu there. ALL NON-HID compliant devices are added in the USB device filter list.

 

[Tylor Lilley]

You can only add HID compliant usb devices from the menu there. ALL NON-HID compliant devices are added in the USB device filter list.

I did add the USB device in that list, in just the way the tutorial you posted (and I linked to the the first post) said to. Was that incorrect?

Is there any piece of information I have not provided that might be a factor here? Because I couldn't think of anymore.

 

[how_do_i_do_that]

Depends on what purple cart you got. There were 2 versions of the board that used 2 different drivers. The real EFA flashcart, which had RTC, has EFA printed on the back of the PCB board. The other one, which didn't have RTC, which the majority have now basically have the LC printed on the back of the PCB.

The ones with LC printed on the back use the simple client.

The drivers and game manager can be found on filetrip for both versions.

 

[Tylor Lilley]

I just checked, it has LC printed on the back. This makes sense, as I was only getting it to install the drivers when I was using the simple drivers/client (EFA v1.0). But after installing the drivers (supposedly successfully), the client EFA_Client.exe still just says "No Card Found" whenever I run it or click Search. Maybe I'm using the client wrong?

I know this cart works, as I used in when I was younger, and it still runs the roms it has loaded on it from way back then just fine. I just can't seem to get the client to notice it so I can swap them out for some different games.

 

[how_do_i_do_that]

No, it means the Virtualbox server (This is VBoxSVC.exe) needs to be restarted in this case. You will have to close out Virtualbox and unplug the EFA flashcart. Plug the EFA flashcart back in only AFTER you restarted virtualbox server is restarted.

Sometime it might mean you will need to restart your computer because the host system didn't release the USB device to be available to the Virtualbox usb stack.

 

[Hanafuda]

I just checked, it has LC printed on the back. This makes sense, as I was only getting it to install the drivers when I was using the simple drivers/client (EFA v1.0). But after installing the drivers (supposedly successfully), the client EFA_Client.exe still just says "No Card Found" whenever I run it or click Search. Maybe I'm using the client wrong?

I know this cart works, as I used in when I was younger, and it still runs the roms it has loaded on it from way back then just fine. I just can't seem to get the client to notice it so I can swap them out for some different games.

It's a long shot, but try cleaning the mini-USB port on the cart, as well as both ends of the cable itself, with some contact cleaner. I was having trouble with my EFA with it hanging mid-write, and contact cleaner fixed it right up. The stuff ain't cheap ... I just bought a can at Radio Shack (labeled Electronics Cleaner, in a spray can with a tiny red straw) for about $13. But it lasts a long time, and has lots of other uses too. It's a wonder fix for old game carts with dirty contacts, and it fixed my 'corrupt' N64 controller pak too.

Don't buy the stuff that includes lubricant, i.e. oil.

Good luck. Sorry I can't help with the Windows 7 / VM issue ... I still have an XP machine.

 

[Tylor Lilley]

No, it means the Virtualbox server (This is VBoxSVC.exe) needs to be restarted in this case. You will have to close out Virtualbox and unplug the EFA flashcart. Plug the EFA flashcart back in only AFTER you restarted virtualbox server is restarted.

Sometime it might mean you will need to restart your computer because the host system didn't release the USB device to be available to the Virtualbox usb stack.

I tried the above, including restarting my computer. Still no luck. I'm almost positive this is a problem with VirtualBox not letting the VM see the USB drive anymore after it is installed for some reason, and not the EFA-Linker drivers/software itself. I even tried restarting the computer, deleting the VM and starting the whole thing from scratch and it didn't work still. I don't get it. :/

 

[how_do_i_do_that]

If your motherboard uses a VIA usb controller or a Nvidia usb controller you might have issues.

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A lot of AMD based systems use VIA controllers even now.

 

[Tylor Lilley]

My laptop is a Toshiba Satellite P755 With an Intel CORE i7 inside. Some research also reveals that it comes with 1 USB 3.0 slot and three that aren't. I'm not sure what that means or if it would have any effect, and even after doing some research I cannot figure out how to find out whether my system is AMD based or if its motherboard uses a VIA or Nvidia USB controller, but that's a definite possibility.

If it turns out that it does, does this mean using the EFA-Linker with a virtual machine like this simply won't work, or does it just mean there's some other step I need to do to get around that?

Thanks for all your help so far, I really appreciate it.

 

[how_do_i_do_that]

Do you have the VirtualBox Extension Pack installed?



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If your using the open source version of virtualbox, that version has no usb support.

 

[Tylor Lilley]

Do you have the VirtualBox Extension Pack installed?

I do. When I was following your tutorial and I went to click on the check box next to "Enable USB 2.0 (EHCI) Controller Under Settings -> USB, it complained at me to go download the VirtualBox Extension Pack from Oracle, which I then did. This was before the system reboots and stuff, too, so there shouldn't be any problem there.

 

[how_do_i_do_that]

The only other thing that would cause an issue for you is the windows OS itself. Windows 7 support for virtualization is with professional and ultimate versions. All other versions have this disabled.

Your other choice is to try using another another VM app like VMware.

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On the windows XP side, the drivers work on SP2 or lower only. The SP3 changes the way drivers work.

 

[Tylor Lilley]

The only other thing that would cause an issue for you is the windows OS itself. Windows 7 support for virtualization is with professional and ultimate versions. All other versions have this disabled.

Your other choice is to try using another another VM app like VMware.

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On the windows XP side, the drivers work on SP2 or lower only. The SP3 changes the way drivers work.

That could very well be the problem, as I have the professional home version of Windows 7. I will try using another VM app and get back to you.