Hacking leetmod R4 issue

[HotShotAzn]

Hello,

Long time lurker, first time poster.

I bought my daughter an R4 clone a year and a half ago. It stopped working (surprise) mid last year. Basically, the DS stopped recognizing the card. When we turned it on, it did not "see" that there was a card in the slot.

I tried the "paper" method to perhaps force the contacts closer but that did not work. I ended up buying a R4 from leetmod earlier this year. I knew about fakes and clones but didn't realize that no more R4's were in the wild. However, I googled the poo out of leetmod and they checked out ok. I got the R4 and looked it over. If this is a clone, it doesn't show it from the outside.

Same problem persist. Using a 2 GB Sandisk with the latest FW 1.18 and I can not get the DS to see the card. Anything I can do? And yes, regular games DO work in there.

 

[OneUp]

Can you try cleaning the contacts? I've had my real R4 not recognized at times, but usually this was cleared up by cleaning the contacts some.

 

[XWolf]

Same microSD card being used n the new one as well? Try another microSD card... Also, try another microSD card reader, I had what I thought was an Acekard fail turn out to be the shoddy reader corrupting data.

 

[zeromac]

The easiyest solution!
Blow into the slot in the DS where the card normally goes and also blow onto the gold bits at the bottom of the R4.
What this does is uses your saliva from your mouth (that is transfered while blowing) to create a circuit between the cart and DS

 

[HotShotAzn]

Hello,

1) we've tried, with the old card, some success at blowing in both the cartridge and the ds. I also used a contact cleaning pen and it didn't help.
2) I've tried two different SD cards (both Sandisk) with two different PC's on two different OS, same results.
3) Regular DS games do load though.

Any other suggestions?

 

[XWolf]

The easiyest solution!
Blow into the slot in the DS where the card normally goes and also blow onto the gold bits at the bottom of the R4.
What this does is uses your saliva from your mouth (that is transfered while blowing) to create a circuit between the cart and DS

AAAARRRGGGHHHH!!!!!!

Are you crazy? Same saliva will eventually kill the card and the DS! I saw no end of SNES carts destroyed by the famous "Blow into the slot" trick!

 

[House Spider]

Don't blow into the contacts. That only seemed to work on my GBA and it broke WarioWare Touched! for the DS.

 

[twiztidsinz]

The easiyest solution!
Blow into the slot in the DS where the card normally goes and also blow onto the gold bits at the bottom of the R4.
What this does is uses your saliva from your mouth (that is transfered while blowing) to create a circuit between the cart and DS

AAAARRRGGGHHHH!!!!!!

Are you crazy? Same saliva will eventually kill the card and the DS! I saw no end of SNES carts destroyed by the famous "Blow into the slot" trick!

The whole "breathing on contacts/cards will destroy them" is a myth that to the best of my knowledge was started/used by used game shops that didn't want to buy NES carts -- at least that's where I and my friends first heard it from anyway.

Unless you drool when you talk/breathe, you're NOT getting saliva on the card... it's the water vapor air naturally has in it (ever notice condensation on the windows?).

Also there are different ways of blowing that will make a difference...
If you blow with an open mouthed "huuuuh", like you're fogging a mirror, you'll get more water since it's hot and humid air you're blowing slowly.
But if you blow with a closed mouth "pffffff", like you were trying to blow the dust out, it's relatively cooler and dryer since the air isn't lingering.
If you don't believe me, blow on your palms, one in each way, then press it to your cheek. One will feel warm wet, the other cool and dry.
For evidence, all I can say is... I have NES games and consoles that I've used the "Nintendo Trick" on since I first got it new, and they all still work and aren't rusted.

 

[HotShotAzn]

Besides blowing into it, does anybody else have a suggestion?

 

[twiztidsinz]

Besides blowing into it, does anybody else have a suggestion?

My only other suggestion would be to try it in a different DS.
If the other DS can read it, then try the 'paper trick' but with a piece of tape on the bottom side of the card opposite the contacts.
I would try it with a low stick tape, like some masking tape first just to see if that will work, then replace it with sticky, clear tape.