Load rom errcode=-1 on 3DS r4 with YSMenu

[damnitdinkles]

Hi- I'm definitely an amateur fiddler with the r4's, emulators, and ROMS, so when I encounter a problem I usually just come here. I've mostly been using my DS exclusively for running GBA games, so I haven't tried to boot any of the DS games saved on the card since January. I went to boot one this evening and it prompts me to create a save file goes and when I clicked yes, it loaded and then said;

[Rom loading failure]
load rom errcode=-1
Please reset system

I did some basic googling to see what was up and got mostly older threads back from 2011-ish explaining it was a timebomb and updating the kernel should fix it (specifically in YSMenu's case, which is what I'm using). I believe I have the most updated one (I have the RetroGameFan Multi Cart Update v7.06 from the "R4i-SDHC YSMenu". It allowed me to boot the games back in January which was the last time I fiddles with anything internally on the card since getting the GBA emulator to work.

Because I know it will be asked, this is the card I'm currently using;

I went to the RetroGameFan Updates/Releases thread just in case and this time around instead of installing the Multi Cart, I clicked on the "R4i-SDHC" spoiler tab and clicked on R4i SDHC Revolution (v2.07 kernel) to download. When I ran the r4, it only gave me a white screen.

I deleted this and reinstalled the one I originally had from the RetroGameFan Multicart's "R4i-SDHC YSMenu" folder. I was able to access the menu, but when I try to boot the DS roms, I still receive the error- though ROMs run through the GBARunner and Lameboy emulator both run just fine.

Any assistance you have would be great, I am not experienced enough to know if this is solely a timebomb issue or if something else is going on.

bump

 

[Pk11]

Hmm, maybe try backing everything up, reformatting with SD Formatter, and copying everything back and see if that helps.

Could maybe also be a bad ROM, I'm not sure exactly what error -1 is... Can check the hash against no-intro's checksums to see, though if everything isn't working then that's rather odd. I think YSMenu also has issues with some ROM hacks so could be that too if you're trying to play ROM hacks, if that's the case then using nds-bootstrap from TWiLight Menu++ would probably be the only fix.

 

[damnitdinkles]

Hmm, maybe try backing everything up, reformatting with SD Formatter, and copying everything back and see if that helps.

Could maybe also be a bad ROM, I'm not sure exactly what error -1 is... Can check the hash against no-intro's checksums to see, though if everything isn't working then that's rather odd. I think YSMenu also has issues with some ROM hacks so could be that too if you're trying to play ROM hacks, if that's the case then using nds-bootstrap from TWiLight Menu++ would probably be the only fix.

Thanks so much! I did check this against about 10 different ROMS, so I doubt it is ROM specific and rather that it's having a problem booting any of the DS games. I had previously used the SD Formatter, so I backed up everything and reformatted it again, and extracted the RetroGameFan Multi Cart Update v7.06 from the "R4i-SDHC YSMenu" folder again.

I copied the emulators and the games in as well and tested the DS Games, however received the same error as before;

[Rom loading failure]
load rom errcode=-1
Please reset system

Both emulators appear to be working and booting games. As I mentioned in my post, when I googled this particular errcode, the majority of the posts I found were from the early 2010s and it seemed to be related to the timebomb problem, and all answers gave that updating the kernel for the YSMenu would fix this. I did try changing the date and time on the 3DS but it did not appear to fix the problem.

I will attempt using TWiLight Menu++ and report back.

 

[damnitdinkles]

Hmm, maybe try backing everything up, reformatting with SD Formatter, and copying everything back and see if that helps.

Could maybe also be a bad ROM, I'm not sure exactly what error -1 is... Can check the hash against no-intro's checksums to see, though if everything isn't working then that's rather odd. I think YSMenu also has issues with some ROM hacks so could be that too if you're trying to play ROM hacks, if that's the case then using nds-bootstrap from TWiLight Menu++ would probably be the only fix.

So I formatted it and clicked the link and downloaded the "TWiLightMenu-Flashcard.7z" and followed the link's directions step by step. However when I get to Step 7 and turn on the DS and open the R4 card, it is the problem I was running into when I was trying to fix the emulator issue I was having back in January- both the top and bottom screen go blank and white, except for the top screen which also has a red outline of a MicroSD card and "? MENU" inside the card and will not allow me to access anything on the card.

 

[Pk11]

So I formatted it and clicked the link and downloaded the "TWiLightMenu-Flashcard.7z" and followed the link's directions step by step. However when I get to Step 7 and turn on the DS and open the R4 card, it is the problem I was running into when I was trying to fix the emulator issue I was having back in January- both the top and bottom screen go blank and white, except for the top screen which also has a red outline of a MicroSD card and "? MENU" inside the card and will not allow me to access anything on the card.

Did you copy everything from the Autoboot -> R4i-SDHC, r4isdhc.com cards 2014+, R4i SDHC Upgrade Revolution, R4DSiXL3D, R4i Advance, R4-IIIi, R4 SDHC Revolution, R4(i) Pocket, R4i Gold (v1.4.1) (3DS) & R4xDS folder to the root of your flashcard's SD card?

The flashcard needs a _BOOT_DS.NDS file (and probably TTMenu.dat) to boot or it'll show that error, this can either be YSMenu or TWiLight Menu++'s file depending on which you want to load on boot but it'll need one of those.

 

[damnitdinkles]

Did you copy everything from the Autoboot -> R4i-SDHC, r4isdhc.com cards 2014+, R4i SDHC Upgrade Revolution, R4DSiXL3D, R4i Advance, R4-IIIi, R4 SDHC Revolution, R4(i) Pocket, R4i Gold (v1.4.1) (3DS) & R4xDS folder to the root of your flashcard's SD card?

The flashcard needs a _BOOT_DS.NDS file (and probably TTMenu.dat) to boot or it'll show that error, this can either be YSMenu or TWiLight Menu++'s file depending on which you want to load on boot but it'll need one of those.

I found a youtube video and realized a huge step I was missing was running the TWLMenu++ on the CONSOLE'S SD card, not the SD card that goes into the R4.

Unfortunately, neither the step-by-step nor the video detail how to run it, or rather what specifically to copy from the TWLMenu++ folder to where? on the SC card used for the console itself, especially given I've never messed around with the Console's SD card.

Do I create a new folder at the root, or should it be nested within the Nintendo 3DS folder?

 

[Pk11]

I found a youtube video and realized a huge step I was missing was running the TWLMenu++ on the CONSOLE'S SD card, not the SD card that goes into the R4.

Unfortunately, neither the step-by-step nor the video detail how to run it, or rather what specifically to copy from the TWLMenu++ folder to where? on the SC card used for the console itself, especially given I've never messed around with the Console's SD card.

Do I create a new folder at the root, or should it be nested within the Nintendo 3DS folder?

If you don't have CFW on your console then you shouldn't be messing with your console's SD card at all, that's only used for a couple bonus features if you have CFW and want the benefits of CFW and flashcard at the same time. You can simply ignore step 7 entirely if you don't have CFW, that should probably be made a bit more clear in the guide...

If you do have CFW, then see the 3DS installation guide for how to install the console SD side: https://wiki.ds-homebrew.com/twilightmenu/installing-3ds

 

[damnitdinkles]

If you don't have CFW on your console then you shouldn't be messing with your console's SD card at all, that's only used for a couple bonus features if you have CFW and want the benefits of CFW and flashcard at the same time. You can simply ignore step 7 entirely if you don't have CFW, that should probably be made a bit more clear in the guide...

If you do have CFW, then see the 3DS installation guide for how to install the console SD side: https://wiki.ds-homebrew.com/twilightmenu/installing-3ds

Ah- Okay, no, I do not have an CFW, I was aiming to not have to if I can help it. I moved on to the next step for adding the Autoboot's folder to the root and that got it wo0rking.

I was able to navigate and click on the ROM I added for NDS, but it goes to a white screen that has a white picture of a MicroSD card outlined in black that says "NDS-BOOTSTRAP" and then in red underneath "An error has occurred."

I was able to run both GBC and GBA ROMS, but did notice that it didn't load my save file for the GBA ROM I ran (I put it in a "save" folder like it instructed but will try keeping the save in the same location as the ROM and see if that works. I'm also going to put a few more NDS ROMS on it and run the test again because I only bothered to copy one while making sure the menu would even boot.

 

[Pk11]

Ah- Okay, no, I do not have an CFW, I was aiming to not have to if I can help it. I moved on to the next step for adding the Autoboot's folder to the root and that got it wo0rking.

I was able to navigate and click on the ROM I added for NDS, but it goes to a white screen that has a white picture of a MicroSD card outlined in black that says "NDS-BOOTSTRAP" and then in red underneath "An error has occurred."

I was able to run both GBC and GBA ROMS, but did notice that it didn't load my save file for the GBA ROM I ran (I put it in a "save" folder like it instructed but will try keeping the save in the same location as the ROM and see if that works. I'm also going to put a few more NDS ROMS on it and run the test again because I only bothered to copy one while making sure the menu would even boot.

nds-bootstrap's compatibility isn't amazing in "B4DS mode" (when it's running from a flashcard), so it's very possible the game you tried just isn't compatible yet. It's generally better to either use a flashcard kernel or nds-bootstrap from CFW, see the compatibility list for more info, "Retail & DSiWare ROMs (Flashcard in DS mode)" table.

Unfortunately I'm not really sure why YSMenu isn't working... Hopefully someone else with more ideas sees this

 

[damnitdinkles]

nds-bootstrap's compatibility isn't amazing in "B4DS mode" (when it's running from a flashcard), so it's very possible the game you tried just isn't compatible yet. It's generally better to either use a flashcard kernel or nds-bootstrap from CFW, see the compatibility list for more info, "Retail & DSiWare ROMs (Flashcard in DS mode)" table.

Unfortunately I'm not really sure why YSMenu isn't working... Hopefully someone else with more ideas sees this

Hopefully someone is able to share some info for the YSMenu solution. It's getting late on my end and I have work, but I was able to previously run the DS ROMS when I was trying to get the GBARunner to work back in January- I even have the save files to prove it. So I'm wondering if something about the emulators is messing up the ability to boot the DS ROMS. I'll try formatting it again tomorrow and testing the DS games without the emulators and see if they run.

I added about 20 DS ROMS to the SD Card with the TWiLight Menu++ to see if it was all of them again, or just a couple bad ROMS. 1/4 to 1/3 of them displayed an icon and were able to run- some of which were not running previously when I tested them with the YSMenu this past week, but all of these had been running previously back in January.

I'm assuming like you said some of them aren't running because they're not currently compatible, but it's still weird I can't get it to work in the YSMenu.

 

[lone_wolf323]

curious. Are you able to get ds carts to run on that console? Or has it been strictly this flashcart you have been trying so far?

 

[damnitdinkles]

curious. Are you able to get ds carts to run on that console? Or has it been strictly this flashcart you have been trying so far?

I actually brought my ds pack to work with me today because I wanted to format it and try it without the emulators during my breaks. Just popped in 4 of my legit DS Cartridges, Pokemon Soul Silver, Super Mario 64, Nintendogs, and Drawn to Life and all launched and ran with no problems, so the DS issue seems to be specific for the r4. I was able to get some of the DS ROMS to work via Pk11's suggestion to use the TwilightMenu, but only 1/3ish of the ROMs seemed able to run, the rest gave me errors, one of which I know worked back in January because I have a save file from playing on it before I got the GBARunner working.

 

[damnitdinkles]

nds-bootstrap's compatibility isn't amazing in "B4DS mode" (when it's running from a flashcard), so it's very possible the game you tried just isn't compatible yet. It's generally better to either use a flashcard kernel or nds-bootstrap from CFW, see the compatibility list for more info, "Retail & DSiWare ROMs (Flashcard in DS mode)" table.

Unfortunately I'm not really sure why YSMenu isn't working... Hopefully someone else with more ideas sees this

Also, I just checked the compatibility list and several of the games that the TwilightMenu weren't able to load says they should be compatible- specifically the Yoshi's Island DS ROM I have which I also have a save file for from when it was running back in January, I checked it against some of the others, like Nintendogs, which I do have a DS Cartridge for thankfully, but that one is also not reading via the TwilightMenu.

Just thought it was odd and wanted to let you know.

 

[damnitdinkles]

Okay, so I formatted the SD Card again and added the kernel and RetroGameFan Multicart to the root again and booted it up and only put DS ROMS (no emulators or other games) and games that were not running previously and giving me the errcode=-1 are running and creating save files no problem.

Now that I know that works I'm going to see if I can add the lameboy and GBARunner2 emulator with no games and see if the DS games still run, and then add the games so I can see if it's a specific file that's fucking it all up.

 

[damnitdinkles]

Okay, so I formatted the SD Card again and added the kernel and RetroGameFan Multicart to the root again and booted it up and only put DS ROMS (no emulators or other games) and games that were not running previously and giving me the errcode=-1 are running and creating save files no problem.

Now that I know that works I'm going to see if I can add the lameboy and GBARunner2 emulator with no games and see if the DS games still run, and then add the games so I can see if it's a specific file that's fucking it all up.

I added the emulators and they didn't boot, but I wondered if that was because I had no games loaded so I added the game folders, but the emulators aren't running and won't but any of the GBA or GB/GBC ROMs, but they are still booting the DS ROMs. Going to see if I copied something wrong with the Emulators and make sure they're how they're supposed to be and try again

Edit: I put the emulators in a file marked emulators and when I popped by SD card into my computer to tinker, both emulators (lameboy and GBARunner2) are no longer on the SD card- I've never had that happen before.

Edit 02: Okay yup, just tested it again with emulators installed correctly with games in GB Games and GBA Games folder, but nothing regarding the emulators would boot and when I popped it back into the computer, both the emulators and games are gone from the card. As I said, never had that happen before so I'm kind of back to where I was originally in January where the DS ROMs work, I can't get the emulators to work, but now it's the lameboy emulator as well. Shit.