Hacking M3 Lite - Save Problems

[Zimond]

Hi.

I am using the M3Lite and a GBA Micro. I already installed the latest firmware and i used the M3 Game Manager to insert games on the microsd card. Many games work fine but with some the saves do not work. When i start these games the loader does not ask me to use fileblah.dat as a save. And after restarting the system it tells me the "Backup failed" message (no autosave found ect).
A .dat file definitly exists for these games in the GAMESAVE folder!

Do i have to use specific options when writing some games to the sdcard? Has it something to do with the SoftPtach/Hardwaresupport1/Hardwaresupport2 Option? Or do some games' savefiles simply not work with the m3 Lite?

EDIT :
Solution :
The M3 Lite seems to be unable to read gamesave files which are located on the 2nd gig of a 2GB Micro SD Card. If someone has the same problem : Backup the whole card, format it and move the files back to it STARTING with the GAMESAVE folder to be sure that the savefiles are loctaed on the first gig of the card.

 

[WigWrm]

The patching options will not alter the save files used in the save folder.
The patching options alter the rom. All gba games saves are blank 1mb .dat files.

Softpatch -Sram patches the save type
HW1- Patches Flash save types
HW2 -Does absolutely nothing (clean rom)

You should use HW2 for most of your games, if they use flash save type then use HW1

And a dumb question but....
Are you sure that the .dat file shares the same title as your rom?

 

[Zimond]

yap, they use defintly the same names. I download the M3 savemanager and, which is interessting, it also does not show me the savefiles from the games that i mentioned.

I guess there is no list available which game needs which patch option?

 

[WigWrm]

Here's your list. These games need HW1 patch. Games not on this list do not need patched. ie. use HW2 for all other games.
http://releases.pocketheaven.com/asearch/?...mp;Sort=Release

The "backup failed" means that the save is in sram but cant be written to your card, either because of incorrect file name/location
or non-existance. Try turning off auto-matic saving in the setup menu and manually backup your saves using the
select button when the card boots into the gba menu. See if the M3 writes the sram save to your microsd card.

 

[Emerl]

Thanks! That helps a lot.

 

[Zimond]

Trying to do the saving manual does not help. I cannot select the DAT files of these games either. Its like they are invisible to the M3 (and the M3 Savemanager)

The Games in the list do not match with the ones that do not work for me. Some games on the list work fine some not on the list don't.

Anyway, i will try to add the games again trying all the different options and i will see what works. Thanks for all the infos.

 

[Zimond]

I was able to fix the problem... and it has nothing to do with previous presumptions.

I tested every game to make a list of all games which do not work with saves. I found a coherence.
I use a 2GB MicroSD Card, about 1.3 Gig are used. Every game that was added beyond the first gig is a game that does not work. It seems that the M3Lite can read roms within the second gig of the sd card but is unable to detect Gamesave DATs there! Kinda strange bug of the M3.

However , there was a simple solution. I copied all the contents of the sd card to my pc, formated the card and then moved the files back BUT I moved the GAMESAVE folder first to ensure that all the savefiles are located on the first gig of the card. And guess what : ALL games work now without any problems!

 

[WigWrm]

Very interesting to say the least. I'm glad you figured out the problem.
Enjoy your gba gaming!