Hacking M3 Real GBA Expansion Help Needed...PLEASE!!!

[james2025a]

Hi folks. I recently got a GBA expansion pack to use with my M3 Real. So i formatted the SD card for FAT32, created a GBA folder on the card and placed the GBA roms in it. I turn on the DS with the SD card and GBA expansion both inserted. I move to the GBA section of the main page and i am shown all the games on the SD card. Most of the games register as 0k in size which already makes me question whats happening. When i select any of the games the machine just hangs.

What am i doing wrong? With the NDS roms i had to place some system files on the SD card...is it the same with the GBA roms. If so what system files and where can i find them? I have read things about patching and firmware, but don't seem to be able to find any definite answers. If anyone could help i would really appreciate it. Thanks in advance.

 

[budrow66]

All you should have to do is download the newest firmware
Extract and dop them on your MicroSD
then create a folder called NDS and one called GBA on your MicroSD
put nds backups in the NDS folder and gba backups in the GBA folder.
If that dont work try replaceing the games you may have a corrupt copy.
Hope it helps

 

[YoshiRiRu]

Have you tried setting it to fast load? When you select the game, there should be a boot option called fast load as opposed to patch. The hanging you're experiencing may be the M3DS patching the rom. Try setting it to fast load and see what happens.

 

[Xeronage]

If they show up as 0k you mustve done something bad transferring them..

 

[Joe88]

the roms are mostly likely corrupted then
I even tested ones that cam up as that on VBA for PC and they wouldnt run

 

[funk49]

I am having the same problem with the Built in GBA loader, most all of the roms show up as 0k, the first 4 or 5 show correct size. None will load however, it just freezes when I try.

I have fully charged the unit with the GBA expansion inserted, so it should be charged.

Using GBA ExpLoader .57 works fine though, same roms same folder. So I can load and play GBA roms on the GBA expansion, so it must be working.

Does anyone have any ideas? I really would like to try the RTS.

Thanks

 

[funk49]

I've tried updating to the newest firmware\loader 3.7d and downgrading back to 2.7e. I either get the 0k size files problem or I get a immediate freeze on a screen that says "Loading..." (it does not ever get to list of roms). I would think the GBA Expansion was bad, but GBA ExpLoader works fine, strange?

note: reason I revived old thread, op seemed to have same symptoms as me.

 

[Toni Plutonij]

Have you tried formatting your microSD, and then copying clean GBA ROMs..They must be clean (not pre-patched by any program or loader) in order to use with M3 Real..

 

[funk49]

Have you tried formatting your microSD, and then copying clean GBA ROMs..They must be clean (not pre-patched by any program or loader) in order to use with M3 Real..

I have tried formatting. I'm pretty sure I've got clean roms, I will check them out with goodtools. I think that it is not the problem. It would likely have the problems at the point of loading / reading the actual rom?

 

[Toni Plutonij]

Hmmmm.....The fact that exploader runs them fine, but built in GBA loader doesn't, is strange..
Try to scan the microSD with your PC, if it turns out with red parts, you're microSD is corrupted, and you should use different microSD reader to copy files onto it, but if it's blue, than problem is something else..

First try this, and we'll see what after that..
And always use the most current firmware..It works for me, so it's nothing bad with it..Use 3.7d..

 

[AMPonzi]

I had this problem because I used NDSTokyoTrim to trim the GBA ROMs... don't! Use M3's tool (get it from Linfox's domain). After that, all my GBA games worked fine whereas they all froze before. Hope this helps.

 

[Pyrofyr]

I haven't trimmed any of my GBA games, but as far as my GBA games go, since I've updated to around the last 3~ patches, I've noticed much slower loading times on any GBA games.

 

[funk49]

My roms check out good, most are "[!] Verified good dump" they have not been trimmed. I'm thinking it likely has something to do with the GBA expansion itself. I've noticed a number of people have reported getting bad units. If I had not tried GBA ExpLoader I would think mine was bad as well.

 

[Hidekiadam]

Hihi

Use memtestarm at standard GBA speed to test your ram expansion, mine failed although getting a replacement is proving less than easy

 

[Twitch142]

Do you have more then 100 files in the folder? I read on here somewhere that the M3 only recognizes up to 100 files in a folder.

I was having the same problem, I split my roms into three folders with about 75 in each, and they work fine now (you just have to switch folders in the GBA loader to pick from a different folder).

 

[Joe88]

Do you have more then 100 files in the folder? I read on here somewhere that the M3 only recognizes up to 100 files in a folder.

I was having the same problem, I split my roms into three folders with out 75 in each, and they work fine now (you just have to switch folders in the GBA loader to pick from a different folder).

they changed it to 128 games per folder since around 2.7

 

[funk49]

Thanks for the replies guys, I've tried with just a couple roms in GBA folder so it's not that. Currently I have them in 3 folders with no more than 99 in a folder.

It's weird that it works with GBA Exploader, but I am having problems with Sakura firmware as well (freezes at an initiated disk check). So I am thinking it might be related to my card. I am going to reformat in a different pc.