Hacking More EZ Flash 3 in 1 AKAIO Save Troubles....

[spark1223]

No, it neither AKAIO nor GBA exploder can write a .sav file located on the microSD to the SRAM of the ez flash. (I don't care about the RTC problem; thats not the issue)

It saves games fine (except metroid zero mission for some reason; GBA exploder can save it tho). But once I go to load another game, it doesn't write the new game's save to the ez flash, it just keeps whatevers in SRAM there.

How do I use backed up saves if they don't load onto the EZ flash from the micro SD?

I'm going to try to clear this up best I can so here goes:

PSRAM (rom creating save file)->SRAM(save on ezflash) = works (and it retains save)
SRAM(save on ezflash)->Micro SD (.sav file) =works
Micro SD (.sav file) -> SRAM(save on ezflash) = does not work!

Again, for an example:

Before the video, I had saved a Pokemon Leaf Green game to the internal SRAM of the EZ flash (internal save of the ez flash). I turned off the NDS. Then AKAIO backs up this save on Micro SD to a .sav file. Next, I load up Pokemon Emerald, which has its own save, but instead of Emerald loading up with its own .sav file, it just uses the file thats already in SRAM (thats what you were seeing, pokemon emerald using Pokemon leaf green's PSRAM save)

Now I know EZ Flash can only do one save at a time, but, the loader (AKAIO or GBA Exploder) is supposed to load the save file for the respectable game to SRAM. But both of those loaders are unable to do that for some reason.

I am pissed off and stumped on this issue. I payed $20 for a useless piece of garbage!

Now even if Emerald doesn't have a sav

 

[Masked Ranger]

Have you erased the 3in1 using the AKAIO command before loading any roms? What version of the 3in1 is GBA Exploder reporting?

 

[how_do_i_do_that]

If your 3in1 is old enough, it is time to run the SRAM test. An error on verify means the battery is dead.

First link in sig and goto the section that says SRAM test. Program and results are available there for reference.

 

[spark1223]

GBA exploder is reporting New3in1 (which is correct, I checked the circuit board) and I did do the SRAM test twice both with no errors (yes, I read the readme; and used the right version of the test)

The 3 in 1 is brand new by the way. Do you see how frustrating this is?

@maskedranger: Do you me blank nor? I did that, I've also tried using that blank SRAM.bin file in GBA Exploder, which seemed to work (meaning it did blank SRAM)

Yet my problem still persists after doing all these things

 

[Masked Ranger]

If it's the new 3in1 (v2) and not 3in1+ (v3), and you ordered the plus version, get your money back.

 

[spark1223]

I didn't order the plus version... This is what I ordered: http://www.simplymods.com/products/EzFlash...28White%29.html

Am I have issues because I have version 2?

 

[how_do_i_do_that]

Even if you got it as new, it has been sitting on a shelf for a while.


Do you have another flashcart to test the 3in1 with to make sure it is not an issue with running on AKAIO specifically?


If you don't have another flashcart, you can try running gba exploader in the official firmware and see if you still get the same initialization problem.

 

[spark1223]

No, I don't have another card I can test it with, but it doesn't work in GBA Exploder either, so I don't think its AKAIO entirely (I do think it has issues; because AKAIO can't make uncorrupted Metroid Zero Misson saves, and that uses SRAM saves)

I'm going to keep my eye out if I can find someone with an EZ Flash V that'd be great, but I think I might just return it.


Is this thing just broken? I mean it did clear out the save when I loaded SRAM.bin file in GBA exploder.

This is really pissing me off!

 

[how_do_i_do_that]

I got all 3 versions of the 3in1. It is either a config issue you got in AKAIO that is causing the problem or it is the roms themselves.

 

[spark1223]

What do you have AKAIO's settings set to? I've tried re-installing AKAIO and starting fresh, the problem is still there. I can try getting clean roms, but I don't think that'll help. Its happening with every ROM I use.

Also, remember this happens with GBA exploder too. So I don't thinks its an AKAIO issue.

 

[how_do_i_do_that]

If you have 1.6 RC2 installed, this is the only important thing that effects gba exploader:

Spoiler

 

[spark1223]

That shouldnt effect GBA saves.

 

[how_do_i_do_that]

I said it effects gba exploader from working correctly if it is set to something else.


Since you want to rule out a config issue, then it would be your roms are bad or patched incorrectly.
You also previously ran the SRAM test and it didn't give errors, meaning that the 3in1 is still working like it should.

 

[spark1223]

if its working like it should, I should be able to restore saves to it. But I am not able to.

I don't see how I could patch a rom incorrectly if I used the EZ 4 client.

But I'll try different roms. I still think it will not work.

 

[how_do_i_do_that]

If you are loading a rom to NOR all the time, the autobackup save is turned off in gba exploader.

 

[spark1223]

I'm using PSRAM, but it won't restore in a save in NOR mode either (AKAIO I mean; I've heard GBA exploder freezes in NOR mode, I don't want to make things worse).

And I don't use both at the same time.

Again I don't think there is something I'm doing fundmentally wrong here. If there was, it'd be working by now.

I do want to say though, I do appreciate the help. It means alot, I'm just getting annoyed that this has to be so hard.

 

[how_do_i_do_that]

try erasing the nor contents with something like the NDS backup tool and then start over.

 

[spark1223]

Ok, cool. I'll try that after I beat max payne. That sounds like it might work.

EDIT:

What version of NDS BAckup will work for my ezflash v2? The one i tried doesn't detect it.

 

[spark1223]

I tried hyperlisk's nor erase, it fully erased nor. But I think the problem is still there, I can't fully test because I don't want to lose my max payne save.

EDIT: was able to test fully.

No now, max payne and Pokemon leaf are using the right saves, but emerald is still using leaf's save. WTH? Max payne's save is very small (like 9 kb) could it have both in SRAM?

EDIT: I saved in Metroid Zero Mission, it still has curroption issues. Wonder if it needs to be patched...?

No, theres definatly more than one save in SRAM. I loaded max payne first, and then leaf, but without letting AKAIO load the save. It still shows my previous save file.

Still not loading of the micro SD it seems.

Now its randomly "forgetting" the pokemon save. This card is faulty, I'm opening a paypal dispute.

 

[Destructobot]

I don't see how I could patch a rom incorrectly if I used the EZ 4 client.

I just kind of skimmed through this thread, but I can almost guarantee that this is the problem. Any GBA rom that has been processed in any way by the EZ4 Client will not save correctly when run from PSRAM.

The problem is that the EZ4 client will patch the roms so that they put the save data in a specific part of the 3-in-1's SRAM, even when the loader (whether it be GBA ExpLoader or AKAIO) tries to get them to put the save data in a different part of the SRAM. This is a problem because the loader will only back up the part of SRAM that it expects the data to be in, and the data is actually somewhere else. The result is that it seems like the loader is failing to load the save files, when in fact it is saving and loading the files correctly, but the save data was never where it expected it to be in the first place.

The EZ4 Client will do this even if you tell it not to save patch the rom; you cannot use the EZ4 client at all if you want saving to work correctly on the 3-in-1. You cannot fix a rom that has been altered by the EZ4 Client. You will have to start over with a clean rom.