Hacking Need help getting my M3 started

[Gute]

I recently bought a DS Lite, a M3 mini, a passcard 3 and a Kingston 1 gb mini-sd card.
Since I had today off i thought i should try to get it up and running.

This is what I've done so far:
* Found the gudie on gbatemp for M3-cards
* Updated my M3-firmware with "updagcsd.e21"
* Formatted my SD-card to FAT (couldnt choose FAT16, is FAT=FAT16?)
* Installed M3 Game manager V21D
* Used M3 Game manager to put Mario 64 DS on the card (Fast - Boot - Format, 1 x DMA, No Trim Rom = default settings)

When I start up my DS Lite (with passcard and M3 mini inserted) I can only select "start GBA game". When i press this button i get into "GBA movie player" and now i cant get any further. When i look in the "Games" map i can only find a folder called "NDSsaves" (or something like that).

Why doesnt it work?
What have I done wrong?
Help please!

 

[HeinzHarald]

First of all you should check m3adapter.com. There you will find a rom compatibility list, that tells you which settings to use. You will find that Mario 64 should use 4x, and be IPS patched.

After the health warning, what screen appears next?

I've got the same setup as you only a Sandisk card, and after the health warning I get the Passcard 3 logo, then a black screen with red text, and then I get the eight icons of the M3 GUI.

If you do not get the Passcard 3 logo, reinsert it. It sounds like you are booted to the regular white DS menu (that you get when no game is inserted), which means the Passcard hasn't done it's job.

 

[Gute]

First of all you should check m3adapter.com. There you will find a rom compatibility list, that tells you which settings to use. You will find that Mario 64 should use 4x, and be IPS patched.

After the health warning, what screen appears next?

I've got the same setup as you only a Sandisk card and after the health warning I get the Passcard 3 logo, then a black screen with red text, and then I get the eight icons of the M3 GUI.

If you do not get the Passcard 3 logo, reinsert it. It sounds like you are booted to the regular white DS menu (that you get when no game is inserted), which means the Passcard hasn't done it's job.

You're right, i get the regular DS menu. No Passcard logo here...
Is there something wrong with my passcard?

 

[sage_inferno]

Format the SD-card to FAT32

On XP:

1) Open Control Panel
2) Administrative Tools
3) Computer Management
4) Disk Management
5) Select Drive with SDcard to format and right click
6) Select Format, FAT32 and Allocation Size 8192
7) Enjoy

rom settings http://m3wiki.emuparadise.org/index.php/M3_NDS_roms

 

[HeinzHarald]

You're right, i get the regular DS menu. No Passcard logo here...
Is there something wrong with my passcard?

That happened to me once. I reinserted the M3 and the Passcard 3, and all was well again.

When Windows reports FAT it is FAT16, that's correct. I use it myself. Going to go for FAT16 and 64KB clusters next time I format.

In any case you should see the Passcard logo even if you havn't got the M3 inserted at all. So M3 firmware or memory formats shouldn't matter.

That said there are a few Passcards out there without any logo appearing. Probably Superkeys in disguise. But I believe we have only heard of one such report so far. And since you arrive at the regular DS menu, and can enter GBA mode on the M3, it most likely means your Passcard isn't doing it's job. So... remove it, check if the pins on the Passcard might be dirty or damaged, and insert it the right way until it clicks into place.

 

[Veho]

How do you format a CF card to FAT 12 and FAT 32 in Windows 2000? The format menu only gives the FAT 16 option.

 

[HeinzHarald]

How do you format a CF card to FAT 12 and FAT 32 in Windows 2000? The format menu only gives the FAT 16 option.

Even if you tried you could never use FAT12, since you can't use it for cards with more than 32MB. But Administrative Tools - Computer Management - Disk Management brings to to a utility that you could probably use to format it with FAT32.

 

[Gute]

So... remove it, check if the pins on the Passcard might be dirty or damaged, and insert it the right way until it clicks into place.

Thanks, there is a pin where the yellow color has been scraped of and is now showing grey metal.
I will return this to shop.01media ASAP.

But how should I format my SD-card? Is both FAT16 and FAT32 working?

I would also like to know where I can find the IPS patcher?

 

[Veho]

How do you format a CF card to FAT 12 and FAT 32 in Windows 2000? The format menu only gives the FAT 16 option.

Even if you tried you could never use FAT12, since you can't use it for cards with more than 32MB. But Administrative Tools - Computer Management - Disk Management brings to to a utility that you could probably use to format it with FAT32.

Tried it, it doesn't give me that option. I know FAT 12 limits the file size, but I have a few 16 MB CF cards and I want to test something.

 

[HeinzHarald]

Yes you should most definitely return it unless it's just a tiny amount of grey metal showing, and hope that there isn't something inside your DS that damages pins.

Both FAT16 and FAT32 works. People seem to have better luck with GBA games when using FAT32 though.

 

[HeinzHarald]

Tried it, it doesn't give me that option. I know FAT 12 limits the file size, but I have a few 16 MB CF cards and I want to test something.

Not only file size, but "disk" size as well. But yes, a 16MB CF should work with FAT12.

Try the format command in the command prompt. Type format/? in order to see the available options. I doubt if it can format FAT12 though. Probably best to google.

 

[Thunder_Down_Und]

im having the exact same problem. passcard 3, m3 lite, and sandisk 1gb transflash microsd... i get in, i go to the games icon, i only see the folder, no games there at all. sigh....

 

[czw]

If you don't see Passcard3 logo,maybe this is Passcard3 problem.
I have heard Passcard3's contact is not good.

 

[iza]

im having the exact same problem. passcard 3, m3 lite, and sandisk 1gb transflash microsd... i get in, i go to the games icon, i only see the folder, no games there at all. sigh....

in Thunders case, he was booting the GBA side and not selecting the NDS option from the main menu...but if that isnt the issue. return the card!