Hacking New N-Card user having problems

[thejohn86]

Hi, i have been toying with my new N-Card for a while now trying to get it to work and i'm thinking i actually need to just ask for some advice.
at first it worked fine, the menu showed up and the usb mode allowed me to access what i would like to put on the card. After i put some games on there though, i encountered the white screens whenever i would try to load any of them. Now though, after a couple quick formats and an attempted but failed full format, I am lost because in order to update the firmware i think, i need to be able to open the "NAND_ALL.bat" file and i get very lost at that point because my mac computer doesn't let me open that file. Maybe its going over my head, but i really hope someone can help me get this thing on it's feet because it was a present and i already feel bad for not knowing what i did wrong. My friend's seems to work fine with his mac... >_<

ps. i hate to ask questions that may have already been answered, but i definitely have read a lot of these forum posts, and they seem to have to do with windows users

 

[leinad]

(acording to http://gbatemp.net/index.php?showtopic=79676 )

You can use those Auto-Updates, you just must copy the .nds file to your ds, run it, quick format after the update and then just copy the xmenu.dat to the root, but as far as I know there are only some by the DS-Linker.

( http://gbatemp.net/index.php?download=632 )

 

[thejohn86]

it came with a file called xmenu.bat on it, but i think somehow it has been wiped from the card.. im not sure of the version : /

 

[leinad]

(acording to http://gbatemp.net/index.php?showtopic=79676 )

You can use those Auto-Updates, you just must copy the .nds file to your ds, run it, quick format after the update and then just copy the xmenu.dat to the root, but as far as I know there are only some by the DS-Linker.

( http://gbatemp.net/index.php?download=632 )

Edited my post ~.~ It's 2.20AM here in germany... Posted first and then started to think about it

 

[thejohn86]

ok cool, so what i did was, downloaded the DSLinker 1.39, unzipped the .rar file, then found a file in the folder named "udisk.nds", the only .nds one. I dragged that file to the open and empty ds drive, ejected the ds, then turned it on. when i went to the menu option, it displayed "xmenu.dat error", so then i hooked it back up and put also the xmenu file onto the ds drive, so the .nds file and the .dat are the only two things i have on there. When i ejected again and tried the menu option once more, it flashes loading menu for a split second, then freezes to two white screens. I have the feeling that I can't launch the nds file as rom with the ds without some kind of menu to actually see. i hope this makes sense, and thankyou for your interest so far!

 

[leinad]

Hmm =|
So, you even don't get a list with the files you actualy have on your DS ?

Every firmware have it own xmenu.dat , use an older / newer xmenu.dat isn't possible. (so we will have to find out which xmenu you need...)

When you start in usb mode you should get displayed a version number, which one is showed to you~ ?


(Sorry, Im too tired to explain it further and understandable x_x ... Im even not sure if it's correct what Im thinking atm, lol... but I hope so)

Im going to sleep now, if someone else who knows a bit about the ncard has time before I*m back at the PC, here my though:
Search for the USB-version , => You will know the needed xmenu version
+ Watch if its one of the older firmwares, if the manual copy of the DSystem folder is needed

 

[thejohn86]

thankyou very much anyhow i will work with you r advice the best i can, im sure it will help me .. night

 

[leinad]

So, Start your DS with inserted Slot 1 Ncard and Slot 2 linker,
Select USB mode and tell me, what version your USB Dist is.

(There should stand "USB DISK VX.Xx" , X.XX is your USB Disk version)

 

[thejohn86]

oh ok, it says "USB DISK V1.45(8G)"... i hope that means something good! lol

 

[leinad]

Hm, it's the newest~

http://gbatemp.net/index.php?download=787
Download this archive and copy the xmenu.dat in the archive to the root on your card.

Another question,: Is there a "DSystem" folder on your card ?

 

[thejohn86]

Ok sweet, i downloaded the firmware, and copied the xmenu.dat to i guess the root. it hasn't enabled the menu option yet though. I get two white screens. I know i used to have a DSystem folder on here, but it got erased i believe : /

I know some of these threads say that once you copy the xmenu.dat over to the DS, the DSystem folders automatically are created, but doesn't seem to be the case with mine. I can't help but feel that we are getting closer to the solution though! thanks again!!

 

[Porkdish]

Not sure why this isn't in the faq..

NCARD AND CLONES DO NOT WORK WITH MAC OS

Ever since like 10.2, right up to the latest intel box running 10.5...

Finder mounts the usb drive incorrectly. Everything you copy to the cart will be corrupt. This includes the updates, roms, even stuff as small as skins.

Periodically I try manually mounting the drive via terminal to try different switches but no luck yet and I haven't seen anyone else lucking out and sharing a fix on the internet for 18 months of searching...

Virtual machines don't work either, vmware, virtual pc and parallels all use finder usb code so the batch updater will always fail.

Intel macs with bootcamp are ok so long as you're kosher with rebooting just to manage your flashcart.

 

[arctic_flame]

I think it's a problem with Unix-like OSs in general, as I never successfully copied a file on Linux either.

 

[leinad]

Not sure why this isn't in the faq..

NCARD AND CLONES DO NOT WORK WITH MAC OS

Because I didn't knew it and didn't saw any topic about it =| ... will add this now

 

[thejohn86]

disappointing, but a big help nonetheless! not the worst news either, because i have access to a PC ... but you guys have saved me from hitting my head against the wall forever! thankyou