Hacking R4 "hardware is incompatible"...

[Metrotitan]

Okay,

So I bought a new Japanese Dslite and a R4 Revolution DS. Came home...no cd in the package. No problem...went to the website put the latest English kernal on the Micro Sd card and some games...no prob, soon I was playing New SMB...however I turned off the DS to change to a different gave after saving.

Big Mistake.

Since then all I get is a "hardware is incompatible" message. I have changed the firmware many times. I tried a new Mirco Sd card. Nothing is happening. It is one of those new R4s with no spring so I am not supposed to hear a "click" when I put the SD card in, right?

Any help would be great...I emailed the manufacturers directly, but I dunno what that'll do... :'(

Do I have to exchange it or what?

If this topic has been covered a million times, I apologize. I sifted through dozens and dozens of pages and the search option is off soooo.....

HELP Please!!!

 

[MrBubbles]

Did you try the firmware test on the DS? Go to pictochat and take out a GBA or DS game from the DS to crash it. Tell us what color you get.

 

[azotyp]

maybe nintendo started war against flashcarts, and you maybe have on of first consoles with firmware that is flashcartsproof (or maybe not

)

 

[arctic_flame]

Is your R4 Chinese or English?

 

[Metrotitan]

Did you try the firmware test on the DS? Go to pictochat and take out a GBA or DS game from the DS to crash it. Tell us what color you get.

Ha! Ummmmm...I have no real DS or GBA carts.

 

[Metrotitan]

Is your R4 Chinese or English?

My R4 is English...at least that's what the Japanese guy who sold it to me said...Box is English and the Chinese firmware didn't work so...

 

[MrBubbles]

Then I don't know any other methods to check your DS's firmware. Sorry.

 

[arctic_flame]

Can you clean the contacts on the R4 with some alcohol or something?

I've got that message before, and I just cleaned the contacts and it went away.

 

[Metrotitan]

Can you clean the contacts on the R4 with some alcohol or something?

I've got that message before, and I just cleaned the contacts and it went away.

Nope, went for the easy fix and nothin' is happening! Curses!

I think the weird thing is, about my problem, is that it WAS working. Then it stopped.

 

[oushi]

I've never had to do it, but other people with contact problems have tried slipping a piece of paper between the R4 and DS to bring them closer together. Sounds like you got the R4 from a local store, so if it isn't too big of a hassle, I would just go exchange it...

 

[Metrotitan]

I've never had to do it, but other people with contact problems have tried slipping a piece of paper between the R4 and DS to bring them closer together. Sounds like you got the R4 from a local store, so if it isn't too big of a hassle, I would just go exchange it...

Yeah, gonna go do that tomorrow! I hope they don't try to rip me off!

 

[Metrotitan]

UPDATE:

ARRRGH!!!

I exchanged my card after showing the store staff that my card was indeed the problem. The new one was working fine with my SD card card with the new kernel and my roms....but when I played New SMB and saved...I used the soft reset on the DSlite then got the...SAME ERROR MESSAGE!!!!

Now it won't load like before! Saving the game is what's doing the damage I think...and it seems to be irreversible...is this new anti-piracy measures by Nintendo? A problem with the ROM? IS my card permanantly %&$#ed?

I can't get another exchange now!

Comments or thoughts?

 

[Javacat]

Do you know anyone else with a DS that you can test your R4 in?

 

[Metrotitan]

Do you know anyone else with a DS that you can test your R4 in?

We tried the "problem" R4 in the DSlite at the shop. It was the same as mine...

I believe the problem is some kinda "zap" that saving the rom does to the R4...makes it unusable.

I don't know what to do! I got so stoked to play New SMB today I went out and bought a real copy!

 

[Javacat]

That's really weird.. Maybe the shops just got a bad batch of R4's, or are stocking some cheap crappy clones (although I've never heard of cloned R4's...)?

Is there any sign of a save file on the SD card that you were playing the game on?

 

[Nero]

How much did you get your R4 for at that store?

~Nero

 

[Metrotitan]

I DID find the save file on the card...

It cost me 5250 Yen...the standard for R4s in Akihabara...

 

[Metrotitan]

Still nothing...no expert advice from the R4 masters here?

 

[Giangsta]

have you tried re-formatting the SD card and starting off fresh again?

 

[Metrotitan]

Yes...I tried reformatting many times and tried many different kernels, including the Chinese one just to be sure. Once it's displayed this "hardware incompatible" error there seems to be no going back...