Hacking R4i-Gold (r4i-gold.com) + YSMenu

[Flodding]

Good morning everbody...

im proud owner of a NDSi since 1 week now. on the same day i bought i got this card:

Package here
Card here

Ive already contacted the support but i didnt got any answers -.-*

First thing i want to do is to thank all ppl from this site here for that great informations i already got on this site... ive learned much and tested around...

For now im sure that i got a DSTT clone with this card up in this post. heres the SD-card structure:

homebrew (Folder)
moonmemo (Folder)
moonshl2 (Folder)
R4iMenu (Folder)
R4.dat -> Size 443kb

that doesnt compare to MANY other DSTT clones which got something with "System"-Floder or "default.dat" or "DS_MENU.DAT" file etc.

With the help of this forum ive now YSMenu set up on my card and it works like a charm... Cheats and Softreset working too

) but i have to say that i didnt had to DLDI-Patch the YSMenu.nds file. I just had to let it like i got it

if i DLDI-Patch it, it wont load up.

Main thing now is, that im really pissed of klicking the middle button of R4-Menu to enter YSMenu ( ive edited the multimedia_path.ini ).
Already tryed Renaming R4.dat to something else... result = Upper screen showing white BG and a red SD-Card with ERROR on it.
Sometimes withe some other Kernels i got same thing but not showing ERROR... i says "MENU?".
So i think there has to be a way.
After reading thousands of posts and trying kernels and kernels and kernels and formatting formatting and formatting ive decided to ask here.

Is there a way of autobooting YSMenu for my card?
Is there a way of autobooting original DSTT kernel for my card?
Is there a way of autobooting moonshell2 for my card?

Or maybe a bit of simpler: Is there a way of changing the boot up software on my card when i klick in original DSi-Dash (v1.3E) on the Star Wars LA-thing?

Thanks 4 reading

Floddy

 

[CalamityDjenn]

If that can help, you got :

GAMEINFO.dat = infolib.dat
savlib.dat = savlib.dat
Demonrst.dat = ttreset.dat

Don't know for the extinfo.dat I did not find a similar file but you can check.

For the boot files, you could edit R4.dat (in there, search for the string "moonshell" for exemple, you will see the part relating to the files system).

If you can decrypt this file, you will find the solution to auto boot a DSTT kernel, or another one.


Edit :
1 - Copy all DSTT files on your memory card.
2 - Try to replace your R4.dat with a copy of TTMenu.dat, rename it "R4.dat", it should automatically boot TTDS

I just done it on my R4i SDHC.

 

[Flodding]

Thanks for your replay...

I tryed replacing the original R4i-Gold(.com) kernel with the original DSTT and renamed the TTMENU.DAT to R4.dat + R4.DAT.
--> Upper screen showing "menu?"

So i uploaded the Anti-Fake-Killer DSTT-Kernel with exactly the same result

Btw... If i use the crappy R4 kernel and replace my already set up YSMENU with the original kernel from DSTT itll show up and i can use every feature i gives.

Renaming The R4.dat always ends up in "menu?"...

i already checked the r4i-gold files ti understand how they work and i saw the strings pointing to moonshell and some other files in r4i-Folder...
--> editing in every way of the r4.dat results in --> ERROR instead of "menu?"

Maybe it helps that the Face (DSTT) on the screen showing in the SD-Card is not there... its just a SD-Card with the message in it. only variables are "menu?" and ERROR"

editing the files in R4iMenu was my second option... maybe replacing some files there... --> no luck

for now i dunno what to do else... tryed everything possible to rename and to replace...

If you can decrypt this file, you will find the solution to auto boot a DSTT kernel, or another one.

Maybe... but i think its just renamed R4.nds file. so i would need nds-decompiler. dunno if something like this is on the market... would make things lots of easyer

Floddy

 

[Flodding]

still doesnt work :'(

how to decrypt R4.DAT?

... still no answer from the r4i-gold.com Support

 

[CalamityDjenn]

Did you try this :

Backup your SD data first...
Copy all TTMENU/YSMENU files on root of your card.
Rename the TTMENU.dat to R4.dat (delete original first), following your R4 clone's structure.

Pray and try to boot

Edit : don't forget that you actually need both TTMENU.dat AND R4.dat(which is TTMENU.dat) on / of your SD card to try to boot!

 

[killer1979]

Hi , i have the same card.I think www.r4i-gold.com is dead.
I found this package and it works for me.
With this package u can start a TTMenu and use the new extinfo.dat ect.

22615-r4igold working firmware+YSmenu with update 16.11.10
LINK

Use the original 1.36b firmware and start the TTmenu.nds like a game.

 

[jurassicplayer]

*snip

You can't post up a precompiled YSMenu.

 

[Flodding]

its asking me:

menu?

i think replacing the R4.dat doesnt work because Flashcard maybe checks size of this file or something else...

maybe im doing something wrong?

heres my structure...

Im thinking about to buy a DSTTi original card... that even works with 1.4.1E firmware of DSi.

Maybe thats the best solution...

Floddy

 

[Flodding]

UPDATE:::

Just found out that the kernelfiles are in the same structure as in N5i...

kernel found on http://www.dsn5.com/EN-N5/download-en.htm
version 2.03 English

ROOT:\

renaming files inside to match with my card results in "ERROR"

HEX-Editing the N5.DAT shows that in there are just links to MY structure (R4iMenu-Folder) an not to its own (N5iMenu-Folder)

Thats finally confusing me...

someone here who understands?

floddy

 

[CalamityDjenn]

The files between your R4-DSTT kernel got the same names than N5i's, but they also should get same data than the DSTT one.

Does the N5i system load without editing names? Does it if you copy R4.dat and rename it NS.dat?

Your R4-DSTT kernel is actually using extinfo.dat, libinfo.dat and savlib.dat with different names.
You can also see system.l2u and system.u2l files -> same size than DSTT's. I did not check but I am sure they got exactly the same code inside.
Assuming that as a base, you should be able to run your R4 kernel using DSTT files. It means you would keep your R4's GUI, but you would use the last Retrogamefan's files. Then you would have an up-to-date kernel

The difficulty is to find how to change all necessary files to do so (R4patch.dat and ttpatch.dat need their equal). I don't have any HEX-editor for TTMenu.dat or any file similar (R4i.TP, R4.dat, NS.dat, iLL.iL).
If I had anything to open those files and read the code I could tell you what to do.
It is nearly all about the bootloader's code.

But don't give up, I have done same kind of research you did, and I finally did what I needed : my topic

Two days ago, I modified my kernel, mixing it with one using a R4i.TP bootloader, a little bit different than mine. Now, I got the left icon to launch the file explorer and play games, the middle one for moonshel. Before, those two where reversed.

Soon, I would like to modify that menu to use a custom GUI I have done myself. To do so, I still need to read the code from the actual bootloader and system's files...

So, atm, I can just play with other kernel's files to boot natively on another one (except wood) or dual-tri-quadri boot!

Mut!

Edit : if the N5i files refer to R4-DSTT files you got, it could just means the N5i is based on this kind of R4 kernel, which is based on DSTT...
In my R4, I got references to YSMenu.
Welcome to the fantastic world of clones!

 

[Flodding]

I don't have any HEX-editor for TTMenu.dat or any file similar (R4i.TP, R4.dat, NS.dat, iLL.iL)

HEX-Editing my original R4.DAT which loads up my "crappy" kernel ends always in ERROR...

How do you change the Values without destroying your file?

Only thing i could edit in my original R4iMenu-Folder (i guess in R5iMenu-Folder too

) was Language.DAT i renamed middle button (Multimedia) to YSMenu

Editing other files i could read just ends up in ERROR... damn hate this shit...

As i said... im thinking about to buy a DSTTi (www.ndstt.com) from a german webshop. in the same shop i could get R4i-Gold (r4ids.com -> downloads down

)... thinking about to buy both ones but then this problem maybe never been solved

what about the URLs? can i use them to indicate if they are Clones or real cards? mh... btw... are there ANY original cards out there for DSi?
What R4(i)(-)(Gold)-Flashcard is able to become updated for use with DS-FW1.4.1E AND is able to autoboot YSMenu or to boot a ROM automaticly after clicking the flashcards icon in DSi-Menu?

Floddy

 

[CalamityDjenn]

You can edit all with notepad, and then search few strings/key words with CTRL+F, cause you also got clear parts inside these files. For the rest, I am still looking for a solution to edit it, did not find any atm.

Try to open the R4.dat or NS.dat and search for "R4" , "moonshell" , "v1" or "v2" for example.

If you want to buy a new linker, choose one you could update the firmware at least!
If you don't bother about the cost, get a DSTwo as it has got more features and compatibility. Seems to be available for $35 (USD) on internet. You are looking for a non-clone card for DSi, so don't look after R4's

You could get another R4, but you would have to assume the fact they stop developing updates for it a day. If you are afraid they do so, get a R4-DSTT clone (like mine) then and pray someone will always release updates for it!

For the r4ids.com, they use same kernels than other websites so if yours is not working anymore few days, you can use another one, but you got to find which one. You should be able to gain help from topics here, relating kernels files and versions.

 

[Flodding]

To your questions...

Backuped SD-Card, formatted it and copied N5i Kernel to it without renaming or changing anything... -> MENU?
Formatted SD again, copied N5i Kernel and renamed N5.DAT to R4.DAT -> MENU?
Same again... copied N5i kernel to SD an replaced N5.DAT with R4.dat renamed to N5.dat -> MENU?
copying N5i kernel, deleting N5.DAT coping R4.DAT brings up... -> MENU?

If you open N5.DAT with your editor you can find passages pointing to R4iMenu-Folder... but nothing pointing to N5iMenu-Folder...
so the question comes up, how N5.DAT finds its OWN files on R5i Module?!
IMHO the paths to its files must been set in the crypted code we cant read... but why leaving the R4iMenu entries into N5.DAT?!

I am programming 2 years in delphi2005 and wrote some small tols for my own use. Also made an custom World of Warcraft-Launcher with Addon-Checking funktion etc. etc. Some database tools using mysql... programmed some php/MYSQL 3 years ago and got a small forum running by myself... created a little php-dicegame...
So im a bit educated in programming and i dont find any reason to leave all these entries into an bootloader when they are not needed...
How do the "cloners" edit the files so they can use it with their clone-hardware?

Floddy

EDIT:::

Every Editing of my original R4.DAT ends up in ---> ERROR... never the MENU? screen... just ERROR... so there must be a check besides the catridge

EDIT 2:::

Supercard DSTWO is my VERY LAST option even if another R4 or DSTTi modul doesnt work like the way i want... even if it costs me more in the end... thats the way it goes...