Homebrew Question Retroarch + exFat = corruption?

[Jil.10]

Hi, i wanna create a machine for retro gaming, using Retroarch and my Switch, i have an exFat SD and i wanna keep it like this so i can still install NSP, will i have any problem like sd corruption? I read many people having this issue, how can i avoid it without using a Fat32 sd?

 

[blahblah]

If you use want to use Homebrew (as opposed to installing the Nintendo Dev Menu and never using homebrew again) do not use exFAT. There is no way to avoid corruption other than using Fat32.

 

[x0x0]

Im Using exfat all Times, no issues at all. These issues existed on Early switch homebrew.

 

[Billy Acuña]

Hi, i wanna create a machine for retro gaming, using Retroarch and my Switch, i have an exFat SD and i wanna keep it like this so i can still install NSP, will i have any problem like sd corruption? I read many people having this issue, how can i avoid it without using a Fat32 sd?

You can't, FAT32 is mandatory for homebrew usage, this is Nintendo's fault because of his poor exfae driver implementation. For NSP installation you should use USB installation, it is a superior method in any way and works on FAT32.

 

[blahblah]

Im Using exfat all Times, no issues at all. These issues existed on Early switch homebrew.

This is not true. The bug(s) in Nintendo's exFAT driver continue to exist.

 

[x0x0]

This is not true. The bug(s) in Nintendo's exFAT driver continue to exist.

When was the last time you used exFat? Probably very long ago. I assure you that if you changed to exfat now, you would not leave it. This myth about exFat has been dragging from the beginning and it has only happened because homebrew was very underdeveloped, there were no libraries like today. Today exFat support is satisfactory. As I mentioned, I have been using Exfat for a very long time, zero problems or damage to files.

 

[feral]

When was the last time you used exFat? Probably very long ago. I assure you that if you changed to exfat now, you would not leave it. This myth about exFat has been dragging from the beginning and it has only happened because homebrew was very underdeveloped, there were no libraries like today. Today exFat support is satisfactory. As I mentioned, I have been using Exfat for a very long time, zero problems or damage to files.

It seems you haven’t used retroarch with exfat lately. The problems with corruption still exist. I had constant issues with my playlists, favorites and history files getting corrupt during normal use. Once I switched to fat32 all those problems have gone away.

 

[spotanjo3]

I used it on my exfat as long as I can remember. No issues whatsoever mostly on SNES, PSX, etc. I am aware of the issues but so far no problem.

 

[blahblah]

When was the last time you used exFat? Probably very long ago. I assure you that if you changed to exfat now, you would not leave it. This myth about exFat has been dragging from the beginning and it has only happened because homebrew was very underdeveloped, there were no libraries like today. Today exFat support is satisfactory. As I mentioned, I have been using Exfat for a very long time, zero problems or damage to files.

I am using exFAT right now. The exFAT driver still has the bugs people were complaining about with 2.0. This is just fact and you need to accept it. exFAT means possible (maybe even likely, depending on your use case) corruption. That just has to be accepted.

 

[pinbi7]

Fat32 ftw!

 

[Deleted User]

it is not a myth. use fat32. i can go into depth but if you use retroarch which why would you not? you want fat32...

 

[Paulsar99]

Been using exfat since day one of retroarch on the switch and no issues up to this day.

 

[Clydefrosch]

the thing about exfat corruption is, its definitely still there.
you can do a little to actively avoid it, like waiting a few seconds after homebrew wrote or loaded a file before using the home button, using official exit functions (which retroarch unfortunately doesn't have, at least not working), generally avoid homebrew that reads or writes excessively.

but the corruption is still there. you might not even notice at first, maybe it's just affecting a bunch of unneeded files here or there, a few nes or sega roms here you never start anyways, a savefile there you're not loading, a border file or a screenshot you took.
or an installed game you just hoard and never look at again.

but eventually, a game you're actively playing might not start, a homebrew you want to use might crash because of some file error or a savegame you backed up can't be recovered anymore.

and thats when you wish you just switched to fat32, which also has a chance for corruption, but it's significantly less likely to run into it than for exfat.


you can also still install nsps on fat32, using nsp splitters and installing from sd card, or just getting the zadig drivers, fluffy or a comparable usb install user interface.

or just stay away from homebrew.

 

[Deleted User]

yeah he went in depth the thing is i think alot of people horde n dont play i play alot so i noticed eventually...key app is retroarch since there is nothing i cant do on fat32 i stay there

 

[DarknessPlay3r]

Always used exFAT and still no corruption. It's worth noting that I'm using a decent U3 Sandisk SD. If you use a cheap/counterfeit/shit SD card like Kingston, AData, Lexar, and any other budget line you can buy almost anyware. Expect issues regardless of file system. If you are going to use a shit card use fat32.

 

[pohaxsf]

Im Using exfat all Times, no issues at all. These issues existed on Early switch homebrew.

I use a 200gb card, I can't use fat32, But I have NO ISSUE

 

[blahblah]

Always used exFAT and still no corruption. It's worth noting that I'm using a decent U3 Sandisk SD. If you use a cheap/counterfeit/shit SD card like Kingston, AData, Lexar, and any other budget line you can buy almost anyware. Expect issues regardless of file system. If you are going to use a shit card use fat32.

The SD card has nothing to do with it.

Again, for the last fucking time.

There are well documented bugs/issues/whatever the language in Nintendo's exFAT driver that cause corruption. So long as that is the case, using exFAT poses a risk of corruption.

 

[JonJaded]

The amount of "oh it never happened to me so it's safe" is a bit worrisome.

But if you like to live life on the (literal) edge, cowabunga.

 

[Paulsar99]

The amount of "oh it never happened to me so it's safe" is a bit worrisome.

But if you like to live life on the (literal) edge, cowabunga.

Nobody said that they're safe from corruption, sd card corruption can happen whether you're on exfat and fat32.

 

[1NOOB]

got many corruption on exFat , sometimes just files i used , like the save and rom after using retroarch , save exit , when i tried to launch the app cant , on pc only somes filed where un deletable or movable or usable , otheres where ok ,sometime full sd corruption .tried it like 10 times(more or less didnt count ) , could sometime play for 1h sometime 1day always ended up with corruption depending on the amount of use of homebrew/nro , more exits meaning more chance of corruptions .

each of those test were made on official sandisk , one 64Gb the other 128

did the same kind of test with fat32 (32Gb kingston ) never a corruption (even with many crash of homebrew/nro ) .