Hacking Sky3DS, 9.6.0-24E and some errors :/

[yessuz]

Hi guys. I am new here, so please excuse me if this sounds stupid.

I bought Sky3DS for my daughter, as she has 2DS which was recently updated to 9.6.0-24 E, and what I read - sky3DS is the only card which works with this version.

I have purchased SD card with it, and what I understand - it's kinda fake 16gb San Disk card...

SO...
I got SKy3DS card (blue button) with 16GB microSD card.
I have turned the internet connection (and effectively all future updates? off)

When I use the manual in Sky3DS web site, formated card with their tool, wrote games... - I get the games visible. I insert card while pressing blue button, remove it, insert again - blue led flashing fast - after it finishes, remove - insert again - game appears. So - as it should be according the manual.

But when I press the button to launch the game, I get the immediate error: The Game Card Was Removed. it appears before game launch logo.

If I remove and re-insert card, Sometimes I get the game launched (Mario Kart 7), but soon after the logo - again error: Game Card Was Removed
It happens - like - 4-5 times in a row. maybe more.

then, after number of inserts/removals, When I launch the same game - I get error:
An Error has occured. Hold Down Power button to turn off the power then turn it on and try again. If the problem persists, please contact local customer support..... <...>

But Home button works...

after few tries - I happen to launch the game and everything looks fine. after that - I can change and launch other games with no problems. All this time i can cycle between games, but can launch them only after the first game is launched succesfuly....


Can you advice - what's happening?
Is it faulty sd card? (happened same with Kingston 8GB, but I also got it from china...)
or sky3DS card is pooped??
also - tried the small paper with SD card, and looks like - it worked. but it could be coincidence due to numerous tries to launch the bloody game :/
please advice guys
P.S. as I cannot revert to older firmware, sky3DS is my only option, I believe...
p.p.s. - using retail 3ds dumps, so should be fine? Also - since I am in EU - can I use USA roms???

 

[ManBeaPig]

"I have purchased SD card with it, and what I understand - it's kinda fake 16gb San Disk card... " - That's almost 100% your issue with regards to the game launching issues.

"using retail 3ds dumps, so should be fine? Also - since I am in EU - can I use USA roms???" Anyone past 9.5 can't use RegionFree so no, this DS at this time will NOT be able to do region free games.

 

[yessuz]

"I have purchased SD card with it, and what I understand - it's kinda fake 16gb San Disk card... " - That's almost 100% your issue with regards to the game launching issues.

"using retail 3ds dumps, so should be fine? Also - since I am in EU - can I use USA roms???" Anyone past 9.5 can't use RegionFree so no, this DS at this time will NOT be able to do region free games.

well, just bought SandDisk Ultra - from the Tesco. it it's 100% genuine.
still - same issue.

any other suggestions?!

 

[GothicIII]

This card is real picky when it comes to sd cards. Try also a different card reader, this is the 2nd most error.

 

[yessuz]

This card is real picky when it comes to sd cards. Try also a different card reader, this is the 2nd most error.

hmmm. manual says - to use USB adapterm not the card adapter, even card adapter comes straight from sandisk and is best one ///

and then again - is the 10 games - maximum? Just dumping them to sd card without patch???

 

[The Real Jdbye]

well, just bought SandDisk Ultra - from the Tesco. it it's 100% genuine.
still - same issue.

any other suggestions?!

That MicroSD card should work, but I have heard of a lot of problems with Sky3DS, seems like they don't do proper QC and there are a lot of faulty carts.
SanDisk Ultra are among the best MicroSD cards you can get save for the overpriced 90MB/s ones and such.

 

[yessuz]

That MicroSD card should work, but I have heard of a lot of problems with Sky3DS, seems like they don't do proper QC and there are a lot of faulty carts.
SanDisk Ultra are among the best MicroSD cards you can get save for the overpriced 90MB/s ones and such.

well, that's what I thought and went for the better card... result is same.

is there any possibility to check the cartridge itself?
bought via sky3dsuk.com and thought they should be OK. they even give 30 days money back guarantee but not sure what to expect

 

[The Real Jdbye]

well, that's what I thought and went for the better card... result is same.

is there any possibility to check the cartridge itself?
bought via sky3dsuk.com and thought they should be OK. they even give 30 days money back guarantee but not sure what to expect

I don't think there is, apart from the indications the LED gives you, which isn't much.

 

[yessuz]

I don't think there is, apart from the indications the LED gives you, which isn't much.

well crap then seller does not respond
maybe sky3DS guys will tell something :/

 

[Osmosis]

Doesn't seem to be the Sky3DS. At least it is blinking and reading.

Your firmware is EU. So only use EU versions of games. No eShop or .CIA games. .3DS only.

Take your mSD and use EaseUS Partition Master. Open up EPM>FIND mSD>DELETE ALL PARTITIONS>APPLY>Close EPM. (this should leave you with a blank unpartitioned and unformatted mSD)

OPEN DISKWRITER>SELECT PROPER mSD>CHANGE TEMPLATE>SELECT LATEST TEMPLATE>FORMAT>WRITE GAMES

Hold down the blue button on first insert. Do a triple insert. See if you still get the problem.

Another thing we've noticed is sometimes it is better to use a USB adapter rather than a SD card slot adapter. Most retailers include one with their Sky3DS. Best to use it. Also stray from using any USB bridges. Diskwriter is finicky about USB ports.

If worse comes to worse, try deleting the MBR of the mSD in EaseUS and rebuild it from scratch. Most mSD problems stem from manufacturers including software boost written into mSD.

Generic mSD cards are fine. Try to keep it Class 10. No more than 32GB and at least 2GB.

The maximum is 31 games per mSD. You may have multiple mSDs with other games, but only 31 games on each. No matter the size. Which is why I recommend a 32GB max. No 64GB unless you want to avoid ROM trimming.

Leave at least 1GB of free space so Sky3DS can write savedata. If you find yourself cramming on .3DS ROMs, use ROM-TOOL to trim the ROMs BEFORE you put them through Diskwriter.

Make sure mSD fits snuggly into Sky3DS and is inserted all the way. If loose or jiggles after insertion, the mSD headers might not be making contact.

Again, when DLing your ROMs, make sure they don't say "eShop" or ".CIA". Since you seem to be using ROM dumps of your own games, that shouldn't be much of a problem. No .3DZ or .CIA ROMs. -ONLY- .3DS.

 

[Chaldron]

Again, when DLing your ROMs, make sure they don't say "eShop" or ".CIA". Since you seem to be using ROM dumps of your own games, that shouldn't be much of a problem. No .3DZ or .CIA ROMs. -ONLY- .3DS.

Also to add, you can just rename the .3dz files to .3ds. It shouldn't pose a problem.

 

[yessuz]

whatever I do, use two different SD cards (black SanDisk and grey/red SanDisk Ultra - result is essentially same:


all roms EU only.
i have no idea what CIA is...

 

[yessuz]

continuing on my problems....
Interestingly, did as per instructions:
1) took genuine, SanDisk 16 gb mSD card.
2) Use EaseUS Partition Master. Open up EPM>FIND mSD>DELETE ALL PARTITIONS>APPLY>Close EPM.
3) actually - even rebuilt MBR. Like twice....
4) OPEN DISKWRITER>SELECT PROPER mSD>CHANGE TEMPLATE>SELECT LATEST TEMPLATE>FORMAT>WRITE GAMES

used USB adapter (Happy Box)
Mario Kart 7, EU version, just .3ds file.
Lego City undercover - EU version, just .3ds file.
Lego Batman - EU version, just .3ds file.
Etrian Odyssey IV - EU version, just .3ds file.

Here's the result:



2Ds just freezes. nothing happens. blue led is ON constantly. as soon as I remove cartdridge - system is live again.. as soon as I insert - everything freezes.

mSD card fits cart snugly, no wobbling, firm fit.

 

[Osmosis]

That was really helpful. Thanks for the video.

First off, hold the blue button down while inserting (all the way and keep it pressed) for the first time. Give it some time. Your triple insert in the video was WAY too fast.

After it stops blinking on the first insert, THEN pop it out. Continue your triple insert and wait for the blue light to STOP BLINKING each time.

Basically blinking light means Sky3DS is reading/writing. If you pop it out before all blinking activity has stopped, you'll probably end up freezing the system like in the video.

It's happened to me a few times. Have patience. Same goes for then you cycle to next game. Wait for the blue light to stop blinking before pressing again or you will get a constant blue blinking light and have to pop the card out for it to switch to next game properly.

Simple question, when you have the mSD in Diskwriter, look in bottom left and tell me how many MB you have free/open. Always leave enough free for savedata to write to, like 1GB. If wanting to fit more or open up space, try using ROM-TOOL to trim your files.

Or if you have a lot of patience try using OPTIMISE in diskwriter. It should backup you game list and auto-trim your files for you. But it can take up to 2 hours depending on your PC.

 

[Osmosis]

Put simply:

Insertion/ejection of Sky3DS is like having sex with your 3DS:
Slower = better. And it's not good for you or the Sky3DS if you don't cycle the games after playing them. You need the Sky3DS to make savedata to the mSD before you even try backing it up in Diskwriter. If you keep ramming it like a cocaine addict, eventually it's just gonna stare at you like an idiot and lay there like a fish. Take your time. Be delicate.

Always give the Sky3DS some time to reach climax. Then try tickling it to see what happens:
Blinking light is there to tell you when it is done or ready to try again.

If all else fails, get tested:
UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE. Diskwriter and template should always be latest version.

Wear a condom:
BACKUP BACKUP BACKUP. Don't just use OPTIMISE or backup the ROM. Make sure to also backup the savedata FOR EACH GAME before you go and change anything.

Powersaves is like a dildo:
It can help do things you can't, but it ends up in the bed drawer most of the time. Don't be intimidated to use one or it shows how unconfident you are.

Beware the parents:
Sky3DS only plays .3DS files. No eShop games, .CIA or .3DZ files. Or they go after you with a shotgun.

Be nice to the siblings:
To play online without getting banned, you need to know the family code and use private headers to seem legit or Nintendo will Ban Hammer you. If you don't meet those requirements, then turn wifi off because the sibling doesn't want to take you out to the bar if you're going to cramp their style.

The nicer the car, the more dates you'll get, but don't drive a Lambo or everyone will think you're a douche:
So many people complain about "fake" mSD cards. It really doesn't matter. As long as you know how to format it, delete the partitions, and rebuild the MBR you'll never have to worry about buying a new one. The bigger the penis car you have, the more problems you're attracting. So aim for a custom souped up civic and hide in the crowd.

You forget the foreplay, don't expect a BJ.

 

[yessuz]

That was really helpful. Thanks for the video.

First off, hold the blue button down while inserting (all the way and keep it pressed) for the first time. Give it some time. Your triple insert in the video was WAY too fast.

After it stops blinking on the first insert, THEN pop it out. Continue your triple insert and wait for the blue light to STOP BLINKING each time.

Basically blinking light means Sky3DS is reading/writing. If you pop it out before all blinking activity has stopped, you'll probably end up freezing the system like in the video.

It's happened to me a few times. Have patience. Same goes for then you cycle to next game. Wait for the blue light to stop blinking before pressing again or you will get a constant blue blinking light and have to pop the card out for it to switch to next game properly.

Simple question, when you have the mSD in Diskwriter, look in bottom left and tell me how many MB you have free/open. Always leave enough free for savedata to write to, like 1GB. If wanting to fit more or open up space, try using ROM-TOOL to trim your files.

Or if you have a lot of patience try using OPTIMISE in diskwriter. It should backup you game list and auto-trim your files for you. But it can take up to 2 hours depending on your PC.

nope.

Still, no Joy.
This video was just to show, that whole 2DS freezes when I insert sky3ds with GENUINE SanDisk 16 BG Ultra mSD card.
I have done everything I imagined to do: deleted partitions, rewrote mbrs, formatted, reformatted, used disk writer 1.06, 1.05, used template from 31032015, used from 09042015. used SD adapters, used USB adapters.
When I insert genuine RED/GREY mSD Sandisk 16 GB card - whole system just freezes. LED is allways on and nothing happens. Completely freeze.
All games are EUR versions, .3DS roms only. Wifi is off. it is 9.6.0-24E version.
There's at least 4 GB of free space when I write all games I want to write.
I use USB adapter only.
I launch diskwriter as admin only. Diskwriter writes at 17-13 mb/s, stable speeds, depending on game I think. Average - 15...

If I use another BLACK "SanDisk" mSD card (received with Sky3DS), which, looks like a bit dodgy, writing to disk is at 5 MB/s, stable. With that card, result is, that it does not freeze whole system. Good! Sometimes even games are launched to the game LOGO. But then - either Game Card Was Removed, either some additional errors that card is unusable etc.
it takes 10, sometimes more starts until game launches succesfully - since then - all other games start with no problems.

I start games as it is described in manual:
1st insert holding blue button. No No game appears. after few secs I pull it out.
2nd insert - not holding button. Quick flashing of blue led. it stops. no game appears. wait a bit - pull out.
3rd insert. Not holding button. Standard flash few times, game appears. Sound starts. Yay.

Launching game - The Game Card was removed.
Press the Home button to return to the Home Menu.

And this error is always - no matter what game from black card is launched. Always the same. Only difference is - will I get it after 3DS logo, or when I see the the Game Spalsh Logo...

UNLESS - once in a while unthinkable happens and game manages to launch...

 

[Penny Morecash]

Hi yessuz, I had the same problem...
Get a cotton bud and clean the contacts on the back of the Sky3DS card, a toothbrush will work also.

Simple test, hold the cartridge firmly in the slot when starting the game, I bet it works...

 

[yessuz]

Hi yessuz, I had the same problem...
Get a cotton bud and clean the contacts on the back of the Sky3DS card, a toothbrush will work also.

Simple test, hold the cartridge firmly in the slot when starting the game, I bet it works...

sadly, but no

 

[Penny Morecash]

Strange, it looks exactly the same as the problem I had.
Sorry!

 

[Osmosis]

So we've got another bad cart?

Or is it having problems with the 2DS?

Or is it 9.6?

That's really odd.

Do you know the exact specs of your Sandisk mSD? Is it Class 10 or UHS-1? It should be SDHC at 16GB, wouldn't need the SDXC for that amount, but many mSDs are upgrading to SDXC. For mSDs you want CLASS 10 SDHC if possible. Sky3DS seems to have hiccups with UHS-1/3 cards. The mSD that came with Sky3DS should be the right kind... so that's odd.

Did the Sky3DS ever work prior to this? Or has this been happening since you got it?

Have you tried it in another 3DS other than the 2DS? Heck, even the N3DSXL it would work...

So at this point. RMA...? If you can?

Just exchange it for a new one if possible. Inform them it is a faulty cart and why so that when it gets returned they can find the fault. They really shouldn't give you a hard time about an exchange.

Do hold onto the mSDs. I don't think they are the problem. The Sandisk is probably a UHS-1 / Class 10. But the mSD that came with Sky3DS should work so I think it's a faulty cart.

You're not alone. Others have had Sky3DS auto-cycling games. They had to hold the blue button just for the game to stop cycling. But then it wouldn't make savedata correctly. Others had issues with USB hubs or card slot adapters. And some just outright don't work at all.

So go contact your reseller. Get an exchange/RMA.