Hacking Tips On Maintaining R4/MicroSD

[Panic101]

Post your tips. Everything you know, this will help the community have less problems I believe in the long run. I'll start it off ..

* Always make sure nothing is reading off/writing to your microSD before you remove it from the computer, or else you'll corrupt it.

P.S. DO NOT GO OFF-TOPIC and WRITE PROBLEMS YOU'RE CUURENTLY HAVING. Stick to the main objective. If the tips worked for you though, you could leave a thanks.

Don't just read, learn and leave a tip while your at it!

 

[Sinkhead]

Whenever I remove it from the PC without 'safely removing' it, I get corruptions

So I recommend removing it using the 'Safely Remove Hardware' button...

- Sam

 

[Panic101]

* Get into the habit of backing up saves. In case of corruption.

 

[myuusmeow]

Use an automatic save backup tool! I use: http://gbatemp.net/index.php?showtopic=63989&st=15 (save as backupsaves.bat). On the root of your drive have an autorun.inf file that has

[autorun]
open=backupsaves.bat
action=Back Up Your Nintendo DS Saves
icon=C:\WINDOWS\system32\shell32.dll,7

as its contents.

My bat file is:

set drive=c:\
set backupcmd=xcopy /c /h /i /r /y
set folder=%date:~10,4%_%date:~4,2%_%date:~7,2%
explorer "N:\"
explorer "C:\dssavbackup"
%backupcmd% "N:\roms\*.sav" "%drive%\dssavbackup\%folder%\"
%backupcmd% "N:\gba\save\*.sav" "%drive%\dssavbackup\%folder%\gba"
%backupcmd% "N:\wolf3d\*.sdm" "%drive%\dssavbackup\%folder%\wolf3d"
%backupcmd% "N:\wolf3d\*.wl1" "%drive%\dssavbackup\%folder%\spear"
%backupcmd% "N:\emulators\LAMEBOY\*.sav" "%drive%\dssavbackup\%folder%\lameboy"
%backupcmd% "N:\emulators\jenesis\*.srm" "%drive%\dssavbackup\%folder%\jenesis"
%backupcmd% "N:\emulators\jenesis\*.jst" "%drive%\dssavbackup\%folder%\jenesis"
%backupcmd% "N:\emulators\dsmasterplus\*.sts" "%drive%\dssavbackup\%folder%\dsmasterplus"
%backupcmd% "N:\emulators\nesds\*.ss" "%drive%\dssavbackup\%folder%\nesds"

 

[bobrules]

when inserting the microsd, use your finger nail and push slowly, until you hear a click.

 

[Panic101]

Good Job guys keep posting all your tips! We need 'em! Stay on topic!

 

[Rocky5]

Here is a simple batch file to backup your saves this is what i use it does the job just fine.

give it a try make sure you change the Drive letter and your save location to that of your card.
if you want to keep the log.txt leave the ::del "Saves Backup Log.txt"

I know it looks alot but its the gui that takes up most of the space got to make it look good

.

@echo off
:Main
color 0E
cls
echo:
Echo               ÉÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍ»
Echo               º         º
Echo               º ÂSaves On Card. º
Echo               º         º
Echo               º SD Backup Maker º
Echo               º         º
Echo           ÂÉÍÍÍÍÍͼÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÈÍÍÍÍÍÍ»
Echo           º   ÂPress A To Continue   º
Echo           ÂÈÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍͼ
echo:

:creat
echo: 
echo:
echo: Â >> "Saves Backup Log.txt"
echo Log File... >> Â"Saves Backup Log.txt"
echo: >> "Saves Backup Log.txt"
Echo Time and Date of backup >> Â"Saves Backup Log.txt"
echo: >> "Saves Backup Log.txt"
Time/T Â >> "Saves Backup Log.txt"
date/T Â >> "Saves Backup Log.txt"
echo:
echo: >> Â"Saves Backup Log.txt"
attrib +h Â"Saves Backup Log.txt"
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
xcopy "F:\NDS Roms\*.sav" "saves" /E /Q /I /H >> Â"Saves Backup Log.txt"
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
attrib -h Â"Saves Backup Log.txt"
::del "Saves Backup Log.txt"
echo:
echo:
goto finish

:finish
REM Finished Code...

color 0E
cls
echo:
Echo               ÉÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍ»
Echo               º         º
Echo               º ÂSaves On Card. º
Echo               º         º
Echo               º SD Backup Maker º
Echo               º         º
Echo           ÂÉÍÍÍÍÍͼÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÈÍÍÍÍÍÍ»
Echo           º   ÂPress A To Continue   º
Echo           ÂÈÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍͼ
Echo                 ÉÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍ»
Echo                 º Finished º
Echo                 ÈÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍͼ
echo:
echo:
pause
exit

 

[leetdude_007]

Try to avoid removing your Homebrew Cart every time you want to remove your microSD.

 

[Rocky5]

Dont use DSOrganize i cant remove the damn thing after i put it on the card need to format.

damn DSOrganize folder will not delete.

 

[notnarb]

So not smear in peanut butter and consume. Although this will yield more entertainment then many ds games out there...

 

[kellyan95]

Dont use DSOrganize i cant remove the damn thing after i put it on the card need to format.

damn DSOrganize folder will not delete.

Most likely a corrupted CACHE folder because you used the web browser and have a crappy card.

 

[hollabackitsobi]

ALWAYS take the MicroSD out of the R4 when you're done using it. It relieves pressure on the spring (if you have one with a spring), so it doesn't break as easily later. That's one of the reasons I got a Cyclo, I hated taking it out all the time, and swapping out my 2x 2GB memory cards.

 

[DarkAura]

ALWAYS take the MicroSD out of the R4 when you're done using it. It relieves pressure on the spring (if you have one with a spring), so it doesn't break as easily later. That's one of the reasons I got a Cyclo, I hated taking it out all the time, and swapping out my 2x 2GB memory cards.

Either do that or remove your spring or buy the newer version R4. No spring, no problems.

 

[Nero]

Don't submerge your R4/MicroSD in any liquids.

And always use the "Safely Remove Hardware" option; to ensure that corruption doesn't happen/

~Nero

 

[Law]

ALWAYS take the MicroSD out of the R4 when you're done using it. It relieves pressure on the spring (if you have one with a spring), so it doesn't break as easily later. That's one of the reasons I got a Cyclo, I hated taking it out all the time, and swapping out my 2x 2GB memory cards.


Either do that or remove your spring or buy the newer version R4. No spring, no problems.

Does the spring really break that easily? I've had mine since March and havn't had a problem with it. I leave the MicroSD card in the R4 most of the time, except for the 3 or 4 times a week I take it out to change the contents.

 

[Panic101]

ALWAYS take the MicroSD out of the R4 when you're done using it. It relieves pressure on the spring (if you have one with a spring), so it doesn't break as easily later. That's one of the reasons I got a Cyclo, I hated taking it out all the time, and swapping out my 2x 2GB memory cards.


Either do that or remove your spring or buy the newer version R4. No spring, no problems.

Does the spring really break that easily? I've had mine since March and havn't had a problem with it. I leave the MicroSD card in the R4 most of the time, except for the 3 or 4 times a week I take it out to change the contents.

Yes, it does. Post tips only, no side convo's please. I dont want this going off-topic.

 

[rhyguy]

dont drop micro sd near vents, fans, blenders or animals

 

[Law]

ALWAYS take the MicroSD out of the R4 when you're done using it. It relieves pressure on the spring (if you have one with a spring), so it doesn't break as easily later. That's one of the reasons I got a Cyclo, I hated taking it out all the time, and swapping out my 2x 2GB memory cards.


Either do that or remove your spring or buy the newer version R4. No spring, no problems.

Does the spring really break that easily? I've had mine since March and havn't had a problem with it. I leave the MicroSD card in the R4 most of the time, except for the 3 or 4 times a week I take it out to change the contents.

Yes, it does. Post tips only, no side convo's please. I dont want this going off-topic.

That didn't really help without backing up your point on saying that it "does", and I find it slightly rude that you would type that up in large purple text, as if trying to force it on me.

Maybe I should start doing it to prove points because people obviously don't read what I say.


Also, don't drop the MicroSD Card on the floor, you'll spend ages trying to find it if you have a dark carpet.

 

[HBK]

Well, yes, the MicroSD cards are so tiny that you can lose them easily, but if you take the necessary precautions, then there is no reason to fear.

Now, it's known that the MicroSD spring is likely to break around the first 3-6 months of use (that's really a shame, but there are exceptions, like me, for example), as stated by other members.

My tips are to handle the MicroSD with care, and apply just the necessary force when taking the MSD card out of the R4.

However, a positive side is that MSD cards are so much easy to replace than if you have an internal cart (like the DSX), if you lose it, or if it gets corrupted permanently or something.

P.S. Enough with the purple text. It's annoying.

 

[Destructobot]

Defragment the memory card occasionally (especially if you tend to keep it full), but DON'T use a defrag utility. Copy the files to your hard disk, format the card, then copy the files back.

A defrag utility will move data around on the card many many many times, and flash memory can only survive so many erase/write cycles.


To the bold purple loonies: It seems to me that discussing the validity of these tips is not off topic.