Help with USB Load and Saves

[Caliban]

I understand very well how it works.

If the first game uses 256K for save, and the second uses 64K, I can play the first game and save at Bank 0. If I play the second game, I should take Bank 4 in order to not overwrite the first save.

The fact is that even with different tries, as soon as I reset the game (with the reset button on the MD) and I load the game again, the save will have disappeared. I also tried Phantasy Star II, which uses 256K for SRAM, and all of the four banks (0,1,2 and 3) and the game tells me each time that there is a problem with the saves.

I am using all the latest software indicated before in the thread. I can try to clean the gold finger with alcohol, but they seem really clean to me.

Concerning the USB link, it's okay if it does not work, I can live without it. It is simply a nice way to try one game fast, without having to burn it each time. But I don't mind as long as the normal burning works well

[ChillyWilly]

I understand very well how it works.

If the first game uses 256K for save, and the second uses 64K, I can play the first game and save at Bank 0. If I play the second game, I should take Bank 4 in order to not overwrite the first save.

The fact is that even with different tries, as soon as I reset the game (with the reset button on the MD) and I load the game again, the save will have disappeared. I also tried Phantasy Star II, which uses 256K for SRAM, and all of the four banks (0,1,2 and 3) and the game tells me each time that there is a problem with the saves.

I am using all the latest software indicated before in the thread. I can try to clean the gold finger with alcohol, but they seem really clean to me.

Sure sounds like the battery is dead, all right. Good to see you have a firm grasp on how the save works. Eventually we'll need something a bit more robust and intuitive.

Concerning the USB link, it's okay if it does not work, I can live without it. It is simply a nice way to try one game fast, without having to burn it each time. But I don't mind as long as the normal burning works well

That's the main reason I worked on the SD code for the menu - that makes it REAL easy to just try one rom. Now if I can get that pesky zip ram working...

[Caliban]

Sure sounds like the battery is dead, all right. Good to see you have a firm grasp on how the save works. Eventually we'll need something a bit more robust and intuitive.

As you seem to be quite sure about it, I will try to go to an electronic shop where someone might be able to change it for me, because it is too difficult for me, and I don't have the tools to do such a thing.

[Caliban]

Update.

I checked the battery and it is fine.

[madmonkey]

but saves still don't work?
you can try reseating gba cart, or cleaning connectors like suggested, who knows, might help
http://www.neoflash.com/forum/index.php/topic,5825.msg41721.html#msg41721

[ChillyWilly]

About the only thing I can think of is maybe trash in the sram. Someone asked for the ability to clear the sram, but I forgot about that. It's known that some games "mess up" in unpredictable ways if there's "bad" data in the sram. They don't clear it or overwrite it in a way that makes it usable. Right now, to clear the sram you need to use the Ultra Menu and write a clear file to the sram.

[madmonkey]

there is an option to clear sram in my app.
I don't think this is a problem though, as reading sram clearly does not read anything(test_sram batch file on previous page).
also ps2 has very robust sram handling mechanisms, so it's unlikely it will fail ever.
>>Phantasy Star II, which uses 256K for SRAM
btw, it uses 64Kb

[Caliban]

btw, it uses 64Kb

Neo Ultra Menu automatically puts 256Kb for it...

So I can clear the SRAM ? By writing a clear file ? Where can I find such file ?

If I write the write_sram.bin, I have a message saying that the verification failed.

[madmonkey]

Neo Ultra Menu automatically puts 256Kb for it...

it's a bug.

if you tried everything that was suggested before and it still doesn't work, there is nothing you can do , except exchange the cart.
on a working cart test_sram passes(I probably should warn  that it also erases all saves on the cart, just in case).
actually, there was an error in the previous package, write_sram.bin was slightly above 128KB (by 16 bytes to be exact), so checksums wouldn't match ever.
here's the fixed file.
in any case, be sure to check read_sram.bin file - if it contains mostly the same data as write_sram.bin, sram is probably working correctly - sram reading is unreliable.

[Caliban]

I tried with the new sram, but report.txt still has two different lines, and writing SRAM with Neo Menu still fails.

Thanks anyway.

Edit : I asked them to exchange the GBA cart, or to send me a new one. Hope they will do it.

[Caliban]

I tried Phantasy Star IV. I go into the save menu of the game, and save. And when I return in the save menu without reseting the game, the save has disapeared.

Does this confirm that there is a problem with my GBA cart ?

I asked them to exchange it or send a new one...

[madmonkey]

I tried Phantasy Star IV. I go into the save menu of the game, and save. And when I return in the save menu without reseting the game, the save has disapeared.

if you made sure that sram_bank and sram_size are set to sensible values(0, 64kb), then yes.

[Caliban]

It does not work with 64k and SRAM 0.

I will see if they change the cart or send a new one...

[ChillyWilly]

PSIV was one of the games I specifically tested to make sure sram worked. I've run it, saved, run something else that saved (to somewhere else), left the cart lying around unplugged, run something else, then run PSIV again, loading the saved game. Other games I tested specifically: Sonic3, S&K+S3, Wolf32X, and the CD BRAM. I've tested other games, but the ones I mention are games pretty much everyone has, and if they work, the others should, too.

[Caliban]

Hello,

I did not post for a while...

I still have this save problem, I can't save at all. But I have seen this on ic2005hop : link

This is I think another GBA cart, like the 256 Mb one I already have. If I buy this cart, will I be able to save ? If I understand well, the save problem is linked with the GBA cart. What do you think about it ?

Thanks...