Neo TeAm Forum
NEO Team's Projects for the GBA/NDS/NDS lite => NEO Flash and Magic Key 1/2/3 help, FAQ/guides and discussion => Topic started by: Darkriku on March 05, 2006, 03:35:36 PM
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Ive checked the guides followed step by step only getting white screens i spent a lot of money and i just am not getting it . I freaking follow ever guide neer works.
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did you check to see what firmware your DS has? refer to http://www.neoflash.com/forum/index.php/topic,1565.0.html (http://www.neoflash.com/forum/index.php/topic,1565.0.html) for instructions on testing the firmware. MK3 only works with flashme or older firmware.
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Also, if you could specify what type gba flashcart you are using, and what step you are stuck on (if any)...
Basically the more detail you provide helps us diagnose the specific problem, since white screens can have several different causes.
BruceG
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I have the first firmware and i get white screens and i have the neoflash 256M bit gba cart and the MK3
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Yes, your ds should be compatible then. I think you mean neoflash 512 Mb flashcart, though.
You have to give us more specific details about what you are doing (it sounds like you are missing an important step somewhere)... Just saying you are getting white screens doesn't help isolate the specific problem.
BruceG
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Well i cant get any thing to run off the gba cart to get the moonshell to work.
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Is the menu flashed on the cart alone? Are using NPK or Neomax to flash it?
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you should use NPK 2.2 in the beginning,it's more stable and easy to help u get it work.
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im just tottaly lost :'(
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I know you have read the neomax and mk2/mk3 guide in the FAQ forum, so you have to tell us what steps you don't understand.
First, I assume you have downloaded the latest programs (Neo Power Kit 2.2 for Slimloader 3, and Neomax 1.5)
You can get them here (at the bottom):
http://www.neoflash.com/forum/index.php/topic,875.0.html
Now, if you want to run an older version of moonshell (just to test your ds), connect your Slimloader 3 (with the flashcart inserted) to the main usb port on the back of your computer. Then, run the neomax 1.5 program.
There's a tab to 'format' the cartridge near the top. Hit that button (it will give you an option to select a 'gba loader' -- for gba roms -- and a 'nds loader' -- for nds files in general (though gba in also supported using the neomax multi-loader)
Make sure the 'nds loader' option is highlighted, and click ok. Now, it should format your flashcart and also install an older version of moonshell on your ds. After it says it's done, just unplug the flashcart from the Slimloader and insert it into the gba slot on your ds. Also, insert the magic key 3 into the ds slot (you generally should have BOTH an original ds game cartridge AND a SD card inserted into the magic key 3 as well)
Turn on your ds -- moonshell should then run using the multi-loader app (Hit 'A' button, and 'A' again to run moonshell).
Now, say you want to burn the menu software on your flashcart instead (so you can run nds roms). Well, you simply follow the same steps described above to format your flashcart. However, after you have formatted, click the 'Add' button near the top, select the menu 0.4 file (either the .nds OR .gba version), and click the 'Single rom' button in the upper right hand corner to write it. Now, the menu file should be burned, and you are done with that step.
Now, if you want ANOTHER alternative to burn the menu file (and achieve the same results as above), then use Neo Power Kit 2.2 instead. First, double-click that 'nds mode' icon on your desktop. Next, open the Neo Power Kit 2.2 program. Hopefully, your flashcart will be detect properly. If you see any entries listed under rom name, simply highlight them with the cursor, and hit the 'remove' button. Click on the 'add' button to add the same menu file as above. Click on 'burn all', and then you're done burning the menu.
Next, take your sd card reader, and insert your sd card into that. Connect your sd card reader to a usb port on your pc. Format the sd card if it isn't formatted already, by right-clicking the drive letter which corresponds to your sd card reader, and selecting format (using FAT should be ok).
Now, copy clean (i.e. unpatched) & verified commercial rom dumps (the files that have the .nds extensions) onto your SD card (simply 'drag and drop' the roms over to your SD card)
Take the SD card and insert it into your magic key 3 (it goes next to the original DS cartridge that must also be inserted). The magic key 3 goes into the nintendo ds slot. The flashcart goes into the gba slot on your ds
Turn on your ds, and you're done (the menu should load, and you should see some icons on the top)
That's all you need to do to get started.... The readme file included with the menu software gives you the basic commands on how to navigate/flash/run roms.
BruceG
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Bruce: MoonShine aka MoonShell (on GBAdev forum) aka Infantile Paralysiser is the nicks of the guy behind creating MoonShell ;-)
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@ bruceg
you forget that with formatting you forget to say that the tab support sd/mmc should be on(when it is black, that tiny square thingie in front of the letters 8))
in the faq i thought to remember that it says it should already be on but with me it wasn't it toke me about half an hour to get that fixed
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Sven-this is a compliment,not a knock. :)
Bruceg-Remember being 14 and trying to get the nes hooked up?
Figuring out that ufh deal with the two screws was enough for me.
Our generation had better run the world soon,because these(young)guys are already knocking on our door.
I guess these guys had more advanced tech.available from the time they were born.That probably helps.
Sven again-dude,im kinda old,and it took about a month for me before I really started feeling comfortable with this stuff.I was in enrichment classes,straight A's in school,all that garbage.There is no way 14 year old me would have figured this out.(Of course,i was using a Tandy coco3.Windows was Sci-Fi.)
It sounds like you are doing great.
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thanks :)
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@ bruceg
you forget that with formatting you forget to say that the tab support sd/mmc should be on(when it is black, that tiny square thingie in front of the letters 8))
in the faq i thought to remember that it says it should already be on but with me it wasn't it toke me about half an hour to get that fixed
Actually, I took that into account already.. In this particular case, it's not necessary that you check the tab support for sd/mmc (you definitely don't check it if you have a mk1). He's just trying to run moonshell from his gba cart.... don't need to hook up the sd card reader, either (try it yourself, it should work fine)
BruceG
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Sven (and all other users interested in Neomax 1.5):
Upon closer observation of neomax 1.5, I found a bug (that cory confirmed) using the format function.
When you format the cartridge (the 'sd/mmc support' button is in fact enabled already by default -- if you look really closely, you will notice a tiny upside down arrow symbol in the box).
However, if you click on that tiny box, the tiny arrow symbol will be replaced by a square black mark. That is where the bug is.. It shouldn't turn black at all -- the box should be cleared instead, so there is no tiny arrow symbol.
So to summarize, 'sd/mmc support' IS in fact enabled by default.
Clicking on the square (making it black) actually TURNS OFF 'sd/mmc support' (this is a bug -- the box should be CLEARED instead)
Now, in case you are not already fully aware of how neomax 1.5 functions, when you enable 'sd/mmc support', you can add NDS, GBA roms, and homebrew as well (though my homebrew didn't work) to their corresponding folders on the SD card, by using the sd/mmc tab. Save backups are then stored in their respective folders on the sd card.
If you disable 'sd/mmc support', the saving backup space is created on the flashcart instead (you select the size of the Save Management Support (SMS) space during format).
For either option (enable or disable 'sd/mmc support'), you may also 'add' gba AND nds roms to the flashcart on the Neo-Flash tab (these rom titles will be listed under the moonshell application). After you are done adding everything, just hit the 'multi-write' button to burn all of them.
Finally, re-connect your sd card and flashcart to your ds, and turn on your ds to run the neomax multi-loader application. Gba should run fine (using the gba loader tab), some nds commercial roms should work (using the nds loader tab), and homebrew should generally function as well (though mine wouldn't flash to the cart or copy to the sd card for some unknown reason).
However, I couldn't get saving to function correctly, so that may still be broken.
The future neomax program should hopefully fix all these bugs and work quite well, even for mk1 users.
BruceG
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i use it to format,and flash(single rom),thats about it.
i didnt use the folders created on the sd,then i did,then i didnt,etc...,but always writing the roms direct to sd,not with neomax.
so i use it(neo-max 1.5),but i dont use it.that menu sure looks neat,though.
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It generally works fine for gba, and some nds commercial roms work as well, if you follow the above steps. Once the coders resolve all the bugs, it should become a very viable alternative to using the menu software only.
BruceG
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This is the last build I have been able to get working, use the SC option to make a file that can be burned directly to a cart, use the __boot__MP.nds file it creates with setup.exe to run from the MK menu.
20060212_moonshell0992test4.zip (http://l33t.spod.org/~cory1492/20060212_moonshell0992test4.zip)
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And cory's general moonshell setup guide is in the FAQ section:
http://www.neoflash.com/forum/index.php/topic,1706.0.html
BruceG