Jotie
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I'm experiencing transferring problems with my 64m USB carts.
I mailed a while ago with Kitsch on the problem but we couldn't fix it. I gave up and lived with it because it worked propperly outside of transfering.

Now my nonfinite cart has a very similar issue.

Pretty sure I just installed the wrong driver software , but I can't figure out how to reinstall with the right software. The software isn't listed in Configuration -> Software. Does anybody know how I could fix it?


The Details:
With the first cart, I couldn't READ my sav files to my pc. A sav file appeared on my pc, it worked properly, but they were empty sav files. No songs or instruments (not even the pre-made kitsch songs smile). I dinn't try anyhting else because I wanted to keep the songs I wrote.

While running the nonfinite cart (arrived in the mail today, thanks nonfinite!), which is empty, I can't WRITE a rom to it. It's listed in the "ready to burn" list, after clicking WRITE it shows the loading bar, "writting" and waits one minute, but after transferring, nothing is on the cart.

Kitsch thought it could be that my cart or mini-sub port didn't connect right and had to apply pressure while transferring, but I can't imagine two carts with the same problem.

Tried it on different two pc's with two different usb to mini usb cables.
Next show Wednesday, want to rehearse this weekend, i'm actually kind of stressed about this sad.

kitsch
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matt's mind

i know this sounds a bit much, but try yet another usb cable if you've got one.  totally different brand.  the fit among different types can be quite different. 

another thing which may be the root of both: if there is a mistake in the driver installation, you've basically got to delete the files and start from scratch.  i think its the digitally signing bit thats the cause for this, but if the install fails starting over is always the way to go.  this has been my experience at least.

also, re: the installation, restart your comp between all the major steps of the process.  your system registry and all that is updated then.  a hard reboot, not a restart.

since your issues are the same in both carts, look to the commonalities that exist among the two.  the drivers, the software install, the cable, the usb port (don't use a hub!), the ROMs you are flashing (LSDJ must be by itself on the menu), things like this.  to have two different carts have the same issues, from two suppliers, probably from two different batches, is pretty weird.

danimal cannon
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buffalo, NY

Are you using the cart while its in the gameboy?  Hook up the USB while its OUTSIDE the gameboy.   I have no idea why this is an issue but that's what happened to me.

Jotie
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Nope, outside of the DMG

FAQ
Q3. The program always holds during file trasferation. What's matter ?
A. Please re-install the driver. Please note that you MUST reboot your PC after driver installation.

Reinstall, but how?

12ianma
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Maybe the cart is locked on one of the pages. Try burning the same rom to both pages.

Jotie
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12ianma wrote:

Maybe the cart is locked on one of the pages. Try burning the same rom to both pages.

How? By putting LSDJ twice in the burn list? Or manually switching pages after writing?
I can't see because after transferring/writing, nothing touches ground.


kitsch wrote:

(LSDJ must be by itself on the menu).

It is, "file" "lsdj v 4.something" or do you mean putting the .gb file on the desktop?



Found that the driver is only shown in Control panel => Device Manager if you're running as Admin, it's hidden when not. smile

Now that I've found that (silly me) I was able to reinstall the driver four times over and again because it won't stop crashing.

One time,  GB_USB crashed, rebooted, started GB_USB and it showed lsdj as written on the cart, but when unplugged and tested: nothing there. Plugged back in:nothing there. sad

Last edited by Jotie (May 6, 2012 2:19 pm)

kitsch
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matt's mind

to reinstall, you'll need to delete ALL the files you put on your computer doing the install, the software and the .sys and .inf ones.  once the install is attempted, if it fails, starting over is the only way which seems to help.

also, put the files on your computer where they will stay, forever.  your drivers folder probably.  don't try to install them while they are on the desktop, then move them where you want them.

restarting in between steps is a pretty big deal, it will update your system registry files (the driver may actually be installing fine the first time).  I had this same issue with a printer last week, drove me nuts. 

although, the ghost read/writes you are getting are pretty classic of just not having full contact between the cart and USB cable, as is the software hanging on the last part. 

if the software recognizes the cart AT ALL, even just at the beginning, your drivers are fine.  if the drivers aren't working, your cart won't be recognized as anything other than an unknown device.

and, your question about putting LSDJ on the cart twice: put one LSDJ ROM in each menu.  two ROMs on the whole cart.  LSDJ is funny and won't share menu space on the cartridge with other ROMs, it causes either the other ROM to not appear in the list, or LSDJ itself.

Jotie
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kitsch wrote:

although, the ghost read/writes you are getting are pretty classic of just not having full contact between the cart and USB cable, as is the software hanging on the last part. 

if the software recognizes the cart AT ALL, even just at the beginning, your drivers are fine.  if the drivers aren't working, your cart won't be recognized as anything other than an unknown device.

Okay, REALLY sounds like a contact problem, then. Usually hangs after writing, cart is recognized by GB_USB.exe.
(Altough it's noted as "EMS link cable" in the remove hardware safely window, and in the Control=>Device. Manual says that's normal, I think)
I just find it really strange to experience the same problems with 2 cables.
Belgian weather, I guess?


Going to reinstall the way you explained. But I can't really think of steps to reboot in between of: I mean, plug it in, "new hardware found", "give me the map location in which the driver software is located" (usually a documents sub-map), give it the location, it installs, boom, ready. Shut down, close the laptop. Open, start laptop. :s


Oh and by the way: thanks for all the help, I'm really freaking on this. (Vista and McAfee pop-ups aren't helping the least)

kitsch
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matt's mind

it will get sorted out.  you're so close.  just that last hiccup at the end.  the files can't be written for some reason in that block, or NONE of the file is being written at all and the hiccup at the end is some sort of checksum failure.  at least the cart is ID'ing itself properly, thats good.

well, if you've exhausted switching the actual USB cable, try using a different USB port on your computer.  sometimes this helps, if you are using a USB hub at all i know that's probably the issue.  hubs don't work, use the most direct port you can.

if your comp is old enough to have both usb ver. 1 and 2 types on there, use the ver. 2 plug in case its an instance of the transfer speed.

but, yeah, sounds like a connectivity problem, rather than a driver/software issue. 

ohhhhhhh, try this.  write a smaller ROM just to test.  see if that works.  if this round of LSDJ install doesn't work, try that and post the results too.

SketchMan3
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NC in the US of America
kitsch wrote:

and, your question about putting LSDJ on the cart twice: put one LSDJ ROM in each menu.  two ROMs on the whole cart.  LSDJ is funny and won't share menu space on the cartridge with other ROMs, it causes either the other ROM to not appear in the list, or LSDJ itself.

When you put LSDJ on both menus, they share the sram, right? Does that mean that booting from either bank 1 or bank 2 results in the same sav data being loaded? No data loss whether I boot from bank 1 or bank 2, right?

I had finally committed to buying an EMS 64m carts, but in my post-commitment research I've come across all these horror stories... it's so scary.

rbino
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Jotie did you sorted it out? I bought an EMS cartridge from NonFinite in February with LSDj, now when I tried burning a newer version of LSDj I had the same problem you had! I tried with 2 different PCs, 4 cables, both banks, reinstalled drivers, tried another ROM... everything you can think of, but nothing. I also wrote to NonFinite but they didn't answer me yet.

rbino
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Since I had to play for the first time live, I bought another cartridge from Noise Android. When I received it I tried it and I realized that it was the first time that I was using a working cartridge, since the one from NonElectronics in fact never worked for more than an hour before crashing (earlier if I shook the Game Boy), but I didn't have a comparison and so I thought it was normal.
I wrote three e-mails to NonElectronics but they never answered, not even to say "It's not our problem", so I basically threw 38 dollars away. Nice customer support.

Last edited by rbino (Jul 9, 2012 12:50 am)

Bit wish
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New Albany Indiana

I just had the same problem.... i went to copy a SAV file and when i start it up it says "Checking saved ram" and then shortly once it starts up it brings me to the error screen,,, you know,,, the "dont panic!" thing.

GoingHam
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Chicago
SketchMan3 wrote:
kitsch wrote:

and, your question about putting LSDJ on the cart twice: put one LSDJ ROM in each menu.  two ROMs on the whole cart.  LSDJ is funny and won't share menu space on the cartridge with other ROMs, it causes either the other ROM to not appear in the list, or LSDJ itself.

When you put LSDJ on both menus, they share the sram, right? Does that mean that booting from either bank 1 or bank 2 results in the same sav data being loaded? No data loss whether I boot from bank 1 or bank 2, right?

I had finally committed to buying an EMS 64m carts, but in my post-commitment research I've come across all these horror stories... it's so scary.

I don't know about 2 LSDJs on the same cart but I remember other games (pokemon for example) will mess with the sram when loaded while LSDJ is on the other page. LSDJ doesn't like to share.