D.T.M.F.
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I'm looking for a good way to back up my LSDJ work from non-USB cartridges and was wondering if any of you can help. I've been using LSDJ for a long time and have several of the original Bung brand carts, plus a "Flash Linker" from the now defunct mrflash.com. I used to use Flash Linker and GBX Tool to back things up to my PC, but I don't run Windows 98 anymore and the software and serial port were pretty unreliable on WinXP.

I've gone way too long without backing up my tracks and I figured someone here might know of some better alternatives that would work with more current operating systems (Mac OSX Leopard, Windows XP and Windows 7 are the ones I currently run at home).  For example, I've been looking around for something like the Flash Linker but that uses a USB interface rather than a serial cable. Anybody know if such a thing exists?

Also, might it be possible to use something like this: http://www.amazon.com/RS232-Serial-Cabl … B000NSDPUQ  to make my current Flash Linker work via USB? Something tells me "probably not," but I wanted to ask to see if any of you have some insight for me. Any ideas would be much appreciated.

nitro2k01
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Sweeeeeeden

Are you sure it's using a serial cable and not a parallel cable? If it connects to the 25-pin port on the computer, then it's using the parallel port. In that case, you're pretty much out of luck. If it's actually using the serial (9-pin) port then it might actually work. There were 25-pin serial ports, but don't be fooled... If your thing connected to a 25-pin port on the computer, it was probably a parallel port device.

That said, the only thing you need their linker device for is to update he flash memory. Backing up the SRAM should be possible from any Gameboy linker device, such as Smartboy or Bleepbloop's first generation linker. The problem is getting ahold of one of those these days.

D.T.M.F.
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nitro2k01 wrote:

Are you sure it's using a serial cable and not a parallel cable? If it connects to the 25-pin port on the computer, then it's using the parallel port. In that case, you're pretty much out of luck. If it's actually using the serial (9-pin) port then it might actually work. There were 25-pin serial ports, but don't be fooled... If your thing connected to a 25-pin port on the computer, it was probably a parallel port device.

Whoops... you're right, I did mean to say "parallel cable." So, short of installing Windows 98 again, I'm pretty much out of luck unless I can find a Smartboy or Bleepbloop linker?

Last edited by D.T.M.F. (May 30, 2010 1:23 pm)

D.T.M.F.
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nitro2k01 wrote:

Backing up the SRAM should be possible from any Gameboy linker device, such as Smartboy or Bleepbloop's first generation linker. The problem is getting ahold of one of those these days.

You think the Smartboy Linker they're selling at http://www.smartboy.ugu.pl/ for $49.00 would work? Has anyone here ever used this particular linker to do backups? If it does in fact work, I'm curious about the reliability of the software and what Operating systems it works with (I'm assuming it doesn't work w/ Mac OSX). Half the battle with my current linker was completing a file transfer without GBX Tool freezing up or crashing. Thanks a lot for your help!

Last edited by D.T.M.F. (May 30, 2010 2:00 pm)

Saskrotch
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Chicago IL

you can do what i did, buy an old shitty laptop on ebay specifically for lsdj back ups. 30 bucks incl shipping (i think 21 of it was shipping actually)

xero
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▐▐▌▌▐▌▌█▐ ▐▐▌▌▐▌▌█▐ ▐▐▌▌▐▌▌█▐


i use a mega memory card to backup my saves on my non usb carts.

but, if you also have a usb cart, you can backup both carts on
the mega memory card. then put the non usb save on the usb
cart, then sync the cart w/ the computer. i know it sounds round
about, but it's what works cheaply for me.

also,
DTMF, dual-tone multi-frequency? ;D
that was my old handle back in the fone phreakin' days ;D

D.T.M.F.
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Thanks so much for the help y'all. So far, the $49 Smartboy Cart Reader at www.smartboy.ugu.pl looks the most appealing. However, the website doesn't exactly provide a wealth of information about it, so can anyone here vouch for this thing? Does it work OK with Windows XP and/or Mac OSX? Does it come with decent software or do I still need to use GBX Tool to make it work? I just don't wanna blow $49 on a paperweight if I can help it.

Xero, do you know where I might buy one of those Mega Memory Cards? Sounds like that might also be a decent solution if I can get my hands on one.

The name "D.T.M.F." has a double meaning for me. You're right though, "dual-tone multi-frequency" is the obvious acronym. Feel free to speculate on the second meaning, but I thought I'd let that one remain mysterious for a little while. wink  Thanks again for your suggestions guys.

arottenbit
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Milan, Italy

it seems to work on OsX
http://thretris.blogspot.com/2009/12/ho … acosx.html

and even linux
http://sourceforge.net/projects/gbcf/

remember that in those 49$ there's even included a smartboy cart, so it's a pretty nice price. smile

nitro2k01
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Sweeeeeeden

Smartboy is a decent product, but they've been known to have some delivery problems in the past because their goods got caught in customs. I think you should ask Kitsch if he's aplnning to restock on smartboys before trying to buy directly from SB.

node
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thieveland ohio

+1 on Kitch's smartboys you can back up old non usb cards but you can't upgrade LSDJ. however it did get my .savs off so mission accomplished!

D.T.M.F.
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node wrote:

+1 on Kitch's smartboys you can back up old non usb cards but you can't upgrade LSDJ. however it did get my .savs off so mission accomplished!

I'm confused... you mean you can't write the LSDJ rom onto a blank cart? Aside from doing backups, I thought that was kinda the point of these things. Or are you saying it only works with older versions of LSDJ? Looks like my old carts are still running v. 3.1.5

herr_prof
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You cannot use the new cart writers to update the rom on old bung carts. It can only read/write sram.

D.T.M.F.
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herr_prof wrote:

You cannot use the new cart writers to update the rom on old bung carts. It can only read/write sram.

Good to know... In that case, I guess my old Mr. Flash linker can still serve a purpose. Once I get all the .sav files backed up, I'll probably just wipe the memory on the old carts and update them all to the latest LSDJ rom.

You guys have been awesome. Thanks so much for the advice and suggestions. I'll let y'all know if I discover any new information.

I did find one interesting tidbit from Bit Shifter on the LSDJ wiki regarding the Mega Memory Card: "Using the Megamemory Card with the big grey classic Game Boy can be risky. My first backup attempt (using an old grey Game Boy) resulted not only in the loss of a song but in some kind of corruption of my LSDj cart. Megamemory Cards seem to work fine on Game Boy Pocket and Game Boy Color."

xero
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D.T.M.F. wrote:

Xero, do you know where I might buy one of those Mega Memory Cards? Sounds like that might also be a decent solution if I can get my hands on one.

just google "mega memory card" or "game boy mega memory card", and yew will find them...
i got mine on amazon.com new for $10.

D.T.M.F. wrote:

I did find one interesting tidbit from Bit Shifter on the LSDJ wiki regarding the Mega Memory Card: "Using the Megamemory Card with the big grey classic Game Boy can be risky. My first backup attempt (using an old grey Game Boy) resulted not only in the loss of a song but in some kind of corruption of my LSDj cart. Megamemory Cards seem to work fine on Game Boy Pocket and Game Boy Color."

yes, that is very true.
i have used mine on the DMG and it worked fine.
but i have a pocket that only functions as my backup utility.

Kris k
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BK

SPs are also very stable for using the MMC.