Acekard 2i freezing randomly

cython

Hey, hoping someone here can offer me some advise/help/whatever here. I recently bought an Acekard 2i from Gamekool, and received it last week, with a 4GB Micro SD card. I have a DSi, hence going for this card out of the ones I have seen recommended on this forum.

Anyway, the card has yet to work properly for me in said DSi. I have tried it with a number of games, and it always freezes randomly within the first few minutes of having loaded up a game. There is no apparent pattern to it - it could happen on a splash screen, or it could be a few mins into the game, but I would be surprised if I could claim to have gotten 10 mins sustained play out of it without it freezing. Now I googled this, and there are suggestions that it being loose in the slot can be an issue, and to wedge some paper/cardboard in behind it, but I have tried this to no avail, to the point that any thicker a wedge risks leaving the cartridge wedged inside my DS. I also updated it to the latest firmware and system software (Alex Rider Stormbreaker?) I could get from the Acekard homepage, even though it worked out of the box, other than needing to load the system files onto the memory card. These same reports suggest that games involving a lot of button pushing or moving of the console are more prone too, but this happens to me even with the DS left on a flat surface, untouched (cutscene playing at the opening of a game suddenly hangs)

Now, at this point I would generally just email gamekool, and explain that it flat out doesn't work, but I decided to try it in my girlfriend's DS Lite, and found that it seemed to play without issue (and no paper trick or anything required)! Certainly I can get well into a game without it freezing, much further than on my own console. This would suggest to me that there are at least some circumstances in which the Acekard will work.

Has anyone ever heard of/encountered anything like this? Or have you any suggestions of anything to try? I think I'll try flashing it with the latest firmware through the GF's DS Lite later on, and see if that helps in case the update through my own was ropy, but if that fails I figure it can't hurt to have asked here.

Thanks in advance!

Myrddin

cython wrote: »

Hey, hoping someone here can offer me some advise/help/whatever here. I recently bought an Acekard 2i from Gamekool, and received it last week, with a 4GB Micro SD card. I have a DSi, hence going for this card out of the ones I have seen recommended on this forum.

Anyway, the card has yet to work properly for me in said DSi. I have tried it with a number of games, and it always freezes randomly within the first few minutes of having loaded up a game. There is no apparent pattern to it - it could happen on a splash screen, or it could be a few mins into the game, but I would be surprised if I could claim to have gotten 10 mins sustained play out of it without it freezing. Now I googled this, and there are suggestions that it being loose in the slot can be an issue, and to wedge some paper/cardboard in behind it, but I have tried this to no avail, to the point that any thicker a wedge risks leaving the cartridge wedged inside my DS. I also updated it to the latest firmware and system software (Alex Rider Stormbreaker?) I could get from the Acekard homepage, even though it worked out of the box, other than needing to load the system files onto the memory card. These same reports suggest that games involving a lot of button pushing or moving of the console are more prone too, but this happens to me even with the DS left on a flat surface, untouched (cutscene playing at the opening of a game suddenly hangs)

Now, at this point I would generally just email gamekool, and explain that it flat out doesn't work, but I decided to try it in my girlfriend's DS Lite, and found that it seemed to play without issue (and no paper trick or anything required)! Certainly I can get well into a game without it freezing, much further than on my own console. This would suggest to me that there are at least some circumstances in which the Acekard will work.

Has anyone ever heard of/encountered anything like this? Or have you any suggestions of anything to try? I think I'll try flashing it with the latest firmware through the GF's DS Lite later on, and see if that helps in case the update through my own was ropy, but if that fails I figure it can't hurt to have asked here.

Thanks in advance!

I notice your comparing it between a DS Lite & DSi. Afaik, there's firmware loaders for each device. Ie if your upgrading the firmware on the card using a DSi, then you use the DSi firmware & vice versa. Would it be worth trying upgrading the firmware with the DSi fies? It might make no odds, just the first thought that came to mind.

cython

EnterNow wrote: »

I notice your comparing it between a DS Lite & DSi. Afaik, there's firmware loaders for each device. Ie if your upgrading the firmware on the card using a DSi, then you use the DSi firmware & vice versa. Would it be worth trying upgrading the firmware with the DSi fies? It might make no odds, just the first thought that came to mind.

I noticed the different files alright, and I'm 99% sure that when upgrading it through the DSi I used the DSi file (really not wanting to risk bricking it and all!). As far as I can gather they both seem to ultimately put the same firmware on the card (cos for some cards you had to update it in a DS lite before being able to use them in DSi's with firmware 1.4 or higher or something like that), but they must load differently or something. Probably can't hurt to try both updates through the appropriate devices though, can it?

Myrddin

cython wrote: »

I noticed the different files alright, and I'm 99% sure that when upgrading it through the DSi I used the DSi file (really not wanting to risk bricking it and all!). As far as I can gather they both seem to ultimately put the same firmware on the card (cos for some cards you had to update it in a DS lite before being able to use them in DSi's with firmware 1.4 or higher or something like that), but they must load differently or something. Probably can't hurt to try both updates through the appropriate devices though, can it?

Nope certainly not, just stick to the appropriate files for the devices as you said. It def seems to be more specific to your DSi though, is there a better firmware that can be on (without going too high)?

cython

EnterNow wrote: »

Nope certainly not, just stick to the appropriate files for the devices as you said. It def seems to be more specific to your DSi though, is there a better firmware that can be on (without going too high)?

The DSi is already on 1.4.1E, but from what I can tell, because the card appeared correctly when first put into the console once the AKAIO files were loaded on, it came pre flashed with the fix for that firmware. I tried flashing it from the DSL with the appropriate file for that device, but no improvement. Running a more complete format of the Micro SD card now to see if that is any help, but it seems like clutching at straws now. Only other option I can think of is to try the new Acekard firmware that supports the 3DS in case there are any other fixes included in that.

EDIT: Ok, reformatting the Micro SD card was no help, and it seems like the 3DS firmware update for the card has been no help either (not that I really expected it to, mind). Is it also worth pointing out that the soft reset function on the card ceases to function too when this happens? If anyone can shed any more light here, it would be much appreciated!

slave1

Do you have the latest AKAIO firmware, 1.8.6?
I bought a DSi last week and did not have to flash anything, the DSi worked straight with the latest firmware and no freezing issues.

Please do not use Windows to format your MicroSD card, it does not do a good job, the Panasonic SD Formatting program, it's tiny and does a much better job by all accounts.

So, in order I'd recommend

Undo any DSi firmware messing
Format MicroSD card using the Panasonic program
Load up 1.8.6.

and see how you get on....
Hope this works out for you.

PS do you know if the AK is a clone?

cython

slave1 wrote: »

Do you have the latest AKAIO firmware, 1.8.6?

Yeah, I downloaded and copied on AKAIO 1.8.6 to the card.

slave1 wrote: »

I bought a DSi last week and did not have to flash anything, the DSi worked straight with the latest firmware and no freezing issues.

My Acekard worked in the sense that the system software/firmware would run out of the box, but any games launched from that would freeze, hence flashing it to see if there was any more recent version.

slave1 wrote: »

Please do not use Windows to format your MicroSD card, it does not do a good job, the Panasonic SD Formatting program, it's tiny and does a much better job by all accounts.

Fully aware of this, have used the Panasonic utility on 2 different occasions now, one quick format, one full one, and same issue still persists.

slave1 wrote: »

So, in order I'd recommend

Undo any DSi firmware messing

Should be done, the AK presents itself to the DS as Alex Rider Stormbreaker THQ

slave1 wrote: »

Format MicroSD card using the Panasonic program

As said, done

slave1 wrote: »

Load up 1.8.6.

Also done

slave1 wrote: »

and see how you get on....
Hope this works out for you.

PS do you know if the AK is a clone?

I got to this point last night and still had freezing, so gave up and went to bed for the time being! I haven't checked the online counterfeit thing on their site yet, but will probably get to doing it this evening at this rate. I have another Micro SD card that I use in my phone that I might swap in, but given that it all seemed to work with no issue in the DS Lite, I'm not optimistic about the issue being in that area. As I said, I bought it from Gamekool, who Acekard list as suppliers, so I would hope that they are not selling knock offs, but I suppose there is always a chance

Thanks for all the suggestions, and keep them coming. Would really like to get this frustration over with! I should also point out that I have no issue running normal cartridges on the DSi either (or at least I didn't the last time I used one), so I don't think it's a console fault, though I might also check that again.

Myrddin

Just to be clear, your using 1.8.6a? Revision a had some bugfixes...

cython

EnterNow wrote: »

Just to be clear, your using 1.8.6a? Revision a had some bugfixes...

Yeah, sorry it's 1.8.6a. Acekard site still lists it as 1.8.6, but the filename downloading suggests 1.8.6a. I just see on the wiki that a DLDI file in AKAIO can cause freezing in homebrew (and for some users, but not others, perhaps like how I get issues in one console and not another?), and in that case to use the DLDI from the official Acekard package, so I might also try this later on today and see if it helps any bit.

slave1

You mentioned trying another MicroSD card, that's not a bad idea, before I moved to Acekard I did have issues with compatability with certain microsd cards and certain games but in fairness the Acekard is better in that respect and you seem to have a general issue.
The ultimate test is to get the lend of a definitively worked Acekard and try it in your DSi....

Snowc

Your best option would be to open it open and have a look inside.A wire my have being dislodged in the post

cython

Ok, latest update. Tried another Micro SD card from my phone, formatting it with the Panasonic utility and all that, but to no avail. I did seem to get longer out of it at times though, so I'm going to test the Acekard in the DS lite again to make sure that the long run I got out of it before wasn't just a fluke. At this point I'd nearly welcome having an issue getting it to run in the gf's DS Lite, cos I could return it to gamekool without doubt.

slave1 wrote:

You mentioned trying another MicroSD card, that's not a bad idea, before I moved to Acekard I did have issues with compatability with certain microsd cards and certain games but in fairness the Acekard is better in that respect and you seem to have a general issue.
The ultimate test is to get the lend of a definitively worked Acekard and try it in your DSi....

I definitely agree with the part in bold, but unfortunately I don't know anyone personally with the card, so for the moment it's not really a runner.

Snowc, as for opening the card, I would prefer not to do that, because if this is not the issue (or even if it is) then it may interfere with any opportunity/entitlement to return it to gamekool.

So, if anyone has any other ideas, I'd love to hear them, but at this point I'm nearly praying to be able to replicate the issue in another DS, and get shot of the card! Cheers for all the help so far too.