Isn't it frustrating when you just can't seem to get your DS card working!..... Here we have some of the more common complaints and more importantly their solutions!

Whether it's a R4, a M3, a TT, or any other DS card we are here to help! And for all of you with the DSi or the DSi XL, this advice is for you too!

  For more detailed information see these links -  

DS ONE, DS ONEi, M3 DS Real, M3i Zero, N5, R4 SDHC, R4i SDHC, R4 EDGE, iEDGE, R4 DS (v2),  DSTT or DSTTi

Some Common Problems -    

- Why does my DS Hang on the Loading Screen?

- Why does one Screen go Black and the other goes White, but then nothing happens?

- Why does it take so long for my files to load?

- Why is my DS Card Not Recognised by my DS?

The most common cause of all problems is due to the software not being correctly transfered onto the Micro SD card.  So we are going to show you step by step how to do this!

Now the most important thing is to make sure you are using the CORRECT Kernal Software for your particular DS card, even if Johnny from across the street has a card that looks the same as yours there is no guarantee that it WILL work with your DS Card.  There are many differnt versions of DS cards and Kernal software is not always cross comaptible with different versions!

So here is where you need to get your Software from -

 1. Download the latest version of software from the Memory Card Zoo website by logging into your account and selecting your Order History, click View on the order that contains your DS card and click on the Software link. This will download a zip file onto your PC, extract the contents of the zip file onto your PC in a memorable place.

Please Note: Software is updated on a regular basis and as such we would suggest that if you have previously downloaded software you should download another file whilst following this process.

What is a Zip File you ask? 

A Zip File contains one or more files that have been compressed to reduce the file size.  This is useful when sending large files or when you need to send a few files together.  A Zip File is indicated by a "Pile of Books".  Your computer used programs like "WinZip" to unzip these files once they are downloaded.

Now then have you got that? You should be left with a nice selection of folders and stand alone files which look similar to this -

The number of files and folders differ for each DS Card.  Below we have listed the names of the folders and files you should expect to see for each of our DS Cards -

DS ONE

Folder - scshell

File - MSFORSC.NDS

DS ONEi

Folder - scshell

File - updateen.bin

File - MSFORSC.NDS 

M3 DSReal

Folder - SYSTEM

M3i Zero

Folder - SYSTEM 

File - F_CORE.DAT

N5

Folder - moonshl

Folder - _system_

File - _DS_MSHL.NDS

File - _DS_MENU.SYS

File - _DS_MENU.DAT

File - _AX_MENU.DAT

R4 SDHC

Folder - R4iMenu

Folder - moonshl2

Folder - moonmemo

File - R4.dat

R4 SD (v2)

Folder - moonshl

Folder - _system_ 

File - _DS_MSHL.NDS

File - _DS_MENU.DAT 

R4 EDGE

Folder - moonshl

Folder - GAMES

Folder - EDGE 

File - readme.txt

File - readme-en.txt

File - EDGE.DAT

File - edge-manual-1.0-ENG.pdf

R4 iEDGE

Folder - EDGE 

File - readme.txt

File - IEDGE.DAT

R4i SDHC - for Orders UP TO and including the 8th April'10

Folder - R4iMenu

Folder - moonshl2

Folder - moonmemo

File - R4.dat

File - Notice.html

File - _DS_MSHL.NDS

File - _DS_MENU.DAT

R4i SDHC - for Orders FROM the 9th April'10

Folder - R4iMenu

Folder - moonshl2

Folder - moonmemo

File - R4.dat

DSTT

Folder - TTMenu

File - TTMENU.SYS

File - TTMENU.DAT 

DSTTi

Folder - TTMenu

File - TTMENU.SYS

File - TTMENU.DAT  
2. Insert your Micro SD card  into your Card Reader  and make sure that your Micro SD card is blank. If your Micro SD card has data on it please delete the data and format the card. Please use the SD association card formatter rather than a windows format, please see the following link for this: http://www.sdcard.org/consumers/formatter/ (please make sure to set "Format Size Adjustment" to ON in the OPTION menu) If you do use the windows formatter ensure it is set to "FAT32" and use the default size allocation.

  Now here's the important part-

3. From the extracted files in step 1, copy all of the files/folders as they appear onto the root of your Micro SD card. Do not make your own folders! 

4. Remove the Micro SD from your PC and make sure all terminals on the micro SD and DS card are clean and free from dust (gently blow into the slot of the DS card where the micro SD is inserted to clear any possible dust from this opening).

5. Insert the micro SD card into the DS card and make sure that it is seated correctly.

Note for M3i and DOnei Users - There is an additional step for you to follow, please see the end of this guide and follow the instructions BEFORE moving on to step 6.

6. Insert your DS card into your DS with the latest version of DS OS software installed only. At this point none of your own files should be on the card.

7. Turn on your DS and you should be up and running. Please note that the time and date should be set correctly before inserting your DS into your DS console.

8. Check to see that your DS card is working correctly using the DS user Interface, turn your DS on and off to make sure that the OS starts reliably before adding additional files to your Micro SD card. If your DS is operating normally we would suggest adding additional files (eg. pictures, movies, etc) to the Micro SD card in small batches to ensure that the files being added do not interfere with the DS OS.

If when you turn your DS on you get the message "There is no card inserted in the DS Game Card Slot", and you have checked that the card is inserted correctly (you should hear a slight click) this could suggest a fault with the Card.

Please note - R4i Users - The "Star Wars" icon is supposed  to be there,  this is the gateway through to your DS Card.

Here at Memory Card Zoo we do not condone using these DS cards to play pirated or copyrighted MP3s or Movies that you do not own or have bought. For full detail see our Legal Information relating to DS Cards.

 

Extra Step for iEDGE, M3i and DSOnei Users ONLY

M3i -

5A. You now have to update the firmware on the M3i itself. To do this take the thin end of the USB cable and with the arrow facing the reverse of the card, push it into the tiny slot you will see on the side of the M3i card

5B. Take the other end of the USB cable and insert it into a USB port on your PC
5C. You will notice a small red LED flashing, once the light has stopped flashing and goes out this update is complete

 

DSOnei -

5A. You now have to update the firmware on the DSOnei itself. To do this insert your DSOnei card into the Firmware Writer

5B. Take the other end and place it into a free USB port on your PC
5C. You will notice a small red LED flashing, once the light has stopped flashing and goes out this update is complete, this takes approximately 8 minutes.