flashing firmware

[SigmaX6]

What are the advantages of flashing the firmware, i heard its possible, what does it do, can it cause problems later on?

[Brandogg]

It allows you to run homebrew games via WiFime...and I think you need to flash the firmware to run certain GBA backups carts.

[cory149]

The firmware allows you to boot unsigned DS code from the GBA slot, and unsigned wireless multiboots directly from the wireless carts - all without the need of a chunk of PCB and a NDS game sticking waaaay out of the NDS slot. (Oh, and it has the added bonus of skipping the health warning screen that you have to touch every time you turn the nds on without this update)

As far as I know there are no GBA backups that rely on passme/flashme (or how would they work on a GBA?) - passme was created with booting homebrew code from the gba slot in mind (flashcart, SD/CF to gba adapters), wifime for booting code off a PC without the need of a gba burnable cart (only once flashme has been done, which will require a GBA cart to do even if you have a RaLink wifi card) and flashme for doing either of these with less hardware.

[monu]

Hrrm. That sounds nice. Some questions regarding this:

a) Is it possible to undo this? (e.g. flash back to original firmware)
b) What if it fails? Does that happen a lot?
c) The firmware also includes the Pictochat stuff etc.?
d) What material do I actually need for this? Will any random gba cartridge do and enable me to play nds games?
e) Can games possibly detect this in the future?
f) How does saving work with this?
g) Has anyone tried this and can tell of any letdowns?
h) No commercial roms?

Thanks in advance. :D

[Mithos]

a) Yes
b) If flashing fails your DS is a brick, but it have not happened to anyone AFAIK.
Just make sure that you dont turn the DS off while flashing (use powercord in DS), if flashing stands still on x% keep on trying to bridge/short SL1, flashprogram will keep trying to flash forever, just bridged/short the SL1.

c) FlashME dont change anything the normal DS firmware can do.
d) Passme + gbacart or Wifi-compatible card + gbacart. No not alla gbacart will work playing NDS-games.
e) Possibly, but you can always flash it back to original.
f) depends on type of equipment i guess. some save on the cart (ds) you have in passme, others save on gbacart.

g) My DS is Flashed with FlashME, I have no problems.
h) Can work depending on equipment...

[SigmaX6]

so u cant firmware flash without the modifying the ds hardware? how would someone start off to give this a try

[darkliquid]

Its not modifying, you just stick something metal in the hole, keep it there, flash, and then you can take it out.

[whackawookie]

this is by far the best flashing system ive seen. if the sl contacts are lost during flash it simply pauses and waits for connections to be made again to continue. always have ur ds plugged in though, because if u dont find the right connection u dont have to worry about the system running out of battery.

[monu]

http://www.g6flash.com/news.htm

If I grab one of these (once they come out) and flash my firmware - do I ever need the PassMe again or can I keep the upper game slot free/occupied with some real game?

[booshaka]

You need a Passme to play any commercial games no matter what cart you buy (supercard, neoflash, xg2turbo, M3, G6) The only thing flashme will let you play from you flash cart are homebrew stuff like: the hexen or heretic ds port or scumm emulator etc etc.

[Mithos]

You need a Passme to play any commercial games no matter what cart you buy (supercard, neoflash, xg2turbo, M3, G6) The only thing flashme will let you play from you flash cart are homebrew stuff like: the hexen or heretic ds port or scumm emulator etc etc.


I've heard from people using only FlashME to play commercial games from diffrent carts.

All you need is a commercial game in the ds-port they say.

[Social-Zero]

Once u flash it you should be able to run commercial games from like a G6flash without the passme right?

[cory149]

when I asked about the M3 (same people as G6, same passkey type thing)
question:
- Will M3's passkey be different than passme, and require a separate purchase at time of ordering M3? And for that matter will FlashMe be sufficient? answer from 'Danny':
M3 is used with Passkey, and Passkey has added one function than PassMe. Im assuming the modified PassKey will be the only way to use DS things with G6/M3 by that response and likely flashme, without the "added function" will not be enough :( .

At any rate, you need the DS game to be in the PassMe/PassKey/MagicKey - whatever flavour you want to call it - to utilize the DS slot save, as for supercard it is really picky what cart you have in the slot before homebrew will run with flashme, and it doesnt care which game with passme.

[Social-Zero]

official word :

G6 can run NDS homebrew , Demo & real games with PassKey or PassMe .
But G6 or other competitive products cannot run real games with FlashMe .

[cory149]

official word :

G6 can run NDS homebrew , Demo & real games with PassKey or PassMe .
But G6 or other competitive products cannot run real games with FlashMe .
Nice, so I wonder what the "extra added function" of the M3 PassKey is supposed to be then...

[Cosmo]

official word :

G6 can run NDS homebrew , Demo & real games with PassKey or PassMe .
But G6 or other competitive products cannot run real games with FlashMe .


Any idea if this means that those of us that have used FlashMe are going to have to flash BACK to the standard firmware or can we simply stick thier 'PassKey' in and have it work ?

[Social-Zero]

I would have to confirm but I'm pretty sure people with a modified firmware don't have to worry as it will probably just run with the passkey

[whackawookie]

my ds is still flashed with flash me and i still use the pass me with no problem on my neoflash clone