#72306 - wbo - Fri Feb 17, 2006 2:29 pm
I have been experimenting with homebrew development using a passkey 2 and a M3 card on my DS. However, I don?t particularly like the way the passkey 2 hangs down behind the DS, and I am concerned that I might accidentally damage either the passkey or the DS card when setting it down on a table.
Because of this, I am strongly considering flashing my DS with flashme to eliminate the need for the passkey. However, before I flash my DS I have a few questions about how flashme changes the original firmware.
1. Does flashme v6 write to any of the 'unused' spaces of the original firmware? Or do all of the 'unused' space in the original firmware remain untouched when flashed with flashme?
I know that versions prior to v5 did write to some of the 'unused' space in the original firmware causing problems with games that store wifi connection settings in the firmware. I also know that the problem with wifi settings was fixed in flashme v5, but I want to know if a similar problem might occur in the future if Nintendo releases games that attempt to write some other settings to 'unused' spaces in the firmware.
(I realize that I could always reinstall flashme if something does corrupt the firmware, but I would like to know if there is any possibility that a commercial game might cause problems in the future.)
2. How likely is it that future comerical games might detect flashme and refuse to run? I only have one DS, and I would like to be able to continue to play commerical games as well as do homebrew development without worrying about buying a game that refuses to run due to an unauthorized firmware version.
3. How exactly does noflashme restore the original firmware? Does the flashme installer make a note of what version of firmware the DS had originally, or does noflashme always restore the same firmware version regardless of what was originally on the DS?
Thanks for you help,
#72315 - m2pt5 - Fri Feb 17, 2006 4:54 pm
1. No, it doesn't. It takes up no more space than the normal firmware.
2. Not very likely... with 5 versions of firmware and the possibility of additional versions in the future (read: DSLite) it's unlikely that any game will contain firmware lockouts, else they wouldn't work with new DS units.
3. The first one. It notes what you had when installed and restores that version.
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#72317 - kojicolnair - Fri Feb 17, 2006 5:29 pm
yeah i was kind of scared about flashing my DS too but it was really easy once i found something that could fit in the SL1 hole. just make sure you plug your DS in and take your time and dont turn off the DS.
#72319 - HtheB - Fri Feb 17, 2006 5:32 pm
when your done flashing your DS.. you will say:
WAS THIS WHY I WAS SCARING OF? :D
#72339 - waruwaru - Fri Feb 17, 2006 8:03 pm
| kojicolnair wrote: |
| yeah i was kind of scared about flashing my DS too but it was really easy once i found something that could fit in the SL1 hole. just make sure you plug your DS in and take your time and dont turn off the DS. |
Btw, even when your DS is plugged in, if the battery falls out, the DS will not stay on. Give it a try. You should charge your battery to full before flashing and then hold the battery in during the flash process. If the battery falls out then you might brick the DS.
#72347 - wbo - Fri Feb 17, 2006 8:57 pm
Thanks for the information guys. I will give it a try when I get home tonight.
#72418 - HyperHacker - Sat Feb 18, 2006 12:39 pm
| m2pt5 wrote: |
| 2. Not very likely... with 5 versions of firmware and the possibility of additional versions in the future (read: DSLite) it's unlikely that any game will contain firmware lockouts, else they wouldn't work with new DS units. |
Well, games could look specifically for FlashMe, but the detection would be easy to work around. A more reliable detection method, such as a checksum, wouldn't work due to the possibility of future updates. Plus I don't think Nintendo really cares.
#72446 - tepples - Sat Feb 18, 2006 5:09 pm
| HyperHacker wrote: |
| A more reliable detection method, such as a checksum, wouldn't work due to the possibility of future updates. |
Unless Nintendo decides to sign future versions of firmware and special-case versions 1-5.
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#73331 - smeagol-sama - Fri Feb 24, 2006 9:04 pm
Whats the difference between flashme and flashme stealth, besides the health screen? Which one do you recommend.
#73338 - olimar - Fri Feb 24, 2006 10:34 pm
Last edited by olimar on Wed Aug 20, 2008 10:12 pm; edited 2 times in total
#73353 - caitsith2 - Sat Feb 25, 2006 12:47 am
Ok, what the person said about the DS turning off with battery falling out, is partially true. If the charging circuit is not currently turned on, like when charging is complete, then yes, the DS will turn off if the battery falls out. But when the charging circuit is on, (you can tell by the orange light), the DS will stay on, when the battery falls out.
If the DS is plugged in, and the orange light isn't on, unplug it and plug it back in, before doing your firmware flashing.
Alternatively, you could either do what I have done, and put a hole in the battery cover, where the SL1 shorting hole is, and never have to worry about the battery falling out, or if your willing to risk malware totally bricking your DS, you could do what loopy has done, and permanently short SL1 by putting in a solder bridge there.
#74602 - sigmaxix - Mon Mar 06, 2006 6:00 am
When FlashMe makes note of the Firmware it's replacing, any idea where it is storing this info? I mean, is it on the SD Memory Card, or inside the new Firmware?
#74612 - Sektor - Mon Mar 06, 2006 8:56 am
It only writes to the firmware flash. Nothing is saved to SRAM, CF/SD or anywhere else.
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#74613 - Viral_Weaponry - Mon Mar 06, 2006 8:57 am
| caitsith2 wrote: |
Ok, what the person said about the DS turning off with battery falling out, is partially true. If the charging circuit is not currently turned on, like when charging is complete, then yes, the DS will turn off if the battery falls out. But when the charging circuit is on, (you can tell by the orange light), the DS will stay on, when the battery falls out.
If the DS is plugged in, and the orange light isn't on, unplug it and plug it back in, before doing your firmware flashing.
Alternatively, you could either do what I have done, and put a hole in the battery cover, where the SL1 shorting hole is, and never have to worry about the battery falling out, or if your willing to risk malware totally bricking your DS, you could do what loopy has done, and permanently short SL1 by putting in a solder bridge there. |
isnt it dangerous, because if the SL1 is shorted a program can access and write in the unprotected area, so the brick is unrecoverable?
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#74624 - sigmaxix - Mon Mar 06, 2006 2:21 pm
Awesome! Is there any type of firmware-dumper to allow a reflash the original firmware, yet? In case their is on of those trojan things?
#74664 - HyperHacker - Mon Mar 06, 2006 10:07 pm
FlashMe has a recovery sequence built into the write-protected sector. You can reinstall FlashMe or the original firmware from there.
| Viral_Weaponry wrote: |
| isnt it dangerous, because if the SL1 is shorted a program can access and write in the unprotected area, so the brick is unrecoverable? |
Yes, that's why you shouldn't short it permenantly unless you're capable of soldering.