Action Replay Gamecube/SD Loader Problems

[lisalover1]

I just got a Wiikey brand Gamecube/Wii SD adapter in the mail, and tried to set it up via the SDLOAD tutorial, but when I try to enter the code, action replay says "Data is Invalid". The code is still added, but I can't activate it. I'm really frustrated right now, as I just spent about an hour typing the damn thing in. Is there any other way to get this working? I couldn't find any good tutorials on it.

Also, I can't find a download of SD Patch anywhere. It's the tool needed to format an SD card so it's Gamecube-compatible. Where can I download it?

[noiseredux]

have you checked dcemu.co.uk ? I'm pretty sure there's a GC SD tutorial there?

[lisalover1]

Yeah, it's the same tutorial I used. Anyway, I was able to get a bit further, as I found the SDPatch executable, and was able to enable the AR code. So, I formatted the SD card as the guide said, but when I started the SDLOAD game entry, nothing happened. I just get a blank screen.

[gtmtnbiker]

Yeah, it's the same tutorial I used. Anyway, I was able to get a bit further, as I found the SDPatch executable, and was able to enable the AR code. So, I formatted the SD card as the guide said, but when I started the SDLOAD game entry, nothing happened. I just get a blank screen.

It's been awhile since I did this. I remember having a lot of trouble with the code entry. I did it something like 10 times.

You have to enter all of the numbers (21 lines) before you can save it. Kind of dumb. I was hoping that you could enter a few lines, save, enter a few more lines, save, etc.

After you enter the code and save it as sdload. You need to have the sdload.dol on your sd card. Then on the sd card you put other dols that you want to run such as the SNES emulator.

If I remember correctly, I put the GC memory card in slot B and the SD card in slot A. I boot up Action Replay, select SD Load. You should get a browser listing of your SD card contents. Then I would select the SNES dol and startup the emulator.

I'll try to do it tonight. What are you trying to run off the SD card?

You might find this thread helpful: http://thepurplecube.org/forums/index.php?topic=1605.0

[lisalover1]

Yeah, it's the same tutorial I used. Anyway, I was able to get a bit further, as I found the SDPatch executable, and was able to enable the AR code. So, I formatted the SD card as the guide said, but when I started the SDLOAD game entry, nothing happened. I just get a blank screen.

It's been awhile since I did this. I remember having a lot of trouble with the code entry. I did it something like 10 times.

You have to enter all of the numbers (21 lines) before you can save it. Kind of dumb. I was hoping that you could enter a few lines, save, enter a few more lines, save, etc.

After you enter the code and save it as sdload. You need to have the sdload.dol on your sd card. Then on the sd card you put other dols that you want to run such as the SNES emulator.

If I remember correctly, I put the GC memory card in slot B and the SD card in slot A. I boot up Action Replay, select SD Load. You should get a browser listing of your SD card contents. Then I would select the SNES dol and startup the emulator.

I'll try to do it tonight. What are you trying to run off the SD card?

You might find this thread helpful: http://thepurplecube.org/forums/index.php?topic=1605.0

Yeah, I have the whole code [all 30 lines] entered as SDLOAD. All I'm trying to run is the test .dol that came with SDload just to see if it works. If anything, I think the problem is in the code, since it gave me that error. I haven't seen any other reports of that error before. I think I'll double-check the code later.

EDIT: It turns out that I did enter the code wrong. I re-entered the code, and AR let me select it. Unfortunately, I still get a blank screen when I try to start SDload. I tried re-formatting the 1 GB SD card [It already had FAT16, but I reformatted it just to be sure] and re-patched it, but i still get a blank screen.

[lisalover1]

I tried swapping the AR disc out for another Gamecube disc when it tells me to open the lid and switch games, but I still get a blank screen. Please, I really need help. I have absolutely no idea what to do.

[gtmtnbiker]

I just brought out my setup and verified that things still work. I followed the guide at: http://www.gc-linux.org/wiki/SDload

I put the Action Replay memory card in Slot B. This is just a Nintendo 56 memory card. My Wii key adapter with SD card is in Slot A.

I boot up Action Replay. I select start game with sdload selected. It asks me to open/close the lid. Since I'm using a backup of Action Replay, I swap it out with a real Gamecube Disc. After 10-15 seconds, I see the sdload by Costis menu.

The SD card was formatted FAT32. I run sdpatch.exe on it and then copied sdloader.bin to the root of the card as well as my testdemo.dol

So the things I would check for are:

1. you ran sdpatch.exe on a newly formatted SD card.
2. You're using SD, not SDHC. It also needs to be under 2GB.
3. sdloader.bin should be in the root of the card

[lisalover1]

I've done everything I possibly could think of. I tried using the card in both FAT16 and FAT32 mode, but neither worked. I double-checked everything to make sure I didn't miss anything, but it still doesn't work. I can't imagine that the adapter is broken; I bought it new. What should I do?

[gtmtnbiker]

Are you sure that you're using an SD card? It cannot be SDHC.

What size/brand is it? Do you have another SD card to try?

You need to spell out the steps you're doing and what files are on the SD card. I'm not a mind reader. Spell everything out in excruciating detail and I might be able to spot what you're doing wrong.

[lisalover1]

I am using a Sandisk 1 GB SD card. It looks exactly like this:

To prepare the card, I am using Windows Vista Ultimate Edition. I insert the card into my laptop's built-in card reader. I open up the My Computer window, then right-click on the SD card in the F: drive, and select Format. I am going to format it to FAT16 first. it allows me to select the filesystem as FAT, and says [Default] next to it. It uses a 16 kilobyte Allocation Unit Size. I then select Start, WITHOUT selecting Quick Format. After a few minutes, the process finishes. Then, I open up a command prompt with the command "cmd". I tell the prompt to cd to C:\Users\[my username]\Desktop\SDLOAD . This is the directory where I unpacked the SDLOAD.zip file. I then input the command SDpatch.exe f:\ . Windows gives me a message asking me to allow or cancel the use of this program. I select "Allow". The command line brings up a new line. This is what it looks like after everything is done:
One note I should make is that I do not copy SDpatch.exe over to the SD card.

The next thing I do is copy the SDLOADER.bin file to the root of the SD card, as well as testdemo.dol. After this, I right-click on the F: drive [the SD card slot] and select "Safely Remove". I then remove the card when it tells me.

Then, I go over to my Gamecube, where the official Action Replay card is placed in slot B, and the WiiKey SD adapter is put in slot A. I then insert the SD into the SD card slot of the SD Adapter, and make sure that it's all the way in. I then start up the gamecube with a non-backup version of action replay in the disc drive. When AR starts, I double-check to make sure the codes are active. Then, I select "Start Game". It tells me to open the lid, and swap the game. I do not swap the game, as it is an official AR disk [though I have tried], so after I close the lid, it says 'Please Wait" and then the screen goes blank. I've let it run for hours, but nothing ever shows up on screen.

Here's a video of the whole process:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q8LoTk-Qhm0