2 Problems, Of Varying Difficulty.

[Duff27]

I received my OpenPandora about a week ago, after using it a bit a problem popped up unexpectedly.

When I try to switch GUIs, it goes into an infinite Login loop.....that is, until I pull the SD cards.

Specifically, when I go from XFCE (my default) to Minimenu.


My second problem is less worrisome. I'm using SNES9 and predictably, when I try to save/load a state it kills the program. In addition to this, it will only save inside the game sometimes. I'll try and save two or three times and they may or may not go through. Is this a problem within the emulator or the rom? Or am I finally vindicated in my belief of my own idiocy?

Thanks for any help, I truly feel like I'm running blind through the forest here.

 

[WizardStan]

This sounds like one of your SD cards has a fault. Try running chkdsk on it from your desktop if you can.

 

[Duff27]

Ah, which one of these problems is being addressed? I just reformatted my only card.

 

[WizardStan]

Both problems. They both sound like an error on the SD card which could have been solved with a check.
If you've just formatted and it's still misbehaving, then I'm at a loss for easy answers.
If you're feeling up to it, you may want to try reflashing the firmware with the latest stable or even the most recent beta. When all else fails, start over and try again, as it were.
Ruling out the SD card and the firmware, we're unfortunately left with a hardware fault, but I can't imagine what would be causing it so specifically.

 

[Prometheus]

My second problem is less worrisome. I'm using SNES9 and predictably, when I try to save/load a state it kills the program. In addition to this, it will only save inside the game sometimes. I'll try and save two or three times and they may or may not go through. Is this a problem within the emulator or the rom?

If you received your Pandora about a week ago, would I be correct in guessing that it's running a beta version of the "Super Zaxxon" firmware? (It should say on the boot-up splash screen.)

If so, please try booting it with the older kernel (hold the right shoulder-button whilst booting - my understanding is that this will give you a boot-menu where you can choose this), and see if the problem persists there.

The reason I suggest this is because some programs apparently don't play nicely with the newer kernel yet. Please excuse me if I'm way off-base, though - I'm not using Super Zaxxon myself, as I'd prefer to wait for it to get out of beta.

 

[Duff27]

Thanks for the heads up both of you. I'll try them shortly.

 

[Duff27]

The boot up should the experimental kernel? Yes? I wasn't sure about the other options. If that was it, it didn't help.


Reflashing didn't seem to help my minimenu loop problem either.

 

[Prometheus]

The experimental kernel is the newer one - my apologies, I should have been clearer. You need to try the other one.

I'm really sorry that I can't be any clearer about this - I don't know what the boot-menu should be displaying, as I'm not using Super Zaxxon yet. I only know that it's there and that apparently it offers this choice.

 

[Duff27]

I'll try to offer more information as well.

I start up the Pandora, hold the right shoulder. It gives me 4 options. Default Boot, Power Off, USB serial prompt and serial prompt.

Now, I tried this a day ago BEFORE I reflashed and it gave me more options.....

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This minimenu problem only occurs when I have my SD card in. Perhaps this is a fault.

Only being able to use the Desktop isn't particularly debilitating, I can do everything but basically guessing if my save in SNES9 will hold is.

Note, the save problem only occurs within 1 of the 2 roms I have for the emulator.

 

[WizardStan]

Do you have another SD card that you could try? I'm still not convinced that the card iteslf isn't causing problems. Also try h2test2 on that card, see if it returns any major errors.

 

[Duff27]

It is most certainly not the SD card. I tried switching the GUI with a 32g class 4, formatted card with nothing on it.

The Pandora went into another loop but not asking for login.

I tried this without the card and it did the same thing.

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Tried the H2test2 on the card. No errors.

 

[Prometheus]

Note, the save problem only occurs within 1 of the 2 roms I have for the emulator.

Can I ask which ones?

Reason being, back in the day, some games were released with features like this in order to combat the users of copying devices who then played them off of floppy disks... I gather that some emulators some years ago didn't yet account for this - and Snes9x4P is derived from Snes9x 1.39, which is from the early part of the previous decade.

 

[Duff27]

My save problem occurred with Ogre Battle : March of the Black Queen. Of the dozen or so times I saved, it only stuck twice.

Uncharted Waters II didn't have save problems, I don't think. I tried it several times.

 

[WizardStan]

Reflashing the firmware, testing the cards as you have, nothing seems to make a difference. I'm not sure what the problem is; seems weird. Does it loop on reboot with the card in the left or the right slot or either? After that I'm really out of ideas.

 

[Duff27]

It doesn't seem to matter.

Especially at this point, where it loops without an SD card.

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Just tried to reflash with SuperZaxxon - Beta 3.

Not sure if I did it right, it gave me no option to boot from SD.

After I extract it from the zip, where should the folder go in the SD card?

 

[Prometheus]

After I extract it from the zip, where should the folder go in the SD card?

The contents of the folder just need to be dropped in the root of the SD Card, and not in a folder themselves.

 

[Duff27]

Yeah I figured it out last night.

My emulator and rom work fine now, the saves stick.

But so far, I can switch to the minimenu with the SD card in. But when I tried to change skins, it made me log in and sent me to the desktop.