Question About Formatting Smc's And Windows Xp


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mrdark

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Sep 15, 2005
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Hey, I just read on the GP Newbie page that SMCs formatted in Windows XP don't work in the GP32.

I have Windows XP, so I'm a little concerned. I recently bought a new BLU+ from gbax and it's supposed to come with 5 game cards, with possibly 2 of them being duplicates (that I assume I can erase and re-save my emus and stuff upon).

But do I even HAVE to format the cards? Let's say I get my brand new GP32 today and go to buy a fresh SMC, with the intent of adding my games and emus on it. Now, in cases like this, do I even have to format the card before I can use it? My PC has a SMC reader right in front, so do I just pop it in and add programs to the card?

The formatting this has me concerned, as anyone who's been following my topics knows that I've been a geek about taking care of this system...
 
you dont have gp32 manager? That would be ideal for formatting the smc...

if you dont, just erase the smc if files are unneeded, and add the proper folders accordingly (gpmm, gpsys, etc).

in the event that you NEED to format the card (it refuses to work in the gp32), you need to ask further assistance. that part im still trying to figure out on my own ;)


-dcgm


edit: dont take this for a sure thing, but i hear formatting in win 2000 is fine, whereas XP fucks up the card. not sure why though....
 
Don't format with WinXp or Win2000, you can use the GPManager software that will be provided.

If you have unwanted games maybe you could offer to sell them and fund a new SMC.
 
Iorgy77 posted on Oct 5 2005 at 08:53 PM said:
Don't format with WinXp or Win2000, you can use the GPManager software that will be provided.

If you have unwanted games maybe you could offer to sell them and fund a new SMC.
​
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thats what i said, but he may not have the gp manager software....neverknow
 
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Well, the package I bought was from the currently-running gbax auction. From what I can tell it will indeed come with the software disk and stuff. If not, I still have what I believe to be the exact same thing already, from my busted used system that I bought before. I can always copy that and use it.

But I'm still confused, so lemme get this straight:

A (apparently commercial) game SMC that comes with the system CAN be erased and re-written with other stuff, without having to be formatted?

And this is important: I DON'T have to format a brand new card before it can be used with my GP32?
 
PSyMastR posted on Oct 5 2005 at 09:15 PM said:
Has anyone been sucessful in formatting an SMC in XP?
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haven't i made it completely clear it fucks up the chip?
many have tried, noone has succeeded AFAIK

mrdark posted on Oct 5 2005 at 09:27 PM said:
Well, the package I bought was from the currently-running gbax auction. From what I can tell it will indeed come with the software disk and stuff. If not, I still have what I believe to be the exact same thing already, from my busted used system that I bought before. I can always copy that and use it.

But I'm still confused, so lemme get this straight:

A (apparently commercial) game SMC that comes with the system CAN be erased and re-written with other stuff, without having to be formatted?

And this is important: I DON'T have to format a brand new card before it can be used with my GP32?
​
Click to expand...

i havent had any commercail games myself, but i think it's safe to say they cant simply be erased (not positive, someone correct me here if im wrong). I would think a commercial game chip must be formatted to be erased entirely. but to answer your question, YES!
i have 2 dungeon and Guarder (whatever its called) 16mb chips and they're both erased with emus and homebrew
 
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You can only "ruin" a harddrive using either method if you point it at the wrong drive letter. The first method is not exactly a "good" way to format a SMC though... but no one should need to use that now anyway... mkdosfs works flawlessly on XP, you just need to be able to use the command line until someone makes a small GUI for it....
 
I know everyone's trying to help, but now I'm COMPLETELY confused.

I need to start at the basics, lemme ask it this way:

1. Do new SMC's have to be formatted before I can put stuff on them and use them in my GP32?

2. If the answer's yes, and since I DO have WXP, what's the simple way to do this?

3. For certain- CAN game SMC's be rewritten? I'm assuming they're like any other SMC, just with a different thing on it.

(If anyone would have an easier time explaining it if they knew what I have, just go to Ebay and look for Gbax's (happyface or something) auction. It shows exactly what I'll be getting, and you're all way more familiar with the stuf fthan I am).
 
1. Do new SMC's have to be formatted before I can put stuff on them and use them in my GP32?

- Depends really. Sometimes if you make the folders they will just work, others are formatted incorrectly, all depends where you get them from.

2. If the answer's yes, and since I DO have WXP, what's the simple way to do this?

- Using your USB cable and the gpmanager thing whatever it is called. If thats not possible you'll have to break out the command line and use mkdosfs.exe ( Its really not that difficult though )

3. For certain- CAN game SMC's be rewritten? I'm assuming they're like any other SMC, just with a different thing on it.

- Yes they can.
 
Thanks, that helps clear it up. Sorry, I'm still waiting for my system to arrive and I need to be prepared in case I have to run out and get new SMCs.

The package comes with 5 games, with a couple apparently just duplicates that I intended to rewrite. I wanna be able to use this on day 1, and I'm in college so running to the store to buy an extra SMC will be tough. SO I planned to rewrite at least one of the game cards they're giving me, and throw on at least a Nes emulator or something. I just didn't know if I could do this, especially once I heard that XP is bad with it, but since I'm getting the standard GP link software that gbax gives with each system, I guess I should be good based on your answers. Thanks, but if I'm mistaken here somewhere anyone correct me please!
 
ratx posted on Oct 6 2005 at 11:57 AM said:
mkdosfs works flawlessly on XP, you just need to be able to use the command line until someone makes a small GUI for it....
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I made a small gui for it :), anyone interested?
 
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I'm sure lots of people will. This Non working FAT format on XP affects flash media in other devices too ;) url?? ;) I can host it for you if you require...
 
OK, here is the front-end.
(this is for formatting 128mb smc's very easily, which means no options :p)
i will post a more advanced version later in the evening, where you can choose the options, this one uses the options from your site :): -s 16 -F 16 -I d: 255950

@ratx: btw. tell me wich options you want to have included.
ill host it on my site but can you please put it on yours? :)

poweruser.canisiusinfo.nl/smcformat.zip
 
Wow! Looks great. I've given my "smcrecover" page a much needed overhall ( http://l33t.spod.org/ratx/smcrecover ) I had started to think about the options and such like I'd put in... some are probally OTT though...

- Try and automatically "guess" the right drive... there are a few things in VB for getting a list of attached devices and probing to see which are "Generic USB storage-SMC Device"..

- There must be a way to determine what the maximum number of blocks mkdosfs.exe sees on the SMC, the hardcoded value will work, but to support other size SMC's you'd need to hardcode those in too. I hate hard coding things ;)

- Allow the user to select a block ( 16/8/4/2 ) size and get feedback on how much extra or less usable space that will gain them...

I'm sure a lot of people will be thanking you for making their lives easier and as a terminally lazy person may I be the first to thank you for saving me the effort of opening cmd.exe ;) Cheers.
 
ratx posted on Oct 6 2005 at 08:56 PM said:
Wow! Looks great. I've given my "smcrecover" page a much needed overhall ( http://l33t.spod.org/ratx/smcrecover ) I had started to think about the options and such like I'd put in... some are probally OTT though...

- Try and automatically "guess" the right drive... there are a few things in VB for getting a list of attached devices and probing to see which are "Generic USB storage-SMC Device"..

- There must be a way to determine what the maximum number of blocks mkdosfs.exe sees on the SMC, the hardcoded value will work, but to support other size SMC's you'd need to hardcode those in too. I hate hard coding things ;)

- Allow the user to select a block ( 16/8/4/2 ) size and get feedback on how much extra or less usable space that will gain them...

I'm sure a lot of people will be thanking you for making their lives easier and as a terminally lazy person may I be the first to thank you for saving me the effort of opening cmd.exe ;) Cheers.
​
Click to expand...
hehe tnx for the feedback, I just started programming :)
btw. I do not use VB I use borland c++ builder.
Ill upload the "advanced" version in a minute :)
 
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