Serious Problem With My Smc

[Thyphoid]

Found a file on my SMC that I could not delete - so I reformatted my SMC under Windows via Card Reader as FAT - not knowing that Gamepark uses a different Filesystem-Version than Windows (what really makes sense). :rolleyes:

I first formatted my SMC two years ago on my old NLU with PCLink1.2 - that program formatted it nicely, but was crappy with filetransfer, so I bought a Card Reader and used it with great pleasure since then.

Got a BLU+ since one week with the new software "GPManager", so I installed that on my WinXP and got into a serious mess: that program is a true nightmare. No connection between my PC and the GP32 can be established, once I connect my GP32 there is an error - but the GP32 still appears in the GPManagers' Filemanager, but when I try to format my SMC it simply comes up with the beloved message "timed out". I installed several USB-Driver versions, I tried serveral connection techniques as described in the helpforum - but nothing worked.

I also tried to use the "recover SMC" function of the GP32 to repair my SMC - nothing. The SMC seems to be OK - the cardreader can read and write well with my new filesystem - but the GP32 dont cares about that data.

Just one lead for me to move on is to visit the guy who ownes my old NLU now and try to format the SMC in my old unit, but that cant be the true solution for that situation.

Any suggestions about my problem would be highly appreciated.

 

[fitzsteve]

Any suggestions about my problem would be highly appreciated.

​

A short term fix would be to format the SMC in WinME or Win98 that file system is compatible with the gp32. I have only used GP32 Manager once to install .fpk games and then backed them up on my hdd so as never to have to use it again!

 

[Qingdan]

Are you sure you picked "FAT" and not "FAT32" under Windows for formatting ... I always format my SMC through my Firmware , using Pacrom's Tools ... But I thought I did sometimes use the mighty Windows format ... I thought FAT work ... But Fat32 sure won't .

Ohhh ... and did you "Disconnect" or "Eject" the Card BEFORE actually removing it ... Win2000 and XP tend to Buffer the files before writing them , so if you remove the card before the Process ends (which is far AFTER the progress bar reached 100%) you can screw your files without noticing it ...

Edit : Just formatted one of my SMC , using FAT (not Fat32) under W2000 , created then GPMM dir and copied some stuff, it works fine ... I got a GP32Flu using Pacrom ... But I dont think this is really the problem here.

 

[ratx]

If you don't have your USB cable / can't get gpmanager working and don't have access to other OS's + your card is a 128 you can use my recovery thing http://l33t.spod.org/ratx/gp32/smcrecover/

 

[Thyphoid]

A short term fix would be to format the SMC in WinME or Win98 that file system is compatible with the gp32.

I must refuse to install such an outdated crappy OS just to format a SMC.

I have only used GP32 Manager once to install .fpk games and then backed them up on my hdd so as never to have to use it again!

I can truly imagine.

Are you sure you picked "FAT" and not "FAT32" under Windows for formatting ... I always format my SMC through my Firmware , using Pacrom's Tools ... But I thought I did sometimes use the mighty Windows format ... I thought FAT work ... But Fat32 sure won't .

Picked FAT, not FAT32.

Just formatted one of my SMC , using FAT (not Fat32) under W2000 , created then GPMM dir and copied some stuff, it works fine ... I got a GP32Flu using Pacrom ... But I dont think this is really the problem here.

Lucky one, I tryed W2000's FAT also, same problem.

If you don't have your USB cable / can't get gpmanager working and don't have access to other OS's + your card is a 128 you can use my recovery thing http://l33t.spod.org/ratx/gp32/smcrecover/

Sounds like this could really solve my problem! Will try it this evening, as soon as I arrive home.

 

[Qingdan]

Really strange that it didnt work for you, as it worked for me ...

What is the trouble then ??? :huh:

 

[QuasaR]

There's a difference between the FAT Win uses and the SMC-FAT that GP32 uses. The first on is FAT16 and the GP32 uses FAT12 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FAT12). Maybe formatting it a "MSDOS" should help.

Personally I would stick to a card-reader than to GP-Manager. When you're sticking to the 8.3-Format you'll have no probs with a card-reader (I recognized some problems with longer filename under Win and copying them on the SMC).

 

[ratx]

Doesn't work for me either. I have never sucessfully formatted any of my SMC's in winXP but other people have...

 

[Qingdan]

There's a difference between the FAT Win uses and the SMC-FAT that GP32 uses. The first on is FAT16 and the GP32 uses FAT12 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FAT12). Maybe formatting it a "MSDOS" should help.

​

That's weird, according to the article in Wikipedia you're pointing to , Fat12 does not support directory, wheras SMC in GP32 does and it has a limit of 32 MB , which is not the case in GP32

BTW here's a link on some GP32 related site discussing this topic

http://www.gp32x.de/board/lofiversion/index.php/t16093.html

This topic looks weird as some experienced success using FAT16 , while other don't .

Edit : another Thread on Gp32x which can proove useful

http://www.gp32x.de/board/lofiversion/index.php/t17431.html

 

[Thyphoid]

BTW here's a link on some GP32 related site discussing this topic tongue.gif

http://www.gp32x.de/board/lofiversion/index.php/t16093.html

This topic looks weird as some experienced success using FAT16 , while other don't .

Edit : another Thread on Gp32x which can proove useful

http://www.gp32x.de/board/lofiversion/index.php/t17431.html

Eventhough I feel like a noob now, I used the search function and found those topics also.

But they could not help me much, it seems I got a real bad hardware setup here. So first I will try the SMC-Recover programm from ratx. Last chance maybe to format the SMC on MacOS or Linux.

 

[fitzsteve]

A short term fix would be to format the SMC in WinME or Win98 that file system is compatible with the gp32.

I must refuse to install such an outdated crappy OS just to format a SMC.

​

I wasnt aking you to install it just to the do the format, you may have had a 2nd ststem or a friend with that OS, just offering my help...

 

[trooper]

Or maybe buy another one to complement the one you already have, But come`s already formatted so you can chuck slubman`s commander on it, and rescue the other one. Then you`ll have twice the space for more stuff as a bonus.

Just a thought.

Trooper

 

[skeezix]

What about using pclink? I don't know what GPManager is (does that come with the BLU+'s instead of pclink?)...

I'm surprised the FAT16 format in XP doesn't work, though never tried it. We'll have to write a formatter now one of these days

jeff

 

[Thyphoid]

I wasnt aking you to install it just to the do the format, you may have had a 2nd ststem or a friend with that OS, just offering my help...

Sorry if I sounded a bit harsh, but the imagination of installing/using W98 or Me again awakes primal fears in me.

What about using pclink? I don't know what GPManager is (does that come with the BLU+'s instead of pclink?)...

I tryed to use PC Link 1.2 but it seems that it cant connect to the BLU+. GPManager is the new substitute to PC Link, provided with the BLU+ units.

 

[Thyphoid]

ratx you are the man! Thank you, SMC-Recovery solved my problem!

Your little SMC-Recovery thing worked fine - I had to tune the smcrecover.bat a little bit, since my cardreader is connected to O: (I have far to much partitions ... ) and I nearly shit in my pants as I started formating, but as the Access-Light flashed on my reader I knew I had tweaked the BAT right. Inserted the card in my gp32_console ... it worked!

Thank you all for your quick help!

 

[ratx]

O: !!!! ? cool glad it worked.

 

[Magus 86]

You know, I had almost the exact same problem you did, Thypoid. And oddly enough, formatting the card with my mom's digital camera fixed it. Apparently Fuji cameras use the same formatting system as the GP32, but somehow formatting the card with windows XP doesn't make the cards unusable for the camera... odd, isn't it?

Also, I'd like to point out that I would much rather use Windows ME than Windows XP. Sure, XP has some cool features, but because of switching, there are a lot of programs that I can no longer use, which really sucks. I don't know why everybody had such nightmarish problems with ME. I never had a single problem during the year or 2 that I used it. I miss having a fully functional CD burning program with all the features "unlocked" without having to pay for the damn thing(and I shouldn't have to, Adaptec Easy CD Creator 4 came with my computer for free, but thanks to windows XP and its retarded compatability issues, I can no longer use it. So I'm forced to use Nero, which screws up half the time and has a jewel case/cd label creation feature that doesn't work right... the templates aren't the right size... or I use Roxio's easy cd creator 5, which only lets you burn CD's. It's a "trial" version, so the jewel case/cd label stuff is "locked." And for some reason, the full version I downloaded which used to work, no longer does... bah!). I also miss being able to make Rogue Spear maps... or for that matter, being able to play Rogue Spear. I can't remember what else I can't use anymore because it's been too long, and I've gotten over it for the most part by now, but I still like ME better.

 

[Thyphoid]

You know, I had almost the exact same problem you did, Thypoid. And oddly enough, formatting the card with my mom's digital camera fixed it. Apparently Fuji cameras use the same formatting system as the GP32, but somehow formatting the card with windows XP doesn't make the cards unusable for the camera... odd, isn't it?

Indeed. I was also thinking about devices I could format my SMC in, but my other gadgets use CF- or SD-Cards. I don't understand why Gamepark uses such a unordinary filesystem.

Also, I'd like to point out that I would much rather use Windows ME than Windows XP.

Honestly, I never used ME - but got some bad experience with Windows98. I used two Windows-Partitions back in the days, Windows NT for working and 98 for the fun, because many Games won't run under NT. In the office I work with MacOS 9 and 10. They all got some advantages and flaws - its mostly up to your gusto (and your purse) what you like best.
At the moment Ubuntu, a debian based free Linux-Distribution is my sweetie - I do all internet-activity with it - so I never have any security-problems, while XP offers all the functionality I need ... well, most of the time.

 

[Qingdan]

Indeed. I was also thinking about devices I could format my SMC in, but my other gadgets use CF- or SD-Cards. I don't understand why Gamepark uses such a unordinary filesystem.

Well, I guess it's because when GP32 was designed and released , SMC was one of the cheapest and best solution for storage... A lot of MP3 players from Korean companies around that time used SMCs , same with digital cameras . I don't think there was SDcards then , and XDs were totally inexistant (same with MemoryStick) , there were like SMCs and CFs only , I suppose

Plus, it also looks like Korean companies such as Samsung produced a lot of these SMCs at that time , so it was probably better for the tiny Korean Gamepark to use some technology developped/backed up by some electronics giant such as Samsung.