VisualBoy Advance Save Problems

[Haldrie]

Actually, I'm using 1.8.0 beta 3. Although it should work with 1.7.2 anyway seeing as how the Pokemon games were the main reason for that version release in the first place. All other previous versions won't play the new Pokemon games. They just show a black screen when you load them.

 

I seem to be having a problem getting my Rescue Team ROM to save properly to battery. I'm using Visual Boy Advance 1.7.2 and I have the vba-over.ini file in the same folder as the Visual Boy program, but whenever I try saving to battery on Rescue Team, it doesn't work. I inserted the information provided in a pervious post into the .ini file and I even tried the flash save file trick, but it's not working for me. Everytime I try to save it just says it "failed". Any ideas or help?

The "save file trick" (that I think your talking about) will only work if you have a save that was made by using an IPS patch (as I stated on that post I have not tried this trick myself so there are not yet any guarentees). It allows you to make a working save out of it. I'm going to assume that you are not using any IPS patches at this point. Just so you know I have replied to your PM, I'm just posting information here for furture viewers.

 

As I have already said in the PM I sent, the last person I helped had an issure where his vba-over.ini file was named "vba-over.ini.ini". This most likely happened because Windows will hide file extentions to known file types by default. To ensure that your file is being saved correctly type "vba-over.ini" (with the quotes) in the save dialog box in notepad. This will prevent notepad from adding .txt to the end of the file (the .txt of corse will most likely be hidden by default once the file is saved). A good way to check that your vba-over.ini file is an .ini file is to look at the icon. INI files have a different icon then TXT files.

 

In order to allow Windows to show the file extentions for every file do the following:

 

- Open an explorer window (My Computer or My Documents will do fine)

- Click on "Tools" and select "Folder Options..."

- Choose the "View" tap at the top

- In the "Advanced Settings" area, find the section that says "Hidden files and folders"

- Scroll down and uncheck the box that says "Hide extentions for know file types"

 

That's it. You should now see the .*** extention for every file on your computer. Double check and make sure that your vba-over.ini has the correct file name. If not you can always post you questions here or PM me as usual and I will do my best to find the problem. Just make sure that you have followed all of the steps post in this topic and double check that they were done correctly. I understand how complicated this is for someone who doesn't exactly know what they are doing and I am trying to make the instructions as simple and easy to follow as I can. Once you do get everything working you can see just how easy this really is.

 

Also, if you have anything you would like to add that you think might help out others feel free to post it like Jarujin did above (I know I countered that post with my own comment but I just think it's too much trouble to have to keep moving everything around when I know there is an easier way).

 

Now, just so everyone knows, this does work so don't get discouraged. Everything I have posted here I have done myself (except where otherwise mentioned). I will take as much time as I can to help anyone that asks (it's strange seeing as how this is how I use this character in FFXI but on the other hand it's just who I am).

 

[EDIT]

If you are still having issues after everything that is posted here you can try using this vba-over.ini file that I use. I have modified it so it only includes the Pokemon games for now but I plan on updating it with more games later. Just extract the file into the same directory as VBA.

 

[EDIT]

BTW, I'm still here. Anyone needing help with anything here feel free to ask. I hope everyone has found this topic and the attached file useful.

vba_over.zip

Edited November 25, 2006 by Haldrie

[Ending3ncore]

After reading this topic a few times, just to see what I am doing wrong, I had put the INI file in my VBA directory, and loaded the Pokemon Dungeon: Red rom. However, it still won't allow me to save :/

I had also tried renaming the Pokemon game in the INI from "Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Red Rescue Team (U)" (the original name in the file) to "2485 - Pokemon Mystery Dungeon - Red Rescue Team (U).gba" which is the file name of the rom I have. Does the file name even matter?

[Wizard]

Filename doesn't matter.

 

But did you try changing the Save?

 

Options -> Emulator -> Save Type -> Automatic\Flash 128k?

 

Because that usually works with me. Unless you used a save state in which you *might* have to start over. I had a file saving problem similar to this, but thankfully I was able to save after reloading the save state.

[Haldrie]

No do not set that setting in VBA as I have recently learned that it does affect games that use 64k flash memory. If you tried to play Red Rescue Team (or any of the Pokemon games for that matter) before adding this ini file you will need to delete the save file that was created by the emulator before the new ini file settings will truly take effect.

 

Also the game's name in the vba-over.ini file is only for reference and is ignored by the emulator.

Edited December 1, 2006 by Haldrie

[soulesschild]

i still cant get it to work, when i try to import it says

 

Importing a snapshot file will erase all save game data and reset the emulator

 

my main purpsoe of this was so i could import saves to my DS but that's not working either =/ any ideas?

[Haldrie]

If you read the first post it says that you have to delete your save and start over for this to work. If you want to you can simply backup your old save (if you used an IPS patch at first) since I have found a way to fix these although I still have not tested it myself.

 

As for flash cards to use on your DS you will need one that supports 128k flash saves. If not then it won't work no matter what you do.

 

[EDIT]

If for some reason you feel that I may have misunderstood you feel free to correct me.

Edited December 24, 2006 by Haldrie

[Monkey D. Luffy]

Hey. Can someone please help me? I dont really understand any of the things have been posted here as I dont know much about these kind of things! Sorry about thid but I guess its just not my type of thing! I will tell you what I have done so far and maybe you can figure out what I'm doing wrong. Thank you.

 

I'm playing Pokemon: Mystery Dungeon Red Rescue Team.

I started the game Without the IPS patch (I managed to figure what that was).

I use the Visual Boy advance 1.8.0 Beta 3.

What I'm trying to do is get the game to save officially (as in when the game asks you to saves) and not when I save it through VBA.

The reason I am trying to do this is so that I can enter the wonder mail codes at the begining of the game.

 

What I have done so far:

I tried the VBA-OVER file (put in tha same directory as VBA), and yeah i guess thats just about it! lol. Well I have experimented with other things (I dont know what they were) like the 128 Save thingy, but that never worked aswell.

 

Is it possible to start saving the game 'officially' without me having to delete my current game? Cos i have gone really far in this game and can really not be bothered starting all over again! As in ive got mmost of the legendrys (3 Birds, 3Dogs, Oh-Ho, Lugia, Mew, Latios-as, Kyogre and Grouden) And trust me it wasnt easy man!

 

So can someone please help me out with this please? If theres anything that you want to know about what ive done or something just ask yeah.

 

Thanks.

Edited January 3, 2007 by Monkey D. Luffy

[Wizard]

You need some proper spelling, grammar and punctuation for that to be even considered readible dude.

[Monkey D. Luffy]

You need some proper spelling, grammar and punctuation for that to be even considered readible dude.

 

aww come on! wtf is dis? english classess? since wen does gramma mater on a forum?

[Agozer]

You need some proper spelling, grammar and punctuation for that to be even considered readible dude.

 

aww come on! wtf is dis? english classess? since wen does gramma mater on a forum?

Since WE said so. If you're not going to put any effort in proper spelling, we're not going to put any effort in helping you nor listening to anything you have to say.

 

If you can't deal with that, leave.

[Monkey D. Luffy]

You need some proper spelling, grammar and punctuation for that to be even considered readible dude.

 

aww come on! wtf is dis? english classess? since wen does gramma mater on a forum?

Since WE said so. If you're not going to put any effort in proper spelling, we're not going to put any effort in helping you nor listening to anything you have to say.

 

If you can't deal with that, leave.

 

alright mate, sorry bout that. Now what do you want me do? Rewrite da whole post or just correct it?

[djdan1791]

I kinda have the same problem. I started my game as i start any other game, but when i was trying to save there was the "save failed" error; I didn't pay to much attention to that because i could save my states as a "SGM" file using ctrl + s and opening it using ctrl + o. Now i have made a lot of progress on my game only by saving but i want to use the wondermail that is only accessible on the main screen of the game, and to do that i need to turn off the game and turn it on again, but since i could never save "normally" now im trying to load my "SGM" file and successfully perform an in-game save in order to save it as the sav file.

In the folder of my game [pkmn red rescue team] there is an automatically generated .sav file, and it's 64 kb. here is so far what i have tried to fix it.

 

1. i deleted the vba.ini file and inserted the vba-over.ini file (downloadable in a previous page on this post), and then i changed the visualboy advance properties to save on 128 kb.

2.i moved a copy of the game (not the sav, only the game) to another folder and started a new game over there.(this game now allowed me to save automatically aka. it's working good.)

3. I moved a copy of the good save (128 kb file) to the old folder on which i have my old 64kb file.NOTE (i saved a copy of this good save in case i messed it up)

4. I deleted my 64 kb file in the old folder and renamed the new 124 kb exactly as the old was named.

5. i open my game, and the battery is succesfully loaded with the "new" game

 

Now here is where i have some trouble, i am trying to load my saved game (SGM file) and perform an in-game save, but every time i try it, the error comes back again - "save failed". Next i check the sav file that i moved and it was converted from 128 to 64 kb again, i checked my vba options again and everything is correct, the only problem is that i can't load my old saved game and perform the in-game save.

Can anyone provide some help? please?.

[Haldrie]

There is a possible way to fix the save if that save was created using the IPS patch. Email me your save file (haldrie@aim.com) and I will see if I can fix it for you and send you the corrected save file. Note however that if you are using save states then there is nothing I can do for you and yes you will have to start over.

 

[EDIT]

Also if you use the vba-over.ini file DO NOT change the save properties in VBA. This will cause problems for games that use 64k Flash saves similar to the ones people are experiencing with the Pokemon games. The vba-over.ini file is used to override VBA's settings for specific games. The only games that are in the file in my post on the previous page are the US Pokemon games.

Edited January 3, 2007 by Haldrie

[Monkey D. Luffy]

Alrite Haldrie thanks for that.

 

But I think my games are saved states! sO that means that nothing can be done about that rite? and say that I was to start the game over yeah, how would i do it? like can you give me a step-by-step?

 

When I unzip the MD:RRT rom it gives me a folder WITH the IPS patch and when it is not unzipped then the IPS is not active.

 

So with this what would be the best way for me to start?

 

Thanks.

Edited January 3, 2007 by Monkey D. Luffy

[djdan1791]

There is a possible way to fix the save if that save was created using the IPS patch. Email me your save file (haldrie@aim.com) and I will see if I can fix it for you and send you the corrected save file. Note however that if you are using save states then there is nothing I can do for you and yes you will have to start over.

 

[EDIT]

Also if you use the vba-over.ini file DO NOT change the save properties in VBA. This will cause problems for games that use 64k Flash saves similar to the ones people are experiencing with the Pokemon games. The vba-over.ini file is used to override VBA's settings for specific games. The only games that are in the file in my post on the previous page are the US Pokemon games.

 

 

oh ok, thanks with all the help, i will send the SAV file which is 64 kb of memory, but that file doesn't have any of my progress on the game because the emulator would not allow me to save, that is only a sav file that is loaded every time i open the game. after that i open my save state (SGM) on which i have all my progress T_T and now i know there is no possible way of getting my information saved.

 

I was able to create the working 128 kb SAV file by doing the fixes previously posted, but this only will work if i start a new game, i wanted to use my old save states (SGM files) T_T T_T T_T snif snif .., i think that means you don't need the 64 kb sav file right, pretty much i just wanted to know how to use my save states to create a SAV file, btu thanks with all the help.

 

I don't know how to upload files to a post, but i will send you a copy of my game to see if you can do ANYTHING with it, and a copy of the working 128 SAV file so you can upload it here into the post to help others start a NEW game and be able to save properly.

 

I think this also answer the question of Monkey D. Luffy. No you are not going to be able to save all your work, but then again, wondermail is not NECESARY to play the game, it's only an option. I hope it helps, untill someone finds a way to use the load states to create a sav file.