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How to save

 
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duanesters



Joined: 18 Jan 2009
Posts: 3

PostPosted: Sun Jan 18, 2009 8:52 pm    Post subject: How to save Reply with quote

I have no had any luck, but I am looking for a tutorial on how to save with the card. Preferably how to save, transfer that save to my computer so it is not deleted when I add new games to the card. Thanks in advance!
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icon0319



Joined: 19 Dec 2008
Posts: 15

PostPosted: Mon Jan 19, 2009 2:18 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Here is the link on tototeks site on how to use Dreamwriter. This has reading and writing games and reading and writings saves.

http://www.tototek.com/pio/main1/SUBMENU/PARTS/LINKS/OS/mdflashsoft.htm

Hope this helps
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albernbowen



Joined: 25 Feb 2010
Posts: 5

PostPosted: Tue Mar 02, 2010 7:48 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hello icon0319
I was also searched the problem regarding how to save games in the card.And finally I got it.Thanks to both icon0319 and duanesters.does this way can we save all the games?

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Chilly Willy



Joined: 08 Feb 2009
Posts: 174

PostPosted: Thu Mar 11, 2010 7:12 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

If you use the ucon64 or the frontend for ucon64, there are also facilities for saving/restoring the sram. Just remember, if you use the menu to start your games, you need to track which bank you use for the sram. If you don't use the menu (and boot the game directly), only bank 0 is ever used, so you don't have to worry about the other banks.
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segasonicfan



Joined: 28 Aug 2004
Posts: 26

PostPosted: Fri Aug 26, 2011 9:44 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I'm still trying to figure this out myself- this post did not clarify much for me.

Specifically, I'm trying to save in Monster World 4 (translated version).

When using Dreamwriter I select saver block 1 and I write to the cart (with multiple games) and play to a save spot it will work only if I reset the Genesis. As soon as I do a power off the save no longer works. I did an sram check with the diagnostic software and it passes. But I noticed this check does not actually check the Save Battery (CR2032 lithium battery on the board). When I removed this everything still checked OK with the software :/

Quote:
Just remember, if you use the menu to start your games, you need to track which bank you use for the sram. If you don't use the menu (and boot the game directly), only bank 0 is ever used, so you don't have to worry about the other banks.


Do you mean the Tototek menu on startup? So if I choose bank 1 than the saving game should be the first one in the list(?) not sure what you mean...
thanks in advance for any help. dying to play some classic RPGs! Razz
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Chilly Willy



Joined: 08 Feb 2009
Posts: 174

PostPosted: Thu Sep 01, 2011 5:38 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

segasonicfan wrote:
I'm still trying to figure this out myself- this post did not clarify much for me.

Specifically, I'm trying to save in Monster World 4 (translated version).

When using Dreamwriter I select saver block 1 and I write to the cart (with multiple games) and play to a save spot it will work only if I reset the Genesis. As soon as I do a power off the save no longer works. I did an sram check with the diagnostic software and it passes. But I noticed this check does not actually check the Save Battery (CR2032 lithium battery on the board). When I removed this everything still checked OK with the software :/


There is no way to test if the battery is any good. The sram test merely writes data to the sram and reads it back. If it matches, the sram is good. If you turn off the system/unplug the cart and it loses the save, the battery is dead... replace it.

Quote:
Quote:
Just remember, if you use the menu to start your games, you need to track which bank you use for the sram. If you don't use the menu (and boot the game directly), only bank 0 is ever used, so you don't have to worry about the other banks.


Do you mean the Tototek menu on startup? So if I choose bank 1 than the saving game should be the first one in the list(?) not sure what you mean...
thanks in advance for any help. dying to play some classic RPGs! Razz


I don't know what Dreamwriter uses for the bank number. It may be either 1 to 4, or it may be 0 to 3. The former means 1 is the first bank and 4 is the last; the latter means 0 is the first bank and 3 is the last. They both specify four banks. Make sure the bank you save (whatever it is) matches the bank you set the game to use. If Dreamwriter uses 1 to 4 and the menu uses 0 to 3, then 1 in Dreamwriter corresponds to 0 in the menu. Vice versa is also true - if Dreamwriter uses 0 to 3 and the menu uses 1 to 4, 0 in Dreamwriter corresponds to 1 in the menu. If they both use the same numbering, then just use the same number in both.
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segasonicfan



Joined: 28 Aug 2004
Posts: 26

PostPosted: Thu Sep 01, 2011 8:51 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks for the reply Chilly Willy.

I'm still slightly confused on what you mean about "Dreamwriter coresponding to the menu" When you say menu, you mean this one, correct?

http://www.tototek.com/pio/main1/SUBMENU/PARTS/LINKS/OS/MD64/screen2.JPG

and so the first one in that list would be memory bank 0, right? So theoretically if that game saved, before flashing in Dreamwriter all I would have to do is double click to enable the save in slot 1, right?


as for the sram battery, I'm most positive mine is good- and I tried another one too. They measure 3v which is standard for those CR2032 batteries. What I'm slightly worried about is if the chip that the battery powers is somehow damaged. It seems there is no diagnostic software to test this :/

If I reset a game and the save is there, but when I turn off the system the save is gone- is this a sure way to know the battery/chip is dead? This happened with the saves I tried so far on Monster World 4 (translated) and the patched Monster World 3 rom...

thanks for your help!
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Chilly Willy



Joined: 08 Feb 2009
Posts: 174

PostPosted: Fri Sep 02, 2011 7:08 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Batteries can still read a decent voltage, but lack the current to power devices. Remember that meters have a VERY high input impedance so that the probe doesn't affect the circuit itself by pulling down the impedance of the circuit. Really good meters have replaceable probes with various impedance values so you can pick a set that works best for what you are trying to do. Well, some have fixed probes and a switch to change the impedance internally.

If you reset and the save is there, but turn it off and it's gone, the battery is dead, or possibly the connection to the battery is bad. A (mostly) dead battery is far more likely than anything else.

As for the save slot, just keep track of what you set it to in the software used to flash the game. Save the same slot you set the game to use. The list on the screen for the MD menu has nothing to do with the save slot - it's just a list of games in the flash. Most games won't even be set to a save slot since they don't use save ram.
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segasonicfan



Joined: 28 Aug 2004
Posts: 26

PostPosted: Mon Sep 05, 2011 8:28 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

wow, you were absolutely right! After trying 2 batteries that read 2.8v I finally tried out a brand new one. Works perfect now!! Apparently the MDPRO needs a pretty strong CR2032 unlike computer CMOS and many other applications which run well off a slightly used battery for a long time.

Now it saves great and I can backup progress and everything. Translated Monster World IV YES!!
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Chilly Willy



Joined: 08 Feb 2009
Posts: 174

PostPosted: Mon Sep 12, 2011 3:42 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Glad to hear that was it. It doesn't seem too strange that the MD-Pro SRAM needs more power to hold the contents - it's not new super-low-power type memory. At least it's not as bad as the Dreamcast VMU. Laughing
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