is it possible to put GCOS on a memcard and boot with AR?

[vandalisthero]

Originally posted by tempest
vandalisthero
so you made an AR Samson's Loader card?
Just by copying the files in the GC mem manager?

Yeah, I used the level 2 bootloader that quicksilv patched to allow copying in the GC MC manager, managed to format the AR memory card by "corrupting" it, and after several tries got Baten Kaitos to format it properly.

I think what might have happened when I removed it and put it back in, it acted the same way it would have in th MC manager. If I somehow would manage to "corrupt" it and went to the MC manager, it would try to format it but it wouldn't work, and if I took it out and put it back in, it would be alright again (files show up, no need for MC manager to format). But since when you try to format in Baten Kaitos it lets you try over and over again instead of just once, maybe when I put it back in the cube might have recognized it as a card that doesn't need to be formatted but Baten Kaitos let me format it anyways and it worked properly because there was nothing wrong with the card at the time.

[Freakshock]

Ah well nevermind my other post, I tried to get this AR booting to work with this FAQ:

http://www.ngcdev.com/snakecompat/argcos.htm

It says this...

For the whole setup you need the ar memcard in slot a and your blank nintendo memcard in slot b.
(yes that means that you have to save the pso settings on the ar card if you use pso)

But how am I supposed to save my pso settings on the AR card...? because the GC mem manager doesnt recognize my AR memcard and neither does PSO... Can anyone help me out?

[camoi]

Hi,

It should see it as a regular memcard, so, maybe you should format it with AR. Then, you can install all needed for PSO to load.

Camoi

[nukleuzdj]

Originally posted by Freakshock
Ah well nevermind my other post, I tried to get this AR booting to work with this FAQ:

http://www.ngcdev.com/snakecompat/argcos.htm

It says this...


But how am I supposed to save my pso settings on the AR card...? because the GC mem manager doesnt recognize my AR memcard and neither does PSO... Can anyone help me out?

i think some AR cards are normal but some are unique to the action replay
mine is normal and saves like any card
yours must be the latter
just use a differant card?

[.bin]

This method worked great. Got GCOS/AR working on 3rd party mem cards as well as the Action Replay Card.

Easy way to corrupt your card is to set your cube in JAP mode and then back to US (If you have a modded cube with switch).

Or I played a Jap game on a PAL console and it asked me to format the card and it worked.

Tested on:

4 Meg Gamers Card - Working
Official Nintendo Cards 59 and 251 - Working
Action Replay 4 Meg Card - Working
Action Replay 64 Meg Card - Not working - Will boot the AR but will Black Screen when it goes to load GCOS.

All copied in the GC Mem manager after the initial copied card from PSO/GCS Method posted above.

Maybe the 64 meg card is too big or diff format for it?

[rivlez]

is there anyway to add .dol files to GCOS14MEM.bin that skunk made? i need to add some dols for testing stuff and i haven't been able to do it with ctr-gcs because it keeps giving me "card is corrupt". if there is a way to do this plzzz let me know!!

[quicksilv]

vandalisthero: great work getting the AR card to format! I will try to dig up a version of Baiten Katos asap. Did you use the JAP version of the game? i assume so, as i don't see how you managed to corrupt the save game otherwise.
Also, if it was a jap game, did you force GCOS to PAL region or did you use the auto setting?

I already tried this a few days ago with Kururin Squash (JAP) but it would just save fine and also read those saves properly. So it might not work with every JAP game.

.bin: i assume installing samsons bootloader will only work on cards that don't use compression. I believe his loader loads the AR database in raw format using absolute offsets (sector reading). So on a compressed memcard the offsets will most likely not be correct.

for people who can not see any saves on their AR card, let us know the AR version.. as i believe only newer AR's come with a card that can be used a regular memcard.

If anyone has any luck with formatting the AR, not using a NtscPal switch and some other game then Baiten Katos then let me know!

[Freakshock]

So I guess im screwed with my version of AR? Is'nt there a method to get it to work? I'll just return in to the store then, I bought it yesterday. Do I need the latest AR version or an older version? Dunno what my version is now, I'm not @ school and will check when I get home.

Thx for the reply's

EDIT: Checked the version, the disc says version 1.14b , is the memorycard that comes with this version not compatible?

[.bin]

1.14b should be compatable, those are the ones I tested above.

BUT check if it is a 4 meg card or a 64 meg card (Put it in your cube and see how many slots are free)

The 64 meg card I have has 16 on it and the 4 meg has just "Action replay" on it.

It will only work with 4 meg or uncompressed cards. If you return it, try get the standard one. The Limited edition was the 64 meg I think.

I ordered 2 expecting 4 meg cards and 1 was limited edition and 1 was normal. Look for the one that just has "AR Action replay" on the mem card.

BUT you may have an old mem card (ar).
Honestly just buy a bargain basement 3rd party card if you don't wanna buy an official one, or take back the AR and try get the latest version. 1.6/1.8 I think.

[Freakshock]

I Can't check whether its a 4meg or 64meg because the GC Mem Manager doesnt recognize it as a memorycard, I must have the wrong version...

Thx for your help

EDIT:

I ordered 2 expecting 4 meg cards and 1 was limited edition and 1 was normal. Look for the one that just has "AR Action replay" on the mem card.

I checked and it said AR action replay... now why is it nog recognized:S I guess ill take it to the store in an hour.....

EDIT2:

Honestly just buy a bargain basement 3rd party card if you don't wanna buy an official one, or take back the AR and try get the latest version. 1.6/1.8 I think.

Do you mean I dont even need the AR memcard for this to work? Could I just have the PSO user settings on a normal MC and another normal MC in slot B and then transfer the bootloader and gcos files ? Doesnt anything have to be changed on the AR card?

[rivlez]

Originally posted by Freakshock
So I guess im screwed with my version of AR? Is'nt there a method to get it to work? I'll just return in to the store then, I bought it yesterday. Do I need the latest AR version or an older version? Dunno what my version is now, I'm not @ school and will check when I get home.

Thx for the reply's

EDIT: Checked the version, the disc says version 1.14b , is the memorycard that comes with this version not compatible?

i thought i couldn't do shit either until i kept doing stuff last night, i loaded skunks gcos14mem.bin onto my 251 nintendo memory card now all i do is go to AR ---> start game ----> open lid ----> close lid ----> and boom i'm in GCOS 1.4! it works good try it out.

[camoi]

Originally posted by rivlez
i thought i couldn't do shit either until i kept doing stuff last night, i loaded skunks gcos14mem.bin onto my 251 nintendo memory card now all i do is go to AR ---> start game ----> open lid ----> close lid ----> and boom i'm in GCOS 1.4! it works good try it out.

Please, can you give your AR version ?

Camoi

[Freakshock]

Well I got it working thx all, I first formatted and then used quicksilv's batch, my mistake was I first had the files on another memcard, and then transferred them to the other --In the wrong order -- Thx!!!!!!

EDIT, now that i have it working, I wonder , how do you guys use this with fullsize dvd? When I used GCOS with PSO I just taped the lid sensor, but with ar you need to open and close the lid. Does anyone have a temporary solution until the new full dvd cases arrive, besides "hold the lid sensor till you get in gcos and then tape it"

[.bin]

Yes, you don't need an AR card to boot the Action replay with the loader.

I have an official one, a 3rd party one and an AR one and all work fine with the AR disc.

For the lid, I use those wire ties (you can buy em easy, they are identical to what your cube control pad is tied with when you buy it new)

I keep that on all the time and when it says open the lid I just gently pull back on it and let it get, it flicks gently back into place and is held in the closed position again.

Alternativly you can wire a switch to it which would be more of an extreme method.

[vandalisthero]

quicksilv: I was using the USA version of Baten Kaitos with auto-detect. It could very possibly have been a freak occurance... but like I was saying it happened in the same way that it happens in the GC MC manager after using ctr-gcs. It says it's corrupt but the format fails. So maybe if you "corrupt" it by trying to write an image to it with ctr-gcs with it in slot a rather than b, and turn off the gamecube and boot Baten Kaitos without removing the card from slot a, it should recognize it to be corrupt as well. Then just try to format it in the load game screen a few times, take the card out, put it back in and it should format properly... at least it did for me. Like I said though, could be a freak occurance and I don't know if I want to risk messing up the card to figure out weather or not it will work again. I might anyways though...