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Technical Support / F.A.Q.

Please search for your answer in our comprehensive F.A.Q. below. If you cannot find your answer after searching for it, feel free to E-mail us your enquiry at sales[at]nds-gear.com. We aim to reply to all e-mails within one working day.

1. Software/Download Questions

- 1.1 Why does my DS adapter not come with a software CD?
- 1.2 Where can I download the software for my DS adapter?
- 1.3 How do I play MP3s on my DS?
- 1.4 How do I watch videos on my DS?

2. Crash/Freeze Support and Troubleshooting

- 2.1 My R4v2 / R4 SDHC card says "Loading..." when I turn it on. What's going wrong?
- 2.2 My DSTT card says "Menu?" when I turn it on. What's going wrong?
- 2.3 My non-R4/DSTT adapter freezes on turn-on and is not loading into the main menu. What's happening?

3. DSi Card Related Questions

- 3.1 Which of your cards works on my new Nintendo DSi / DSi XL / DSi LL?
- 3.2 My EZFlash Vi is not automatically going into the application/game selection screen on startup. Why is this?
- 3.3 My EZFlash Vi is not recognising the save game files from my previous DS card when I copied them over. What's going wrong?

4. Delivery / Policy / Misc. Questions

- 4.1 My tracking number comes out with "Accepted at..." at an address that isn't mine!
- 4.2 I ordered Special Delivery yesterday, so why hasn't my order arrived today?

1.1 Why does my DS adapter not come with a software CD?

Several DS adapters used to come with a software CD (the most prominent being the old box-style DSTTs and the R4v2s). However, due to software being continuously updated by the various teams that produce these adapters, software is now typically available for download over the internet instead. NDS-Gear gives free access to software for adapters sold on its website, from its Software download page.

1.2 Where can I download the software for my DS adapter?

You can download all the software for any DS adapter bought from NDS-Gear on our Software download page.

1.3 How do I play MP3s on my DS?

It is easy to play MP3s on your Nintendo DS. If you don't already have Moonshell (comes in package with EDGE DS software, but not with others) you can simply drag-and-drop MP3s straight onto your Micro-SD card, and play them by choosing "Media" when you next boot up your DS and are at the main menu. Otherwise, please click here for the NDS-Gear guide to listening to MP3s on your DS.

1.4 How do I watch videos on my DS?

DS consoles only play a certain file format called .dpg. You must first convert the video you want to watch on your DS, to .dpg format. Please click here for the NDS-Gear guide to watching videos on your DS. You will need DPGTools to convert the video file to .dpg format (Download DPGTools here) and Moonshell on your Micro-SD card to view the video on your DS (Download Moonshell here).

2.1 My R4v2 / R4 SDHC card says "Loading..." when I turn it on. What's going wrong?

The R4 "Loading..." problem, which is normally a software problem

One of the most common questions we are asked about the R4 adapter, regardless of whether you are using the the R4v2 or the R4 SDHC, is the "Loading..." error. The majority of people assume that this is because their R4v2 / R4 SDHC adapter is broken, but this is usually not the case.

The most common problem is that the wrong software is installed on the R4 adapter. Visit our Software Download page to download the relevant software for your adapter.

Below are six easy steps that can be tried to immediately solve any "Loading..." screen problem.

1. Make sure you have downloaded the correct and latest software. For help with this, please visit our Downloads page here.
2. Make sure the software is position in the root directory - the 'base' or first directory of your Micro-SD card. What your Micro-SD card's files should look like, can be seen below.
   
   What Micro-SD cards should look like after correct software installation.

3. Give your Micro-SD a good clean (a good blow or two, as the card contacts can be sensitive to dirt).
4. Make sure that the Micro-SD is not overloaded. The remainder of your Micro-SD card's memory is needed to keep your card running in tip top shape. As a guide, we recommend filling your Micro-SD card no more than 60% full. That means that for a 1GB card, we only recommend filling it 600MB full of games and applications / MP3s / etc. For a 2GB card, we recommend only filling it up to 1.2GB full, and so on.
5. Make sure the Micro-SD is pushed down completely into the DS Card (ensure good contact between Micro-SD card and adapter). In a very small minority of cases, the Micro-SD has to be pulled up a bit if the 'click' between the Micro-SD and the adapter causes them to misalign. We test every card before sending, however, and usually never have this problem.
6. Reformat your Micro SD to either FAT16 or FAT32 for optimal performance.
7. Use only Micro-SD / -SDHC 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 24 and 32GB. Untested for Micro-SD above 32GB and problems reported for 6GB micro SD. *(For R4v2, only use 2GB Micro-SD or below)

2.2 My DSTT card says "Menu?" when I turn it on. What's going wrong?

The DSTT "Menu?" problem, which is normally a software problem

One of the most common questions we are asked about the DSTT adapter is the "Menu?" error. The majority of people assume that this is because their DSTT adapter is broken, but this is usually not the case.

The most common problem is that the wrong software is installed on the DSTT adapter. Visit our Software Download page to download the relevant software for your adapter.

Below are six easy steps that can be tried to immediately solve any "Loading..." screen problem.

1. Make sure you have downloaded the correct and latest software. For help with this, please visit our Downloads page here.
2. Make sure the software is position in the root directory - the 'base' or first directory of your Micro-SD card. What your Micro-SD card's files should look like, can be seen below.
   
   What Micro-SD cards should look like after correct software installation.

3. Give your Micro-SD a good clean (a good blow or two, as the card contacts can be sensitive to dirt).
4. Make sure that the Micro-SD is not overloaded. The remainder of your Micro-SD card's memory is needed to keep your card running in tip top shape. As a guide, we recommend filling your Micro-SD card no more than 60% full. That means that for a 1GB card, we only recommend filling it 600MB full of games and applications / MP3s / etc. For a 2GB card, we recommend only filling it up to 1.2GB full, and so on.
5. Make sure the Micro-SD is pushed down completely into the DS Card (ensure good contact between Micro-SD card and adapter). In a very small minority of cases, the Micro-SD has to be pulled up a bit if the 'click' between the Micro-SD and the adapter causes them to misalign. We test every card before sending, however, and usually never have this problem.
6. Reformat your Micro SD to either FAT16 or FAT32 for optimal performance.
7. Use only Micro-SD / -SDHC 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 24 and 32GB. Untested for Micro-SD above 32GB and problems reported for 6GB micro SD.

2.3 My non-R4/DSTT adapter freezes on turn-on and is not loading into the main menu. What's happening?

In almost all cases where an adapter fails to boot up in a DS, one of the below three problems is at fault:

• Wrong type of adapter for your DS console - not every card will work on every version of a Nintendo DS console. Please check our compatibility list here for a list of which cards work on which console. This problem is typically one associated with a non-DSi card being played on a Nintendo DSi.
• Wrong Micro-SD card size for your DS adapter - This is only an issue with the R4v2 adapter (the original) for sale on NDS-Gear. Note that the R4v2 will only accept up to 2GB Micro-SD cards, and therefore Micro-SD cards above this size will simply not work. There have also been problems reported with 6GB Micro-SDHC cards on DS adapters in general, but NDS-Gear does not sell 6GB Micro-SDHC cards so our customers should always be OK.
• Incorrect Software on your Micro-SD card - 99% of cases involve this. You need to go to our Software download page to download the correct software for your adapter. UNZIP the file (most problems involve forgetting to unzip the file!) and drag-and-drop all of the contents into your Micro-SD card base/root directory. What the files should look like on the cards is shown in the below image.

Installation Files on the EDGE / EZFlash Vi card as downloaded from NDS-Gear.

Making sure the files look as they do above should fix any problem you have with software installation.

3.1 Which of your cards works on my new Nintendo DSi?

Console	R4v2	R4 SDHC	DSTT	EDGE	EZFlash Vi
DS
DS Lite
DSi / DSi XL / DSi LL

NDS-Gear has a great reputation for sourcing only the most reliable and robust cards, which are ALL INDIVIDUALLY TESTED prior to sending to any of our customers. This is why we do not sell every card on the planet; we pick the best for our customers. This also helps us along the line because we get fewer e-mails about cards that are broken.

As a result of this selection process, we currently only sell the EZFlash Vi as a reliable, robust DSi-compatible card. However, the EZFlash Vi is also backwards compatible with the DS Lite and the original DS, making it the ideal card for anyone, so that even if you upgrade in the future you can still use the same card and not have to buy a new one.

3.2 My EZFlash Vi is not automatically going into the application/game selection screen on startup. Why is this?

The EZFlash Vi card is a new card released for use with the Nintendo DSi, although it's also backwards compatible with the DS and DS Lite. It is slightly different from most other DS cards. The user must select "EZFlash Vi" or the equivalent game icon (if after 1.4 on a DSi) on the loading screen in order to progress into the applications/games menu.

The EZFlash Vi's first screen on a DSi console. The user must select the EZFlash Vi (or equivalent game) icon to continue, which is normal.

3.3 My EZFlash Vi is not recognising the save game files from my previous DS card when I copied them over. What's going wrong?

The EZFlash Vi card is specifically designed for the new Nintendo DSi (although it is backwards compatible with the DS and DS Lite). It uses a slightly different folder structure, however! Simply dragging-and-dropping all the old .NDS applications/games from your old card with their .SAV files will not work on the EZFlash Vi.

In order for your EZFlash Vi to read your old .SAV files, you must create a folder called SAVE (capital letters) and put your saved game files in there. After this is done, your old applications/games should be able to pick up your old .SAV files as normal.

4.1 My tracking number comes out with "Accepted at..." at an address that isn't mine!

Don't worry - this is entirely normal. The address you see is probably the post office at which your package was sent! "Accepted at" is the initial stage of delivery that's displayed on the Post Office website. When it arrives with you, the status will then change to "Delivered at".

4.2 I ordered Special Delivery yesterday, so why hasn't my order arrived today?

As per our delivery policy, we process all orders by the next working day at the latest. Therefore, if you place an order, say, on Monday, it will be processed on Tuesday. This means your package is guaranteed to arrive on Wednesday.

However, sometimes (at our discretion if things are speedy) we are able to 'catch' some of the orders in the morning and mail them off quickly. We can never guarantee this as it depends on order volume, but we do try our best. So while your Special Delivery order on Monday is guaranteed to be with you by Wednesday (NDS-Gear cannot be held responsible for Royal Mail's guarantees, but we haven't really had any problems yet!), occasionally it can arrive with you sooner.