GB/GBC Flash Card - Who Has one? Can I Pick Your Brains Plz!

[Cauterize]

I just bought the GBC Flash Card & Writer off DP Member Crisssybwoy today, however were both quite clueless about it now, considering its a Parallel Cable thingy and we all know how awful Windows XP is when it comes to them!

The card is Mr Flash 64m, a standard Doctor GB one!

Ive been (attempting to) use the software dgbmax
(http://dgbmax.pocketheaven.com/dgbmax.php)

alongside an IO driver called GiveIO.SYS, to allow parallel support on XP...

No problems so far, the software detects the fact GiveIO.sys has been activated and so on....

However, it wont find the card/read it etc...

Im clueless as to what to do and id love to get this working asap!

If anyone has any direction they can point me in, then it would be greatly appreciated!

Cheers!

Adam


P.s.
Why am i using a GBC card instead of GBA?
Well i have a GBA one which i love, however i always wanted a GB/GBC one as a kid, also GBA Cards dont allow GB/GBC roms on them, unless you use an emulator!
And finally im dying for some Resi Evil Gaiden!!!

[Brian_Provinciano]

YOu might have problems if you're running WinXP home. Microsoft requires you to have XP pro if you want to have full parallel port access.

[rbudrick]

You may want to try it on a WIn 98 machine, ironically. That OS had direct parrallel access. Some laptops may give you crap...best to try desktop machines.

-ROb

[Jagasian]

I was second in line to buy that Mr Flash cart from Crissyboy, but you beat me to the punch. If you decide that you no longer want it, I am interested in buying. You may also want to give uCON64 a try, as it works with the Mr Flash:
http://ucon64.sourceforge.net/

[Cauterize]

Brain - Im running XP Pro so no worries there i dotn think :-S

rbudrick - I was dreading this :-S Im positive the GBC Writer can work on XP as inside the readme, as the instructions are for XP...


2. INSTALLATION

To install this driver on Windows NT/2000 you will have to have Administator
rights on your machine !

Step 1: Install the driver using LOADDRV.EXE

Unzip the package in the directory you want to have you driver be installed
(c:\Program Files\GiveIO). Afterwards run the program LOADDRV.EXE also enclosed
in this package. Enter the FULL PATH to the GIVEIO.SYS driver e.g.
C:\Program Files\GiveIO\GIVEIO.SYS and click the install button. Do not press
return since this will end the program.

The GiveIO-Service should have been installed. Now use the START button to
start the service (you may also use the Control-Panel).
If the text
"Operation Successful" occurs everything worked fine.

In case you get an error message click REMOVE, check the paths, click INSTALL
and START.

Step 2: Activate the driver using ACTIVATE.CMD

The activation of the driver is quite strange but I put a batch-file in the
package called GiveIO.CMD, which starts a new prompt on which you can
access all hardware ports.

Notes:

* NT/2000 somewhat messes up the LPT Port adresses, for example, my x-Ploder
is connected to LPT1 but I have to use the -P11 switch on all Caetla Tools
(which normally means LPT2)

Step 2 is the one giving me problems, i begin the .cmd file and all i get is an error saying:


Windows Cannot Find _HACK_

Just incase we have anyone who is really good with MSDOS code etc, here is the code inside, see if you can work out what the problem is...


@echo off
if _%1_ == __ goto Recurse
echo.
echo This small script done by Stan. Greets to all.
echo.
net stop giveio >nul 2>nul
net start giveio >nul
if ERRORLEVEL 1 goto Problem
echo q > %SystemDrive%\q.txt
debug \\.\giveio <%SystemDrive%\q.txt 2>nul >nul
del %SystemDrive%\q.txt
if not _%1_ == __HACK__ goto Exec
title "*** Start your send tool from this window ***"
echo You can now start your send tool from this shell.
goto End
:Exec
echo Executing the command: %1 %2 %3 %4 %5 %6 %7 %8 %9
echo.
%1 %2 %3 %4 %5 %6 %7 %8 %9
goto End
:Recurse
start %0 _HACK_
goto End
:Problem
echo.
echo ERROR: Could not start the giveio service!
echo ERROR: Make sure it is installed ok.
echo.
:End


Confusing stuff really, im no tech wizard, but im no n00b, and this is advanced stuff id say!

If anyone knows anything that could help me then please reply!

[syd]

I've been thinking about buying one of these for a while. Flash cards are great, I've had a SNES one since around February and I love it! :D

Concerning your problem, it sounds kinda like the problem I had with my flash card. Since it's parallel port, it needs to follow a certain protocol. You can change this setting in the BIOS. I think there are 3 different settings for the parallel port. I believe I had to set mine to EEP for it to work. Before I did that my pc wouldn't even read the flash card at all. I'm using WinXP btw, so that shouldn't be a problem.

[crisssybwoy]

Sorry that I'm no use Adam :embarrassed:

[Cauterize]

Sorry that I'm no use Adam :embarrassed:

Hahah not a problem mate, i bought this half for using and half for the challenge of getting it working :)
You offered it at a great price too so i aint complaining :P

Infact the main reason i wanted this is i miss having "Power Quest" and "Legend Of The River King"
Those are the two games i now regret trading as a kid!


I've been thinking about buying one of these for a while. Flash cards are great, I've had a SNES one since around February and I love it! :D

Concerning your problem, it sounds kinda like the problem I had with my flash card. Since it's parallel port, it needs to follow a certain protocol. You can change this setting in the BIOS. I think there are 3 different settings for the parallel port. I believe I had to set mine to EEP for it to work. Before I did that my pc wouldn't even read the flash card at all. I'm using WinXP btw, so that shouldn't be a problem.

Hmmmm interesting! Ill reboot soon and have a fiddle around with those settings :) Cheers Mate... I might pick your brains more if i come across anythin else :P

[aegis]

I have a flash card and use the tools that came with it, 6 years ago. I have to set my port settings to EPP or ECP one of the two to get it to work. Won't work for me on auto, as most bios are set.

Hope this helps.

[Cauterize]

I have a flash card and use the tools that came with it, 6 years ago. I have to set my port settings to EPP or ECP one of the two to get it to work. Won't work for me on auto, as most bios are set.

Hope this helps.

*Puts a Crown on Aegis's Head*

Congrats, you solved my problem, i had it set to Auto too... tested a few modes and managed to get it working!

Awesome!

Big thanks to everyone else too! I appreciate the help!

Adam

[hydr0x]

ah DAMN i should have known that, i had the same problems once, sorry adam for not remembering it ;)