I think i discovered a way to create a custom size sd card to use in dolphin for windows users (mostly) with the option to manage sdcard data without third party apps.
In short the objetive is create a virtual hard disk (with filename sd.raw) and format it with MBR and FAT32 (maybe virtual box could help?) and place it where dolphin expects sd.raw to be.
1. open start menu and type "Computer", click on Computer Magnament.
2. On the left side, click "Disk Management".
3. Click on menu "Action" -> Create VHD (If option is grayed out, click on one of the hard drives on the list)
4. When the window "Create and Attach Virtual Hard Disk" click on browse.
Now a dialog to save a file appear. Navigate to [Dolphin Folder]\User\Wii
5. The filename type "sd.raw". If you do not want to replace the sdcard created by dolphin copy it to another location or rename to "sd_old.raw.
6. In "Virtual hard disk size" type the size of the sdcard you want.
7. In "Virtual hard disk format" click "Fixed size".
8. Click "OK", the virtual hard drive will be created. Please be patient.
9. In the bottom of the drives available in the center of the screen scroll till you see your new disk. To identified find a light blue hd icon with the labels "Unknown" The size you wanted and "Not initialized.
10. Right click there and select "Initialize Disk". A dialog appears, click "OK"
11. Now right click on the right side and select "New Simple Volume". A wizard appears. Just click next until you see the format options, in file system select FAT32, volume label leave blank and click next. Click Finish
12. After the format finish, windows autorun appears. Do what ever you want with the new disk.
When you are done using managing data on the new sdcard, go to computer magnament, right click on the light blue hard drive icon and select "Detach VHD". Click OK.
Navigate to [Dolphin Folder]\User\Wii press SHIFT and right click on blank area in windows, select "Open command window here". (Or you can open command promp and cd to [Dolphin Folder]\User\Wii folder )
type "dir" (without quotes) and press ENTER. The contents of the directory will be listed. Just check the sdcard disk file does not have a vhd extension at the end. If it does, check the filename in the list that appeared with the dir command. I assume the filename is "sd.raw.vhd"; type
rename sd.raw.vhd sd.raw
press ENTER
if you type dir and press enter again you can see the filename has changed.
When you need to manage data on sdcard, click on start menu and type "computer", open computer management again.
Click on the left side "Disk Management" and the menu "Action" -> Attach vhd.
On the dialog appears click "Browse...." and Browse to directory [Dolphin Folder]\User\Wii
In filetype select "All files" (OR and type *.* and press ENTER) select the sdcard file (sd.raw). After selecting the file click ok. Windows will attach the disk, mount it and you can browse it contents with windows explorer.
When you are done go to computer magnament, right click on the light blue hard drive icon and select "Detach VHD". Click OK.
The wii system menu recognize the sdcard, you can copy save files to sdcard for example.
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Could someone please use my method to create a sd card tell here if it is possible to run homebrew, move channels or start channels from sdcard from it for example?
In short the objetive is create a virtual hard disk (with filename sd.raw) and format it with MBR and FAT32 (maybe virtual box could help?) and place it where dolphin expects sd.raw to be.
1. open start menu and type "Computer", click on Computer Magnament.
2. On the left side, click "Disk Management".
3. Click on menu "Action" -> Create VHD (If option is grayed out, click on one of the hard drives on the list)
4. When the window "Create and Attach Virtual Hard Disk" click on browse.
Now a dialog to save a file appear. Navigate to [Dolphin Folder]\User\Wii
5. The filename type "sd.raw". If you do not want to replace the sdcard created by dolphin copy it to another location or rename to "sd_old.raw.
6. In "Virtual hard disk size" type the size of the sdcard you want.
7. In "Virtual hard disk format" click "Fixed size".
8. Click "OK", the virtual hard drive will be created. Please be patient.
9. In the bottom of the drives available in the center of the screen scroll till you see your new disk. To identified find a light blue hd icon with the labels "Unknown" The size you wanted and "Not initialized.
10. Right click there and select "Initialize Disk". A dialog appears, click "OK"
11. Now right click on the right side and select "New Simple Volume". A wizard appears. Just click next until you see the format options, in file system select FAT32, volume label leave blank and click next. Click Finish
12. After the format finish, windows autorun appears. Do what ever you want with the new disk.
When you are done using managing data on the new sdcard, go to computer magnament, right click on the light blue hard drive icon and select "Detach VHD". Click OK.
Navigate to [Dolphin Folder]\User\Wii press SHIFT and right click on blank area in windows, select "Open command window here". (Or you can open command promp and cd to [Dolphin Folder]\User\Wii folder )
type "dir" (without quotes) and press ENTER. The contents of the directory will be listed. Just check the sdcard disk file does not have a vhd extension at the end. If it does, check the filename in the list that appeared with the dir command. I assume the filename is "sd.raw.vhd"; type
rename sd.raw.vhd sd.raw
press ENTER
if you type dir and press enter again you can see the filename has changed.
When you need to manage data on sdcard, click on start menu and type "computer", open computer management again.
Click on the left side "Disk Management" and the menu "Action" -> Attach vhd.
On the dialog appears click "Browse...." and Browse to directory [Dolphin Folder]\User\Wii
In filetype select "All files" (OR and type *.* and press ENTER) select the sdcard file (sd.raw). After selecting the file click ok. Windows will attach the disk, mount it and you can browse it contents with windows explorer.
When you are done go to computer magnament, right click on the light blue hard drive icon and select "Detach VHD". Click OK.
The wii system menu recognize the sdcard, you can copy save files to sdcard for example.
-------------------
Could someone please use my method to create a sd card tell here if it is possible to run homebrew, move channels or start channels from sdcard from it for example?