Dolphin, the GameCube and Wii emulator - Forums

Well, I did what you suggested, LPFaint99. Here is the file after I put it on the memory card and extract it:

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/59923256/theWolfMonkey2-01-GZ2E-gczelda2.gci

And here's the original (exported from dolphin) again:

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/59923256/theWolfMonkeyGZ2E_gczelda2.gci

I compared them in a hex editor, and I saw the correct header information in the original, but the second file has issues. The hex data for 00-30 on the original is:

47 5A 32 45 30 31 FF 05 67 63 7A 65 6C 64 61 32 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 15 B5 FD 7A 00 00 00 00 01 55 01 55 04 00 00 05 00 04 FF FF 00 00 24 00

For the memory card extracted file it is:

47 5A 32 45 30 31 FF 00 67 63 7A 65 6C 64 61 32 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 4F 25 FB 4C FF FF FF FF 00 00 00 00 04 00 00 20 00 04 FF FF FF FF FF FF

The data is altered on the second file's header from 00-0F on 00000000-00000030 (which is the data that is displayed). The header is replaced largely by "FF"s.

I don't really know what to do about it, because it seems to be that putting the file on the memory card is what causes this aggravating change. I've tried multiple apps for copying the file to my memory card, and have tried multiple memory cards.

Any heroes out there to save this operation?

---

More information:

I tried a different SD card (different manufacturer) and encountered the same issue.

Perhaps some photos could better illuminate the situation?

In GCMM:

Original file:
[attachment=7316]
File resulting from addition to memory card:
[attachment=7317]
View in Data Manager (the description bar is white (empty)):
[attachment=7318]
The "i"s:
[attachment=7319]

I have seen this sort of corruption when a game save is saved to a memory card file that already has a similar save (or previous save of the same game) on it. I think it doesn't happen if you start with an empty memory card file.

I'm afraid I can't really help you with how to transfer the save from the PC to a physical memory card because I have only ever used the GC USB Memory Adapter for doing this.

you have exhausted most of the other options... but seems unlikely that you have multiple memorycards that are failing, the only other things you could try would be another different memory card, or another wii.

Here are the differences between the two files.

For the good save:
Time of save = 15 B5 FD 7A = 17 Jul 2011 (game console time)
First block of save file = 05 (first file on memory card)
image data offset in save file = 00 00 00 00
info text offset in save file = 00 00 24 00
icon graphics format = 01 55 (4 x CI8 with shared palette)
icon duration = 01 55 (4 frames each)

For the bad save:
Time of save = 4F 25 FB 4C = 29 Jan 2042 (game console time)
First block of save file = 20 (i.e. not first file on memory card)
image data offset in save file = FF FF FF FF (not set)
info text offset in save file = FF FF FF FF (not set)
icon graphics format = 00 00 (not set)
icon duration = 00 00 (not set)

The second one looks like a bad update or import of a save file. It could also be the start of a new game, but that doesn't apply in this case. The save time implies a different origin.

Well thanks, guys. I appreciate the time. It seems I've simply been struck by quite a mysterious ailment. I guess I'll wait and see if the answer presents itself.

---

@HomelandReloaded
Are you deciphering that yourself? Or do you have some piece of software to analyze it?

(02-02-2012, 03:14 PM)theWolfMonkey Wrote: [ -> ]@HomelandReloaded
Are you deciphering that yourself? Or do you have some piece of software to analyze it?

I'm using a really excellent file viewer called "Binary Viewer" from ProXoft to examine the file contents, and I use MS Excel to do some of the math. I'm using the YAGCD documentation and the Dolphin source code for reference. I'm learning C++ and if my skills ever get to Dolphin standard I might try writing a utility, but I'm more interested in creating a new matching server for Homeland, if it's possible.

<shameless plug> You can view some additional details not shown by the dolphin memcard manager with this
http://code.google.com/p/gcn-memcard-manager/downloads/list
once a memorycard is loaded, rightclick and choose debug memcard
there's a lot that could be better about it, but it's nice enough </shameless plug>

That is nice - it gives a lot more information than the Dolphin version!