URGENT PSOv2 advice needed!

[DreamState]

IIRC (and I may be wrong) it's possible for a character to be encrypted under a different serial than the one that was used for the game. I can't recall how it happens though, or if there needs to be a PSOv1 serial on the console or not for it to happen. But that could be one explanation why it doesn't work. Definitely recommend running the eraser thought to make sure there wasn't a pre-existing serial on the console. Chances of you entering the wrong (as in typo) serial is incredibly slim, it wouldn't have accepted it if it wasn't a valid format.

Any idea how to do the eraser whilst using GDEmu?

[NightBreeze]

Any idea how to do the eraser whilst using GDEmu?

Yeah, it's really easy. Just download "Dreamcast Internal Flashrom Eraser" from http://www.dc-swat.ru/page/download/. Pick the DiskJuggler image and extract the rar. Then create a new numbered folder on your GDEMU card and drop the .cdi file in there.

Note if you have GDMenu in the 01 folder, and it has a saved game list, then the new folder / flash eraser won't show up by doing the above. So either put in a clean GDMenu or maybe use an clean SD card with only the 01 folder that contains the eraser.

There's no manual for the eraser itself, but when it runs, some colors will change, and then the deed will be done, you can then power off the Dreamcast

WARNING: If you've enabled read-only flash writing (via +12V wire mod), e.g. to change region, then this method will brick your Dreamcast, disconnect the wire first. It will also erase modem configuration, etc.

EDIT: Found a readme: http://www.segahub.org/index.php?topic=3824.0

[DreamState]

Any idea how to do the eraser whilst using GDEmu?

Yeah, it's really easy. Just download "Dreamcast Internal Flashrom Eraser" from http://www.dc-swat.ru/page/download/. Pick the DiskJuggler image and extract the rar. Then create a new numbered folder on your GDEMU card and drop the .cdi file in there.

Note if you have GDMenu in the 01 folder, and it has a saved game list, then the new folder / flash eraser won't show up by doing the above. So either put in a clean GDMenu or maybe use an clean SD card with only the 01 folder that contains the eraser.

There's no manual for the eraser itself, but when it runs, some colors will change, and then the deed will be done, you can then power off the Dreamcast

WARNING: If you've enabled read-only flash writing (via +12V wire mod), e.g. to change region, then this method will brick your Dreamcast, disconnect the wire first. It will also erase modem configuration, etc.

EDIT: Found a readme: http://www.segahub.org/index.php?topic=3824.0

Thanks for all your info here! I’m hoping this works as I can’t understand why the same shared serial wouldn’t continue my saved game on a different motherboard. There’s nothing concrete online saying if PSO saved games are locked to the console or not? And there’s no walkthrough at all for my exact problem?

[NightBreeze]

Thanks for all your info here! I’m hoping this works as I can’t understand why the same shared serial wouldn’t continue my saved game on a different motherboard. There’s nothing concrete online saying if PSO saved games are locked to the console or not? And there’s no walkthrough at all for my exact problem?

There's not much of a walkthrough needed? Erase flash, enter correct serial. However, that second step is where it gets tricky, and individual.

PSO characters are not tied to the console, but they are encrypted using the serial. However, like I mentioned before it's possible for the character to be encrypted by a different serial than the one you were using. I ran into it myself but I'm foggy on the details of how it happened so I can't explain it in detail now. So unless the issue is that the new motherboard has a PSO serial from before (which the eraser will fix), then you must remember all the serials you might've ever used on the old console, both PSOv1 and v2.

As a last resort, you could try to copy the flash from the old console to the new. I'm afraid I can't help you at all with that step though, perhaps someone else knows how?

EDIT: Oh yeah, I have a vague recollection of the multi-serial issue happened for me when I switched from using NTSC PSOv2 to PAL PSOv2. My PAL character was encrypted by the NTSC serial, even though I had entered a new serial when playing the PAL version. A flash reset and entering the PAL serial then resulted in being unable to decrypt. (I'm still not 100% sure if this was the case though )

[DreamState]

Thanks for all your info here! I’m hoping this works as I can’t understand why the same shared serial wouldn’t continue my saved game on a different motherboard. There’s nothing concrete online saying if PSO saved games are locked to the console or not? And there’s no walkthrough at all for my exact problem?

There's not much of a walkthrough needed? Erase flash, enter correct serial. However, that second step is where it gets tricky, and individual.

PSO characters are not tied to the console, but they are encrypted using the serial. However, like I mentioned before it's possible for the character to be encrypted by a different serial than the one you were using. I ran into it myself but I'm foggy on the details of how it happened so I can't explain it in detail now. So unless the issue is that the new motherboard has a PSO serial from before (which the eraser will fix), then you must remember all the serials you might've ever used on the old console, both PSOv1 and v2.

As a last resort, you could try to copy the flash from the old console to the new. I'm afraid I can't help you at all with that step though, perhaps someone else knows how?

EDIT: Oh yeah, I have a vague recollection of the multi-serial issue happened for me when I switched from using NTSC PSOv2 to PAL PSOv2. My PAL character was encrypted by the NTSC serial, even though I had entered a new serial when playing the PAL version. A flash reset and entering the PAL serial then resulted in being unable to decrypt. (I'm still not 100% sure if this was the case though )

Thanks again for the info. My circumstances are strange, I began using a shared serial on the PAL PSOv2 then later switched to using the US Ives CDI EP from then on. I don’t know if this would be causing the problem? My PAL shared serial did not load my game on the new motherboard, but I guess I could flash the new motherboard and enter the SNAK for the US Ives edition instead of the PAL codes I used from the start? Meanwhile, my last resort is like you said copying flash to the other circuit.

[NightBreeze]

Ah. Well what I think you need to do is erase the flash. Start a new game with the PAL copy using the PAL shared serial. Then switch to Ives, enter the same US shared serial you were using before and perhaps then it will load the save you want.

[DreamState]

Ah. Well what I think you need to do is erase the flash. Start a new game with the PAL copy using the PAL shared serial. Then switch to Ives, enter the same US shared serial you were using before and perhaps then it will load the save you want.

That’s the deal, I have never once used a US serial. I used the shared serial for the PAL version and switched to the US Ives CDI without ever needing to use another serial. It remained the same and let me continue with the PAL serial regardless. It’s confusing stuff this PSO, I don’t know why they made it so complicated to be honest.