[USB GDROM] Troubleshooting & Firmware updates

Technical help for Dreamcast console, accessories and games only. Ask questions and find answers here. For Online help see the Online Forum

Moderator: pcwzrd13

User avatar
Xiden
Developer
Posts: 2219

Re: [USB GDROM] Troubleshooting & Firmware updates

Post#231 » Sat Nov 16, 2019 1:30 pm

Cyberonix wrote:I was wondering if anyone has encountered a particular problem that's plagued me after applying certain firmware updates. My Dreamcast has a 1TB Western Digital HD I attached. When I first installed the GDROM unit this drive would not load games. The menu would come up but I couldn't get games to run (at least the few I tried). I could select a game and it would start to load but as soon as it finished it would start a infinite loop where the Sega logo would appear for a few seconds, then the screen would go black for a few seconds, then the Sega logo would reappear and start the logo/black screen cycle over and over until I powered the unit off. As a side note I detached the HD and repeated those same steps using a USB thumb drive and the same game(s) loaded perfectly.

I then updated the firmware to the latest version at the time (it was a few versions ago). After updating it the hard drive started working properly but the thumb drive no longer worked. I thought that was weird but since the plan was to use the HD anyway I wasn't too concerned.

Enter the on-going issue... Each time a new version of the firmware was released I'd update my board to keep it current but this would either "break" or fix my board. Specifically it would cause certain games that worked fine on the previous firmware to start doing the Sega logo/black screen loop again. I'd be stuck until a new version of the firmware released and miraculously those games would start working again.

I'm back to that same problem again. The previous firmware seemed really stable and I wasn't planning on upgrading to the "2019/06/06" version until I read about the firmware time bomb. Now I'm back to the loop. Running Ecco The Dolphin or Crazy Taxi works perfectly while running Mortal Kombat puts me in a loop.

I've tried doing a full FAT32 / 64K format and re-adding the games back but I'm still encountering the same problem.

Does anyone have any suggestions?


Just tried mk gold on current FM, seems good for me. Are you using GDI versions of the game?

Cyberonix
shadow
Posts: 7

Re: [USB GDROM] Troubleshooting & Firmware updates

Post#232 » Sat Nov 16, 2019 2:34 pm

Yes. They're all GDI versions.

User avatar
Xiden
Developer
Posts: 2219

Re: [USB GDROM] Troubleshooting & Firmware updates

Post#233 » Sat Nov 16, 2019 5:37 pm

Cyberonix wrote:Yes. They're all GDI versions.


You might try a different gdi dump, could possibly be a bad gdi.

Also, what brand thumb drive are you using? I know sandisk works great. I have a 128gb.

Cyberonix
shadow
Posts: 7

Re: [USB GDROM] Troubleshooting & Firmware updates

Post#234 » Sat Nov 16, 2019 9:12 pm

Cyberonix wrote:
Yes. They're all GDI versions.



You might try a different gdi dump, could possibly be a bad gdi.

Also, what brand thumb drive are you using? I know sandisk works great. I have a 128gb.


Out of curiosity would you be able to post the MD5 hashes of your files for MK? I know it's a pain but I'd like to compare them with mine. It just seems odd that it would work on some but not all firmware versions.

It was quite a while ago but if I remember correctly it was a Memorex thumb drive. It worked with the firmware the board shipped with and then after the first update it wouldn't work.

User avatar
Xiden
Developer
Posts: 2219

Re: [USB GDROM] Troubleshooting & Firmware updates

Post#235 » Sun Nov 17, 2019 1:09 am

Cyberonix wrote:
Cyberonix wrote:
Yes. They're all GDI versions.



You might try a different gdi dump, could possibly be a bad gdi.

Also, what brand thumb drive are you using? I know sandisk works great. I have a 128gb.


Out of curiosity would you be able to post the MD5 hashes of your files for MK? I know it's a pain but I'd like to compare them with mine. It just seems odd that it would work on some but not all firmware versions.

It was quite a while ago but if I remember correctly it was a Memorex thumb drive. It worked with the firmware the board shipped with and then after the first update it wouldn't work.


I'm not familiar how to get the md5 hash. I could download a new one from the-eye.co.uk and see if that works for me. I think I'm using a trurip copy at the moment.

Mnemos firmware has been wonky for some people. Maybe try reflashing firmware? Cant say I've heard of your specific issue in particular. We could email him and maybe he could patch it.

Cyberonix
shadow
Posts: 7

Re: [USB GDROM] Troubleshooting & Firmware updates

Post#236 » Sun Nov 17, 2019 12:14 pm

I'm not familiar how to get the md5 hash. I could download a new one from the-eye.co.uk and see if that works for me. I think I'm using a trurip copy at the moment.

Mnemos firmware has been wonky for some people. Maybe try reflashing firmware? Cant say I've heard of your specific issue in particular. We could email him and maybe he could patch it.


There is a tool included with Windows but it's command line and a real PITA to use and it only does one file at a time. I got tired of using it ad wrote a GUI drag-and-drop utility to do it. I really need to post it as some others might find it handy too for checking BIOS etc. It works great with REDUMP. I'm not sure what the policy for posting EXEs or source code is on this site though.

The Windows commandline is: certutil -hashfile path-to-your-file MD5 but requires you to copy the value out of the console window.

As for my set it's hard to tell. It's an older one but I think it's Trurip as well.

Maybe it's time to see if I can find an updated version.

Also I should mention these are NTSC versions. I noticed you mentioned a uk website earlier.

As second note. I decided to try a second version. REDUMP has a 2016 GDI version as well but this doesn't work either. The difference is the REDUMP version doesn't go into a loop. It loads and then goes back to the launch menu where you can select another game.

User avatar
Xiden
Developer
Posts: 2219

Re: [USB GDROM] Troubleshooting & Firmware updates

Post#237 » Sun Nov 17, 2019 2:14 pm

Cyberonix wrote:
I'm not familiar how to get the md5 hash. I could download a new one from the-eye.co.uk and see if that works for me. I think I'm using a trurip copy at the moment.

Mnemos firmware has been wonky for some people. Maybe try reflashing firmware? Cant say I've heard of your specific issue in particular. We could email him and maybe he could patch it.


There is a tool included with Windows but it's command line and a real PITA to use and it only does one file at a time. I got tired of using it ad wrote a GUI drag-and-drop utility to do it. I really need to post it as some others might find it handy too for checking BIOS etc. It works great with REDUMP. I'm not sure what the policy for posting EXEs or source code is on this site though.

The Windows commandline is: certutil -hashfile path-to-your-file MD5 but requires you to copy the value out of the console window.

As for my set it's hard to tell. It's an older one but I think it's Trurip as well.

Maybe it's time to see if I can find an updated version.

Also I should mention these are NTSC versions. I noticed you mentioned a uk website earlier.

As second note. I decided to try a second version. REDUMP has a 2016 GDI version as well but this doesn't work either. The difference is the REDUMP version doesn't go into a loop. It loads and then goes back to the launch menu where you can select another game.



Sorry mistyped the address, but they have both NTSC and PAL. I use mostly NTSC :) (By the way have you tried removing turning off region?) I have mine set to on but I noticed some games don't like having that on for some reason.

https://the-eye.eu/public/rom/Sega%20Dreamcast/

I'm using [Mortal Kombat Gold v1.006 (1999)(Midway)(NTSC)(US)[!][6S T-9701NGD] ]

Just tested this version and works good for me :) Hopefully it will also work for you. They also have a .001 version but that version doesn't work with VGA

Cyberonix
shadow
Posts: 7

Re: [USB GDROM] Troubleshooting & Firmware updates

Post#238 » Sun Nov 17, 2019 2:31 pm

Sorry mistyped the address, but they have both NTSC and PAL. I use mostly NTSC :) (By the way have you tried removing turning off region?) I have mine set to on but I noticed some games don't like having that on for some reason.

https://the-eye.eu/public/rom/Sega%20Dreamcast/

I'm using [Mortal Kombat Gold v1.006 (1999)(Midway)(NTSC)(US)[!][6S T-9701NGD] ]

Just tested this version and works good for me :) Hopefully it will also work for you. They also have a .001 version but that version doesn't work with VGA


Funny you should mention that. I just found that link and tried it right before you posted. Version 1.001 doesn't not work while version 1.006 does work. Do you know if these are Trurip? Just curious.

Thank you for all your help.

User avatar
Xiden
Developer
Posts: 2219

Re: [USB GDROM] Troubleshooting & Firmware updates

Post#239 » Sun Nov 17, 2019 2:59 pm

Cyberonix wrote:
Sorry mistyped the address, but they have both NTSC and PAL. I use mostly NTSC :) (By the way have you tried removing turning off region?) I have mine set to on but I noticed some games don't like having that on for some reason.

https://the-eye.eu/public/rom/Sega%20Dreamcast/

I'm using [Mortal Kombat Gold v1.006 (1999)(Midway)(NTSC)(US)[!][6S T-9701NGD] ]

Just tested this version and works good for me :) Hopefully it will also work for you. They also have a .001 version but that version doesn't work with VGA


Funny you should mention that. I just found that link and tried it right before you posted. Version 1.001 doesn't not work while version 1.006 does work. Do you know if these are Trurip? Just curious.

Thank you for all your help.


Awesome! Glad it works!
Not sure in those specific games what dump they used.

I'm wondering if you download code breakers and disc swap with 001 if that will fix that particular version

You can get code breakers from here if you are interested in trying
https://psopalace.sylverant.net/downloa ... mcast.html

Cyberonix
shadow
Posts: 7

Re: [USB GDROM] Troubleshooting & Firmware updates

Post#240 » Mon Nov 18, 2019 12:46 am

Awesome! Glad it works!
Not sure in those specific games what dump they used.

I'm wondering if you download code breakers and disc swap with 001 if that will fix that particular version

You can get code breakers from here if you are interested in trying
https://psopalace.sylverant.net/downloa ... mcast.html


That's an interesting thought. I've never used and sort of code breaker software before but I'll have to try it out when I have some time.

  • Similar Topics
    Replies
    Views
    Last post

Return to “Support”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users