Swiss SDGecko can't read from Slot B

[retango]

Hi!
First of all thanks for Swiss, its amazing! Thanks!!!!!!
I'm using Swiss_r326 on a Gamecube with a Datel SD Media Launcher. I boot it up on slot B, and then I switch the SD card to one that has the game images. I select SD Gecko, change it to "Compatible" and try to load the card. 3 out of 4 times it fails to read the SD card, or it reads the SD card contents but then fails to load the .dol
However, if I switch the Datel Media Launcher to Slot A, it works flawlessly.. The problem is that for some games I need the memory card on slot A.
Any ideas on how I can solve this? I tried removing the Media Launcher completely from slot B and reinserting it (instead of only changing the card), but to no avail.. Any other ideas?
Thanks a lot!

[emu_kidid]

I was going to say you should only insert it after Swiss has booted. We need to fix this issue at some point, I just don't use SDML enough and when I do, pulling the whole SD adapter out and putting it back in helps.

[retango]

Hi! thanks for the prompt reply!
Below some information on symptoms, in case they help on pinning the problem..
I can load swiss from slot B always, never a problem (I use a 2GB SD card with swiss as autoexec.dol). After swiss boots, I tried 3 things:
a) Remove the boot card and put a compatible 32GB SD card (Patriot LX Series class 10) into slot B.
b) Remove the SDML and insert it again with the SD already in
c) Remove SDML and insert it again empty, and then put the SD card.

In all three cases, I select SD Gecko, in preferences (button X) I choose speed "compatible", and any of the following things can happen:
(1) The SD and games loads correctly (I would say 1 out of 5, and only with some of the cards I use for testing. for some cards of the same brand, it never loads correctly)
(2) It loads all the files, but not all the banners - some banners appear empty, always on the last files of the list. If some banners are missing, any file I choose the system says "Invalid or corrupt file". If I reload the same SD, without removing it, it can happen that it works and reads all the banners (1), or that it reads less banners and are again on (2). It seems random, but most of the times it does not work.
(3) The screen says "Reading SD in slot B" for about 20 secs, and then goes back to the device selection menu. On different trials, removing the card or the SDML, it can go to (1) or (2), or back to (3)
(4) It gets stuck in "reading filesystem in sdb\" or something similar, and then I have to turn the GC off and on.

In all the cases, if I remove the SDML and insert it in slot A, it loads correctly. I also tried booting from slot A and then moving to B, but its the same situation as above. And if it boots from slot A, slot A also works correctly. I tried swiss _r326, _r321 and _r296, with the same results..

So it looks like either there is some physical difference between the two slots, or there is something different in the programming.
Anyways, thanks again for swiss, it awesome!!

[capzlk]

that's odd, I haven't had any issues with swiss and sdml. ive hotswapped the cards (SD <-> SDHC) with swiss running like you described many times. I'm on the same build of swiss.

edit: i just tried and indeed when i switched from the default (fast) to compatible, something was definitely going on. I tried with slot A when it happened. but i just tried again in slot B a few times and now it's not happening for me anymore. Kind of odd..

[retango]

Hi capzlk! thanks for the post.. Lucky you, I kept trying but still can't make it work reliably on Slot B.. a couple of questions to see if I can make it work.. Is you N64 "modded" in any way, or original? Do you boot with the original Datel disc? Are you using 32Gb SDHC cards? Any particular formatting or FAT32? Thanks!

[moawkwrd]

I recently got the SDML and ActionReplay disc from Datel. Was having all sorts of problems, not loading SD cards, only working in one memory card slot, loading Swiss but not being able to read games off another SD card, etc.

Ordered a Wiikey from eBay for £3.50. All working fine now, from both slots.

Just ditch the SDML, it's junk. Get this: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/170715146110? ... EBIDX%3AIT or something similar.

I format all my cards FAT32 with 8kb clusters. Boot Swiss from a 2GB card, then switch to a 32GB SDHC card with my games on.

[retango]

thanks a lot moawkwrd! will a Wiikey work on the Gamecube? And I would keep booting from the Datel disc? that would be great.. The SDML is so unstable, but I could not find an alternative yet..

[moawkwrd]

Yep, I'm using that exact one on my Gamecube in slot B. I just leave the ActionReplay disc in all the time, boot to Swiss, swap the SD card and play my games.

[retango]

Thanks a lot! buying it right now!

[capzlk]

Hi capzlk! thanks for the post.. Lucky you, I kept trying but still can't make it work reliably on Slot B.. a couple of questions to see if I can make it work.. Is you N64 "modded" in any way, or original? Do you boot with the original Datel disc? Are you using 32Gb SDHC cards? Any particular formatting or FAT32? Thanks!

Stock, using SDML like you, but i've read about quality issues with the SDML adapter, and having received the WiiKey adapter a few weeks ago, it's definitely better quality hardware... despite being like €2 from ebay. It looks sexier too, with the whole original memory card look going on.
Please do report back if the different adapter helped

also: bro-tip, once it arrives, boot your sdml from slot A, and stick an autobooting swiss dol on there. then use the new adapter with a nice sdhc card from slot B. you can yank out the sdml once swiss is running and use slot A with a regular memory card. Works great for playing backups of my collection without the trouble of swapping discs ;]

[moawkwrd]

How do I make the swiss dol autobooting? I'm assuming this means I don't need to go into the folder and select it?

[emu_kidid]

Name it autoexec.dol, and stick it on the root of the SD card for SDML to pick it up and boot it.

[moawkwrd]

Oooh, excellent! Much more convenient. Many thanks!