Spooky HGSS saves with weird contents when dumped

[Bugg6]

Describe the bug My HG cartridge isn't showing up when I open PKSM. Information about your environment

• OS version: 11.9.0-42U
• PKSM version: 6.0.0
• Entrypoint: CFW

[FM1337]

Did you try exiting PKSM, taking your cartridge out, reinserting it, and then starting PKSM again?

Also are you using the latest version 6.0.1?

[Bugg6]

I did try that, still didn't work. Ill try updating to 6.0.1, I'm using 6.0.0 right now

[FM1337]

If updating to 6.0.1 doesn't work, could you please run JEDECheck? https://github.com/FlagBrew/JEDECheck

[Bugg6]

Updated, still didn't work.

JEDECheck version 1.0.0

[ INFO] Card title: POKEMON HG [ INFO] Game code: IPKE

[ INFO] JEDEC ID already documented :( [ INFO] Infrared: 1 [ INFO] JEDEC ID: 0x208013 [ INFO] CardType: FLASH 512KB INFRARED

[FM1337]

Stupid question but: does your cart have a save on it?

[Bugg6]

Heh, yea I have a save on it.

[FM1337]

mind uploading the save? I'm curious to see what's going on with it.

[Bugg6]

Certainly

POKEMON HG.zip

[FM1337]

When I load that save, it appears there isn't a saved game.

[FM1337]

If PKSM can't detect a save file on the cartridge it will not display it, I checked in pkhex as well which is also reporting that save as invalid, and the game registers as there being no save file when it's injected into the cartridge.

[Bugg6]

Strange. Yea I couldn't get it to open in pkhex either, but I can play the game and save it. I guess it's not exporting the save correctly, maybe the cart is a bootleg? Quite possible.

[SpiredMoth]

Looking at the save in a hex editor I'm seeing a bunch of random strings like "Steel Diver: Sub Wars", "Nintendo" and "POKEMON HG", and not in locations that correspond to strings in a normal HG save

[Bugg6]

I'm not sure how to remedy that.

[Masamune3210]

It sounds almost like somehow parts of ram got stuck in the save file, how did you dump it?

[Bugg6]

Like how did I get the save? Using checkpoint. This was my first try with all of this, but everything else seems to be working so I don't think I messed up any installs but who knows. I just tried using JKSM and TWL and those two don't even recognize the cart either.

[FM1337]

What version of checkpoint?

On Sun, Jan 6, 2019, 10:35 AM AJ Renna notifications@github.com wrote:

Like how did I get the save? Using checkpoint. This was my first try with all of this, but everything else seems to be working so I don't think I messed up any installs but who knows. I just tried using JKSM and TWL and those two don't even recognize the cart either.

— You are receiving this because you commented. Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub https://github.com/FlagBrew/PKSM/issues/870#issuecomment-451746231, or mute the thread https://github.com/notifications/unsubscribe-auth/AFMiHI8V0i5B1NErp6xtiIRJxYWJOBqXks5vAgmXgaJpZM4ZyObD .

[Bugg6]

The latest release.

[FM1337]

Are you certain the save file works in game? Also did you use a method to run PKSM in the past to modify that save file, a method like the steel diver sub wars exploit?

On Sun, Jan 6, 2019, 10:42 AM AJ Renna notifications@github.com wrote:

The latest release.

— You are receiving this because you commented. Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub https://github.com/FlagBrew/PKSM/issues/870#issuecomment-451746733, or mute the thread https://github.com/notifications/unsubscribe-auth/AFMiHFyaoHy0efb3bvG3l2TXi3dqcbk2ks5vAgs_gaJpZM4ZyObD .

[Bugg6]

Interesting. So this HG save works on my 3ds that's not running anything special. Does NOT work on my 3ds that has checkpoint and PKSM on it. I did use the the steel diver exploit when setting everything up.

[BernardoGiordano]

Are you sure you're on Cfw?

[Bugg6]

Fairly certain. I don't think I;d be able to run checkpoint if i wasn't? I successfully used it to get a save from Y, which PKSM also detects.

[SpiredMoth]

It's baffling that this save works at all since:

1. more than 3/4 is blank
2. the part that isn't blank seems to hold data that would be nonsensical compared to documented contents for HGSS saves

[Bugg6]

I'm guessing the save that's being backed up is not actually the save from the cart? It doesn't run on the system using cfw, but runs fine on a different 3DS.

[Masamune3210]

Are you using Checkpoint as a CIA, not sure if there is a hb version or not. But considering that multiple strings from ram are in the save I'm willing to bet that something is wrong with how the save is being dumped or the exploit used

[Bugg6]

Yea using Checkpoint as a CIA.

[Masamune3210]

Maybe use GodMode9 or JKSV to dump the save and see if that changes anything

[Bugg6]

JKSM doesn't recognize it either =/ Can you extract saves with GM9?

[trainboy2019]

Don't think so. Have you tried TWLSaveTool?

[Masamune3210]

My mistake, was thinking of dumping the rom of a cart. I'm starting to bet on the cart being either fake or faulty

[BernardoGiordano]

When checking with TWLSaveTool, post a picture of how the screen looks like when you open it

[trainboy2019]

That's kinda what I'm thinking

[Masamune3210]

For reference, this is what my HeartGold cart looks like in TWLSaveTool

[BernardoGiordano]

Each of us knows that we expect to see something different from OP's card. Your card doesn't matter if it works fine

[Bugg6]

TWLSaveTool freezes when I open it.

If I pop the cart out while TWL is still open,

Backing up doesn't work either while the cart is in. It's probably a fake. Not sure there is anything to do about it.

[FM1337]

Where and when did you purchase your heart gold cartridge?

[Bugg6]

Probably a year or two ago at a flea market that had a used games stall, honestly didn't even know fakes were a thing till recently.

[Masamune3210]

Almost definitely a fake unfortunately

[Bugg6]

Shucks =/ Ah well. I appreciate everyone's replies and troubleshooting!

[piepie62]

Reopening this because we found another one. Save file in question attached. POKEMON_SS.zip

[piepie62]

@mlgmonster2004 That's not a spooky save

[GriffinG1]

Those of you with this issue, if you have a dsi please let me know. I have a theory about this but need to see if it holds true

Edit: because @piepie62 is nerd, clarification:

Since dumping the save on 3ds is dumping 3ds data, I want to see if the same holds through on dsi. If so, it can probably be fixed.... hopefully. You can hack your dsi here. Please send a save dumped using twlsavetool on dsi if you can.

[piepie62]

After consulting with WinterMute and my own tests, I'm nearly certain that these carts are fake ones that internally use whatever process flashcarts do. My own flashcart, when dumped, results in a very similar save to these. As such, this is not fixable

[garciatim98]

Hello, I have a real SS cart from the launch back in 2009. I have the literal exact same problem with my sav file having random text throughout and 3/4ths of it being blank, TWL also freezes and unfreezes for me in the exact same way as this guy. Only difference being that when I try to play normally, my cart has the blue screen that says "The save data cannot be accessed". My goal is to find some way any way to read whats on my sav file and salvage some of my pokemon. I transferred all my pokemon through the games and now they are lost on this corrupted save. Any help would be greatly appreciated, thanks!

[Masamune3210]

I almost guarantee that the "real" cart isn't actually real. The pulling random things from RAM is kind of a dead giveaway

[garciatim98]

Only reason I am certain it is not fake is beacuse I bought it in 2009 in a sealed box with the pokewalker as well and it all worked fine for a bit. Any ideas on what can be done? Even if I could get details of one single pokemon on that save I would count it as worth it.

[piepie62]

Whether or not it is actually real or not, that doesn't especially matter if the cartridge can't read its own save. The save data is corrupted, and with that information I'd be willing to bet that it's not going to be recoverable at all. Even if it is theoretically recoverable, it's not possible to parse that information if we can't get it using very similar methods to those that are used by official software (I'm mainly thinking of Dream Radar). I have no ideas as to how to fix this problem even if it is an original cartridge.

[piepie62]

If you were able to provide an example of some software that can read it (in 3DS mode) I could take a look at any differences but as far as I know every piece of software chokes on these cartridges; the SPI read/write stuff all stems from pretty much the same source