Table of Contents
Important: Read Before Flashing a Cartridge or Device
Dear friends, before proceeding with flashing a cartridge (or device), we strongly recommend that you read this information carefully.
Basic Safety Precautions
- Make sure your device is fully charged (100%).
- Keep it plugged in during the entire flashing process.
- Do not remove the cartridge while flashing.
- Do not turn off the console under any circumstances!
Even if you do everything right, a power outage or unexpected error can irreversibly brick your cartridge.
You are doing this at your own risk!
Personal Experience
I once had a cartridge in my collection — a GBA Movie Player (M3).
After flashing, it stopped working. The first few minutes were a panic — I thought I had completely destroyed it.
Luckily, I found a tool online (flashmp.nds) that reflashed and restored the cartridge. Without it, it would have been lost.
What to Do Before Flashing
- Find recovery tools in advance — before you start flashing. Not after something goes wrong.
- If you're unsure — ask yourself: is the risk really worth it?
- Consider buying a second (backup) cartridge to experiment with. If you kill it, it's not a tragedy.
Examples of Recovery Tools
- For GBA Movie Player, Supercard CF/SD:
GBA Movie Player Flasher v1.4by Rafael Vuijk (DarkFader) — file:flashmp.nds - For FlashAdvance PRO:
FAS1Flasher.nds, which writes Pogoshell firmware and revives the cartridge.
Conclusion
Modern cartridges like EZ Flash Omega may offer protection against failed updates (e.g., "System on chip level recovery mode"), but most older cartridges lack any such safeguard.
Think twice before flashing old hardware. If you decide to proceed — do it consciously and carefully.
Good luck, friends! And remember: The feeling of bricking a cartridge is priceless. For everything else, there's MasterCard and eBay.
