R4 3DS Card Not Working. Causes and Solutions

Let's talk about something that a lot of people continually ask about. Can an R4 3DS card stop working? This has been something that people have been talking about since the days of the first R4 3DS. And the answer is yes, so if Your R4 3DS card is not working, don't despair, there is a solution.

It is true that with certain updates to the Nintendo DSi, Nintendo 3DS/3DS XL, or Nintendo 2DS, there is a chance that the new system update will somehow brick your card.

By blocked we only mean that the card will not be recognized as it was before the update. However, don't worry, here we will explain what you can do.

R4 3DS Card Not Working

Let's look at some problems you may encounter when trying to use your R4 3DS card.

1. R4 3DS card does not work for the first time

Si R4 3DS card not working, when you try it for the first time, you can try to solve it as follows:

1. Make sure you make the correct settings. the R4 3DS card.

• Download the R4 Kernel correct from the official website. It is printed on the card.
• Unzip the patch, you can get several files.
• Copy all files to the root directory of the TF card.
• Download some games and copy them to the root directory of the TF card.

2. Please check the connection between MicroSD card and R4 3DS card, if it is ok.
3. Make sure the R4 3DS card connects well with the Nintendo console.
4. If the above operation is useless, try the R4 card with another MicroSD card.
5. If it still doesn't work, try the R4 3DS card in another Nintendo console.
6. If the R4 3DS can't work on any console with any TF card, it must be damaged, you need to contact the seller for replacement.

2. The R4 3DS card worked for a few days, and then it got damaged

If you get the R4 3DS card, it worked fine before, but now it doesn't work, don't worry, try the steps below.

1. Go to the official website and check if there is any firmware update. Download the update patch and update the R4 3DS card to the latest version. In most cases, the problem is solved by this step.
2. There may be some corrupted files on the MicroSD card. Try forma tear the MicroSD card and reinstall the latest R4 Kernel. Some software issues can be fixed with this method.
3. The R4 3DS card may be dirty. If the Nintendo console cannot detect or find the R4 card, try cleaning it and try again.
4. There may be other problems, so you need to try the R4 3DS card on another console and another TF card.
5. If it still doesn't work, the R4 3DS card must be damaged. If it hasn't been too long, you can contact the seller to check if the exchange is possible.

3. “Bad Firmware” or “Outdated Firmware” or “System Date Error”

These messages occur because the Nintendo console date is set to a future date or the firmware on the micro SD memory card has expired due to age.

These errors can usually be remedied by simply correcting the date on the Nintendo console or changing the date on the Nintendo console back 6 months or a year.

To fix this, follow these steps.

• Check the date on your Nintendo console.
• Correct the date if it is incorrect and save it.
• Test the operating console with the R4 card.
• If this doesn't work, go back one year from the current date and save.
• Please try using the R4 card again.

If this doesn't work, you'll need to reinstall the latest firmware and you may also need to run a flash file.

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4. “An error has occurred, please hold the…” button

This usually indicates that the Nintendo console firmware does not match the firmware on the R4 card. This error usually occurs when a user has accepted Nintendo's offer for an online console firmware update.

The solution is to install The Kernel software provided by the R4 manufacturer to address Nintendo's latest firmware update. This may not be available for several days or even a week or two after Nintendo releases a firmware update.

You may also need to run an update file. Please note that due to software limitations, hardware, there is no guarantee that it will be possible to upgrade your R4 card.

5. Stuck on loading screen

This usually indicates that the micro SD memory card's software kernel has been corrupted. It can also happen if the micro SD memory card is overloaded with games, music and video files, etc.

The solution is to reinstall the Kernel software on the micro SD card and make sure that the micro SD memory card is not overloaded. Leave about 25% of memory free.

6. The menu icon appears on the screen after startup

This usually means that the software kernel has not been installed to the Micro SD memory card or the software kernel has become corrupted. The software kernel can become corrupted if the Nintendo console is turned off or loses power when a game is loaded or a sav file is created.

The solution is to install or reinstall the correct Kernel software and, when necessary, run any required updates.

7. R4 card freezes in one or more games

This error can occur when the power to the console is lost or the console is turned off when a sav file is being created. The solution is to connect the micro SD memory card to your PC or laptop and browse all the sav files.

If you find a sav file with no data, delete it. If this does not work, you will need to reinstall the software kernel.

8. Message saying “There is no card in the game slot”

Remove the memory card from the R4 card and reinsert it firmly. Place the R4 card into the console and try again. If this does not work, eject and insert the R4 card into the console several times to ensure the pins are connected.

If the R4 card still does not work, it is likely that the R4 card is damaged beyond repair. The most common cause of this is that an update file is accidentally started and then interrupted.

This most often occurs when the latest software is placed on the memory card and an update file is not run.

Kids sometimes find their way to the update screen, tap the home icon, and then cancel the update before it is finished. This is fatal for the R4 card.

Of course, there are other reasons for this. R4 cards that go into the washing machine, that are left out in the rain, that are thrown away, that are placed on top of, etc.

The good news is that they are not expensive to replace and the memory card can usually be reused.

What is R4 3DS Firmware

The Firmware or Kernel, as it is commonly called, is the file or files that allow the console to recognize the card when it is inserted. You can think of the Kernel as the storage manager. Boot.

In fact, one of the main reasons why many have trouble using their cards when they first receive them is because they have not yet installed or copied the firmware files to their micro SD card.

The R4 DS firmware This is what will install the menu and allow you to load all the games, apps and software you have on your R4. The firmware is free to download and use.

It is always recommended to use the latest firmware and perform regular updates. This helps prevent any issues with console updates that may temporarily fail to recognize the R4 3DS.

Download and Install the Correct Kernel

It is extremely important that the correct software is placed on the root of the micro SD memory card that is inserted into the R4 card. This software interfaces between your Nintendo console firmware and the R4 card, and basically makes the R4 card work.

The Kernel is usually downloaded from the manufacturer's website. Please note that the Kernel is different for R4i and R4i 3DS cards. Follow the steps below to successfully download.

• Place your micro SD memory card into the adapter USB supplied and connect it to your laptop or PC.
• Save the files you want to keep from your micro SD memory card to your PC or laptop.
• Format the memory card. You can use a standard formatter for this.
• Download the correct software kernel from the manufacturer's website.
• Unzip the files with a suitable program such as Win Zip or 7 Zip.
• Open the folder containing the unzipped files and copy the 4 files (Moonmemo, Moonshl2, R4iMenu and R4.dat) to the root of the memory card.
• At this point, place the memory card into your R4 card. Start your console and make sure the R4 card is working properly.
• You may need to run an update file at this point.

Once the software is integrated into the memory card, the R4 card is ready to be used. You can now add your own media files, such as games, music and movies.

It is recommended that games and other media are also copied to the root of the micro SD memory card and not placed in a separate folder.

It is also recommended that you frequently check the manufacturer's website for information and updates.

Updating an R4 Card

Update an R4 card means updating the firmware on the R4 card itself by running a file contained in the Kernel software.

This may occasionally need to be done after Nintendo releases a firmware update for its consoles and the firmware on an R4 card is incompatible with the new Nintendo console firmware.

The update is usually performed after the new Kernel software is placed in the root of the micro SD card. If you have allowed Nintendo to install a firmware update on your console, the firmware on your R4 card may no longer be compatible with your console's firmware.

This is usually characterized by an error message such as “An error has occurred, please press and hold the power button…”.

To update an R4 card, follow the steps below:

• Download the correct Kernel as we showed you above.
• Put the R4 card on a Nintendo console that has not been updated to the latest firmware. The console must be fully charged and plugged in. Losing power during an update will destroy the R4 card.
• Start the console as usual and when the usual screen with 3 icons appears, tap the icon on the right, sometimes labeled “Slot 2".
• You will be presented with a screen with 3 main options, Settings, Update, and Skin. Tap the “Update«.
• You will be taken to the update screen. If an update is available, a “Home”. If there is no update available, or the card has already been updated, or no update is required, then the “Home” icon will not be present.
• Tap the icon "Start" if present.
• Allow the update file to run. Do not interrupt the process after it has started running. Doing so will damage the card.
• When the file is complete, the message “Update complete, please restart your console«.
• Your card has now been updated and is ready to use in your console.

Please note, if you accept a firmware update offer from Nintendo while you are online with your console, you run the risk of your R4 card not working properly in your console afterwards.

If the R4 card manufacturer has released an update, this can usually be remedied. However, it can be very inconvenient for R4 card users.

Please note that there is no guarantee that the R4 card manufacturer will release an update, as sometimes it may not be possible due to hardware limitations.

There is usually a delay between Nintendo releasing a firmware update and the R4 manufacturer releasing an update fix.

3DS System Update

While the R4 can be temporarily bricked, it is not actually bricked from working again, it is simply not recognized by the DSI or 3DS system. This only happens with some updates that come out for the 3DS.

If you're using a DS or DS lite, this naturally won't even happen as those systems don't receive any updates.

How exactly does it get bricked then? It happens through the system updates we mentioned above. But it's not permanent. It only lasts until you install a new firmware update on your R4 3DS card.

And it can be completely avoided, if you follow the tips below:

1. Whenever a new system update is implemented for the 3DS, please do not accept it for the time being.
2. Next, check out the R4 official site, to find out about new versions of the firmware kernel. Most of the time, a new firmware for the R4 is quickly released whenever the 3DS receives a new software update… this usually happens on the same day or just a few days later.
3. Install the new firmware Kernel on your R4 once it is released.
4. Once you have the new firmware installed on your card, you can put it into your 3DS and boot it up, charge it, and use it as you normally would.
5. Now that you have loaded the new compatible firmware, you can go ahead and accept the 3DS update that you did not accept in step 1. Your card will work just as it did before a new 3DS system update.

So, you can prevent your R4 3DS card from being bricked and stopped working by updating the card's Kernel first, and then performing the console update. That's the main recommendation.

Si tu R4 3DS card does not work on Nintendo console, after the update, there may be several reasons:

• You performed an incorrect operation to install the Kernel and games.
• It is necessary to update the R4 3DS card for your console.
• R4 3DS flash memory card is damaged.
• Data on the Micro-SD card can become corrupted, although this can easily be fixed by reformatting it to FAT16 or FAT32.
• Your Micro-SD card may be dirty or dusty. This can be easily fixed by shaking it a bit.
• In rare circumstances a DS adapter may work in one DS but not in another. Then the failed adapter will display this message which means that the DS card and the DS are misaligned and cannot communicate with each other. That is, the metal contacts do not touch each other well enough. This only happens in less than 1% of cases.

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• Before loading any files onto a micro SD memory card, always format the memory card.
• Do not load media files such as games, music, movies, etc. onto the memory card inside a folder. Copy all files to the root of the micro SD card.
• Do not overload the micro SD memory card with games etc. Leave about 25% of the memory free for sav files etc. Overloading can cause errors, usually getting stuck on the loading screen.
• Make sure the date on your Nintendo console is not set to a future date.
• After loading the Kernel software onto the micro SD card, always run an update file where available.
• After running the update, the Home icon will not appear on the update screen, so the update cannot be run again accidentally.
• After running an update, if you want, you can disable the update feature by selecting “Configuration” and then selecting the “ iconUpdate on".

Please note that if you do not run an update file when it is available, your R4 card may not function properly. Also, if someone accidentally runs the file, and then is interrupted, the card will be damaged. You will know when this happens because the console will no longer recognize the card.