subject: DS Flash Card Fixes for Nintendo DSi 1.4.1 Firmware [print this page] DS Flash Card Fixes for Nintendo DSi 1.4.1 Firmware
DS flash cards have been around since 2008, when the original R4 DS was released for the Nintendo DS and DS Lite consoles. Since then, a multitude of applications has swarmed over these cards in a race to see what fantastic uses can be had for them. Nintendo handheld consoles can now be used as MP3 players, video players, PDF readers, eBook readers and much more. Thanks to a growing homebrew population, there are also many programs now freely available for the DS that allow us to do many things traditional Nintendo games don't - and some that even let us (over a WiFi connection admittedly) use the Nintendo DS like a video phone!
However, the latest update, named 1.4.1U in the United States, 1.4.1E in Europe, and in certain areas of Asia 1.4.2, has rendered nearly all DS flash cards on the DSi and DSi XL consoles unable to function. Users are advised not to update their firmware on their DSi console unless they are completely sure that their card is verified to be compatible with the newest firmware. Nintendo claim that the newest update improves many of the Nintendo DSi's back-end functions but there has been no visible proof of this, which leads to the sad conclusion that the main purpose of this update was to block DS flash cards, which have served Nintendo's homebrew community well and are allowing the console to thrive.
Many manufacturers have now come out with fixes to the 1.4.1 firmware update problem, however. The first DS flash card to respond to the issue was the Acekard 2i, which has since patched its firmware to allow compatibility. The EZFlash Vi DS flash card was next to follow, claiming to be one of the few cards that the update did not affect and it seems that they were right. Finally, the M3i Zero has also released a fix for the 1.4.1 update, allowing it to continue operating as normal. Lately, as of late October, the iEDGE team have also stated they are working on a compatibility fix that will allow gamers and homebrew users to use their card with the DSi update, and that it should arrive within the next two to three weeks.
DS flash cards that are purchased from reputable vendors that stock genuine DS flash cards are likely to come pre-flashed and users would not need to flash their own cards (which can sometimes be dangerous). For this reason, do not end up with a fake card as these are unlikely to work with future Nintendo updates. Always purchase genuine cards from reputable online stores to ensure you are getting the real article.
