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Technical Support / F.A.Q.

Please search for your answer in our comprehensive F.A.Q. below. If you cannot find your answer after searching for it, feel free to get in touch with us via the Contact Us form. We aim to reply to all e-mails within one working day, two at the most.

1. Software/Download Questions

- 1.1 Why does my DS adapter not come with a software CD?
- 1.2 Where can I download the software for my DS adapter?
- 1.3 How do I play MP3s on my DS?
- 1.4 How do I watch videos on my DS?

2. Crash/Freeze Support and Troubleshooting

- 2.1 My R4v2 / R4 SDHC card says "Loading..." when I turn it on. What's going wrong?
- 2.2 My DSTT card says "Menu?" when I turn it on. What's going wrong?
- 2.3 My non-R4/DSTT adapter freezes on turn-on and is not loading into the main menu. What's happening?

3. 3DS and DSi Card Related Questions

- 3.1 Which of your cards works on my new Nintendo DSi / DSi XL / DSi LL / 3DS?
- 3.2 My DS Card is not automatically going into my list of games/applications on startup. Why is this?
- 3.3 My EZFlash Vi is not recognising the save game files from my previous DS card when I copied them over. What's going wrong?

4. Delivery / Policy / Misc. Questions

- 4.1 My tracking number comes out with "Accepted at..." at an address that isn't mine!
- 4.2 Why hasn't my package arrived yet? How long does it take?

1.1 Why does my DS adapter not come with a software CD?

Several DS adapters used to come with a software CD (the most prominent being the old box-style DSTTs and the R4v2s). However, due to software being continuously updated by the various teams that produce these adapters, software is now typically available for download over the internet instead. NDS-Gear gives free access to software for adapters sold on its website, from its Software download page.

1.2 Where can I download the software for my DS adapter?

You can download all the software for any DS adapter bought from NDS-Gear on our Software download page.

1.3 How do I play MP3s on my DS?

It is easy to play MP3s on your Nintendo DS. If you don't already have Moonshell (comes in package with some card's software, but not with others) you can simply drag-and-drop MP3s straight onto your Micro-SD card, and play them by choosing "Media" when you next boot up your DS and are at the main menu. Otherwise, please click here for the NDS-Gear guide to listening to MP3s on your DS.

1.4 How do I watch videos on my DS?

DS consoles only play a certain file format called .dpg. You must first convert the video you want to watch on your DS, to .dpg format. Please click here for the NDS-Gear guide to watching videos on your DS. You will need DPGTools to convert the video file to .dpg format (Download DPGTools here) and Moonshell on your Micro-SD card to view the video on your DS (Download Moonshell here).

2.1 My R4v2 / R4 SDHC card says "Loading..." when I turn it on. What's going wrong?

The R4 "Loading..." problem, which is normally a software problem

One of the most common questions we are asked about the R4 adapter, regardless of whether you are using the the R4v2 or the R4 SDHC, is the "Loading..." error. The majority of people assume that this is because their R4v2 / R4 SDHC adapter is broken, but this is usually not the case.

The most common problem is that the wrong software is installed on the R4 adapter. Visit our Software Download page to download the relevant software for your adapter.

Below are six easy steps that can be tried to immediately solve any "Loading..." screen problem.

1. Make sure you have downloaded the correct and latest software. For help with this, please visit our Downloads page here.
2. Make sure the software is position in the root directory - the 'base' or first directory of your Micro-SD card. What your Micro-SD card's files should look like, can be seen below.

    

   
   What Micro-SD cards should look like after correct software installation (This example: R4 SDHC).

    

3. Give your Micro-SD a good clean (a good blow or two, as the card contacts can be sensitive to dirt).
4. Make sure that the Micro-SD is not overloaded. The remainder of your Micro-SD card's memory is needed to keep your card running in tip top shape. As a guide, we recommend filling your Micro-SD card no more than 60% full. That means that for a 1GB card, we only recommend filling it 600MB full of games and applications / MP3s / etc. For a 2GB card, we recommend only filling it up to 1.2GB full, and so on.
5. Make sure the Micro-SD is pushed down completely into the DS Card (ensure good contact between Micro-SD card and adapter). In a very small minority of cases, the Micro-SD has to be pulled up a bit if the 'click' between the Micro-SD and the adapter causes them to misalign. We test every card before sending, however, and usually never have this problem.
6. Reformat your Micro SD to either FAT16 or FAT32 for optimal performance.
7. Use only Micro-SD / -SDHC 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 24 and 32GB. Untested for Micro-SD above 32GB and problems reported for 6GB micro SD. *(For R4v2, only use 2GB Micro-SD or below)

2.2 My DSTT card says "Menu?" when I turn it on. What's going wrong?

The DSTT "Menu?" problem, which is normally a software problem

One of the most common questions we are asked about the DSTT adapter is the "Menu?" error. The majority of people assume that this is because their DSTT adapter is broken, but this is usually not the case.

The most common problem is that the wrong software is installed on the DSTT adapter. Visit our Software Download page to download the relevant software for your adapter.

Below are six easy steps that can be tried to immediately solve any "Loading..." screen problem.

1. Make sure you have downloaded the correct and latest software. For help with this, please visit our Downloads page here.
2. Make sure the software is position in the root directory - the 'base' or first directory of your Micro-SD card. What your Micro-SD card's files should look like, can be seen below.

    

   
   What Micro-SD cards should look like after correct software installation on a DSTT card.

    

3. Give your Micro-SD a good clean (a good blow or two, as the card contacts can be sensitive to dirt).
4. Make sure that the Micro-SD is not overloaded. The remainder of your Micro-SD card's memory is needed to keep your card running in tip top shape. As a guide, we recommend filling your Micro-SD card no more than 60% full. That means that for a 1GB card, we only recommend filling it 600MB full of games and applications / MP3s / etc. For a 2GB card, we recommend only filling it up to 1.2GB full, and so on.
5. Make sure the Micro-SD is pushed down completely into the DS Card (ensure good contact between Micro-SD card and adapter). In a very small minority of cases, the Micro-SD has to be pulled up a bit if the 'click' between the Micro-SD and the adapter causes them to misalign. We test every card before sending, however, and usually never have this problem.
6. Reformat your Micro SD to either FAT16 or FAT32 for optimal performance.
7. Use only Micro-SD / -SDHC 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 24 and 32GB. Untested for Micro-SD above 32GB and problems reported for 6GB micro SD.

2.3 My non-R4/DSTT adapter freezes on turn-on and is not loading into the main menu. What's happening?

In almost all cases where an adapter fails to boot up in a DS, one of the below three problems is at fault:

• Wrong type of adapter for your DS console - not every card will work on every version of a Nintendo DS console. Please check our compatibility list here for a list of which cards work on which console. This problem is typically one associated with a non-DSi card being played on a Nintendo DSi.
• Wrong Micro-SD card size for your DS adapter - This is only an issue with the R4v2 adapter (the original) for sale on NDS-Gear. Note that the R4v2 will only accept up to 2GB Micro-SD cards, and therefore Micro-SD cards above this size will simply not work. There have also been problems reported with 6GB Micro-SDHC cards on DS adapters in general, but NDS-Gear does not sell 6GB Micro-SDHC cards so our customers should always be OK.
• Incorrect Software on your Micro-SD card - 99% of cases involve this. You need to go to our Software download page to download the correct software for your adapter. UNZIP the file (most problems involve forgetting to unzip the file!) and drag-and-drop all of the contents into your Micro-SD card base/root directory.

3.1 Which of your cards works on my new Nintendo 3DS / DSi?

NDS-Gear has a great reputation for sourcing only the most reliable and robust cards, which are ALL INDIVIDUALLY TESTED prior to sending to any of our customers. This is why we do not sell every card on the planet; we pick the best for our customers. This also helps us along the line because we get fewer e-mails about cards that are broken.

If you look on the left sidebar, there will be two sections of products: "3DS/DSi Cards" and "DS Lite/DS Cards". All the cards on the "3DS/DSi Cards" are compatible with the Nintendo 3DS / DSi console.

IMPORTANT NOTE: You should never update your DSi console: these cards are known to be compatible up to Nintendo DSi 1.4.3 and Nintendo 3DS 3.0.0.6 firmware (the latest released firmwares at time of last page update). If Nintendo releases a newer firmware, do NOT upgrade to this firmware unless you're 100% sure the card will be compatible.

3.2 My DS Card is not automatically going into my list of games/applications on startup. Why is this?

(Answer below based on EZFlash Vi card but can apply to any card that isn't the Acekard 2i / DSTT)

The EZFlash Vi card is a card released for use with the Nintendo DSi and 3DS, although it's also backwards compatible with the DS and DS Lite. It is slightly different from most other DS cards. The user must select "EZFlash Vi" or the equivalent game icon (if after 1.4 on a DSi) on the loading screen in order to progress into the applications/games menu.

The EZFlash Vi's first screen on a DSi console. The user must select the EZFlash Vi (or equivalent game) icon to continue, which is normal.

It is normal for the EZFlash Vi card not to automatically go into the application/game selection screen. Simply select the card or the equivalent game icon that appears when you begin using your card, and away you go just like any other card. Enjoy!

3.3 My EZFlash Vi is not recognising the save game files from my previous DS card when I copied them over. What's going wrong?

The EZFlash Vi card is specifically designed for the new Nintendo DSi (although it is backwards compatible with the DS and DS Lite). It uses a slightly different folder structure, however! Simply dragging-and-dropping all the old .NDS applications/games from your old card with their .SAV files will not work on the EZFlash Vi.

In order for your EZFlash Vi to read your old .SAV files, you must create a folder called SAVE (capital letters) and put your saved game files in there. After this is done, your old applications/games should be able to pick up your old .SAV files as normal.

4.1 My tracking number comes out with "Accepted at..." at an address that isn't mine!

Don't worry - this is entirely normal. The address you see is probably the post office at which your package was sent! "Accepted at" is the initial stage of delivery that's displayed on the USPS website.

If you are in the USA and it has been less than 7 working days (1 week + 2 days) since you ordered, please wait to see if your delivery will arrive, as USPS first class post can potentially take this long (although most mainland orders arrive in 3-4 days maximum).

Please note - non-U.S. customers will not necessarily get a tracking number. However, all U.S. orders will.

However, if this time has already passed then please get in touch with us via the Contact Us form on the website. Quote your order reference and your e-mail address, and we will get back to you promptly! :-)

4.2 Why hasn't my package arrived yet? How long does it take?

As per our delivery policy, we process all orders by the next working day at the latest, barring any exceptional circumstances or public holidays. Therefore, if you place an order, say, on Monday, it will be processed on Tuesday. If we are particularly quick on one day though, it's always possible we process faster! This depends on order volume though so we don't guarantee it for this reason. Updating of tracking numbers (for U.S. orders only) may take slightly longer, but rest assured packages are sent out promptly.

Please note - non-U.S. customers will not necessarily get a tracking number. However, all U.S. orders will.

Order delivery times are typically up to a week for mainland USA orders (or 7 working days for non-mainland USA) and up to three weeks for international orders. Please contact us using the Contact Form if you have placed an order and this time has elapsed; otherwise please wait until after this time has passed as delivery to different locations can often differ wildly depending on the destination country's postal service.