Good progress on consistent, successful N64 dumps w/GameShark

So, I have been playing around with the dumping N64 cartridges with a GameShark method, and have recently had a lot of luck. I've been able to dump three cartridges in a row, with no failures (including Diddy Kong Racing, which requires a keycode to be turned on first).

I'm using an HP laptop from 2003/4 with a builtin parallel port, parallel port cable with gender changer, GameShark Pro 3.2, and Windows XP SP3. I'm using Game Software Code Creator 1.10.101. I've disabled a considerable number of items on my machine, including the network connections and a bunch of services.

What I think made the difference between mostly failures during dumping, and consistent successes, is setting gscc.exe to Realtime priority, and then not touching anything on the laptop until the dumping is finished.

Still working on getting a dump through a non-builtin parallel port.

 

Yeah, what you're describing effectively eliminates the chances of a timeout. Nothing else has a chance to run ;*)

Outside of it taking much longer than a dedicated backup device, using a GS for dumping ROMs works rather well. Pretty much my whole collection was done via GS.
The GS itself is rather versatile, especially with a direct PC connection.

 

Very cool to know What is the difference between the GS with the port on the back and the GS without a port? I ask because I have a 3.2, but there isn't a port on it so I am wondering what the difference is.

 

Not a whole lot. They got cheap at the end of the GS lifecycle and stopped putting ports and LEDs in them. That mostly just means you can't use the port, including the myriad of nifty features that opens up.

There should be instructions on the board on how to solder these back on.

 

Oh ok. Thanks for clarifying

 

So, I've been able to get a non-native parallel port device detected by gscc: a PCMCIA parallel port card made by StarTech. As far as I can determine, you set the compatibility mode of gscc to Windows 98 or lower, and then do "Auto-detect". It should find your card then. Mine shows up as a PC Comms type (instead of GS 3.XX), and port 300.

Unfortunately, there's nothing else you can do after the card has been detected- the RAM Edit screen hangs while loading (CPU usage is pegged at 97%+, and the "Please wait a few seconds for this to load" text just sits there), and the Code List window finds nothing on your device, and acts like there is no device connected.

I've ordered another PCMCIA parallel port card in hopes this one will be picked up as a regular parallel port in gscc, and able to do all of the functions of a built-in parallel port.

If you've got any suggestions or tips, please tell me.

 

Generally, PCMCIA cards do not work with any copying type of device. You need a native LPT port.