Binary is not compatible with Save

[flarewolf56]

hmmm correction i just downloaded the game from the cart i had already done so but i didnt know that the copy i had was the only copy i just got the new save this time after downloading the game so i have 1 question is it possible to edit and upload the save back into the cart?

 

thank you a lot for helping me understand this cart more but i dont know why if i change the game on the cart i cant get it to keep save files unless its pokemon emerald and i dont understand why that happens

[theSLAYER]

7 minutes ago, flarewolf56 said:

hmmm correction i just downloaded the game from the cart i had already done so but i didnt know that the copy i had was the only copy i just got the new save this time after downloading the game so i have 1 question is it possible to edit and upload the save back into the cart?

So when you sent me the save, it was from an old copy of the game yes?

Anyway, look at this filename real quick:


It says halfpatched.

I programmed it to say halfpatched if the save is only half the normal size of Pokemon saves.
PKHeX will only accept it if it's twice of that size.

So
1) use the halfpatched file in PKHeX and make whatever edits
2) shrink the edited save by half
3) write it back into the ROM where you found it (in this case, 0xFC0000 of the ROM)
4) Flash the edited ROM back to the cart.

[flarewolf56]

how would i write it back?? and ok also the program that comes with the gb operator is what im using to write the save back to the cart its also 2:09 am so im going to bed thank you for helping me if i have a issue ill respond tomarrow

[theSLAYER]

Just now, flarewolf56 said:

how would i write it back?? and ok also the program that comes with the gb operator is what im using to write the save back to the cart its also 2:09 am so im going to bed thank you for helping me if i have a issue ill respond tomarrow

Didn't you say you can change the games of the cart?
Isn't that writing ROMs into that cart?

So in theory, just use that function to write the edited ROM back to the cart?

[flarewolf56]

thats what im doing right now im uploading the save to the cart

 

sorry as ive said its late so im not thinking completely

[theSLAYER]

3 minutes ago, flarewolf56 said:

thats what im doing right now im uploading the save to the cart

 

sorry as ive said its late so im not thinking completely

No worries, late is late.

Note that you cannot directly inject the save into the save partition normally (the way to inject saves normally).

You HAVE TO inject into the ROM, then inject said edited ROM.

[flarewolf56]

so i do i inject the save into the rom? im just now reading this because ive been waiting this device is awesome but uploading a rom or a save takes forever its finally almost done at 2:37 am  im gonna cry lolz

[theSLAYER]

1 minute ago, flarewolf56 said:

so i do i inject the save into the rom? im just now reading this because ive been waiting this device is awesome but uploading a rom or a save takes forever its finally almost done at 2:37 am  im gonna cry lolz

Refer to what I said here.

32 minutes ago, theSLAYER said:

1) use the halfpatched file in PKHeX and make whatever edits
2) shrink the edited save by half
3) write it back into the ROM where you found it (in this case, 0xFC0000 of the ROM)
4) Flash the edited ROM back to the cart.

You gonna need to know hex editing (even if just little) to pull off steps 2 and 3.

[flarewolf56]

Ok so how do I go about doing this? It's been awhile since I last hex edited

[theSLAYER]

6 hours ago, flarewolf56 said:

Ok so how do I go about doing this? It's been awhile since I last hex edited

Download HxD (the hex editor I'll be referencing)
Open the HxD
Open the save in the HxD
Edit > Select Block > Select Hex, then Start-offset: 10000 End-offset: 1FFFF > OK. This should select half your save.
Now press Delete on your Keyboard. This removes the second half.
Now save.
It'll prompt you if you want to change file size, and if you want to proceed. Hit OK.
Keep this window open (not closed)


Now Open another window in HxD.
Make a copy of your ROM and keep it safe and unedited somewhere.
Load your ROM into HxD.
CTRL+G and Go to the address, yours being FC0000.
Now go back to your save window
CTRL+A and CTRL+C the data. (Select all and copy).
Now go back to the ROM window, your cursor should still be at the location.
CTRL+B (Paste Write). This overwrites the save in the same location on your ROM.
Now save your ROM in HxD. You should not get a prompt to change file size. If so, you did some steps wrong.

Now that the ROM is edited, write it back to your cart using the GB operator tool.

Make sure you read all the steps carefully. It is all at your own risk.
 

[flarewolf56]

thank you so much for helping me i will do this when i get the chance to sit down memorize and try it out and if i mess up the save ill just start over its no big deal but thank you so much for helping me with this issue.

 

but do you know how or why this cartridge will not keep save data for any other game except pokemon emerald? for example if i change the game on the cartridge to hamtaro ham ham heartbreak it will not keep the save data no matter what it only keeps save data for pokemon emerald

[theSLAYER]

2 hours ago, flarewolf56 said:

but do you know how or why this cartridge will not keep save data for any other game except pokemon emerald? for example if i change the game on the cartridge to hamtaro ham ham heartbreak it will not keep the save data no matter what it only keeps save data for pokemon emerald

No clue. Only specialize in Pokemon. This is a Pokemon forum, so I don't expect help in relation to that question.

[flarewolf56]

so the hex editor wont let me open 2 windows for the program like many other programs do

 

nvm the program uses tabs but calls them windows

 

so every time i save with the hex editor it saves the files as files not .gba files should i add .gba to the name to change it into a gba file or no?

 

nvm i got the cart to work with the edits this time thank you for all of your help :DDDDDDD!!!!

[flarewolf56]

so i now have a new problem it lets me keep my edited party and bag but the pokemon in the box are not there in game it may be because i did change the game to moemon emerald but idk

 

update so if i edit the pokemon in the party it shows them in game so its all good i can just move to them to the pc in game then use the party to edit pokemon if i need to thank you for all your help  after all these months i can finally edit this cart the way i want to

[theSLAYER]

32 minutes ago, flarewolf56 said:

so i now have a new problem it lets me keep my edited party and bag but the pokemon in the box are not there in game it may be because i did change the game to moemon emerald but idk

First off, the save is tied to the ROM, so don’t just random insert a different game.

next, that isn’t how writing stuff to save works. If the items and party is there, the latest box is there too. Check to make sure you didn’t make an error when writing to the box.

 

ngl this all sounds like a bunch of user errors. Lastly, stop multi posting. As in creating new replies when no one replied to you. You can edit the new info into your latest unanswered post.

[flarewolf56]

ok firstly i know how to use pkhex ive been using for a couple of years now secondly i edit the box and follow the steps to put the rom back onto the cart after using the hex editor and when i check the pc nothing is there but as i said its fine this is a patch that i applied to this game before i even commented on this forum but it doesnt really matter ive found out that this patch has caused problems for pk hex in the past i did not realize that until now aka pk hex will edit the save and show everything the user has put but in game the edits do not appear but its meh i can still edit my party and thats whats most important to me atm

[theSLAYER]

Wall of text, hard to read.

 

if the first half of the save is giving you issues, try using the second half instead.

[PucungBalak]

Hello. Im having the same problem. "Binary is not compatible with the save file". Ive already tried saving in game and exported the batPokemon Quetzal ROM .savtery save file, but still wont work. any ideas?

[Kaphotics]

5 hours ago, PucungBalak said:

Hello. Im having the same problem. "Binary is not compatible with the save file". Ive already tried saving in game and exported the batPokemon Quetzal ROM .savtery save file, but still wont work. any ideas?

PKHeX does not support ROM hacks.

[Koy]

@theSLAYER can you pleas help, I’ve been saving in-game ever since started playing on emulators and this is the first time this happened to me, I use mGBA 0.10.0 on my laptop. I hope you can check what’s the problem with my save file, and what should I do to avoid this problem this problem in the future? TIA.

Pokemon - Emerald Version (U).sav Pokemon - Emerald Version (U).sav

[theSLAYER]

4 hours ago, Koy said:

@theSLAYER can you pleas help, I’ve been saving in-game ever since started playing on emulators and this is the first time this happened to me, I use mGBA 0.10.0 on my laptop. I hope you can check what’s the problem with my save file, and what should I do to avoid this problem this problem in the future? TIA.

Pokemon - Emerald Version (U).sav 128.02 kB · 0 downloads Pokemon - Emerald Version (U).sav 128.02 kB · 0 downloads

Could be a matter of settings, or an issue with the emulator as a whole,
one extra line of hex is embedded in the data you sent. Removing it allows it to be read with PKHeX.

As to how to not have to deal with this in the future.
1. Check which settings you've enabled, and
2. if it's not settings, just use a different emu. I never had to deal with this problem with VBA.

[TNT]

@theSLAYER, OK, I have read through this thread and have finally determined my issue (the issue of this post) is that my copy of PKMN Ruby is a repro cart. I DLed the software you linked (HxD) and used it on the ROM. Sure enough, the halfpatched save works fine in PKHex.

Great! So I can make my edits, but now I need to write it back. I have zero experience with hex editing. How do I know which memory location to begin my write? For reference, you were able to tell flarewolf the exact location (FC0000), but I tried that location, and my edits did not appear in game, so I am guessing that location was specific to his/her game.

--- EDIT ---
So, I was showing this to my friend and actually paid attention to the filename. I am guessing that the memory location referenced in the filename is the spot where I am supposed to inject the SAV.

Mine is not overwriting, but I believe that is either because I am not following the directions properly or because of the tool I am using to do this. Either way, I am past the issue this post is about. I appreciate the detailed instructions throughout. It really helped me to figure this out on my end.

Edited October 24, 2022 by TNT
Realized I had found the answer to my question.

[BlackShark]

@theSLAYER @Koy

Since version 0.10.0 mGBA now appends RTC data to GBA save files, like most emulators already do for GB/C saves.

12 hours ago, Koy said:

what should I do to avoid this problem this problem in the future?

Use the dev build of PKHeX until the next stable release: https://projectpokemon.org/home/files/file/2445-pkhex-development-build/?changelog=6372

 

[theSLAYER]

17 hours ago, TNT said:

@theSLAYER, OK, I have read through this thread and have finally determined my issue (the issue of this post) is that my copy of PKMN Ruby is a repro cart. I DLed the software you linked (HxD) and used it on the ROM. Sure enough, the halfpatched save works fine in PKHex.

Great! So I can make my edits, but now I need to write it back. I have zero experience with hex editing. How do I know which memory location to begin my write? For reference, you were able to tell flarewolf the exact location (FC0000), but I tried that location, and my edits did not appear in game, so I am guessing that location was specific to his/her game.

--- EDIT ---
So, I was showing this to my friend and actually paid attention to the filename. I am guessing that the memory location referenced in the filename is the spot where I am supposed to inject the SAV.

Mine is not overwriting, but I believe that is either because I am not following the directions properly or because of the tool I am using to do this. Either way, I am past the issue this post is about. I appreciate the detailed instructions throughout. It really helped me to figure this out on my end.

You shouldn’t try to overwrite the save into a repro cart, mostly because you can’t write a modified ROM back into the game. I think there’s only 1 or 2 hardware can do it 

[AuroraRoseTOG]

Hey. I was trying out PkHeX on my Pokemon Emerald Kaizo save. I play on a FlashCart(EzFlash Omega), and I have gotten my starter, opened the PC, and saved twice via the in-game menu. When I try to load it into PkHex it says "Binary is not compatible with save file. Current SAV Generation: 3

 

Pokemon Emerald Kaizo.sav