Game won't load
A game that hangs on a white or black screen is almost always a software or card issue, not a damaged console. Resist reformatting or deleting files in a panic until you have isolated the cause, or you may lose saves needlessly.
Game Will Not Load
The cart menu appears, you pick a game, and it freezes or returns to the menu. This points to file, firmware, or compatibility problems rather than the slot itself. Work through these phases.
- Confirm the file. Re-copy the .nds file to the card. A bad or incomplete transfer is a frequent cause of hangs.
- Check the card health. Use a known-good, genuine microSD card formatted FAT32. Slow or counterfeit cards cause loading failures and corruption.
- Update the loader. Install the latest flashcart firmware or nds-bootstrap build, since newer versions fix many compatibility issues.
- Adjust boot mode. If your loader offers direct boot versus a more compatible mode, switch modes; many stubborn games boot in only one.
- Test another game. If one title fails but others load, the problem is that file or its compatibility. If everything fails, revisit the card and firmware.
Save-Type Side Effects
Occasionally a game boots but crashes when it first tries to save, which is a save-type mismatch rather than a loading fault. See the Save Types page if a game starts but dies at the save screen.