M3i Zero 3DS - Nintendo 3DS 3.0.0-6E & DSi XL 1.4.3E Compatible

Important:

Please note that not every M3i Zero needs firmware fix!

Please follow the M3i Zero Driver Setup Guide to setup the card first. 

If you get the error message like this :

An error has occured. Press and hold the POWER Button to turn the system off. Please refer to the Nintendo DSi Operations Manual for details.

Please check the firmware version of your DSi or 3DS according to these two steps:

• Click SETTING (with the Tool Icon) on the main menu
• Check the right hand corner of the top screen which says VER 1.x.x

Then choose the correspondent firmware fix guide below to upgrade your M3i Zero to be compatible with your DS console. 

Content List:

1. DS Compatibility
2. Preparation
   • Hardware
   • Software
3. Installation
   1. Format a microSD /SDHC Memory Card
      • Using Windows XP/Vista/7 Format Tool
      • Using Panasonic Memory Card Format Program
      • Using Mac Memory Card Format Tool
   2. Firmware Fix
      • M3i Zero Firmware Fix for 3DS 3.0.0-5 & DSi / DSi XL 1.4.3 Via firmware USB
   3. M3i Zero Driver Setup Guide

DS Compatibility

The following consoles are supported: DS, DS Lite, DSi, DSi XL & 3DS.

For DSi & DSi XL, the supported firmware versions are: 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4,  1.4.1, 1.4.2 & 1.4.3

For 3DS, the supported firmware versions are: 1.0.0-0, 1.1.0-1, 2.0.0 - 2, 2.1.0-3, 2.2.0-4, 3.0.0-5 & 3.0.0-6

Preparation (Checklist Before Installation)

Hardware

1 x DS Lite / DSi/DSi XL/ 3DS
1 x M3i Zero Card (Slot-1)
1 x USB Micro SD memory card reader
1 x USB firmware writer
1 x Micro SD/SDHC Memory Card

Software (Please Click the Driver / Firmware Name for the Latest Download)

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Installation

Please upgrade the M3i Zero firmware first before installing the driver if you want to use the M3i Zero on the DSi with the latest compatible firmware.

• Format a microSD /SDHC Memory Card
  • Using Windows XP/Vista/7 Format Tool
  • Using Panasonic Memory Card Format Program
  • Using Mac Memory Card Format Tool
• Firmware Fix
  • M3i Zero Firmware Fix for 3DS 3.0.0-5 & DSi / DSi XL 1.4.3 Via firmware USB
• M3i Zero Driver Setup Guide

Format a Micro SD/SDHC Card

• Using Windows XP/Vista/7 Format Tool
• Using Panasonic Memory Card Format Program
• Using Mac Memory Card Format Tool

Using Windows XP/Vista/7 Format Tool

After inserting the microSD into the card reader, go to My Computer.
    b)  Right click the driver representing the microSD memory card.
    c)  Choose Format

d)  Click Start to format the memory card in FAT32

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Using Panasonic Memory Card Format Software

Note:
If your memory cards have capacity bigger than 32GB, please download the SD/SDHC/SDXC Memory Cards Format Software.
If your memory cards have capacity equal or smaller than 32GB, please download the SD/SDHC Memory Cards Format Software.

Detailed guide is available from the SD Association here. [http://www.sdcard.org/consumers/formatter/] 

1. Insert SD/SDHC Memory Card into reader/writer.
2. Click on [Start], point to [All Programs] -> [Panasonic] -> [SD Formatter VX.X], and click on [SD Formatter VX.X].
   1. “X.X” means the version number of SD Memory Card Formatting Software.
   2. If “User Account Control” window is displayed on the screen, please click on [Arrow].
3. The main window is displayed on the screen.
4. Select the target drive by drive list and check SD/SDHC Memory Card size.
5. Click on [Format].
6. After clicking on it, confirmation window is displayed on the screen. Here, if [OK] is clicked, this software executes the format operation. On the contrary, if [Cancel] is clicked, this software cancels the format operation and returns to the main window.
7. The following status window is displayed on the screen during the format operation.
   Note: [Cancel] on this window is available only if either “FULL (Erase ON)” or “FULL (Erase OFF)” is selected as format type option. If “QUICK” is selected as format type option, this button is not available.
8. After the format operation completion, click [OK] and remove the Memory Card from your PC.
9. Reinsert the memory card to the PC to start using the memory card.

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Using Mac Memory Card Format Tool

1. Plug your memory card reader into a USB port on your Mac. Insert the microSD / microSDHC card into the memory card reader's microSD / microSDHC slot, and the microSD / microSDHC card will mount on your Mac desktop.
2. In an open Finder window, single-click "Applications" in the Side-Bar and scroll down to find the Utilities folder. Find Disk Utility in the Utilities folder and double-click the "Disk Utility" application to launch it.
3. In the opened Disk Utility application, single-click to select the microSD / microSDHC card in the left-hand Drives column. Then, single-click to select the "Erase" button in the top row of radio buttons. Select the format MS-DOS (FAT) to format the microSD / microSDHC card on the "Volume Format" pop-up button.  When you have finished selecting the formatting options, click "Erase."
4. A new dialogue box will pop up in "Disk Utility," asking if you are sure you wish to erase the microSD / microSDHC card. Caution: Erasing the microSD / microSDHC card will permanently erase any files. Make sure you have backed up any file you wish to keep. To continue with the formatting process, click "Erase."
5. Once the microSD / microSDHC card has been erased, it will mount on your Mac desktop just as any other removable drive.

M3i Zero Firmware Fix for 3DS 3.0.0-5 & DSi / DSi XL 1.4.3 Via Firmware USB

Note:

• All machines are upgradeable even your machine has already been in firmware 3.0.0-5 or 1.4.3. And no need to find another bootable machine to perform the upgrading process. 
• Risk-free: flash card will not be damaged even the upgrading process is not successfully.
   

1. Unzip the firmware ( F_CORE_v3.0.5 ) and driver ( G6&M3DS-R_M74) downloaded (using Winrar) on your PC
   • Winrar can be downloaded from www.download.com by searching for Winrar at the Search.
   • Unzip the files mentioned under the Software Preparation above, you will have one folder and one file as follows.
     

     F_CORE_v3.0.5	G6&M3DS-R_M74
     F_CORE.DAT	SYSTEM

      

2. Select all the two unzipped files and copy them to the root of microSD / SDHC memory card after you have formatted the micro SD / SDHC card in FAT32.

   
    

3. Insert Micro SD/SDHC card into the M3i
    
    
4. Put the upgrade cable into the M3i. The shinny metal contact of the cable, i.e. the side with the ARROW on it, should face the BACK of the M3i.
   
    
5. Plug the USB port into your PC, or anything that has a port that will give it power
    
6. The M3i should blink for about 15~20 seconds. After it stops blinking, your M3i is flashed.
   

    

    

    

    

    Note:

   LED blinks - in progress
   LED lights off - no power or incomplete
   LED lights on - error (no "f_core.dat" or wrong file etc.)
    

7. If the LED light turns RED (without flashing), it means the update is unsuccessful. Please repeat the whole process from step 1 after you have checked the Possible Reasons For Upgrade Failure listed belowfollowing:
   • Put the upgrade file into sub directory, not the root directory, and the firmware writer can not detect the upgrade file. 
   • USB port can not provide a stable power, please change a stable USB port.
   • There are too many disk defragments in the MicroSD memory card, which needs to be formatted before upgrade. For memory card formatting, please refer to the guide under Format a MicroSD / SDHC card above.

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M3i Zero Driver Setup Guide

1. Unzip the file (G6&M3DS-R_M74)downloaded (using Winrar) on your PC
   1. Winrar can be downloaded from www.download.com by searching for Winrar at the Search.
   2. Unzip the files mentioned under the Software Preparation above, you will have ：
      
       
2. Select all the unzipped files and copy them to the microSD memory card
    

    

    

    

    

   

    

   

    

3. Copy your own files, including music, movies, pictures and other data to the Micro SD / SDHC memory card.
    
4. Plug in the Micro SD / SDHC to the M3i Zero. Insert the M3i Zero with the microSD into the slot 1 of the DS console. Turn on the DS console.
    
5. For DS & DS Lite, you will see the WARNING – HEALTH AND SAFETY message. Touch the touch screen or press button A to continue.
   
    
6. For DSi or DSi XL, you will see the following icon with the name ALEX RIDER STORMBREAKER THQ. Touch the icon or press button A to continue.
   
    
7. Wait for the M3i Zero to load.
   
    
8. Congratulation if you have come this far as you have successfully set up your M3i Zero. There you go. Enjoy your DS with the multimedia functions.
   

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