AngelikaMerkelDec 18

Turn ‘Em On: Modern Nintendo Cartridges May Have A Limited Lifespan

https://feddit.org/post/23150649

Turn ‘Em On: Modern Nintendo Cartridges May Have A Limited Lifespan - feddit.org

Lemmy

Show threadorcaDec 18
If you crack open the battery-driven memory carts, the battery itself is usually pretty easy to replace. Losing your game saves sucks though. I lost my Link save which was a kick to the nostalgia. That’s when you boot up the ROM save on your computer or Steam Deck like I do lol.
Show threadplantfanaticDec 18
You can replace the battery while the game is running to preserve the save. Need to have a few customized pieces though.
Show threadGlitchyDigiBunDec 18
That sounds sketch asf. Just dump the save file with a flasher. That RAM chip is writeable from the cart pins or it wouldn’t work as save data. Cheap flashers come in at ~$25. Dump, solder, reupload.
Show threadplantfanaticDec 18

Why? The battery is just a current, and while the gameboy is on, it’s supplying the current instead.

What you’re suggesting is far more work and steps, and any transfer can corrupt.

There’s no way this can go wrong unless you tune the power off or disconnect the cartridges pins from the mount.

Show threadmissingnoDec 18

How exactly are you going to get at the battery while the cartridge is inside the Game Boy, with the PCB facing inwards?

If you claim this is doable, let alone easy, I'd like to see a video of it.

Show threadplantfanaticDec 18
What…?
Show threadkindernacht
Don’t worry buddy. A coworker flipped out on me once for replacing a cmos battery while a machine was on. 🤷
Dec 19 at 2:33amWeb
Show threadTar_AlcaranDec 19
There’s a bit of difference doing it on a gameboy, and doing it in a running PC with spinning fans and such.
Show threadAshtearDec 19
If you know how to replace a CMOS battery, you know how to disable a fan. And even if you don’t, it’s not gonna bite your finger off 😂
Show threadTar_AlcaranDec 19
Fair point. I was more concerned about dropping it in, and then catapulting a small metal disc into some very expensive electronics.
Show threadplantfanaticDec 19
Lots of electronics instructions tell you to leave it on, so you don’t lose your data when removing the CMOS, no one reads documentation or want to educate themselves on how batteries and circuits work.
Show threadkindernachtDec 20
IIRC this was scheduled maintenance in documentation for some MBs. Literally “every x years replace the battery while machine is running to avoid data loss” or some such. I could just be crazy though.