Menu Close
Print Friendly, PDF & Email

Last Updated: 5th March 2021

GDEmu Firmware Update

GDEMU devices are sold fully functional and tested, but the firmware (internal operating software) can be updated by placing a special file on the SD card should a need arise.

Important Information

IMPORTANT: DO NOT reflash your device at the very first sign of trouble. In 99.99% of cases, the problem is something you did (or didn’t do) and not a FW bug. You can use GDMENU software to check your current FW version. In general, the devices are sold with the lastest one.

IMPORTANT: Devices shipped before 2020 and running on FW older than 5.20.0 require a special update to be applied first. Read the errata page for more details.

Update Process

Overview

The gist of the update process is this:

  1. Flash the updater FW following the usual instructions on this page.
  2. Remove the card and power the Dreamcast once, without any card inserted, to let the updater do its work. Wait for the BIOS menu to appear.
  3. Power off and then insert the 5.20+ FW to flash that, again follow the instructions.

Update Procedure

For the procedure to work properly you must closely follow these instructions:

  • Extract the firmware file and rename it to “GDEMU.fw”
  • Place the file in the root folder of the SD card
  • Move the write-protect tab at the side of the card to “Lock” position
  • Insert the card into GDEMU socket while Dreamcast is powered off
  • Power on the console, status LED will start blinking rapidly
  • Wait until the LED blinking pattern changes to 1/2 second on, 1/2 second off
  • Power off Dreamcast, remove the card, unlock the tab
  • Remove the file from the card to avoid accidental update

IMPORTANT: If at any time during firmware update status LED stays completely on or off, or blinks in an unexpected pattern, it means an error has occurred. Retry the procedure, use a different card if the problem persists.

Download

Source

GDEmu