I know I'm late to the party, but I just finally got time to setup my pi 4 n NESPI case(yeah right after the pi 5 came out) but I'm just now back to healthy(if you remember me, if not it's ok) Anyways I really appreciate this video, as it helped me build an emu system for my wife that can use her nes controllers w/ USB teensy and she never has to blow cartridges or hook up the SNES or Genesis now, this video really helped me! Unrelated, but if you remember me, I also found someone to pay forward part of a debt I owe this channel, by buying a psychical book, as you can't enjoy it as an ebook or being read aloud, as each copy is supposed to be made personal by the owner and what they learn from the book, the clues, translations and just so much... the book being *house of leaves* to some under 1k TH-camr who, well just makes quality content despite channel size... still have to do something else for someone random on Internet needing my help as I feel I haven't done enough yet, as IRL I jump cars, lend phone, and help anyone I can with my new lease on life, partially thanks to this awesome channel) But just posting a thanks for the video and help in my life when recovering from hospital, that v90 is amazing, and everyday is used n reminds me good people do exist, they just don't broadcast it... makes me hopeful for the future Atm tho thanks for this video it made me n my wife's weekend, able to emulate all the games we own on a newer TV, as having everything on the SSD was giving me so much trouble till I just watched this... thanks for just doing what you do n being who you are Wagner!
Hi Jayk, of course I remember you! So happy to hear that you are back to good health! We all have times in our lives when things aren't going as we hoped and sometimes we have to help each other out. Even the small things. I'm happy the V90 helped a little by making your recovery a little more pleasant. Remember, you never owe me/this channel anything. I give when it makes sense and when I can positively impact someone else. It makes me happy to hear great news like yours, you're back in good health and now you and your wife are enjoying special time together. That is all I ever wanted for you! Thank you for your comment, it makes me happy to hear. Never forgot about you, often wondered how you were doing but don't want to impose by asking. I'm also happy that this NESPi case has brought you both additional enjoyment! Please keep in touch, and that's great news about the book! I remember when I was struggling to reach 1k subscribers, it's a long hard road but it is what you make it.
@@WagnersTechTalk you're right, I don't owe this channel anything, I should have phrased it better, that this channel put a spark in me about helping those on the Internet, is actually worthy, and sometimes does more for someone than if it was a close friend I helped, so this channel put that spark in me, so yes, while I owe the channel nothing, I like to think of it as part of my spiritual...err maybe constitutional development, as that v90 really helped when I couldn't get out of bed, and even helped me get my coordination back faster(or so the doctor had mentioned is probable, that me always playing something when I had nothing to do, helped me get my coordination with my hands and fingers back to normal faster than he said he'd have imagined) Also I should have updated you on how I am sooner, just I've been living life, and haven't had much TH-cam time, or even social media time, as I'm trying to make new memories for the ones that *might* be gone forever (it's weird hearing a story about yourself that you don't remember, and then have to explain to someone why you don't) Though my wife watching me play the v90, is what got her into the "those small computers you play around with, can they do old games?" And I immediately got a pi 4, set it up, and then saw this case recently and got it because my wife loved the idea of having a mini Nintendo to play our old games on, that we didn't need to switch systems or use old TV's/or live with bad quality out of a 4k, and now we have to just hit power, put the controllers we wanna use in, and we're making new memories, be it playing games, or streaming movies from my NAS server, she loves it, and the case made her even use sharpies to make it look like the NES she had since a kid that we put in storage... I'll try and chime in more to let you know how I'm doing, when I do have time for TH-cam, as this is one of my go-to channels for well anything... even stuff I didn't know I'd wanna watch a video on, you're keeping the videos too tier And also the channel/person I sent the book to, actually made his channel to, encourage dialogue between him and people who've had unique experiences and perspectives, and obviously I've had some of those, and when he hadn't read house of leaves, I had to send it to him, as it's a deep book, with so many layers... But anyway just saying hi again, and catching up a bit, I'll try to whenever I am on TH-cam, or maybe send an email here n there, as that small act on your part, not only helped me in boredom, but probably in my dexterity recovery, and even got my wife to wishing we could do that on our TV, without having to fish out the nes/snes/genesis/etc, as while she has a switch, they don't yet have all her games up, and also there's something to be said about using your old original controllers from when you were a kid to play a game some 30 odd years later As for now, we're celebrating our anniversary today, which is why I was finishing up the NesPi case so early? Late? IDK, but she was happy about it, despite being called into work which she'll be home from soon I'll keep you updated more often when I can, which still surprises my doctors how fast I've recovered... they never wanted to say they'd thought at best it'd be over a 18months till I'd be at where I am, but they're happy to tell me it the past 4-6 months as they consider me fully recovered, in less than a year... I hope you're doing well yourself, and sorry I don't have time today to talk slot, and didn't think to send an email... But then again maybe someone else will see these comments and feel a bit inspired, or hopeful in their situation Untill we exchange words again, may you always be content in life, those you love be well, and may you never lose that spirit, that personality that had you help some random person on the Internet, because it really helped more than you'll ever know, even remembering me means a lot But for now I'll stop, as I've a date with my wife Thanks again for being you, and having such a great channel with a great community!
After days and days of trying to load from SSD, i kept getting drive errors. This is the only video that recommended updating the firmware on the sata controller. Thank you so much, this is what fixed my error.
*Important Note - Both RetroPie and PiOS work fine with this case without issue. Scraping, SMB access, Browsing, etc. are all fine. However, I am experiencing issues with the NESPi 4 case + Recalbox. The issue is that once an SSD is installed, the WiFi connectivity ceases to function. I do not think it is a shielding issue with the case, I added additional shielding to my case to see if that resolved the problem - it did not. My recommendation is if you plan on using this case exclusively with Recalbox+SSD, you may want to hold off until a solution is found. I will update statement once a solution is identified. If you are aware of one, please comment and let me know.
Don't worry! I was able to figure out how to get wi-fi working on either Batocera or Recalbox WITHOUT adding any additional shielding to my NESPi 4 case! 1. Open up batocera.conf (for Batocera) or recalbox.conf (for Recalbox) in the userdata/system folder (found in the share partition) using whatever text editor you use (make sure you have administrator privileges to make the necessary changes). 2. With the file open, search for system.timezone. When you find it, uncomment the option (delete the # sign in front of system.timezone) and enter the correct timezone for your location. Here are some examples: system.timezone=America/Fort_Wayne system.timezone=Australia/Melbourne system.timezone=Pacific/Honolulu NOTE: You can find a complete list of all the time zones at the following link: pastebin.com/RZ5feyHS 2-1. If you are using Recalbox, make sure to search for wifi.region and change it to your corresponding country you live in. Examples: wifi.region=US wifi.region=AQ wifi.region=GB To find out what your two latter country code is, follow this link: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_ISO_3166_country_codes 3. Save the file and close the text editor. Depending on how you edited the file, if you connected to your device through a program like PuTTY to make the changes, reboot the device; if you connected your microSD/SSD externally to your computer, plug the card/drive back into your device and boot it up. 4. Press Start to open up the menu. Select Network Settings, then turn on Enable WiFi. When you finish entering your SSID and key, go Back to the main menu and select Network Settings again. If you did it correctly, your IP Address will be displayed and Internet Status as Connected. If not, restart your device again to save the changes. CONGRATULATIONS! You now have Wi-Fi!!!
@@WagnersTechTalk I used my current image from my other pi4 and wrote it to the Ssd , did the firmware update , and tried to boot from ssd , but all I get is a black screen. Not sure if I had to wait longer. But I put my original micro sd card in and that worked fine. Any thoughts?
@@therexershow Hi Rex, you may have an older Pi OS firmware. Assuming you have a backup already boot from the microSD and from the terminal (if in RetroPie, press F4 on a keyboard) try: sudo apt update sudo apt full-upgrade sudo reboot Press F4 again, update the Pi firmware with: sudo rpi-update Remove the microSD card and see if it boots off the SSD at this point.
@@WagnersTechTalk I’ll try it. I’m not using an official Retropie image. I’m using Supreme and Monkapie builds. That could be it too. Not really sure. Worst case is i use the official build and then copy my folders over. Thanks.
@@WagnersTechTalk Havibg the same issue...would I need to copy the updated image from the SD card to the SSD? Or will it boot on a stock Retropie from the SSD?
Definitely happy to do it! Thank you for your hard work designing the shell, I know how much time must have gone into getting it just right - it's PERFECT!
This product still impresses me every time I see it. Man all you need now is some gold filament/paint to make an enclosure have that extra sought after prize cartridges of old.
Thanks Tommy, I probably should order some of the gold, love the look! Maybe something like this: amzn.to/3j8usX6 . Purchased another SSD to use for an upcoming video. I printed a 2nd shell yesterday and ordered some new full-sheet label stock, it's going to make things really nice to be able to easily swap different OSs on cartridge.
New to the Pi stuff and glad I found this channel, old games are a hobby of mine and getting this case to boot from an SSD seems like an amazing way to have a portable system that will initially have my wallet cry with the hardware, but turn into an amazing investment.
Retroflag makes some great products. Love my SNES case and the snes controllers. Seems all the reviews on their cases and controllers are highly recommended.
Thank you Dude! It is a pretty awesome case, IMO. Just received another SSD for an upcoming project to test. Being able to easily swap out OSs makes it very nice.
Thanks so much for the help on this one! I spent 2 days trying to get this to work with their boot code but really didn't understand how to do it. Everything works great now!
Man, I just appreciate your channel so much! Every time I have a pi 4 question it seems like your channel is one of the first to come up. Your solutions are always so clear and helpful! Do you notice that in Raspberry Pi OS as of late that the audio for TH-cam and video playback is terrible or is it just something I have done? Thanks again for your amazing channel!
I really appreciate your kind words Jason, thank you! I'm so happy I've been able to help in some small way. I use TwisterOS (based on PiOS) more than PiOS itself. But, I do use both and haven't noticed any reduced playback on TH-cam from prior releases. It's never been perfect, there will be dropped frames. When playing a video, you should see very good performance if you set the TH-cam video settings to 720p (maybe a few dropped frames), 1080p (more dropped frames than 720p) and 4k will see even more. This will improve in-time and with future updates. Hope this helps a little.
Thanks Wagner! Really looking forward to the Recalbox install video for the Retroflag NESPi 4 case. Had some weird issues and I'd love to see how it's done by a pro. Thanks so much!
@@WagnersTechTalk Can't wait thanks so much! (in case you need to address potential pain points. I couldn't get the shutdown command to take and the wifi doesn't want to connect which is also super annoying and could be why the shutdown didn't go humpf. Last oddity is my 8bitdo SN30pro+ takes ages to connect and sometimes not at all, still not totally sure why but also it doesn't seem to like it when it's in the wrong input style, can't recall now if it prefers x-input or android, but that might be helpful to others too. Anyway just for the record I'm booting from micro sd not an SSD.) Thanks again!
Hi Seth, just wanted to update you here. I started last week with the NESPi 4 case and Recalbox and ran into similar issues regarding WiFi. What's interesting is that RetroPie and PiOS work just fine, connect up to WiFi perfectly. However, as soon as I plug in the SSD Recalbox no longer allows any WiFi connectivity. I even tried adding additional shielding to my case to see if that would be a solution, it wasn't. As a result, the Recalbox tutorial will not include the NESPi 4 case as I had originally planned. I don't think it's a problem with the case itself, if it was the same issue should have occurred with RetroPie and PiOS which it didn't. I'm still going to investigate and see if I can find a solution for the NESPi 4 + Recalbox but the upcoming video will not show the two working together. I've exhausted everything I know, at present, but have not given up. I tend to think it is a Recalbox-specific issue more so than the case -at this point.
@@WagnersTechTalk That's a bummer and aggravating but also interesting (Nespi 4+ is the only case I have, maybe I need to flash retropie). I'm only using a microSD card and still having the wifi issue. I did not try the SSD. Did you have wifi problems just with a MicroSD card? I think you're right it's likely a Recalbox issue happy to help to try to get to the bottom of it with you if you want. Just let me know and we can connect and see if we can't replicate the issues/solve them together! (also thanks for circling back)
@@sethtoybes9392 I was able to get it to intermittingly connect to the 2.4Ghz radio on my WiFi router. Never would show the 5Hgz SSID, all the more reason to think it's an issue with Recalbox more so than the case. Sure, we can discuss offline, you can find my e-mail/facebook info here: wagnerstechtalk.com/contact . If you figure something out, please let me know. I may reach out to the Recalbox team for their input/recommendations as well.
My problem is the start. I connect all cables and turn on, after this "sd: card not detected" boot: USB-MSD 4 f41 ...but... xHC-CMD err: 4 type: 1 [02;00] 3.00 000000:02 On ur start screen i see: fw: start4.elf fixup4.dat On my screen i see: fw: The field is empty!?🤔
I found the solution; sudo apt-get update sudo apt-get full-upgrade sudo rpi-update sudo rpi-eeprom-update After boot from SD in Retropie, i set my WiFi,press F4 and typing the 4 commands Reboot without SD and it works
THANK YOU for making these videos! I'm excited to move my Pi to this case. I think given the decent size fan, you could overclock it to 2.1. I'm looking to try Recalbox, and your video showed that can be easily done with the Raspberry Pi Imager.
I've had no issues with RetroPie or PiOS running on this case, however I must let you know that Recalbox has been problematic with it. I've been testing it since late last week in preparation for a video on Recalbox and would not (at the present time) recommend Recalbox for this case. The primary issue I was having is that once the SSD is connected (with Recalbox installed), the WiFi connectivity no longer works. I don't think it's an issue with the case, at this point, since both RetroPie and PiOS have no WiFi connectivity issues. Even without an SSD, WiFi doesn't show my 5Ghz Wifi SSID which is also suspect. However, I'm trying to figure out exactly what the cause of the issue is. If getting it primarily for Recalbox, please hold off until I have more information.
great video. i setup my nespi 4 and installed the safe shutdown script. the power button LED would no longer light up when powered on and the fan would stay running after powering off. after waiting 5 mins I just pulled the power plug.
Thank you! Not sure what distribution you installed, if it was Recalbox no shutdown scripts are needed. However, for PiOS or RetroPie they are. More details on this can be found here: wagnerstechtalk.com/nespi4/
@@WagnersTechTalk I installed Retropi for the raspberry 4. followed all the instructions in the video and on your website. the safeshutdown installed sucessfully. but like i said the power led doesnt work and the fan wont stop running until you unplug the power. for now i have turned the safeshutdown switch off and manully shutdown.
Thank you for taking the time to produce these videos.. I think you are doing a top job👍 Can I ask a couple of questions/thoughts? Rather than blood direct into retro-pie is it a good idea to boot into Twister. Then the Pi can be more easily utilised for other uses? Also is there a way to install Batocera in the same way? Ie booting up in Twister and then opening Batocera? Many thanks
Hi GC, thank you it really depends. If you want a dedicated RetroPie setup you can install RetroPie. If you prefer a Desktop environment (with RetroPie), certainly TwisterOS is a great option. Another great option is Recalbox (I have a video on that, if interested as well). Totally up to you and your preference. As far as Batocera running within a Desktop environment, don't think this is easily doable. Batocera runs it's own version of Linux, RetroPie sits on top of PiOS (or Twister OS) so it's a bit of a different design. Hope this answered your questions.
Thank you and for watching! From what I'm hearing there is a newer version of the NESPi 4 case that may not need the firmware update shown here. I don't have this newer version, but you should be able to just insert the SSD into the slot and be good to go. If you try the firmware update and it doesn't work, then you have the newer version.
No, nothing to the hard drive - just the USB-to-SATA adapter during this step: wagnerstechtalk.com/nespi4/#Step_2_Update_NESPi_4_SSD_Controller_Firmware . Just updated that section to make sure it's clear.
@@xreev0x Correct, you're only updating the firmware of the jmicron usb sata controller. No disk is required. Technically you're downgrading the firmware so it is not picked up as a UASP controller. The problem with this controller is it runs VERY slow if it is detected as UAS compatible. The firmware helps prevent that. If not flashing the controller, you could alternatively add usbquirks to the cmdline.txt of your bootable media. There are guides online for this as well, search for "nespi4 usbquirks"
Etsy has some awesome cartridge labels for any nes game. I bought maniac mansion, Friday the 13th, and shadow gate for my cartridges. They look factory 👍
I'm confused on three things. Is there an sd card in the pi, and if so what OS is it running? Will I have to do the process to every cartridge I have? Lastly, if I don't have a cartridge, will it boot to the sdcard if there is one?
Q1: Is there an sd card in the pi, and if so what OS is it running? A1: You'll typically install the OS yourself (RetroPie, PiOS, Recalbox, Batocera, etc.) Q2:Will I have to do the process to every cartridge I have? A2: For each SSD, yes you will have to install the OS you want to run. However, you won't have to update the firmware as shown in this video, only the OS. However, that's only if you want to use more than one OS. There are other options, check out my videos on BerryBoot and PINN Lite, if interested. Q3: if I don't have a cartridge, will it boot to the sdcard if there is one? A3: If you don't have a cartridge (i.e. SSD installed in the slot) and have an OS installed on the microSD card, yes it will boot from that. Hope this clarifies!
@Wagner's TechTalk Hello! Brother. Would you help me? I saw all tutorials. But I can't boot the SSD by Recalbox. 7.2.2 My ssd is a kingston. Are there any steps I missed? Do I need to update the firmware? or is it just for Retropie? Is it possible to boot ssd by recalbox? Here a black screen appears. Saying I didn't put the sd card. This trying to boot from ssd. I don't speak english so the question. I only saw the steps in the video. thanks for support. Have a nice day.
Hello, in this video I used Recalbox with the NESPi 4 case: th-cam.com/video/uoldBGHVXKA/w-d-xo.html . Please see the guide here for the NESPi 4, you should be able to translate it to your language and hopefully make sense out of it: wagnerstechtalk.com/nespi4 . If this doesn't help, let me know.
@@WagnersTechTalk Hello! Brother. I said I read your entire tutorial. And I'm in trouble. Can you help me? Recalbox does not boot with the cartridge inside nespi4. Message appears saying I didn't put the sd card. Is it possible to boot recalbox from ssd? or just in retropie? I put the recalbox 7.2.2 Is it necessary to update nespi4 firmware to use in recalbox? I downloaded the official installer and burned an image to ssd. Does the ssd need to be in some special format? Or does the program that burns an image already formats it in the necessary format? Kingston 400 SSD. Grateful for the support. Have a nice day.
@@WagnersTechTalk I'm here to thank you friend for your help. I got it with your tutorial. And I found out why it couldn't. I took the final step to fix the black screen. Needed to update firmware. as you teach through raspbian 32. for the quoted date. thank you so much. Now I need to see your tutorial. How to get Retropie well configured. Can you tell me if recalbox is able to boot from SSD too? No ssd card. Just SSD. I like recalbox, easy to play online. Verus and coop with others players. And retroachievements. thank you so much. for your support. Grateful
@@JuniorNJ Awesome, glad you got it all setup! Yes, in this video I show Recalbox booting from the SSD: th-cam.com/video/c2cJQJHMMpY/w-d-xo.html Since you've already got RetroPie up and running on an SSD, just get a 2nd SSD, install Recalbox to it and you can swap between the two whenever you want (or boot PiOS, etc. as well). Have a great day!
@@WagnersTechTalk Hi! Hello! brother. How you doing? I hope you're well. Do you could make a better video than this one I found. This one I found is really bad. Look. It's very bad. To Learn. th-cam.com/video/-Cvzebw8ib8/w-d-xo.html Didactics 0. And it doesn't explain easily. It gets a little confused. Video has to be didactic. Like the friend Eta Prime's. and yours videos. Do you teach? Running from the SSD. Multiboot systems. Teach expand android tv. hear about such a TWRP. I do not know what it is. I would like to use android for Steam Link and others. It would be awesome to have everyone on the SSD. OS, 32 or 64, for pi, quality, and best layout. Android TV and Retropie. or Recalbox and Retropie. I like Recalbox because it is possible to play online with friends. with retro achievements too. thanks your for your support. Grateful. I Appreciate your knowledge and patience in teaching. have a nice day.
I attempted to do this and the OS and everything boots/runs fine. The problem I'm having is it partitioned the hard drive or something, when I try to transfer ROMS it recognizes the 1tb SSD I have as a 255mb storage capacity. I tried to expand the filesystem in the settings on emulation station but had no luck. Have you ever ran into this problem?
Not sure what OS you're installing, some will expand automatically others may not. The instructions here were used in the context of a microSD card but are the same for an SSD: wagnerstechtalk.com/rg350tips/#Expand_Partition Just triple check that you've selected the correct drive for expanding. If you're running Windows, use the video link there which uses Disk Genius to expand the drive.
Hey there, So, i found one of those cases in the basement that i had bought a log long time ago and then totally forgot about. Followed your steps to boot from SSD, but no matter which firmware i put on the controller, the only thing in getting is the dreaded 4 green LED dance on the Pi. Any ideas?
Thank you! I transferred all the games over WiFi from my NAS. The partition that contains the roms subfolder isn't easily accessible in Windows. I also wanted to test the WiFi with the SSD installed, worked just fine (some have mentioned having issues but I did not).
I'm waiting on Retroflag to release some other case... i'm just burnt out on NES.. i'd like a Turbo Grafix 16 style case.. or maybe another SEGA styled case.. i dunno.. something..
Hi! Finally got my console. I have this case retroflag nespi. I was setting up fan runs lights turn on and it’s working but when I hook up to my monitor nothing shows up screen. I saw your other video I want to use SD Only. Don’t have SSD drive (prefer SD) does that mean I have to also install Ledger? I installed raspberry pi from the site on my SD card perfectly. no connection. Thank you 😊
Make sure you have the HDMI cable connected before powering on the Pi and that it's connected to the HDMI 0 port. Should show up fine on the monitor. Not sure what you mean by installing Ledger, maybe you meant Etcher? If so, Raspberry Pi Imager is a great tool to use and one I've been using in all my more recent videos. If you ever decide to add an SSD, got a bit more info. on the guide page here: wagnerstechtalk.com/nespi4/
@@WagnersTechTalk thanks for getting back. Yes I have hdmi hooked up properly. Do I have to download ledger as a must to make it work? Also I read a boot loader download might help but not sure if that’ll work
i wanna boot from ssd , flashed retroflag on it but, when i get to the step of update firmware, Method 2 update firmware folder does not read on my mac, any help would be nice please
Hi Bruno, I'm sorry I don't have a Mac and not much help there. Perhaps you can post your question here: www.reddit.com/r/RetroFlag and someone may be able to assist further.
Does this firmware work for any OS? I'd love to have hot-swappable SSD's instead of MicroSD cards and I think the NESpi 4 would also make a good desktop general use Pi case. I could swap between PiOS, Ubuntu, RetroPie, Manjaro ARM, or any OS I want as long as I have enough drives on hand.
When updating the firmware to be able to boot from the ssd do I still have to do the usb boot update for the pi 4 to use the ssd? Or is it just fine to use the retroflag method?
One you update the firmware in the adapter by running that utility, you should be good to go. If you have trouble, this guide has a troubleshooting section which should be of assistance: wagnerstechtalk.com/nespi4/
There are a couple, first of all with this case you can pop-in a cartridge running RetroPie, PiOS, etc. and have different configurations or sets of games on each (WiFi with Recalbox doesn't seem to work properly, however). The 2nd benefit is speed, the read-write speed is much faster than a microSD as shown here: wagnerstechtalk.com/nespi4/#Speed_Tests Hope I've answered your questions, thanks for watching!
@@WagnersTechTalk Are the steps the same for using Recalbox? I haven't been able to get recalbox to boot from the ssd. It did work for Retropie for me though.
I guess the question is, will the 2nd SSD be replacing your current one or in addition to? If it's replacing it, whatever OS you install as the boot drive will need the scripts installed.
@@WagnersTechTalk I'm using a pre build image that I flashed to the SSD. I was thinking if I were to download a different pre built image on a 2nd SSD would I need to run the shutdown scrip again?
Is it possible to boot from an existing image to an SSD instead of a fresh copy of Retropie? I have a 512GB image I would like to put on an SSD and boot from it. Can Etcher be used to flash the image to the SSD?
I have some instructions that were written for a Retro Gaming Handheld (RG-350) but it's basically the same. One of these days, I'll make a more generic video/instructions but at the core it's the following: wagnerstechtalk.com/rg350tips/#Create_the_Backup Perform steps 5-12, however rename the .img file to something more meaningful to you. Then, remove the original microSD and insert your new one (must be the same size or larger, recommend larger) and perform the Restore Backup section to the new microSD using your previously backed up .img file. This should work for you, though I can't guarantee it. Just be extra careful that after you backup the image you remove your original microSD and keep it safe. You may also have to go into raspi-config (from the RetroPie menu) and expand the file system to take advantage of the extra size of your new SSD (assuming it's larger than the original). Hope that helps!
Hi Issabella, I'm sorry I don't have a Mac and not much help there. Maybe you can post your question here: www.reddit.com/r/RetroFlag and someone may be able to assist further.
What did I do with the rest of the partition. The Raspberry PI Imager only creates 2.6 GB in the first partition. Can I create or split an exFAT with the rest?
If you need to modify the size of the partition, you can use DiskGenius for that. Just be very careful and make sure you're working with the removable drive. I don't think you need the full license for that. Should you ever need/want to license it, they did provide us with a 30% off coupon here: wagnerstechtalk.com/ogs/#Copy_Files_with_DiskGenius
Hi Mark, I'm temporarily re-hosting their file here: wagnerstechtalk.com/nespi4/#Step_2_Update_NESPi_4_SSD_Controller_Firmware You'll see a note immediately after their official link. Apparently they have not corrected it yet.
I am having any issue before the conversion to SSD, the Pi is almost unresponsive with the SATA USB device plugged in. If I disconnect the SATA controller, the Pi works normally. I am using the same Samsung QVO drive, and I am able to flash an image to the drive via PC, but when looking at the firmware utility, see unknown chip. I was thinking I might have had a bad controller, but with it being able to flash an image, I am not so sure.
From what I've heard a few times, RetroFlag changed the design of their case since this video. I don't have the "newer" version of their case to assist. Unfortunately, I'll have to refer you to their support page: support.retroflag.com/ (see their e-mail address at the bottom of the page). If this trend continues, I'll ask them what's going on and if I need to re-review it. I've had ~3 people contact me with issues that I never had with the version I reviewed.
@@WagnersTechTalk The version of my case does look slightly different, where the USB ports are both white and the fan is mounted next to the SSD with a different lead. I have sent an email to support and will follow up here with what ever the outcome is. Thank you for taking the time to respond!
I am running a newer version of the case and the firmware version does not apply. Most of my issue appears to have been related to a wireless keyboard that was interfering with the SSD. I am mostly at a good point, but am having a 3-4 minute POST time. I am waiting to hear back from RetroFlag.
Depends if you have the latest Raspberry Pi firmware installed or not, if you have an issue please see this: wagnerstechtalk.com/nespi4/#Troubleshooting If you still have an issue not covered, let me know and I'll do my best to answer.
@@WagnersTechTalk hi I was able to boot from ssd for.my pi 4. I have 240gb ssd can I use around 200gb as different partition to save my data on ssd. It already has 2 partitions boot and root system. Is there any way i can create one more partition for my data . Thanks in advance
I followed the instructions exactly but when I start up the Raspberry Pi I get an error saying "SD card not detected"..."Failed to open device: 'sdcard". I made sure the SSD was firmly seated in the Nespi case. Any ideas?
Please see the Troubleshooting section here: wagnerstechtalk.com/nespi4/#Troubleshooting . Boot from the microSD card (F4 if in RetroPie) and issue the following commands from this. It's possible the firmware for your Raspberry Pi isn't the most recent. Question: I have tried the above and still can’t boot from the SSD, any other suggestions? Answer: try the following command into the console to (potentially) downgrade PiOS the firmware : sudo rpi-eeprom-update -d -f /lib/firmware/raspberrypi/bootloader/stable/pieeprom-2020-09-03.bin After typing the above, press ENTER. This will set the EPROM in the Pi 4 to the version from 2020-09-03. Restart the Raspberry Pi by typing: sudo reboot
Boot time is not faster, however read/write speeds are much faster. I performed read-write tests on x2 drives I picked up here: wagnerstechtalk.com/nespi4/#Speed_Tests You can also see them in comparison to the microSD card. Much faster.
You can use the Pi Imager to install a new operating system to a microSD/SSD. The firmware update utility is used to update the firmware in the SATA controller of the NESPi 4 case itself. Hope this answers your question 👍
@@WagnersTechTalk Wow I don’t know how I missed that in your tutorial. I have been trying to boot from ssd for a long time and I was unable until this video. Plus I was using just a usb to sata from Amazon. After the tutorial it booted no problem. Thank you so much this was so helpful!!!!!
Great news and you're very welcome Robert! I try to release one video a week. I spend time testing and making sure things should work before releasing it. Makes me happy to receive comments like yours!
Gna, I just followed this tutorial the third time, but the raspi isn't starting. The fan starts but no OS is starting. I have no clue what's going on :/ Just to be clear, there is no SD card in the raspi, right? I mean the whole purpose is to get retropie going withouta micro SD card, riiight? ^^
Hi Motte, it can be setup to boot without a microSD card, correct. Check out the Troubleshooting section on this guide and see if something there helps: wagnerstechtalk.com/nespi4/#Troubleshooting Above that are step-by-step instructions as well.
Are there compatibility issues related to specific SSD's and booting from them? I can easily write over the SSD [verified files] and I updated the firmware with the NO UAS file . When I reassemble the unit and apply power, the bootloader throws an error and reports the SD card is not detected. Any hints? Is there something I am missing? Thank you!
It's most likely that the firmware on your Raspberry Pi is out of date. Boot from the microSD with PiOS/RetroPie (F4 after boot for a terminal) installed and WiFi/Ethernet connected, then issue the commands: sudo apt update sudo apt full-upgrade sudo reboot (should be good after reboot here) sudo rpi-update (if not, force an update of the firmware with this command)
I really do like the form and function of the NES pi4 since I got it last week, but Ive read online that the SSD controller, and the wires inside, present problems; Namely, the wires are not shielded enough and cause interference with bluetooth, and not having UAS downgrades the drive speed to USB2 instead of USB3. Is there any way we can replace the SSD controller or unshielded wires inside the case with something that doesn't have such problems?
I've read that you can tape some aluminum foil around the SSD cable and adapter to minimize interference. The only firmware I have issues with is Recalbox and I suspect it has something to do with the network drivers. Beyond that, contact Retroflag for any other options I may not be aware of. The WiFi only sees my 2.4Ghz SSID, not my 5Ghz. RetroPie, PiOS, etc. are all fine. Hope this helps!
@@WagnersTechTalk Because I was curious, I opened up the section where the SATA connector is inside, and the PCB is extremely small.. right up against the back wall of the case in there. I'm not sure what could be used as a replacement there without having to replace the entire case....
Hi, i finished an image of mine on an 256GB sd card and i have the backup of that as a single file .img. Can i use etcher and install the same image (of the sd card) on my 2TB HDD or do ihave to use only images that have been made just for hdds? Also do i have to change any option? I am using retropie pi4 and i own the nespi case also.
Hi, you can. I have a guide that explains how to do that here: wagnerstechtalk.com/common/ You'll want to make sure to follow the "Expand a Partition" section after your write the image to the 2TB HDD to get full use of the larger capacity drive. Hope that helps!
@@WagnersTechTalk Hi again. I did everything right but when i boot the console i am getting a message saying "the root account is locked" and there is a checking in progress on 1 disk counting on %. What is that? Even if it goes to 100% it starts again. Any clue?
do i need to have an sd card plugged in for this to work? i followed the steps but it just stays off in idle, also the program you used said it was not compatible with the chip so i did the manual method
@@WagnersTechTalk I will follow that and see how it goes, thank you! I am thinking now that I need to do an SD card install first in order to change the boot order, and then boot from the SSD boot image I have installed.
@@WagnersTechTalk Thank you and yea it is a newer model I updated the firmware with the other SATA adapter but it looks like it had no impact. For some odd reason I use the Wolfanoz 1tb build on my SSD and it was booting up fine but now it's just a black screen on boot so I'm rewriting the image to the SSD. SD card works fine and it worked fine when I used Raspbian
Would you happen to know why the SSD with my RetroPie image isn't showing up in file explore on PC or in the Firmware Update Tool? When I plug it in to my PC I do have the option to safely eject it the system tray on PC so it is being recognized on some level
Think I can help a little with both question. First, there are two partitions created when you image an SSD/microSD with RetroPie. The first is the boot partition which is readable by Windows (fat32), the other is a linux partition which is not natively readable by Windows. However, you can use a tool such as Disk Genius to view the contents of the 2nd partition within Windows (with the professional version, you can read/write also: 30% Off Disk Genius Pro code: DG30-YUTE-STPR). Retroflag has updated the firmware/device since this video. A firmware update is likely no longer necessary as it was with the earlier generation. So, unless you bought the RetroFlag used somewhere, no need to update the firrmware.
@@WagnersTechTalk Thanks for always replying. I used your videos to put together my first RetroPie ~2 years ago. My sister played it last week for the first time and asked me to put one together for her. I did so with the help of your videos again. I cloned my SSD to a new one for her. When I booted hers in her new case I get an error message " " 1.1991311 mmc1: Controller never released Inhibit bits)." If you just wait it eventually boots to the RetroPie dashboard. I did some googling and it seems it's related to booting off of a SSD instead of a SD card. So I tried to update the firmware for the case. As you know that is pointless now. The other fix I saw was to put a blank SD card in the reader. That seemed to get rid of the error message. So strange because I wasn't getting that error off her cloned drive until I fixed an issue/setting with RetroArch that was preventing the save function in any core. After that save issue fix I had to clone the SSD again because I was just going to do a fresh RetroPie flash on hers before I found a fix for the save issue. Even though that error is gone there seems to be a few lines of code, or another error that flashes too fast to read after the splash video plays. Boot up seems longer on her drive as well. Sorry for the wall of text
You might want to try updating the firmware in the Pi: th-cam.com/video/xjyQoIzLWac/w-d-xo.html This fw is pretty cool in that you don't need a microSD to write a image. The issue may be that the Pi you have has a different firmware version.
I've got a SanDisk 1TB SSD drive that I've imaged with the retropie-buster-4.7.1-rpi4_400.img.gz but when I run RetroFlag's FwUpdateTool_v1_19_16_24.exe, it doesn't see any usable drives. What am I doing wrong? I used Etcher to flash the image onto the SSD rather than RetroPie's own app and I have my own USB 3.0 to 2.5" SATA cable rather than taking apart the NESPi 4 case.
The firmware update tool only works if you're using the NESPi 4 SSD connected over USB to your Windows computer. It flashes the firmware in the SSD adapter (not the contents of the SSD). If needed, full written instructions are here: wagnerstechtalk.com/nespi4/#SSD_Setup . This should get you going.
@@WagnersTechTalk Thank you for that. I removed the top part of the NESPi 4 case and I was able to install the firmware. At least, it said it was successful. I'm reviewing your troubleshooting section in the link you provided and I'm getting the screen in point number 1. I connected my keyboard but pressing F4 doesn't get me into any command terminal. I've removed and replaced the SSD to make sure that it fit on the SATA connector. I said 'screw it' and started over, following every one of your steps to the word, using the Raspberry Pi imager. I figure I could just replace the files over the network from the SD card once I get it up and running. The Raspberry Pi Imager says "Error writing file to disk". I'm using a SanDisk Ultra 3D SSD 1TB. Etcher can write the OS just fine.
@@CaseyDriskill Great, after flashing the firmware and flashing RetroPie using Pi Imager, just re-install to the NESPi 4 case + SSD and it should boot up at that point.
@@WagnersTechTalk Unfortunately reinstalling the top of the NESPi case with the SSD in and then booting it up did not work. It brought me to the 'failed to boot from device sdcard' screen. I made sure the SSD was fully in the SATA connector.
I tried to install retropie 4.8.9 onto my SSD and it crashed when I tried to install a emulator it shows the disk 1 with the percentage then disk 0 and crash I tried everything.
I have a problem with the adapter for the SSD. The Jmicron Program can't find it and after i burned the ssd with Retropie image i can't see the ssd anymore in the browser. Thanks for helping.
@@johansjostrand4184 You need to burn the USB Boot Bootloader image in the Raspberry Pi Imager on a Micro SD Card and put it in the Case together with the burned SSD and boot it. It should then work without the Micro SD after the first full boot.
From what I understand, there is a newer model which doesn't require the firmware upgrade shown here. HOWEVER, I don't own that model and can't confirm how well it works. You may want to contact RetroFlag directly, their e-mail is at the bottom of this page: support.retroflag.com . Hope that helps!
I have read about the issue, but I personally could not reproduce the problem. I transferred 500GB of Data (including a number of very small files) over WIFI (802.11 AC/5Ghz) to the 1TB SSD you saw in this video, it stayed connected copying for the entire transfer without issue (several hours). Regarding BT being an issue, I had tested this after my first NESPi 4 video here: th-cam.com/video/_5jNaCakwbg/w-d-xo.html No issue for me. Perhaps it was earlier units that had these problems, I can't honestly say. All I can say, I can't reproduce the issues. I hope this helps!
@@WagnersTechTalk Thank I checked out the video about BT controller. (Thanks) Was that video done with an SSD in? That seems to be the issue I see from all of the reviews. That with the SSD in the wifi can be flaky to non-existent and that BT is broken with the SSD in also. I have the 8Bitdo sega and switch controllers I would like to use with the case and them not working would be a dealbreaker for me. Other reviews cited a loud fan but I doubt that would be an issue since it won't be right next to me. Thanks for the response. Great videos!!!
Hi Blair, yes both the WiFi and the BT test was done with an SSD Cart in the NESPi 4 case. I figured if there was a problem, transferring ~4-500GB would have been an issue - but it wasn't for me (during the transfer, I was writing to the SSD over WiFi). It's possible that it would only be an issue with lower frequencies (i.e. 2.4Ghz) but it took awhile to transfer and I was happy with that test.
@@WagnersTechTalk Thank you so much for the video and helpful responses. I followed your Amazon links to purchase the case and 1tb drive. Looking forward to introducing my little ones to some vintage games.
Awesome, I think you'll really enjoy it! I just received a 3rd SSD today for an upcoming video 😎 Also, I do appreciate you using my links, every little bit helps!
Having the same problem failed to open device: 'sd card' How do I change the pios I tried plugging in a keyboard. Do I need a sd card with retro pie already on it. Not sure where 2 go from here.
I'm thinking the issue here may be that the firmware on your Raspberry Pi is older and can't handle USB booting. To update it, you could install PiOS to a microSD, make sure your network is connected (wired or wifi), run the update wizard to install the latest PiOS updates. Then shutdown, remove the microSD and re-install the SSD. Power it up and see if this works now. If the above doesn't work, re-install the PiOS microSD and boot. Open a Terminal window and run the command below (this will force an update of the Raspberry Pi firmware): sudo rpi-update Then, shutdown the Pi, remove the microSD, re-insert the SSD and power on. One of the two "should" fix the issue, assuming you performed the firmware update as shown in this video. Please let me know the results so I can update the troubleshooting page accordingly.
@@WagnersTechTalk I gave it my best shot and still have no luck. Only thing I haven't tried is the wizard update. I am assuming that is in the retropie setup. Thanks for helping.
@@mikearey5991 Definitely try the wizard update, the firmware update may not help unless you've updated your Pi to the latest release. Then try what I wrote above and you "should" be good.
I already set the booting for sd and install games in ssd (not for booting). if i now want to switch the booting from sd to ssd, do i need to format the ssd again for the setup? (if possible, i dun want to remove the games i installed in ssd for new setup again)
If you have a NAS or some network share, you could copy all your games to the NAS pretty easily (directories are already there with your games). Then, re-image the SSD (or use a new one) and copy your games back to the new/newly-setup SSD.
@@WagnersTechTalk my transfer speed of NAS is rather slow......anyway....if SSD boot the machine, does it mean it will be the same as SD that the SSD cannot be read normally by PC after the boot setup starts? then for copying games, i can only do by copying games through wifi?
Depends on the OS you're using, for RetroPie yes it will be the same. For Recalbox, it would have a share readable by Windows, however Wifi doesn't seem to work reliably with this case and Recalbox (see my note in the video description if you need more info.). Hope this helps!
Please see this and double-check everything is correct: wagnerstechtalk.com/nespi4/#Step_1_Flash_RetroPie_to_the_SSD I also used the 240GB Kingston and had no issues. However, I've had about two folks tell me their case design was different from mine. If your case looks different from the one shown in this video I may not be much help. May need to contact RetroFlag at sales@retroflag.com to see if they've changed things.
@@WagnersTechTalk they may very well have. ill keep tinkering with it here. found a supposed fix but have to wait until my honey is done watching tv. thank you for the info!
got my drive installed, and rom flashed. it boots very very fast, so i dont believe the v2 case has to be updated maybe.... i am just fighting the ssd and 2.4g connection and screen width at this moment. im brand new but i think i am headed in the right direction.
Thank you for your feedback! Sounds like the newer version of the case has corrected the issues. I'll confirm with Retroflag and if that is the case will update the guide accordingly.
I know I'm joining the chorus here, but I am having absolutely no luck with this case at all. I have tried every step on this guide. It will boot once (and ONLY once) from the NESPi SATA bridge after being disconnected from an external USB 3.0 connection, but after that it's error after error on the QR code bootscreen. Absolutely no fix I've tried works. Going into the terminal, it doesn't even SEE the SSD, only the bridge that's connected to it. Trying to use a Seagate 2TB SSD which is detected and even boots fine from the external USB 3.0 adapter. I've spent three days now trying to address this problem and am making absolutely no progress except in getting incredibly frustrated at the idea that I've probably wasted my time and money on a dead project.
Not exactly joining the chorus, the vast majority of feedback I've received here has been positive, just curious if you followed this guide (or another) wagnerstechtalk.com/nespi4/#Booting_from_SSD ? I've personally used up to a 1TB drive and these steps have worked on the x3 or so SSD's that I own. If those instructions don't work for you, I 'd recommend contacting Retroflag as you may have a hardware issue. If you do and find out the solution, always appreciate a comment to let me know what the problem was so I can update the guide with what was found.
@@WagnersTechTalk Thanks for the reply, it's nice to receive prompt feedback during a stressful time. As far as guides, yes, I followed your guide to the letter (since, as you mentioned, many people were reporting success with it, so why rock the boat). To the point now where I actually know some Linux line commands (and that sudo just cannot ever be forgotten). Here's the issue I've run into, and I'll try to be as succinct as possible. The SSD boots great, but only from the external enclosure I have (to recover dead HDDs or other such items, I dabble in salvaging). When connected to the NESPi's SATA connector, I can go into PuTTY and see the BRIDGE, but not the DRIVE. Which might suggest there's a connectivity issue with the bridge IF it didn't pop up almost immediately upon my connecting the NESPi bridge to the PC, ready to be explored and used. So the bridge is actually good (to an extent) as far as being able to read the drive. I can connect, disconnect, reconnect, and experience no errors or issues with the Windows 10 machine. I have formatted this SSD (several times now, so I'm a little concerned for it) in Windows AND in PuTTY when I had it connected via the external enclosure. What's driving me up a wall is that I've actually successfully booted the thing FROM the NESPi bridge with ZERO issues, but it only happens ONCE and only directly after I move the SSD from the enclosure to the bridge. Every boot attempt after that gets me the QR screen and repeated error messages. So the Pi CAN read the drive. It's so frustrating because I'm SO CLOSE to being past this nightmare.
@@WagnersTechTalk Unfortunately no, no spare ones right now. Figured this'd be a pop-and-play rather than something so involved and wild. I don't see contact information on their webpage, so I'm not exactly sure how to do just that. At this point, I'm not even trying to get it to boot from the SSD, I just want it to READ the SSD whilst connected via the NESPi Bridge so I can just move on to better things.
AFAIK, there is not a software solution to allow changing the fan speed on the NESPi 4. You may want to confirm with Retroflag but I don't see it in the documentation. However, I did notice this sometime back: mini-mods.com/product/nespi-4-fan-control , it's a hardware option that may be of interest. I've never personally used this so no idea how well it works.
This doesn't work. I did all the steps you did. [1] If I used Raspberry Imager on Windows10, I get no drive letter. And cannot add the firmware. [2] If I use RImager on RaspbianOS I see everything. So I took out the SDcard out of the case and left the SSD inside. I got a black screen with the QRcode and it says insert SDcard. [Rpi 4 with 8GB]
This is the first report that it has not worked for anyone, I suspect the wrong firmware was selected (don't select the most recent date you see for the firmware, go with JMS578_STD_V00.02.00.09_NO_UAS.bin). Please see my full instructions here and see if something perhaps got missed: wagnerstechtalk.com/nespi4/#Step_2_Update_NESPi_4_SSD_Controller_Firmware
@@WagnersTechTalk If my Windows computer can see the SSD then I can do the Method 2 Firmware, for now I did Method 1 and edited the config file. My only guess is that the SSD I'm using isn't compatible - Inland 256GB SSD from MicroCenter. So for now I have the Retropie on the SDcard and the roms on the SSD. Shame, I really wanted to boot from SSD, but for now I'm not willing to spend more money on this project. Maybe when one of my other SSDs becomes free, I'll play with this more. Thank you for trying to help me. ;-)
@@aurora3957 Interesting that this did not work for you. I've only tried a small sampling of x2 SSD's thus far (like you, no budget for more at the present). If you wind up trying a different SSD or figure something out please let me know. I'll update the NESPi 4 page with whatever you find out (giving you credit for the tip). Thanks for watching!
Are you, by chance, trying to use a Seagate SSD? If so, read they grey section here: wagnerstechtalk.com/nespi4/#Step_2_Update_NESPi_4_SSD_Controller_Firmware
Boot from a microSD card, then try this from a terminal (WiFi or Ethernet connected): sudo apt update sudo apt full-upgrade Shutdown the Pi4, remove the microSD and allow it to boot from the SSD. Your firmware is likely outdated and the above will update it. It's also here should you need it: wagnerstechtalk.com/nespi4/#Troubleshooting
Retroflag released a new version of the case since this video, if you're using the new version of the case then the fw update may not be needed anymore. I don't have the newer version of the case to test.
![ILLSLICK - KILLSHOT REMIX [FULL VERSION]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/RIK8RrqIAzE/mqdefault.jpg)
I know I'm late to the party, but I just finally got time to setup my pi 4 n NESPI case(yeah right after the pi 5 came out)
but I'm just now back to healthy(if you remember me, if not it's ok)
Anyways I really appreciate this video, as it helped me build an emu system for my wife that can use her nes controllers w/ USB teensy and she never has to blow cartridges or hook up the SNES or Genesis now, this video really helped me!
Unrelated, but if you remember me, I also found someone to pay forward part of a debt I owe this channel, by buying a psychical book, as you can't enjoy it as an ebook or being read aloud, as each copy is supposed to be made personal by the owner and what they learn from the book, the clues, translations and just so much... the book being *house of leaves* to some under 1k TH-camr who, well just makes quality content despite channel size... still have to do something else for someone random on Internet needing my help as I feel I haven't done enough yet, as IRL I jump cars, lend phone, and help anyone I can with my new lease on life, partially thanks to this awesome channel)
But just posting a thanks for the video and help in my life when recovering from hospital, that v90 is amazing, and everyday is used n reminds me good people do exist, they just don't broadcast it... makes me hopeful for the future
Atm tho thanks for this video it made me n my wife's weekend, able to emulate all the games we own on a newer TV, as having everything on the SSD was giving me so much trouble till I just watched this... thanks for just doing what you do n being who you are Wagner!
Hi Jayk, of course I remember you! So happy to hear that you are back to good health! We all have times in our lives when things aren't going as we hoped and sometimes we have to help each other out. Even the small things. I'm happy the V90 helped a little by making your recovery a little more pleasant.
Remember, you never owe me/this channel anything. I give when it makes sense and when I can positively impact someone else. It makes me happy to hear great news like yours, you're back in good health and now you and your wife are enjoying special time together. That is all I ever wanted for you!
Thank you for your comment, it makes me happy to hear. Never forgot about you, often wondered how you were doing but don't want to impose by asking. I'm also happy that this NESPi case has brought you both additional enjoyment!
Please keep in touch, and that's great news about the book! I remember when I was struggling to reach 1k subscribers, it's a long hard road but it is what you make it.
@@WagnersTechTalk you're right, I don't owe this channel anything, I should have phrased it better, that this channel put a spark in me about helping those on the Internet, is actually worthy, and sometimes does more for someone than if it was a close friend I helped, so this channel put that spark in me, so yes, while I owe the channel nothing, I like to think of it as part of my spiritual...err maybe constitutional development, as that v90 really helped when I couldn't get out of bed, and even helped me get my coordination back faster(or so the doctor had mentioned is probable, that me always playing something when I had nothing to do, helped me get my coordination with my hands and fingers back to normal faster than he said he'd have imagined)
Also I should have updated you on how I am sooner, just I've been living life, and haven't had much TH-cam time, or even social media time, as I'm trying to make new memories for the ones that *might* be gone forever (it's weird hearing a story about yourself that you don't remember, and then have to explain to someone why you don't)
Though my wife watching me play the v90, is what got her into the "those small computers you play around with, can they do old games?" And I immediately got a pi 4, set it up, and then saw this case recently and got it because my wife loved the idea of having a mini Nintendo to play our old games on, that we didn't need to switch systems or use old TV's/or live with bad quality out of a 4k, and now we have to just hit power, put the controllers we wanna use in, and we're making new memories, be it playing games, or streaming movies from my NAS server, she loves it, and the case made her even use sharpies to make it look like the NES she had since a kid that we put in storage...
I'll try and chime in more to let you know how I'm doing, when I do have time for TH-cam, as this is one of my go-to channels for well anything... even stuff I didn't know I'd wanna watch a video on, you're keeping the videos too tier
And also the channel/person I sent the book to, actually made his channel to, encourage dialogue between him and people who've had unique experiences and perspectives, and obviously I've had some of those, and when he hadn't read house of leaves, I had to send it to him, as it's a deep book, with so many layers...
But anyway just saying hi again, and catching up a bit, I'll try to whenever I am on TH-cam, or maybe send an email here n there, as that small act on your part, not only helped me in boredom, but probably in my dexterity recovery, and even got my wife to wishing we could do that on our TV, without having to fish out the nes/snes/genesis/etc, as while she has a switch, they don't yet have all her games up, and also there's something to be said about using your old original controllers from when you were a kid to play a game some 30 odd years later
As for now, we're celebrating our anniversary today, which is why I was finishing up the NesPi case so early? Late? IDK, but she was happy about it, despite being called into work which she'll be home from soon
I'll keep you updated more often when I can, which still surprises my doctors how fast I've recovered... they never wanted to say they'd thought at best it'd be over a 18months till I'd be at where I am, but they're happy to tell me it the past 4-6 months as they consider me fully recovered, in less than a year...
I hope you're doing well yourself, and sorry I don't have time today to talk slot, and didn't think to send an email...
But then again maybe someone else will see these comments and feel a bit inspired, or hopeful in their situation
Untill we exchange words again, may you always be content in life, those you love be well, and may you never lose that spirit, that personality that had you help some random person on the Internet, because it really helped more than you'll ever know, even remembering me means a lot
But for now I'll stop, as I've a date with my wife
Thanks again for being you, and having such a great channel with a great community!
@@JaykPuten Y'all have an awesome Anniversary, you have lots to celebrate! Always wishing you both the best!
After days and days of trying to load from SSD, i kept getting drive errors. This is the only video that recommended updating the firmware on the sata controller. Thank you so much, this is what fixed my error.
So awesome to hear, glad it helped you out!
*Important Note - Both RetroPie and PiOS work fine with this case without issue. Scraping, SMB access, Browsing, etc. are all fine. However, I am experiencing issues with the NESPi 4 case + Recalbox. The issue is that once an SSD is installed, the WiFi connectivity ceases to function. I do not think it is a shielding issue with the case, I added additional shielding to my case to see if that resolved the problem - it did not. My recommendation is if you plan on using this case exclusively with Recalbox+SSD, you may want to hold off until a solution is found. I will update statement once a solution is identified. If you are aware of one, please comment and let me know.
Don't worry! I was able to figure out how to get wi-fi working on either Batocera or Recalbox WITHOUT adding any additional shielding to my NESPi 4 case!
1. Open up batocera.conf (for Batocera) or recalbox.conf (for Recalbox) in the userdata/system folder (found in the share partition) using whatever text editor you use (make sure you have administrator privileges to make the necessary changes).
2. With the file open, search for system.timezone. When you find it, uncomment the option (delete the # sign in front of system.timezone) and enter the correct timezone for your location. Here are some examples:
system.timezone=America/Fort_Wayne
system.timezone=Australia/Melbourne
system.timezone=Pacific/Honolulu
NOTE: You can find a complete list of all the time zones at the following link: pastebin.com/RZ5feyHS
2-1. If you are using Recalbox, make sure to search for wifi.region and change it to your corresponding country you live in. Examples:
wifi.region=US
wifi.region=AQ
wifi.region=GB
To find out what your two latter country code is, follow this link: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_ISO_3166_country_codes
3. Save the file and close the text editor. Depending on how you edited the file, if you connected to your device through a program like PuTTY to make the changes, reboot the device; if you connected your microSD/SSD externally to your computer, plug the card/drive back into your device and boot it up.
4. Press Start to open up the menu. Select Network Settings, then turn on Enable WiFi. When you finish entering your SSID and key, go Back to the main menu and select Network Settings again. If you did it correctly, your IP Address will be displayed and Internet Status as Connected. If not, restart your device again to save the changes.
CONGRATULATIONS! You now have Wi-Fi!!!
Good timing on this vid for me. Will have my nespi case up and running within a week and this will save me a ton of time. Thanks Wagner.
Great to hear Rex and very welcome! Let me know how it goes 👍 Funny I see this reply, watching your stream from last night on my lunch break!
@@WagnersTechTalk I used my current image from my other pi4 and wrote it to the Ssd , did the firmware update , and tried to boot from ssd , but all I get is a black screen. Not sure if I had to wait longer. But I put my original micro sd card in and that worked fine. Any thoughts?
@@therexershow Hi Rex, you may have an older Pi OS firmware. Assuming you have a backup already boot from the microSD and from the terminal (if in RetroPie, press F4 on a keyboard) try:
sudo apt update
sudo apt full-upgrade
sudo reboot
Press F4 again, update the Pi firmware with:
sudo rpi-update
Remove the microSD card and see if it boots off the SSD at this point.
@@WagnersTechTalk I’ll try it. I’m not using an official Retropie image. I’m using Supreme and Monkapie builds. That could be it too. Not really sure. Worst case is i use the official build and then copy my folders over. Thanks.
@@WagnersTechTalk Havibg the same issue...would I need to copy the updated image from the SD card to the SSD? Or will it boot on a stock Retropie from the SSD?
I'm so glad you liked the model! It warmed my heart to get such a great shoutout :)
Definitely happy to do it! Thank you for your hard work designing the shell, I know how much time must have gone into getting it just right - it's PERFECT!
@@WagnersTechTalk it's true, that's why it feels good when the hard work pays off and someone enjoys something I made! Thanks again :)
@@diniertogaminganddesign69 It's easily the coolest Pi case I've ever seen. The fact that it isn't just aesthetic is wonderful.
This product still impresses me every time I see it. Man all you need now is some gold filament/paint to make an enclosure have that extra sought after prize cartridges of old.
Thanks Tommy, I probably should order some of the gold, love the look! Maybe something like this: amzn.to/3j8usX6 . Purchased another SSD to use for an upcoming video. I printed a 2nd shell yesterday and ordered some new full-sheet label stock, it's going to make things really nice to be able to easily swap different OSs on cartridge.
@@WagnersTechTalk oh that is going to make some great prints
New to the Pi stuff and glad I found this channel, old games are a hobby of mine and getting this case to boot from an SSD seems like an amazing way to have a portable system that will initially have my wallet cry with the hardware, but turn into an amazing investment.
Welcome aboard! A few links to help get you started from my website:
wagnerstechtalk.com/rpi4gaming/
and wagnerstechtalk.com/nespi4/
Retroflag makes some great products. Love my SNES case and the snes controllers. Seems all the reviews on their cases and controllers are highly recommended.
Great guide Sir! Booting right into Retropie makes it a out of the box retro gaming console experience! Nice!
Thank you Dude! It is a pretty awesome case, IMO. Just received another SSD for an upcoming project to test. Being able to easily swap out OSs makes it very nice.
Thanks so much for the help on this one! I spent 2 days trying to get this to work with their boot code but really didn't understand how to do it. Everything works great now!
Awesome, so glad to hear👍 Most welcome and thank you for watching!
Man, I just appreciate your channel so much! Every time I have a pi 4 question it seems like your channel is one of the first to come up. Your solutions are always so clear and helpful! Do you notice that in Raspberry Pi OS as of late that the audio for TH-cam and video playback is terrible or is it just something I have done? Thanks again for your amazing channel!
I really appreciate your kind words Jason, thank you! I'm so happy I've been able to help in some small way. I use TwisterOS (based on PiOS) more than PiOS itself. But, I do use both and haven't noticed any reduced playback on TH-cam from prior releases. It's never been perfect, there will be dropped frames. When playing a video, you should see very good performance if you set the TH-cam video settings to 720p (maybe a few dropped frames), 1080p (more dropped frames than 720p) and 4k will see even more. This will improve in-time and with future updates. Hope this helps a little.
I really want one of these cases even though I run all my emulation on PC. My Pi4B is currently collecting dust. But this case is astoundingly cool.
It is a pretty cool case design!
Thanks Wagner! Really looking forward to the Recalbox install video for the Retroflag NESPi 4 case. Had some weird issues and I'd love to see how it's done by a pro. Thanks so much!
Most welcome and thank you too! btw - Depending how it goes, Recalbox will be coming soon.
@@WagnersTechTalk Can't wait thanks so much! (in case you need to address potential pain points. I couldn't get the shutdown command to take and the wifi doesn't want to connect which is also super annoying and could be why the shutdown didn't go humpf. Last oddity is my 8bitdo SN30pro+ takes ages to connect and sometimes not at all, still not totally sure why but also it doesn't seem to like it when it's in the wrong input style, can't recall now if it prefers x-input or android, but that might be helpful to others too. Anyway just for the record I'm booting from micro sd not an SSD.) Thanks again!
Hi Seth, just wanted to update you here. I started last week with the NESPi 4 case and Recalbox and ran into similar issues regarding WiFi. What's interesting is that RetroPie and PiOS work just fine, connect up to WiFi perfectly. However, as soon as I plug in the SSD Recalbox no longer allows any WiFi connectivity. I even tried adding additional shielding to my case to see if that would be a solution, it wasn't. As a result, the Recalbox tutorial will not include the NESPi 4 case as I had originally planned. I don't think it's a problem with the case itself, if it was the same issue should have occurred with RetroPie and PiOS which it didn't. I'm still going to investigate and see if I can find a solution for the NESPi 4 + Recalbox but the upcoming video will not show the two working together. I've exhausted everything I know, at present, but have not given up. I tend to think it is a Recalbox-specific issue more so than the case -at this point.
@@WagnersTechTalk That's a bummer and aggravating but also interesting (Nespi 4+ is the only case I have, maybe I need to flash retropie). I'm only using a microSD card and still having the wifi issue. I did not try the SSD. Did you have wifi problems just with a MicroSD card? I think you're right it's likely a Recalbox issue happy to help to try to get to the bottom of it with you if you want. Just let me know and we can connect and see if we can't replicate the issues/solve them together! (also thanks for circling back)
@@sethtoybes9392 I was able to get it to intermittingly connect to the 2.4Ghz radio on my WiFi router. Never would show the 5Hgz SSID, all the more reason to think it's an issue with Recalbox more so than the case. Sure, we can discuss offline, you can find my e-mail/facebook info here: wagnerstechtalk.com/contact . If you figure something out, please let me know. I may reach out to the Recalbox team for their input/recommendations as well.
I absolutely Love this. If I can ever afford this exact setup. I will buy it
Great job and thanks for the tutorial.
Greetings from Germany
Glad you liked it and thank you!
My problem is the start. I connect all cables and turn on, after this "sd: card not detected"
boot: USB-MSD 4 f41
...but...
xHC-CMD err: 4 type: 1 [02;00] 3.00 000000:02
On ur start screen i see:
fw: start4.elf fixup4.dat
On my screen i see:
fw:
The field is empty!?🤔
I found the solution;
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get full-upgrade
sudo rpi-update
sudo rpi-eeprom-update
After boot from SD in Retropie, i set my WiFi,press F4 and typing the 4 commands
Reboot without SD and it works
@@tommyger-nrw2643 Yes, I was just going to reply with please see bullet #2 here: wagnerstechtalk.com/nespi4/#Troubleshooting
@@WagnersTechTalk embarrassing, I guess I missed it🤦🏻♂️
THANK YOU for making these videos! I'm excited to move my Pi to this case. I think given the decent size fan, you could overclock it to 2.1. I'm looking to try Recalbox, and your video showed that can be easily done with the Raspberry Pi Imager.
I've had no issues with RetroPie or PiOS running on this case, however I must let you know that Recalbox has been problematic with it. I've been testing it since late last week in preparation for a video on Recalbox and would not (at the present time) recommend Recalbox for this case. The primary issue I was having is that once the SSD is connected (with Recalbox installed), the WiFi connectivity no longer works. I don't think it's an issue with the case, at this point, since both RetroPie and PiOS have no WiFi connectivity issues. Even without an SSD, WiFi doesn't show my 5Ghz Wifi SSID which is also suspect. However, I'm trying to figure out exactly what the cause of the issue is. If getting it primarily for Recalbox, please hold off until I have more information.
@@WagnersTechTalk Thanks for the info! I hope the RecalBox people are looking into it.
great video. i setup my nespi 4 and installed the safe shutdown script. the power button LED would no longer light up when powered on and the fan would stay running after powering off. after waiting 5 mins I just pulled the power plug.
Thank you! Not sure what distribution you installed, if it was Recalbox no shutdown scripts are needed. However, for PiOS or RetroPie they are. More details on this can be found here: wagnerstechtalk.com/nespi4/
@@WagnersTechTalk I installed Retropi for the raspberry 4. followed all the instructions in the video and on your website. the safeshutdown installed sucessfully. but like i said the power led doesnt work and the fan wont stop running until you unplug the power. for now i have turned the safeshutdown switch off and manully shutdown.
Inside the case, did you flip the switch to the safe shutdown setting to the ON position? Shown here: th-cam.com/video/o4qtS5ydt7w/w-d-xo.html
@@WagnersTechTalk yes. ^ "for now i have turned the safeshutdown switch off and manully shutdown."
Thank you for taking the time to produce these videos.. I think you are doing a top job👍
Can I ask a couple of questions/thoughts?
Rather than blood direct into retro-pie is it a good idea to boot into Twister. Then the Pi can be more easily utilised for other uses?
Also is there a way to install Batocera in the same way? Ie booting up in Twister and then opening Batocera?
Many thanks
Hi GC, thank you it really depends. If you want a dedicated RetroPie setup you can install RetroPie. If you prefer a Desktop environment (with RetroPie), certainly TwisterOS is a great option. Another great option is Recalbox (I have a video on that, if interested as well). Totally up to you and your preference. As far as Batocera running within a Desktop environment, don't think this is easily doable. Batocera runs it's own version of Linux, RetroPie sits on top of PiOS (or Twister OS) so it's a bit of a different design. Hope this answered your questions.
Very informative video.
Question: I have SSD already setup to boot, Do I only need to upgrade the firmware?
Thank you and for watching! From what I'm hearing there is a newer version of the NESPi 4 case that may not need the firmware update shown here. I don't have this newer version, but you should be able to just insert the SSD into the slot and be good to go. If you try the firmware update and it doesn't work, then you have the newer version.
@@WagnersTechTalk Awesome many thanks.
The firmware update, does is that for the USB-to-SATA adapter or does it install something on the hard drive to flash the Pi’s firmware?
No, nothing to the hard drive - just the USB-to-SATA adapter during this step: wagnerstechtalk.com/nespi4/#Step_2_Update_NESPi_4_SSD_Controller_Firmware . Just updated that section to make sure it's clear.
@@WagnersTechTalk any idea what UAS means in this context? Does this mean I could flash the bay without a SSD inserted?
@@xreev0x Correct, you're only updating the firmware of the jmicron usb sata controller. No disk is required.
Technically you're downgrading the firmware so it is not picked up as a UASP controller. The problem with this controller is it runs VERY slow if it is detected as UAS compatible. The firmware helps prevent that.
If not flashing the controller, you could alternatively add usbquirks to the cmdline.txt of your bootable media. There are guides online for this as well, search for "nespi4 usbquirks"
Etsy has some awesome cartridge labels for any nes game. I bought maniac mansion, Friday the 13th, and shadow gate for my cartridges. They look factory 👍
Sweet, feel free to post the link here. I don't block links on my channel (so long as it's not rom-related).
I have loved your video!!! so many thanks!!!
Awesome, happy you enjoyed it! If you need more information, I also have a guide on the NESPi 4 case here: wagnerstechtalk.com/nespi4/
@@WagnersTechTalk thanks, I'll check it out!!
Alternatif device, nice
I'm confused on three things.
Is there an sd card in the pi, and if so what OS is it running?
Will I have to do the process to every cartridge I have?
Lastly, if I don't have a cartridge, will it boot to the sdcard if there is one?
Q1: Is there an sd card in the pi, and if so what OS is it running?
A1: You'll typically install the OS yourself (RetroPie, PiOS, Recalbox, Batocera, etc.)
Q2:Will I have to do the process to every cartridge I have?
A2: For each SSD, yes you will have to install the OS you want to run. However, you won't have to update the firmware as shown in this video, only the OS. However, that's only if you want to use more than one OS. There are other options, check out my videos on BerryBoot and PINN Lite, if interested.
Q3: if I don't have a cartridge, will it boot to the sdcard if there is one?
A3: If you don't have a cartridge (i.e. SSD installed in the slot) and have an OS installed on the microSD card, yes it will boot from that.
Hope this clarifies!
@@WagnersTechTalk thank you so much
@Wagner's TechTalk
Hello! Brother.
Would you help me?
I saw all tutorials.
But I can't boot the SSD by Recalbox. 7.2.2
My ssd is a kingston.
Are there any steps I missed?
Do I need to update the firmware? or is it just for Retropie?
Is it possible to boot ssd by recalbox?
Here a black screen appears.
Saying I didn't put the sd card.
This trying to boot from ssd.
I don't speak english so the question.
I only saw the steps in the video.
thanks for support.
Have a nice day.
Hello, in this video I used Recalbox with the NESPi 4 case: th-cam.com/video/uoldBGHVXKA/w-d-xo.html . Please see the guide here for the NESPi 4, you should be able to translate it to your language and hopefully make sense out of it: wagnerstechtalk.com/nespi4 . If this doesn't help, let me know.
@@WagnersTechTalk
Hello! Brother.
I said I read your entire tutorial.
And I'm in trouble.
Can you help me?
Recalbox does not boot with the cartridge inside nespi4.
Message appears saying I didn't put the sd card.
Is it possible to boot recalbox from ssd?
or just in retropie?
I put the recalbox 7.2.2
Is it necessary to update nespi4 firmware to use in recalbox?
I downloaded the official installer and burned an image to ssd.
Does the ssd need to be in some special format?
Or does the program that burns an image already formats it in the necessary format?
Kingston 400 SSD.
Grateful for the support.
Have a nice day.
@@WagnersTechTalk
I'm here to thank you friend for your help.
I got it with your tutorial.
And I found out why it couldn't.
I took the final step to fix the black screen.
Needed to update firmware.
as you teach through raspbian 32.
for the quoted date.
thank you so much.
Now I need to see your tutorial.
How to get Retropie well configured.
Can you tell me if recalbox is able to boot from SSD too?
No ssd card. Just SSD.
I like recalbox, easy to play online.
Verus and coop with others players.
And retroachievements.
thank you so much.
for your support. Grateful
@@JuniorNJ Awesome, glad you got it all setup! Yes, in this video I show Recalbox booting from the SSD: th-cam.com/video/c2cJQJHMMpY/w-d-xo.html Since you've already got RetroPie up and running on an SSD, just get a 2nd SSD, install Recalbox to it and you can swap between the two whenever you want (or boot PiOS, etc. as well). Have a great day!
@@WagnersTechTalk
Hi! Hello! brother.
How you doing?
I hope you're well.
Do you could make a better video than this one I found.
This one I found is really bad.
Look.
It's very bad. To Learn.
th-cam.com/video/-Cvzebw8ib8/w-d-xo.html
Didactics 0.
And it doesn't explain easily.
It gets a little confused.
Video has to be didactic.
Like the friend Eta Prime's.
and yours videos.
Do you teach?
Running from the SSD.
Multiboot systems.
Teach expand android tv.
hear about such a TWRP.
I do not know what it is.
I would like to use android for Steam Link and others.
It would be awesome to have everyone on the SSD.
OS, 32 or 64, for pi, quality, and best layout.
Android TV
and Retropie.
or Recalbox and Retropie.
I like Recalbox because it is possible to play online with friends.
with retro achievements too.
thanks your for your support. Grateful.
I Appreciate your knowledge and patience in teaching.
have a nice day.
Love your videos!
Thank you Zach! I appreciate you watching.
I attempted to do this and the OS and everything boots/runs fine. The problem I'm having is it partitioned the hard drive or something, when I try to transfer ROMS it recognizes the 1tb SSD I have as a 255mb storage capacity. I tried to expand the filesystem in the settings on emulation station but had no luck. Have you ever ran into this problem?
Not sure what OS you're installing, some will expand automatically others may not. The instructions here were used in the context of a microSD card but are the same for an SSD: wagnerstechtalk.com/rg350tips/#Expand_Partition Just triple check that you've selected the correct drive for expanding. If you're running Windows, use the video link there which uses Disk Genius to expand the drive.
Hey there,
So, i found one of those cases in the basement that i had bought a log long time ago and then totally forgot about.
Followed your steps to boot from SSD, but no matter which firmware i put on the controller, the only thing in getting is the dreaded 4 green LED dance on the Pi.
Any ideas?
Never mind. That pi had an old eeprom version. All good now. My bad. LOL
Glad you got it all setup, hope you enjoy it!
Great vid, when using an SSD do you still need to transfer games over WiFi or can it be done with drag and drop ?
Thank you! I transferred all the games over WiFi from my NAS. The partition that contains the roms subfolder isn't easily accessible in Windows. I also wanted to test the WiFi with the SSD installed, worked just fine (some have mentioned having issues but I did not).
I'm waiting on Retroflag to release some other case... i'm just burnt out on NES.. i'd like a Turbo Grafix 16 style case.. or maybe another SEGA styled case.. i dunno.. something..
I'd be all over an Atari 2600 styled case with an SSD for the cartridge. Guess I'm showing my age lol
Hi! Finally got my console. I have this case retroflag nespi. I was setting up fan runs lights turn on and it’s working but when I hook up to my monitor nothing shows up screen. I saw your other video I want to use SD Only. Don’t have SSD drive (prefer SD) does that mean I have to also install Ledger? I installed raspberry pi from the site on my SD card perfectly. no connection. Thank you 😊
Also can I setup using a laptop or is it best to set up with a monitor only like how you did in video. Thank you and sorry for too many questions :(
Make sure you have the HDMI cable connected before powering on the Pi and that it's connected to the HDMI 0 port. Should show up fine on the monitor. Not sure what you mean by installing Ledger, maybe you meant Etcher? If so, Raspberry Pi Imager is a great tool to use and one I've been using in all my more recent videos. If you ever decide to add an SSD, got a bit more info. on the guide page here: wagnerstechtalk.com/nespi4/
No problem on the questions. You'll need an HDMI cable going from the Pi4 to a monitor/TV. Most laptops don't have HDMI input, just output.
@@WagnersTechTalk thanks for getting back. Yes I have hdmi hooked up properly. Do I have to download ledger as a must to make it work? Also I read a boot loader download might help but not sure if that’ll work
Yes I meant etcher lol sorry typo
i wanna boot from ssd , flashed retroflag on it but, when i get to the step of update firmware, Method 2 update firmware folder does not read on my mac, any help would be nice please
Hi Bruno, I'm sorry I don't have a Mac and not much help there. Perhaps you can post your question here: www.reddit.com/r/RetroFlag and someone may be able to assist further.
Does this firmware work for any OS? I'd love to have hot-swappable SSD's instead of MicroSD cards and I think the NESpi 4 would also make a good desktop general use Pi case. I could swap between PiOS, Ubuntu, RetroPie, Manjaro ARM, or any OS I want as long as I have enough drives on hand.
I only have two SSD's, I have PiOS on one and RetroPie on the other. So yes, you should be able to put different OS's on multiple SSDs.
When updating the firmware to be able to boot from the ssd do I still have to do the usb boot update for the pi 4 to use the ssd? Or is it just fine to use the retroflag method?
One you update the firmware in the adapter by running that utility, you should be good to go. If you have trouble, this guide has a troubleshooting section which should be of assistance: wagnerstechtalk.com/nespi4/
@@WagnersTechTalk thanks!
What are benefits of using a ssd drive instead of a micro sd card? Great video.
There are a couple, first of all with this case you can pop-in a cartridge running RetroPie, PiOS, etc. and have different configurations or sets of games on each (WiFi with Recalbox doesn't seem to work properly, however). The 2nd benefit is speed, the read-write speed is much faster than a microSD as shown here: wagnerstechtalk.com/nespi4/#Speed_Tests Hope I've answered your questions, thanks for watching!
@@WagnersTechTalk Are the steps the same for using Recalbox? I haven't been able to get recalbox to boot from the ssd. It did work for Retropie for me though.
Can I just use an image like Wolfanoz on the ssd and boot without manually having to install retropie instead?
You could, but I've had issues with some premade images and typically just install RetroPie myself.
Where does the Safe Shutdown script get written to? Does it need to be installed again if I use a 2nd SSD with a different image on it?
I guess the question is, will the 2nd SSD be replacing your current one or in addition to? If it's replacing it, whatever OS you install as the boot drive will need the scripts installed.
@@WagnersTechTalk I'm using a pre build image that I flashed to the SSD. I was thinking if I were to download a different pre built image on a 2nd SSD would I need to run the shutdown scrip again?
Yes, as it would be a new image with it's own OS. You'll want to re-run the script on that drive also.
Is it possible to boot from an existing image to an SSD instead of a fresh copy of Retropie? I have a 512GB image I would like to put on an SSD and boot from it. Can Etcher be used to flash the image to the SSD?
I have some instructions that were written for a Retro Gaming Handheld (RG-350) but it's basically the same. One of these days, I'll make a more generic video/instructions but at the core it's the following: wagnerstechtalk.com/rg350tips/#Create_the_Backup
Perform steps 5-12, however rename the .img file to something more meaningful to you.
Then, remove the original microSD and insert your new one (must be the same size or larger, recommend larger) and perform the Restore Backup section to the new microSD using your previously backed up .img file. This should work for you, though I can't guarantee it. Just be extra careful that after you backup the image you remove your original microSD and keep it safe. You may also have to go into raspi-config (from the RetroPie menu) and expand the file system to take advantage of the extra size of your new SSD (assuming it's larger than the original). Hope that helps!
I cannot get the firmware folder to open on my Mac. therefore cannot update the firmware on my ssd. any solutions?
Hi Issabella, I'm sorry I don't have a Mac and not much help there. Maybe you can post your question here: www.reddit.com/r/RetroFlag and someone may be able to assist further.
What did I do with the rest of the partition. The Raspberry PI Imager only creates 2.6 GB in the first partition.
Can I create or split an exFAT with the rest?
If you need to modify the size of the partition, you can use DiskGenius for that. Just be very careful and make sure you're working with the removable drive. I don't think you need the full license for that. Should you ever need/want to license it, they did provide us with a 30% off coupon here: wagnerstechtalk.com/ogs/#Copy_Files_with_DiskGenius
I am unable to download the SSD boot firmware from the RetroFlag download link (not secure). Is there another download method?
Looks like the link is temporarily down, not sure why.
Hi Mark, I'm temporarily re-hosting their file here: wagnerstechtalk.com/nespi4/#Step_2_Update_NESPi_4_SSD_Controller_Firmware You'll see a note immediately after their official link. Apparently they have not corrected it yet.
I am having any issue before the conversion to SSD, the Pi is almost unresponsive with the SATA USB device plugged in. If I disconnect the SATA controller, the Pi works normally. I am using the same Samsung QVO drive, and I am able to flash an image to the drive via PC, but when looking at the firmware utility, see unknown chip. I was thinking I might have had a bad controller, but with it being able to flash an image, I am not so sure.
From what I've heard a few times, RetroFlag changed the design of their case since this video. I don't have the "newer" version of their case to assist. Unfortunately, I'll have to refer you to their support page: support.retroflag.com/ (see their e-mail address at the bottom of the page). If this trend continues, I'll ask them what's going on and if I need to re-review it. I've had ~3 people contact me with issues that I never had with the version I reviewed.
@@WagnersTechTalk The version of my case does look slightly different, where the USB ports are both white and the fan is mounted next to the SSD with a different lead. I have sent an email to support and will follow up here with what ever the outcome is. Thank you for taking the time to respond!
I am running a newer version of the case and the firmware version does not apply. Most of my issue appears to have been related to a wireless keyboard that was interfering with the SSD. I am mostly at a good point, but am having a 3-4 minute POST time. I am waiting to hear back from RetroFlag.
Hi, should I need to update nespi controller software to run rasbian lite os from USB boot or it would work without update ? Thanks for your help
Depends if you have the latest Raspberry Pi firmware installed or not, if you have an issue please see this: wagnerstechtalk.com/nespi4/#Troubleshooting If you still have an issue not covered, let me know and I'll do my best to answer.
@@WagnersTechTalk hi I was able to boot from ssd for.my pi 4. I have 240gb ssd can I use around 200gb as different partition to save my data on ssd. It already has 2 partitions boot and root system. Is there any way i can create one more partition for my data . Thanks in advance
I followed the instructions exactly but when I start up the Raspberry Pi I get an error saying "SD card not detected"..."Failed to open device: 'sdcard". I made sure the SSD was firmly seated in the Nespi case. Any ideas?
Please see the Troubleshooting section here: wagnerstechtalk.com/nespi4/#Troubleshooting . Boot from the microSD card (F4 if in RetroPie) and issue the following commands from this. It's possible the firmware for your Raspberry Pi isn't the most recent.
Question: I have tried the above and still can’t boot from the SSD, any other suggestions?
Answer: try the following command into the console to (potentially) downgrade PiOS the firmware : sudo rpi-eeprom-update -d -f /lib/firmware/raspberrypi/bootloader/stable/pieeprom-2020-09-03.bin After typing the above, press ENTER. This will set the EPROM in the Pi 4 to the version from 2020-09-03. Restart the Raspberry Pi by typing: sudo reboot
@@WagnersTechTalk thank you for the quick reply, you rock man! Updating the eeprom did the trick, it boots from the USB SSD now.
Is the USB/SSD be faster than the Micro SD card? That would be a real advantage beyond esthetics!
Boot time is not faster, however read/write speeds are much faster. I performed read-write tests on x2 drives I picked up here: wagnerstechtalk.com/nespi4/#Speed_Tests You can also see them in comparison to the microSD card. Much faster.
Can you use this method to update the firmware on any pi image? Like a custom image you saved as a backup?
You can use the Pi Imager to install a new operating system to a microSD/SSD. The firmware update utility is used to update the firmware in the SATA controller of the NESPi 4 case itself. Hope this answers your question 👍
@@WagnersTechTalk Wow I don’t know how I missed that in your tutorial. I have been trying to boot from ssd for a long time and I was unable until this video. Plus I was using just a usb to sata from Amazon. After the tutorial it booted no problem. Thank you so much this was so helpful!!!!!
Great news and you're very welcome Robert! I try to release one video a week. I spend time testing and making sure things should work before releasing it. Makes me happy to receive comments like yours!
Gna, I just followed this tutorial the third time, but the raspi isn't starting. The fan starts but no OS is starting. I have no clue what's going on :/
Just to be clear, there is no SD card in the raspi, right? I mean the whole purpose is to get retropie going withouta micro SD card, riiight? ^^
Hi Motte, it can be setup to boot without a microSD card, correct. Check out the Troubleshooting section on this guide and see if something there helps: wagnerstechtalk.com/nespi4/#Troubleshooting Above that are step-by-step instructions as well.
Are there compatibility issues related to specific SSD's and booting from them? I can easily write over the SSD [verified files] and I updated the firmware with the NO UAS file . When I reassemble the unit and apply power, the bootloader throws an error and reports the SD card is not detected. Any hints? Is there something I am missing? Thank you!
It's most likely that the firmware on your Raspberry Pi is out of date. Boot from the microSD with PiOS/RetroPie (F4 after boot for a terminal) installed and WiFi/Ethernet connected, then issue the commands:
sudo apt update
sudo apt full-upgrade
sudo reboot (should be good after reboot here)
sudo rpi-update (if not, force an update of the firmware with this command)
@@WagnersTechTalk That worked perfectly! thank you!
@@jonasgroff4631 Very welcome Jonas, glad it worked for you.
I really do like the form and function of the NES pi4 since I got it last week, but Ive read online that the SSD controller, and the wires inside, present problems; Namely, the wires are not shielded enough and cause interference with bluetooth, and not having UAS downgrades the drive speed to USB2 instead of USB3.
Is there any way we can replace the SSD controller or unshielded wires inside the case with something that doesn't have such problems?
I've read that you can tape some aluminum foil around the SSD cable and adapter to minimize interference. The only firmware I have issues with is Recalbox and I suspect it has something to do with the network drivers. Beyond that, contact Retroflag for any other options I may not be aware of. The WiFi only sees my 2.4Ghz SSID, not my 5Ghz. RetroPie, PiOS, etc. are all fine. Hope this helps!
@@WagnersTechTalk Yea I just saw the aluminum suggestion elsewhere..
@@WagnersTechTalk Because I was curious, I opened up the section where the SATA connector is inside, and the PCB is extremely small.. right up against the back wall of the case in there.
I'm not sure what could be used as a replacement there without having to replace the entire case....
Hi, i finished an image of mine on an 256GB sd card and i have the backup of that as a single file .img. Can i use etcher and install the same image (of the sd card) on my 2TB HDD or do ihave to use only images that have been made just for hdds?
Also do i have to change any option?
I am using retropie pi4 and i own the nespi case also.
Hi, you can. I have a guide that explains how to do that here: wagnerstechtalk.com/common/ You'll want to make sure to follow the "Expand a Partition" section after your write the image to the 2TB HDD to get full use of the larger capacity drive. Hope that helps!
@@WagnersTechTalk thank you very much for the response. I'll start readingthe guide then. Thank you.
@@WagnersTechTalk Hi again. I did everything right but when i boot the console i am getting a message saying "the root account is locked" and there is a checking in progress on 1 disk counting on %.
What is that? Even if it goes to 100% it starts again. Any clue?
do i need to have an sd card plugged in for this to work? i followed the steps but it just stays off in idle, also the program you used said it was not compatible with the chip so i did the manual method
No SD card should be needed. I boot off the SSD all the time. Did you use this guide: wagnerstechtalk.com/nespi4/#SSD_Setup ?
@@WagnersTechTalk I will follow that and see how it goes, thank you! I am thinking now that I need to do an SD card install first in order to change the boot order, and then boot from the SSD boot image I have installed.
For some reason it doesn't pop up on the firmware updater but does on the file explorer can I use another sata device to update the firmware?
More recent models of the NESPi 4 don't require this firmware update. Unless you purchased it used, you may be fine without updating the firmware.
@@WagnersTechTalk Thank you and yea it is a newer model I updated the firmware with the other SATA adapter but it looks like it had no impact. For some odd reason I use the Wolfanoz 1tb build on my SSD and it was booting up fine but now it's just a black screen on boot so I'm rewriting the image to the SSD. SD card works fine and it worked fine when I used Raspbian
When you boot for a moment their a fail start that is amoung all the boot information. What is what all about I keep getting that also
You can basically ignore the error, a little more info on this thread: retropie.org.uk/forum/topic/297/failed-failed-to-start-usbmount-dev-sda-service
Would you happen to know why the SSD with my RetroPie image isn't showing up in file explore on PC or in the Firmware Update Tool? When I plug it in to my PC I do have the option to safely eject it the system tray on PC so it is being recognized on some level
Think I can help a little with both question. First, there are two partitions created when you image an SSD/microSD with RetroPie. The first is the boot partition which is readable by Windows (fat32), the other is a linux partition which is not natively readable by Windows. However, you can use a tool such as Disk Genius to view the contents of the 2nd partition within Windows (with the professional version, you can read/write also: 30% Off Disk Genius Pro code: DG30-YUTE-STPR).
Retroflag has updated the firmware/device since this video. A firmware update is likely no longer necessary as it was with the earlier generation. So, unless you bought the RetroFlag used somewhere, no need to update the firrmware.
@@WagnersTechTalk Thanks for always replying. I used your videos to put together my first RetroPie ~2 years ago. My sister played it last week for the first time and asked me to put one together for her.
I did so with the help of your videos again. I cloned my SSD to a new one for her. When I booted hers in her new case I get an error message "
" 1.1991311 mmc1: Controller never released Inhibit bits)."
If you just wait it eventually boots to the RetroPie dashboard.
I did some googling and it seems it's related to booting off of a SSD instead of a SD card. So I tried to update the firmware for the case. As you know that is pointless now. The other fix I saw was to put a blank SD card in the reader. That seemed to get rid of the error message.
So strange because I wasn't getting that error off her cloned drive until I fixed an issue/setting with RetroArch that was preventing the save function in any core. After that save issue fix I had to clone the SSD again because I was just going to do a fresh RetroPie flash on hers before I found a fix for the save issue.
Even though that error is gone there seems to be a few lines of code, or another error that flashes too fast to read after the splash video plays. Boot up seems longer on her drive as well.
Sorry for the wall of text
You might want to try updating the firmware in the Pi: th-cam.com/video/xjyQoIzLWac/w-d-xo.html
This fw is pretty cool in that you don't need a microSD to write a image. The issue may be that the Pi you have has a different firmware version.
@@WagnersTechTalk That is cool! If I bought my sister's new Pi a week ago it most likely shipped with that Firmware or newer most likely right?
Not necessarily. May want to check, depending on where the inventory came from it could be old stock.
I've got a SanDisk 1TB SSD drive that I've imaged with the retropie-buster-4.7.1-rpi4_400.img.gz but when I run RetroFlag's FwUpdateTool_v1_19_16_24.exe, it doesn't see any usable drives. What am I doing wrong? I used Etcher to flash the image onto the SSD rather than RetroPie's own app and I have my own USB 3.0 to 2.5" SATA cable rather than taking apart the NESPi 4 case.
The firmware update tool only works if you're using the NESPi 4 SSD connected over USB to your Windows computer. It flashes the firmware in the SSD adapter (not the contents of the SSD). If needed, full written instructions are here: wagnerstechtalk.com/nespi4/#SSD_Setup . This should get you going.
@@WagnersTechTalk Thank you for that. I removed the top part of the NESPi 4 case and I was able to install the firmware. At least, it said it was successful. I'm reviewing your troubleshooting section in the link you provided and I'm getting the screen in point number 1. I connected my keyboard but pressing F4 doesn't get me into any command terminal. I've removed and replaced the SSD to make sure that it fit on the SATA connector.
I said 'screw it' and started over, following every one of your steps to the word, using the Raspberry Pi imager. I figure I could just replace the files over the network from the SD card once I get it up and running. The Raspberry Pi Imager says "Error writing file to disk". I'm using a SanDisk Ultra 3D SSD 1TB. Etcher can write the OS just fine.
@@CaseyDriskill Great, after flashing the firmware and flashing RetroPie using Pi Imager, just re-install to the NESPi 4 case + SSD and it should boot up at that point.
@@WagnersTechTalk Unfortunately reinstalling the top of the NESPi case with the SSD in and then booting it up did not work. It brought me to the 'failed to boot from device sdcard' screen. I made sure the SSD was fully in the SATA connector.
@@CaseyDriskill Hmmm, did you image the SSD with RetroPie as was shown in the video?
I tried to install retropie 4.8.9 onto my SSD and it crashed when I tried to install a emulator it shows the disk 1 with the percentage then disk 0 and crash I tried everything.
May want to check with RetroFlag to see if there is any compatibility problems with your SSD model. You can ask them at sales@retroflag.com
@@WagnersTechTalk I have and the SSD that I have isn't compatible which is disappointing. I had to run it off the sd card which I wanted to avoid.
I have a problem with the adapter for the SSD. The Jmicron Program can't find it and after i burned the ssd with Retropie image i can't see the ssd anymore in the browser. Thanks for helping.
You likely have the newer-model case, you'll need to contact RetroFlag. I don't have the newer version of the case here.
@@WagnersTechTalk I found a solution with the bootloader. Thanks.
@@elviskaucic8368 what’s the solution? Same problem
@@johansjostrand4184 You need to burn the USB Boot Bootloader image in the Raspberry Pi Imager on a Micro SD Card and put it in the Case together with the burned SSD and boot it. It should then work without the Micro SD after the first full boot.
is there still no way to do this from MacOS? The only thing stopping me from buying one now
From what I understand, there is a newer model which doesn't require the firmware upgrade shown here. HOWEVER, I don't own that model and can't confirm how well it works. You may want to contact RetroFlag directly, their e-mail is at the bottom of this page: support.retroflag.com . Hope that helps!
I have done everything but I keep getting a Red screen that says Bootloader on it. What am I doing wrong
Hi Jason, send a picture of what you're seeing to wagnerstechtalk@gmail.com . I have not seen it so curious to see if I can make sense out of it.
Does the firmware update for the Sata adapter fix the issues with WIFI and Bluetooth not working with SSD installed?
I have read about the issue, but I personally could not reproduce the problem. I transferred 500GB of Data (including a number of very small files) over WIFI (802.11 AC/5Ghz) to the 1TB SSD you saw in this video, it stayed connected copying for the entire transfer without issue (several hours). Regarding BT being an issue, I had tested this after my first NESPi 4 video here: th-cam.com/video/_5jNaCakwbg/w-d-xo.html No issue for me. Perhaps it was earlier units that had these problems, I can't honestly say. All I can say, I can't reproduce the issues. I hope this helps!
@@WagnersTechTalk Thank I checked out the video about BT controller. (Thanks) Was that video done with an SSD in? That seems to be the issue I see from all of the reviews. That with the SSD in the wifi can be flaky to non-existent and that BT is broken with the SSD in also. I have the 8Bitdo sega and switch controllers I would like to use with the case and them not working would be a dealbreaker for me. Other reviews cited a loud fan but I doubt that would be an issue since it won't be right next to me. Thanks for the response. Great videos!!!
Hi Blair, yes both the WiFi and the BT test was done with an SSD Cart in the NESPi 4 case. I figured if there was a problem, transferring ~4-500GB would have been an issue - but it wasn't for me (during the transfer, I was writing to the SSD over WiFi). It's possible that it would only be an issue with lower frequencies (i.e. 2.4Ghz) but it took awhile to transfer and I was happy with that test.
@@WagnersTechTalk Thank you so much for the video and helpful responses. I followed your Amazon links to purchase the case and 1tb drive. Looking forward to introducing my little ones to some vintage games.
Awesome, I think you'll really enjoy it! I just received a 3rd SSD today for an upcoming video 😎 Also, I do appreciate you using my links, every little bit helps!
Having the same problem failed to open device: 'sd card'
How do I change the pios
I tried plugging in a keyboard.
Do I need a sd card with retro pie already on it. Not sure where 2 go from here.
I'm thinking the issue here may be that the firmware on your Raspberry Pi is older and can't handle USB booting. To update it, you could install PiOS to a microSD, make sure your network is connected (wired or wifi), run the update wizard to install the latest PiOS updates. Then shutdown, remove the microSD and re-install the SSD. Power it up and see if this works now.
If the above doesn't work, re-install the PiOS microSD and boot. Open a Terminal window and run the command below (this will force an update of the Raspberry Pi firmware):
sudo rpi-update
Then, shutdown the Pi, remove the microSD, re-insert the SSD and power on. One of the two "should" fix the issue, assuming you performed the firmware update as shown in this video. Please let me know the results so I can update the troubleshooting page accordingly.
@@WagnersTechTalk I gave it my best shot and still have no luck. Only thing I haven't tried is the wizard update. I am assuming that is in the retropie setup. Thanks for helping.
@@mikearey5991 Definitely try the wizard update, the firmware update may not help unless you've updated your Pi to the latest release. Then try what I wrote above and you "should" be good.
I can flash and boot from ssd using Batocera?
While I've not yet personally tried it, I see no reason why it wouldn't work. It is on my to-do list to try out at some point.
I already set the booting for sd and install games in ssd (not for booting). if i now want to switch the booting from sd to ssd, do i need to format the ssd again for the setup? (if possible, i dun want to remove the games i installed in ssd for new setup again)
If you have a NAS or some network share, you could copy all your games to the NAS pretty easily (directories are already there with your games). Then, re-image the SSD (or use a new one) and copy your games back to the new/newly-setup SSD.
@@WagnersTechTalk my transfer speed of NAS is rather slow......anyway....if SSD boot the machine, does it mean it will be the same as SD that the SSD cannot be read normally by PC after the boot setup starts? then for copying games, i can only do by copying games through wifi?
Depends on the OS you're using, for RetroPie yes it will be the same. For Recalbox, it would have a share readable by Windows, however Wifi doesn't seem to work reliably with this case and Recalbox (see my note in the video description if you need more info.). Hope this helps!
@@WagnersTechTalk thx got it
i have a kingston 240, the utility does not show the drive at all. says unknown chip. help!
Please see this and double-check everything is correct: wagnerstechtalk.com/nespi4/#Step_1_Flash_RetroPie_to_the_SSD I also used the 240GB Kingston and had no issues. However, I've had about two folks tell me their case design was different from mine. If your case looks different from the one shown in this video I may not be much help. May need to contact RetroFlag at sales@retroflag.com to see if they've changed things.
@@WagnersTechTalk they may very well have. ill keep tinkering with it here. found a supposed fix but have to wait until my honey is done watching tv. thank you for the info!
got my drive installed, and rom flashed. it boots very very fast, so i dont believe the v2 case has to be updated maybe.... i am just fighting the ssd and 2.4g connection and screen width at this moment. im brand new but i think i am headed in the right direction.
Thank you for your feedback! Sounds like the newer version of the case has corrected the issues. I'll confirm with Retroflag and if that is the case will update the guide accordingly.
Also, there is problems with 2.4g wifi if you use the ssd. I had to use my phone as a bypass so I could send roms to it.
can I also use a normal HD? or necessarily an SSD?
It will need to be a 2.5" SSD to fit in the cartridge shells, a few that I've tested are mentioned here:wagnerstechtalk.com/nespi4/#Speed_Tests
@@WagnersTechTalk i tried with a 2.5 ssd but it doesn't fit in the case
@@nivmizzet84 I bought two (as shown in the link above) and they both fit perfectly here. What did you get?
@@WagnersTechTalk i had an old 160gb 2.5 hd to try
I know I'm joining the chorus here, but I am having absolutely no luck with this case at all. I have tried every step on this guide. It will boot once (and ONLY once) from the NESPi SATA bridge after being disconnected from an external USB 3.0 connection, but after that it's error after error on the QR code bootscreen. Absolutely no fix I've tried works. Going into the terminal, it doesn't even SEE the SSD, only the bridge that's connected to it. Trying to use a Seagate 2TB SSD which is detected and even boots fine from the external USB 3.0 adapter. I've spent three days now trying to address this problem and am making absolutely no progress except in getting incredibly frustrated at the idea that I've probably wasted my time and money on a dead project.
Not exactly joining the chorus, the vast majority of feedback I've received here has been positive, just curious if you followed this guide (or another) wagnerstechtalk.com/nespi4/#Booting_from_SSD ? I've personally used up to a 1TB drive and these steps have worked on the x3 or so SSD's that I own. If those instructions don't work for you, I 'd recommend contacting Retroflag as you may have a hardware issue. If you do and find out the solution, always appreciate a comment to let me know what the problem was so I can update the guide with what was found.
@@WagnersTechTalk Thanks for the reply, it's nice to receive prompt feedback during a stressful time. As far as guides, yes, I followed your guide to the letter (since, as you mentioned, many people were reporting success with it, so why rock the boat). To the point now where I actually know some Linux line commands (and that sudo just cannot ever be forgotten).
Here's the issue I've run into, and I'll try to be as succinct as possible. The SSD boots great, but only from the external enclosure I have (to recover dead HDDs or other such items, I dabble in salvaging). When connected to the NESPi's SATA connector, I can go into PuTTY and see the BRIDGE, but not the DRIVE. Which might suggest there's a connectivity issue with the bridge IF it didn't pop up almost immediately upon my connecting the NESPi bridge to the PC, ready to be explored and used. So the bridge is actually good (to an extent) as far as being able to read the drive. I can connect, disconnect, reconnect, and experience no errors or issues with the Windows 10 machine. I have formatted this SSD (several times now, so I'm a little concerned for it) in Windows AND in PuTTY when I had it connected via the external enclosure.
What's driving me up a wall is that I've actually successfully booted the thing FROM the NESPi bridge with ZERO issues, but it only happens ONCE and only directly after I move the SSD from the enclosure to the bridge. Every boot attempt after that gets me the QR screen and repeated error messages. So the Pi CAN read the drive. It's so frustrating because I'm SO CLOSE to being past this nightmare.
Just curious if you have a smaller SSD available that you can try (perhaps
@@WagnersTechTalk Unfortunately no, no spare ones right now. Figured this'd be a pop-and-play rather than something so involved and wild. I don't see contact information on their webpage, so I'm not exactly sure how to do just that. At this point, I'm not even trying to get it to boot from the SSD, I just want it to READ the SSD whilst connected via the NESPi Bridge so I can just move on to better things.
Just incase: Think I used sales@retroflag.com to get in contact with them initially and did hear back.
hi, how i can control speed Fan?
AFAIK, there is not a software solution to allow changing the fan speed on the NESPi 4. You may want to confirm with Retroflag but I don't see it in the documentation. However, I did notice this sometime back: mini-mods.com/product/nespi-4-fan-control , it's a hardware option that may be of interest. I've never personally used this so no idea how well it works.
thanks, but i think i will try to adapt the official raspberry 3 wire fan
No luck for me. Asking to insert sd card. :(
Not sure what all you've tried, please see this page (Booting from SSD and also Troubleshooting section): wagnerstechtalk.com/nespi4
This doesn't work. I did all the steps you did. [1] If I used Raspberry Imager on Windows10, I get no drive letter. And cannot add the firmware. [2] If I use RImager on RaspbianOS I see everything. So I took out the SDcard out of the case and left the SSD inside. I got a black screen with the QRcode and it says insert SDcard. [Rpi 4 with 8GB]
This is the first report that it has not worked for anyone, I suspect the wrong firmware was selected (don't select the most recent date you see for the firmware, go with JMS578_STD_V00.02.00.09_NO_UAS.bin). Please see my full instructions here and see if something perhaps got missed: wagnerstechtalk.com/nespi4/#Step_2_Update_NESPi_4_SSD_Controller_Firmware
@@WagnersTechTalk If my Windows computer can see the SSD then I can do the Method 2 Firmware, for now I did Method 1 and edited the config file. My only guess is that the SSD I'm using isn't compatible - Inland 256GB SSD from MicroCenter. So for now I have the Retropie on the SDcard and the roms on the SSD. Shame, I really wanted to boot from SSD, but for now I'm not willing to spend more money on this project. Maybe when one of my other SSDs becomes free, I'll play with this more. Thank you for trying to help me. ;-)
@@aurora3957 Interesting that this did not work for you. I've only tried a small sampling of x2 SSD's thus far (like you, no budget for more at the present). If you wind up trying a different SSD or figure something out please let me know. I'll update the NESPi 4 page with whatever you find out (giving you credit for the tip). Thanks for watching!
This didn't work for me. Firmware updated.
Are you, by chance, trying to use a Seagate SSD? If so, read they grey section here: wagnerstechtalk.com/nespi4/#Step_2_Update_NESPi_4_SSD_Controller_Firmware
after all this it did not work
Boot from a microSD card, then try this from a terminal (WiFi or Ethernet connected):
sudo apt update
sudo apt full-upgrade
Shutdown the Pi4, remove the microSD and allow it to boot from the SSD. Your firmware is likely outdated and the above will update it. It's also here should you need it: wagnerstechtalk.com/nespi4/#Troubleshooting
@@WagnersTechTalk Ok I will try right now
How do you reach the terminal?
Another wasted hour...wont boot from the ssd
Strange, that's worked for everyone else (til now). Did you notice any errors during the update or full-upgrade?
Do it in Linux Mint with Balena Ecther to flash !!! Windows sucks !!!
The fwupdate tool isn't reading my kingston ssd. Any tips
Retroflag released a new version of the case since this video, if you're using the new version of the case then the fw update may not be needed anymore. I don't have the newer version of the case to test.