Author Topic: New to Hacking and Having Trouble (Read 7297 times)

KatieLou · « **on:** January 03, 2016, 08:51:45 pm »

I'm trying to learn how to hack and create games. I'm using Pokémon FireRed to learn and am having a hard time getting all the programs I need to do what I want to do and getting them to work properly.

I have:
AdvanceMap
FSF
XSE
AdvanceMart
TraderAdvance
YAPE
ATack
AdvanceStarter
PokeTronic

AdvanceMap works fine. FSF I have yet to use. I've used XSE to look at script and nothing else just yet, but it seems to work fine. AdvanceMart doesn't open due to comctl32.ocx missing (trying to get help for fixing that). TraderAdvance works fine. YAPE will open, but not open my game's .gba. ATack keeps trying to use AdvanceMap to open and I can't figure out how to get it to open with anything else. AdvanceStarter and PokeTronic do the same thing ATack does.

I am enjoying working on this, but it is really hard. If anyone could help me make my programs work or would be willing to help me fix some problems with my hack, I'd really appreciate it!

Jorpho · « **Reply #1 on:** January 04, 2016, 12:22:13 am »

Quote from: KatieLou on January 03, 2016, 08:51:45 pm

AdvanceMart doesn't open due to comctl32.ocx missing (trying to get help for fixing that).

That is a common problem with many old romhacking utilities. Do a search, and you will find more threads with details.

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YAPE will open, but not open my game's .gba.

Does it give an error message of some sort?

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ATack keeps trying to use AdvanceMap to open and I can't figure out how to get it to open with anything else.

Not sure what that means, but if AdvanceMap works fine, what's the problem?

KatieLou · « **Reply #2 on:** January 04, 2016, 03:06:11 pm »

I'm working on fixing comctl32.ocx (not going well, not I'm working on it).

I somehow managed to get YAPE working. I attribute that to dumb luck since it started working when I was trying to get something else working.

"ERROR: (EUnknownRomType) AdvanceMapError(12): Unknown Rom Type! This Rom cannot be edited with AdvanceMap." It keeps trying to use AdvanceMap to open a program that isn't designed to open in AdvanceMap.

Jorpho · « **Reply #3 on:** January 04, 2016, 08:34:53 pm »

Quote from: KatieLou on January 04, 2016, 03:06:11 pm

I'm working on fixing comctl32.ocx (not going well, not I'm working on it).

I'm not sure what that means – I expect it would either work or it wouldn't.

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"ERROR: (EUnknownRomType) AdvanceMapError(12): Unknown Rom Type! This Rom cannot be edited with AdvanceMap." It keeps trying to use AdvanceMap to open a program that isn't designed to open in AdvanceMap.

I wouldn't expect programs to open in AdvanceMap at all.

What exactly are you doing when you start ATack?

BlackDog61 · « **Reply #4 on:** January 05, 2016, 02:41:46 pm »

Quote from: KatieLou on January 04, 2016, 03:06:11 pm

"ERROR: (EUnknownRomType) AdvanceMapError(12): Unknown Rom Type! This Rom cannot be edited with AdvanceMap." It keeps trying to use AdvanceMap to open a program that isn't designed to open in AdvanceMap.

Is the file a .gba or is it a compressed format (zip/rar)?

KatieLou · « **Reply #5 on:** January 05, 2016, 03:28:09 pm »

Jorpho:
I mean that I'm trying to fix the problem, but am having a hard time figuring out how to fix it.
Neither would I. All I do is click on the program to open it and it tries to open in AdvanceMap. It makes no sense.

BlackDog61:
The file says it's a .7z I don't know what that is.

BlackDog61 · « **Reply #6 on:** January 05, 2016, 03:35:03 pm »

Quote from: KatieLou on January 05, 2016, 03:28:09 pm

The file says it's a .7z I don't know what that is.

LOL.
That's a compressed file. Unzip with 7zip,winrar, whatever you prefer (or even maybe standard windows). THEN run the tools...

KatieLou · « **Reply #7 on:** January 05, 2016, 03:55:09 pm »

BlackDog61: But I did unzip it. It had the (excuse the wording, but I enjoy talking like this) little zippy icon thing, so I extracted it and that's when I tried running it and it tried using AdvanceMap to open. Admittedly it only used AdvanceMap because it came up telling me what program did I want to use to open it and I hit the button to open it without realizing I hit it. Apparently it was on AdvanceMap and "Always Open With" &@%%#! *sighs* Now I don't know how to fix it or even what the file is supposed to use to open *Cry*

SunGodPortal · « **Reply #8 on:** January 05, 2016, 07:02:34 pm »

What version of Windows are you using?

KatieLou · « **Reply #9 on:** January 05, 2016, 07:27:59 pm »

Windows 10

SunGodPortal · « **Reply #10 on:** January 05, 2016, 07:40:06 pm »

Oh. Too bad. I've only used all of the versions that preceeded it. I'm not sure what to suggest but in the previous versions of windows it wasn't too terribly difficult to get things to open with a diff program.

Here's how I do it in Windows 7 (what's on my laptop): Right-click, open with..., choose default program, uncheck "always use the selected program to open this kind of file" if you're not sure if you have the correct program, click browse and then find the program you want to open it with.

Hopefully Windows 10 has something similar, but I wouldn't be surprised if they made you find a back door. Regarding each newer version of Windows, anything that isn't Facebook/email or entertainment related is apparently considered an "advanced feature" that must be locked away from the casual user.

KatieLou · « **Reply #11 on:** January 05, 2016, 08:03:52 pm »

SunGodPortal: I can open it with another program, but not change the default. However, I don't know what to use to open it.

SunGodPortal · « **Reply #12 on:** January 05, 2016, 08:11:08 pm »

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SunGodPortal: I can open it with another program, but not change the default. However, I don't know what to use to open it.

Again, I'm not sure about 10 but on other version you can change that in the control panel under programs > default programs.

Hmm. So are you saying that you are trying to open a program but Windows is trying to open said program as a file in another program. I'm confused.

Jorpho · « **Reply #13 on:** January 06, 2016, 12:01:27 am »

Quote from: KatieLou on January 05, 2016, 03:28:09 pm

All I do is click on the program to open it and it tries to open in AdvanceMap. It makes no sense.

My question was, "What exactly are you doing when you start ATack?" It sounds to me like you're clicking on a .7z you downloaded, not the "program".

Where did you get ATack from, and how did you install it? I tried Googling for it just now and didn't get anywhere.

Rotwang · « **Reply #14 on:** January 06, 2016, 11:05:43 pm »

If file associations and using winzip are causing you problems, I have some bad news about your plans to hack ROMs.

SunGodPortal · « **Reply #15 on:** January 06, 2016, 11:33:52 pm »

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If file associations and using winzip are causing you problems, I have some bad news about your plans to hack ROMs.

Everybody's gotta start somewhere.

KatieLou · « **Reply #16 on:** January 07, 2016, 03:51:58 pm »

Okay, so I downloaded ATack from http://hackromtools.altervista.org/a-tack/ . The file says it's a .7z . I thought I unzipped it (like BlackDog61 told me to), but it turs out I was thinking of another download. When I right click the download, the option to extract isn't there. When I double-click on the program to open it, it tries to open with AdvanceMap and "ERROR: (EUnknownRomType) AdvanceMapError(12): Unknown Rom Type! This Rom cannot be edited with AdvanceMap." pops up. The first time I tried opening the program, I wasn't paying as much attention as I should have been and I hit a button without meaning to. After I hit this button I realized what had been on the screen: a pop-up asking me what program I wanted to use to open ATack with the box for "always open with" checked. I have managed to figure out how to not only open ATack with another program, but change it so that it stops trying to open with AdvanceMap. However, I don't know what I should use to try and open the program. I am wondering if I got a faulty download or if I'm missing the program I'm supposed to be using to open ATack since the options I have under "Open With" are: AdvanceMao, Internet Explorer, Windows Store, NotePad, WordPad, Paint, Windows Media Player, and Adobe Acrobat Reader AC.

Rotwang: You have to understand that I'm really weird. Things that make sense to most, make no sense to me. Things that make no sense to most, make sense to me. Using AdvanceMap and XSE I have already changed the maps from Pallet Town to Varidian City and am working on the scripts. I just don't have a clue how to make ATack work which I think I need to do if I want to be able to do what I'm planning on with this hack.

magictrufflez · « **Reply #17 on:** January 07, 2016, 07:27:29 pm »

KL, you are rapidly finding out why I decided to not put a lot of effort into doing the actual romhacking--ie all the frustrating learning. You clearly have a bit more perseverance in you than I did though.

Nowadays, I just stick to playing the hacks and offering feedback; it makes my life so much less hectic.

KingMike · « **Reply #18 on:** January 07, 2016, 07:39:49 pm »

So when you double-click a .7z file, AdvanceMap tries to open it?
Then you need to Google for "removing file type associations in windows 10" or something like that, to figure out how you can un-associate the 7z extension with AdvanceMap.

As to that ocx file, that is something you'd have to download (Google the filename and download), and I think you can put it in the same folder as the program you want to run it (I know originally it was meant to go in the Windows system folder, but that's probably a bad place if you can avoid it)

Jorpho · « **Reply #19 on:** January 07, 2016, 07:44:21 pm »

Quote from: KatieLou on January 07, 2016, 03:51:58 pm

Okay, so I downloaded ATack from http://hackromtools.altervista.org/a-tack/ .

So it's called A-Tack, then. Naming things precisely will be of much importance in any romhacking venture.

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I have managed to figure out how to not only open ATack with another program, but change it so that it stops trying to open with AdvanceMap. However, I don't know what I should use to try and open the program. I am wondering if I got a faulty download or if I'm missing the program I'm supposed to be using to open ATack since the options I have under "Open With" are: AdvanceMao, Internet Explorer, Windows Store, NotePad, WordPad, Paint, Windows Media Player, and Adobe Acrobat Reader AC.

As Mr. BlackDog61 already explained, "7z" is a compressed archive, much like "zip". You will need a different program like WinRAR or 7zip in order to extract the program before you can run it. Personally I like IZArc from http://www.izarc.org/index.html .

As explained at http://hackromtools.altervista.org/hack-tools-gb/ , you will need a password when unpacking the archive. If nothing is asking you for a password, then you are doing something wrong.