#MH4U blackscreen / DLC handling issue on Ayn Thor across multiple Azahar builds

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sweet nest
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Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate on the Ayn Thor shows multiple related failures in Azahar when save/extdata/DLC files are moved into place. Depending on the exact file combination, the result can be:

DLC not being detected at all
extdata being treated as corrupted and rebuilt
fatal error / invalid ROM states in some swap scenarios
full blackscreen, especially once the game reaches a recognizable DLC state

This was tested across latest 2125.1-vanilla, 2125.1-Google Play, 2123.4.1-vanilla, 2121.2 and the 2125.1 nightly build. I also swapped files, folders, and APKs with user Luna during troubleshooting, who had absolutely no issue with dropping in MH4U DLC, so this was tested both solo and across another user’s setup.

Environment
Device: Ayn Thor
Game: Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate (USA)
Updates tested: 1.1 and 1.3
Azahar builds tested:
2125.1-vanilla, 2125.1-Google Play, 2123.4.1-vanilla, 2121.2 and the 2125.1 nightly build

What I tested:

Save/extdata injection tests
File management at this point was still using Filezilla on my Windows PC. I later realised this might be causing problems and will mark when I started using the Thor's own android file manager.

I tested all of the following on the Ayn Thor:

Fresh Azahar install, let MH4U create save/extdata, copied the same files out and then back in: blackscreen.
Same as above but save files only: blackscreen.
Fresh Azahar install plus clean 3DS-generated MH4U save/extdata copied in: blackscreen.
Same as above but 3DS save only: blackscreen.
Moving/touching files inside 00126300, including the system file, produced unstable behavior and often blackscreened past the circle pad pro popup.
Merely changing a file timestamp did not always blackscreen, so this does not look like a simple “any file touch breaks it” case.
I also tested without DLC as a control, and fresh dumped 3DS files could still cause issues.

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Save format comparison

I created a fresh character on both Azahar and a real 3DS, then saved and quit immediately on both.

The resulting save files had different sizes, where Azahar had a 79.8kb save file, and the 3DS generated a 81kb save file.
The Azahar save looked materially different from the 3DS save
The 3DS save matched what save editors expect, as the azahar save would fail on save editors.
The odd Azahar-sized save could sometimes be moved around without corruption, while the “correct”-sized 3DS-style save tended to break or show corruption in Azahar

It was at this point I realized maybe filezilla was causing issues with android file management. I started copying the files to a different location on the Ayn thor, and then using the android file management system to move things.

Using that, copying DLC files in one at a time gave more stable intermediate states than replacing multiple files at once. If I changed more than one file at once, I could trigger blackscreen much more easily.

Quest1–Quest5 tests

This is where the behavior became much more specific.
I tested these combinations:

all DLC files inserted one by one → once fully present, blackscreen
leave Quest5 file original → MH4U skipped quest scan and only scanned Extra Data, still did not detect DLC properly
Quest1–Quest4 only → no immediate crash, but DLC either was not detected or the game acted like nothing was there
delete Quest5 → MH4U reports extdata corruption and rebuilds it
real DLC Quest5 present → blackscreen after Circle Pad popup
DLC Quest1–Quest4 + Azahar empty Quest5 → no meaningful DLC recognition; quest scan behavior still wrong
rebuilt/re-encrypted full sets after decrypting and inspecting files → still failed
Original encrypted DLC Quest5 → blackscreen
Rebuilt/re-encrypted Quest5 → blackscreen
DLC1 + empty 2–5 → blackscreen
Reconstructed set with basically one real quest → still breaks

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Cross-testing with Luna
Luna is also on the same device, the Ayn thor Max.

I sent Luna my mh4uazaharbackup.zip containing Azahar and 3DS save files/extdata.
Luna tested with my files and reported behavior that she had no issue with dropping in either of them. As long as she changed my save file to user2.
Luna could place extdata, scan for DLC, and see DLC-related counts. She sent me her Azahar folder and I then used her package and got a blackscreen on my side.
Luna sent multiple combos, including extdata+saves packages and even her full folder.
We also compared builds, folders, environment details, and eventually APKs. I tested using Luna’s APK and still got blackscreen behavior.

Live DLC download tests

I also tried bypassing manual file placement entirely and using live DLC download routes.

Tested:

MH Oldschool / DNS route
local goshawk Flask replacement server
direct IP access from the Thor

Results:

I could reach the local server from the Thor by direct IP
Azahar still returned 090-2441 against both the local server and MH Oldschool

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Expected behavior

A fresh Azahar-generated save/extdata set should still work if copied out and back in unchanged
A valid real 3DS save/extdata set should load in Azahar without blackscreening
Valid MH4U DLC/extdata should load
Quest-related DLC files should not hard-crash the game once recognized

Actual behavior

Save/extdata injection can blackscreen even with clean files
Azahar-generated and 3DS-generated save behavior appears inconsistent
DLC can be ignored in some states and blackscreen in others
The most repeatable DLC-related hard failure is when Quest5 is present in a state where MH4U can actually recognize real DLC quest data

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Note that between every test, I would obliterate the original save and extdata folders, and allow Azahar to regenerate clean versions before testing new files, to avoid residual fuckery from previous tests.

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I also would completely uninstall and delete data from previous Azahar builds whenever reinstalling.

heady bone
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You do know that some DLC Data is in the system save file and some are in the extdata

If it does succeed to dl the DLC on your Console then just dump the extdata and the save and place it in the appropriate folders

I don’t remember if you need to enable boss loading from the debug menu

sweet nest
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I mean

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I would not have done this much testing without being aware of that

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The whole issue is you cannot place the files without blackscreening

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I would appreciate if you read through my post before trying to teach me something that I very obviously already know

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The saves and extdata have no issue when used on native hardware, it's Azahar that's having a problem

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Guild card backgrounds and such are saved in the "system" file where your user1 save file lives. Other things like palicos and quests are instead in extdata. They do not affect eachother and you can load one without the other. This is easily done on the 3DS.

heady bone
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How are you dumping the saves and extdata?
If I read the post correctly you just move them directly from the 3ds path to the Azahar path?

sweet nest
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They're dumped using Checkpoint

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I then move them onto my PC using filezilla

heady bone
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Yeah that should work
Hmm

Gonna look later if my dumped ones still work on the latest Azahar release

sweet nest
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I've tested both DLC free MH4U extdata and DLC MH4U data

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I've also already tested different dumps, one from a cartridge

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and one from my eshop version

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the ROM I mean

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just to eliminate that that is the problem

heady bone
sweet nest
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Yes, tested on the 2123.4.1 build from January

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I have not tested any earlier builds

sweet nest
heady bone
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Gonna look later
On mobile it’s kinda hard to read everything

sweet nest
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If we swapped our Azahar folders, she would start getting the blackscreen, but then replacing the nand folder with a fresh one would fix it. She then sent me this "fixed" Azahar folder, I tested it on my system, and it blackscreens

heady bone
sweet nest
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You would think so, but our testing for the past three days or so is extraordinarily confusing

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I've identified what file is causing the blackscreen on my end, but we never figured out what's causing it to work for her and not for me

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Of note is the replacing the "system" file causes a blackscreen upon launch

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replacing quest5 causes a blackscreen after the circle pad pro popup

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The only other thing we haven't tested is our respective data files, but Azahar doesn't seem to store files in org.azahar_emu.azahar

heady bone
sweet nest
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Yes, if the quest 5 is not present the game detects it as corrupted

heady bone
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I had a similar behaviour I don’t know atm how I fixed it

sweet nest
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deletes the whole folder and remakes it

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If I replace quest 1-4, but leave the original quest 5. The game just doesn't detect DLC

sweet nest
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Just tested again with version 2121.2

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Same behavior

heady bone
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hmmm just tested on my PC
so either it is a Android Build issue
or it is a issue with your dumped files

lemme look on my 3ds
i think i dumped extdata files with another tool than checkpoint

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might have used JKSM for it
not sure

sweet nest
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PC azahar doesn't really have this problem as far as I know

heady bone
sweet nest
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Update: Retested the issue with DLC files dumped from 2 separate OTHER 3DSs

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ONE of them worked

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for no rhyme or reason

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Save file import is still completely broken.

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DLC can now be loaded from the "DLC" button on the main menu using the DLC files dumped from a separate 3DS, but save file imports, both user1 and system, still cause the black screen

burnt rapids
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Happening for me as well on Linux and Android