Miyoo Mini Plus save not loading?

Did the active Onion profile change?

Before moving save files, check Guest Mode's current-state icon in Apps. Onion documents separate saves and states for that profile, so a different Continue result can reflect the profile choice rather than deletion.

1. Record the active profile, game file and core without saving new progress.
2. Return to the profile where the known adventure was played and inspect Continue.
3. If that progress appears, back it up before making any imports or profile changes.
4. If both profiles fail to show it, preserve their files and continue the format, filename and state checks below.

The Guest Mode guide explains a two-profile verification check. Do not copy files between profiles just to make their screens match; first determine which adventure each should contain.

Which problem do you see?

Continue is missing after importing a save

Onion's FAQ places cartridge saves in Saves/CurrentProfile/saves/[CORENAME]. Match the game filename and letter case. [CORENAME] refers to the selected RetroArch core, not simply the console name.

For the mGBA core, Libretro documents cartridge saves as .srm in the frontend's Save directory, with save states in its separate State directory. Those are two different kinds of file. An emulator state is not a substitute for importing cartridge progress.

1. Record the game file, hack version, Onion version and active core. Keep the source save untouched.
2. On a backed-up test copy, create a temporary in-game save and close normally. Inspect the file your destination actually creates.
3. Compare the imported file with that expected filename, location and format. Use a copy for any import or conversion.
4. Reopen without a state and inspect Continue. Verify trainer, party and location before saving again.

Onion documents renaming .sav to .srm for its save-import workflow; other formats may need conversion. Renaming an arbitrary file does not prove that its contents are compatible. If the source emulator's format is unclear, stop and check its documentation.

Your new save is copied, but old progress appears

An automatically restored state can obscure an imported save. Onion documents turning off Load State Automatically under RetroArch's Saving settings, reached through MENU + SELECT. Save a game-specific override for this diagnosis rather than changing every game.

1. Launch the affected game and press MENU + SELECT.
2. Press B once, then open Settings → Saving → Load State Automatically and turn it off.
3. Press B twice to return, then choose Quick Menu → Overrides → Save Game Overrides.
4. Close normally and reopen the same game. Inspect Continue without using a load-state shortcut.

Preserve the old states separately before testing. Start from the title screen and choose Continue; do not use a load-state shortcut. If the imported party and location now appear, verify a new in-game save and normal restart. This narrows the problem to the resume path; it does not prove every imported save is compatible.

The problem started after an update

Separate three changes: the Pokémon hack, Onion and the emulator core. Return to your records and identify which changed when the problem began. A creator can change cartridge-save compatibility between hack versions; a core update can affect emulator states independently.

Check the game's profile and developer release instructions before trying older progress in a newer build. For Heart & Soul on Mini Plus, use the game-specific version and save checks. Do not substitute another hack's migration rules.

Work on separate backups when comparing versions. Change one variable at a time and note the result. If a source save loads in its original configuration but not the destination, preserve both configurations for troubleshooting rather than overwriting the only working copy.

The game does not reach its title screen

A failure before the title screen does not establish that your cartridge save is missing. Check the prepared game file, platform, selected core and patch or build instructions. A patch file by itself is not the game you open.

For GBA, the base-file checker and local patcher help with supported base and patch checks. For GBC projects, follow their own instructions: the checker does not validate a Crystal GBC base. Use the GBC setup guide for that platform.

If the handheld continually resumes a failing session, consult Onion's boot-loop instructions before changing files. Avoid formatting the card as a first diagnostic step. Repeated missing or unreadable files warrant a separate storage investigation; this checklist cannot establish card health or recover absent data.

What to record when asking for help

Include the exact game and hack version, core, Onion version, source emulator, save format, intended save directory, symptom and whether Continue works without loading a state. Say which single change preceded the problem. Keep private file contents and original backups to yourself.

This is a documentation-based troubleshooting sequence, not a tested recovery procedure or a guarantee that lost progress can be restored.

Worked example: the imported file has the old game name

1. Keep the original v1 game and save together outside the working card. Record which emulator created that save.
2. Inspect the destination's expected save on a disposable setup. Use its actual basename, extension and directory as the comparison.
3. Make a copy of the compatible source save and match the destination's expected name, including letter case. Avoid accidentally creating .srm.srm when a file browser hides extensions.
4. With the emulator closed, place only the working copy at the identified destination. Preserve any existing destination save separately.
5. Start without restoring a state. Inspect Continue and compare trainer, party and location with the source record.

If the correct name is already present, investigate the profile, core folder, source format and compatibility instead of repeatedly renaming it. An exact filename is one requirement; it is not evidence that the contents describe the right game.

An Onion upgrade is separate from a game-save migration

After an Onion update, begin with the exact game and profile that owned the pre-update checkpoint. Keep the game build unchanged while diagnosing the new system. If you also changed the ROM hack release, record that as a second transition and consult its creator’s save rules.

Example: Continue is absent after a fresh-card restore. Before converting the save again, compare the restored name and selected profile with the backup. A changed destination name or location is a different question from a changed file format. The update guide’s three-stage verification provides the system-to-game-to-progress sequence.

Confirm the import beyond the first Continue

Once the expected adventure opens, write a short result record. Include the trainer, last location and one distinctive party member. Check the game build in use and note whether the launch came from Continue or a state. This makes the next comparison concrete if the result later changes.

On the working copy, make an in-game save, wait for the game's save operation to finish, then close normally. Reopen without loading a state and inspect the same identifiers. If they match, your test has established persistence for this configuration. Keep the source backup until you are satisfied with subsequent sessions.

If the adventure reverts, do not immediately replace the source with the destination file. First check which progress was written and which was loaded. A successful initial import followed by a different resume is a narrower problem than an unreadable source file.

Did the working copy change before the first launch?

If you only copied or renamed the ordinary save, use the local byte-for-byte comparison to compare the source backup with the working copy. It reads your two selected files in the browser and does not upload or modify them. Identical bytes establish an unchanged copy, not the right trainer, accepted format or compatible game build.

Compare before launching when your question is whether copying changed the contents. After an in-game save or a documented conversion, different contents may be expected. Keep originals, record which stage you are comparing and use Continue to check recognizable progress. A byte difference alone does not establish corruption or identify the newer adventure.

Record a transferred adventure before retiring the source

Once you have established the ordinary-save format and the game/build compatibility, use the save-transfer observation record. For Mini Plus with Onion, include the active profile, game/core and clean Continue route. Give the expected checkpoint a recognizable detail rather than recording only “the game opens”.

Keep independent backups, open Continue without relying on a state, then save inside the intended game and check Continue after closing normally. The tool keeps a missing or different result separate from a matching result and lets you download the attempt. It records what you report; it does not locate files or establish compatibility.

Inspect the save selected by the network browser

The wireless download/import route lets you move a selected ordinary save, but its remote view may also show states and other profile files. Save in-game and close normally before selecting the progress copy.

Read the selected file’s category, actual profile/core directory and basename. Give the downloaded backup a clear outer folder label on the phone or computer while retaining its original filename inside. That makes the checkpoint easier to identify without silently changing the name expected by the game.

Example: the phone’s Downloads folder adds a duplicate suffix to a second copy. Inspect the actual name before importing; a successful download does not guarantee the basename still matches the destination game. Preserve the first copy and identify which checkpoint each contains rather than choosing only by the newest download timestamp.

Before launch, compare the intended source and a downloaded-back destination copy with the existing local comparison if unchanged copying was your task. The result addresses transfer integrity, not conversion or game compatibility.

Sources and next steps

• Onion 4.3 FAQ: saves, automatic loading and troubleshooting
• Libretro mGBA: cartridge-save and state locations

Documentation checked 6 Oct 2026. Mini Plus setup overview · GBA handheld paths · All Pokémon handheld guides