The documented VMU root field points to directory block 253 and declares 13 directory blocks. SaveEditor validates the actual physical directory chain independently while ignoring only the two-byte root pointer, then restores one byte of FD 00 and requires strict structural reopen. Directory entries and FAT links are never rewritten.
Emulator & Retro Tools
Dreamcast VMU Directory Location Recovery
Restore exactly one damaged byte in the fixed little-endian root directory-location value 253 only when the physical 13-block directory chain and all other documented VMU invariants already validate.
01 / Tool workbench
Use the runtime only when it is actually ready.
The application shell fails closed. An input interface is not enabled merely because a WordPress Tool record exists; the declared engine must be registered in the current build.
Session change summary
No output has been built in this session.
02 / Compatibility
Know the supported input before opening a file.
Compatibility fields are intentionally explicit. Missing values stay unclaimed rather than being filled with generic assumptions.
Accepted extensions
.vmu.vmd.bin.raw
Platforms
Dreamcast
Supported versions / editions
Raw 128 KiB Dreamcast VMU/VMS flash images using the documented directory/root layout.
Input constraints
Exact raw VMU geometry; intact formatted-card marker; valid physical FAT and 13-block directory chain; all other fixed root geometry exact; exactly one directory-location byte differs from FD 00.
Known limitations
No CRC repair, no FAT-chain reconstruction, no directory-entry repair, no allocation repair, no game payload editing, no arbitrary metadata synthesis, and no multi-byte fixed-field repair.
Output / result
A new raw VMU copy differing at exactly one byte of the fixed root directory-location field.
03 / Instructions
Use a reversible workflow.
File-oriented workflows start with an untouched original. Tool-specific instructions add only details documented for this utility.
- 01Keep the original
Preserve an untouched copy before creating or transforming binary output.
- 02Confirm scope
Match the file size, format, platform, and version to the support information on this page.
- 03Process locally
Use the runtime only when the page reports that its declared engine is loaded.
- 04Validate output
Compare or test the result before replacing any working source file.
Tool-specific steps
Choose a raw VMU image with a one-byte directory-location-field defect. Recovery is allowed only when the physical directory chain already establishes the documented location.
04 / Privacy and processing
The processing mode is part of the product contract.
SaveEditor.com should state local processing only when the implementation truly keeps file contents in the browser. Server or hybrid processing must be disclosed just as clearly.
Declared mode
Browser local
Runtime state
Operational
Tool-specific privacy notes
Phase 54 reads only the explicitly selected local Dreamcast file in the browser. The sega-legacy-recovery-v1 runtime has no fetch, XMLHttpRequest, WebSocket, sendBeacon, FormData upload, server-side save processing, or telemetry path. The permanent 16 MiB per-file ceiling remains in force and the selected source is never modified.
05 / Troubleshooting
When a file is rejected, do not force it.
A rejection can indicate an unsupported size, format, version, platform, or byte sequence. Preserve the original and correct the input instead of bypassing validation.
Re-check the documented input type and browser size limit before retrying.
A generic converter does not imply support for every game-specific container, signing scheme, or serialization format.
Return to the untouched source instead of repeatedly processing a damaged or partially transformed file.
Known Tool issues
Broken FAT links, invalid directory entries, another fixed-field conflict, or a two-byte pointer defect is refused rather than guessed.
06 / Verification
Support claims should be traceable.
The verification date, method notes, and public references are kept separate from marketing language so compatibility can be reviewed over time.
Last verified2026-08-10
Profiledreamcast-vmu-directory-location-recovery
Method notes
Verified with deterministic fixtures, every eligible one-byte corruption position, zero/multi-byte refusal, source immutability, exact one-byte scope, strict structural reopen, independent Python reconstruction, and full regression/source-package parity.
Public references
07 / FAQ
Questions to answer before editing.
These answers are generated from the Tool record and current runtime state rather than generic compatibility promises.
Is Dreamcast VMU Directory Location Recovery ready to use?
The Tool record is verified and declares an operational runtime. The page enables its input controls only when the declared engine module is loaded in the current build.
Does processing stay in the browser?
Yes for this declared mode. The loaded runtime processes the explicit input in the browser; Tool-specific privacy notes describe the exact scope and limits.
Should I keep the original file?
Yes. Keep an untouched source file until any generated output has been validated.
What if my input is rejected?
Use the validation message to correct the base, encoding, width, timezone, byte alignment, or size. The runtime does not guess through invalid input.
Related tools
Continue with the same tool family.
Only index-ready verified records from the same Tool Family are shown here.
Related guides
Read the guidance connected to this tool.
Only reviewed, index-ready Guides that explicitly reference this Tool are included.
Beginner
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Dreamcast VMU / VMS Save Formats Backup & Identification Guide
A safety-first Dreamcast VMU / VMS Save Formats guide for identifying the intended representation, preserving an untouched source copy, and choosing only a verified compatible Tool.
Beginner
Save File Formats
Dreamcast VMU / VMS Save Formats Integrity & Troubleshooting Guide
A fail-closed Dreamcast VMU / VMS Save Formats troubleshooting guide for distinguishing representation problems from unsupported semantics and for selecting read-only integrity checks before any repair attempt.