This Tool targets only one byte of the documented 16-byte 0x55 marker at the start of Dreamcast VMU root block 255. The 128 KiB image, fixed FAT/directory geometry, physical FAT values and 13-block directory chain must already validate independently. Only the marker byte is restored in a new copy, followed by strict structural reopen.
Emulator & Retro Tools
Dreamcast VMU Root Marker Recovery
Restore exactly one damaged byte in the 16-byte 0x55 formatted-card marker of an exact 128 KiB Dreamcast VMU image only when documented root geometry plus the physical FAT/directory chain independently 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 256 x 512-byte layout.
Input constraints
Exactly 131,072 bytes; exactly one mismatch in the 16-byte 0x55 root marker; documented FAT/directory geometry and physical directory chain already valid; only one marker byte changes.
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 same-length raw VMU image differing from the selected source at exactly one formatted-card marker byte.
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 the original raw VMU image. SaveEditor authorizes a recovered copy only if exactly one marker byte is wrong and the remaining documented filesystem structure already validates.
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
Wrong size, multiple marker defects, invalid FAT values, an invalid directory chain, or inconsistent fixed root geometry causes fail-closed refusal.
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-root-marker-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 Root Marker 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
Backups & Safety
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.