PatchMyROM

Troubleshooting

Common ROM patching problems and how to fix them.

Common Issues

"Patch does not match this ROM" error

Your base ROM revision (region, version 1.0/1.1, headered/unheadered) doesn't match what the patch expects. Check the patch's documentation for the exact required ROM.

Patched file won't open in an emulator

Make sure the output file extension matches your emulator's expectations (.gba, .nds, .sfc, .z64) and that the original ROM file wasn't already modified or corrupted.

Checksum or header mismatch

Some patches expect a headerless ROM, others expect a 512-byte header. Try toggling this on your base ROM if patching fails.

Patch file won't load / is rejected

Confirm the patch file wasn't corrupted during download and that its extension (.ips, .ups, .bps, .xdelta) matches its actual format.

Game crashes after patching

This usually indicates a base ROM mismatch rather than a patcher issue. Re-download both the ROM and the patch and verify the required version again.

Patched ROM is the wrong file size

Some patch formats expand the ROM (e.g. BPS supports different source/target sizes). This is expected for many hacks — check the hack's release notes.

Related Guides

ROM PatcherPatch a ROM file directly in your browser.Pokemon ROM PatcherBase ROM and format reference for 50 popular Pokemon ROM hacks.Patch Formats ExplainedIPS vs UPS vs BPS vs xdelta — which one do you need?How to Patch Pokemon ROM HacksA step-by-step guide for Pokemon ROM hack patching.

FAQ

UPS and BPS patches embed a checksum of the expected base ROM. If your ROM doesn't match exactly (region, revision, header), the checksum check fails and the patch is rejected on purpose to prevent corruption.
Generally no — double-patching or patching an already-modified ROM will almost always fail or produce a broken file. Always start from a clean, original backup.

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