How to Backup & Restore R36s Retro Handhelds!

The data of the R36S portable game console is primarily stored on the microSD card, including system files, game ROMs, archives, and more.

To ensure data integrity during backup, you can use the following methods:

1. Choose the Right Backup Tool

Professional imaging tools such as Win32 Disk Imager can be used. Taking Win32 Disk Imager as an example, the specific operation is as follows:

(1) Device Selection:

Connect the Micro SD card from the R36S console to your computer using a card reader.

Open Win32 Disk Imager and carefully identify and select the drive letter corresponding to the Micro SD card in the “Device” menu.

Make sure that the correct choice is made here. If the wrong device is selected, other disk data may be lost due to accidental operation.

For example, suppose the computer is connected to multiple storage devices, such as USB drives, mobile hard disks, etc.. In that case, the disk symbol corresponding to the Micro SD card should be accurately located according to the device capacity, name, and other information.

(2) Setting the Mirror Save Path:

Click the folder icon on the right side of “Image File”. In the file saving window that appears, select a space where you have enough space and can easily find the backup image file.

When naming backup files, it is recommended to use an easily identifiable name and add the.img file extension, such as “R36S_backup_20250812.img”, to clearly reflect the backup device and date for subsequent management.

(3) Backup Started

After confirming that the device selection and image save path are correct, check the “Read only allocated partitions” option.

This operation ensures that only the partition with data is copied to avoid blank sector interference, improve backup efficiency, and ensure data integrity.

Click the “Read” button to start creating the backup image file. Wait patiently for the progress bar to complete. Do not perform other operations that may interfere with the backup process during this time.

2. Perform Integrity Check

During or after the backup process, data integrity can be verified using techniques such as hash algorithms. Some backup tools have this capability built into them, but if the tool doesn’t support it, you can use specialized hash calculation software, such as HashTab (for Windows).

Take HashTab as an example:

(1) Install the Software

Download the HashTab software from an official or reliable source and complete the installation. After installation, there is no need to open the software separately; it will be integrated into the system’s file properties.

(2) Calculate the Hash Value of the Original Data.

Find the data folder in the Micro SD card (usually contains system files, game ROM, etc.), right-click on the folder, and select “Properties”. 

In the property window that appears, switch to the “File Hash” tab. The software will automatically calculate the hash value of the folder. Common hash algorithms such as MD5, SHA-1, and SHA-256 are available for selection. It is recommended to choose the more secure SHA-256 algorithm. 

Record the hash value displayed at this stage.

(3) Calculate the backup data hash:

Perform the same operation on the completed backup image file. Right-click the image file, select “Properties”, and view and record the hash value of the image file in the “File Hash” tab.

(4) Hash values compared:

Compare the hash value of the original data with that of the backup data. If the two are identical, it indicates that the backup data is intact and no data loss or damage occurred during the backup process.

If the hash values are not identical, the backup process should be rechecked and the backup operation may need to be repeated.

3. Perform Regular Full Backups

Develop regular backup strategies based on data importance and update frequency. For example, perform a full backup once a week or month.

If the game progress is updated frequently recently, increase the backup frequency to ensure timely saving of the latest data and prevent data loss or incompleteness caused by long-term no backup.

For example, if you play a new game frequently during the week and accumulate a lot of progress, make a backup every Sunday night; if the progress is slow, make a backup every weekend at the beginning of the month.

During regular backup, follow the above steps to select an appropriate backup tool and perform a complete data backup operation to overwrite the old backup file (you can also choose to retain the old backup file and name the new backup file separately, so that the data state at different time points can be retrieved when needed).

4. Multiple Backup Methods Are Available

Cold backup and hot backup can be used together.

(1) Cold Backup:

Prepare a large-capacity mobile hard disk, and back up the data to offline storage media such as a mobile hard disk as cold backup, which is used for long-term storage and to prevent accidents.

After connecting the external hard drive to your computer, open the File Explorer and locate all data folders on the Micro SD card (including the “boot” partition containing system files and the “easy roms” folder storing game ROMs).

Select all folders, then copy them intact using copy-paste to a pre-created backup folder on the external drive designated for storing R36S data, such as “R36S_Backup_Offline”.

（2）Hot backup:

Choose a reliable cloud storage service, such as Amazon Cloud.

Install the corresponding cloud disk client software on the computer and log in to the account.

Create a new folder in the cloud disk client for storing R36S backup data, such as “R36S_Cloud_Backup”.

Similarly, find the data folder in the Micro SD card in the file resource manager. After selecting it, click the “Upload” button in the cloud disk client to upload the data to the cloud disk.

Two complementary methods can improve data integrity and recoverability. Data can also be backed up to multiple different storage devices or locations, such as local hard disks, cloud storage, etc., to prevent backup data loss caused by the failure of a single storage device.

5. Avoid Interference During Backup

During the backup process, do not perform other operations on the R36S game console, do not plug or unplug the SD card, or interrupt the backup process, in order to avoid incomplete data backup.

At the same time, ensure that the power supply is stable during backup to avoid power failure and other conditions affecting backup.

If you use a laptop computer for backup, you can connect the power adapter in advance to prevent backup interruption caused by insufficient battery power.

If you use a desktop computer, ensure that the power supply in the area is stable, and consider installing an uninterruptible power supply (UPS) to continue powering the computer during short power outages to ensure the successful completion of backup.

During the backup process, close other unnecessary programs to avoid occupying system resources and affecting backup speed and stability.

6. Check Backup Data Regularly

Perform regular recovery tests on backup data to simulate the data recovery process and check whether the data can be recovered normally and whether the recovered data is complete and available.

If problems are found, re-backup or take other repair measures in time. For example, perform recovery tests once a month.

（1）Prepare the Environment for Resumption

Prepare a blank Micro SD card that has no damage and is ready for use, and make sure it has a capacity no smaller than the original Micro SD card. Insert the blank Micro SD card into your computer’s card reader.

（2）Restore Data

To perform a backup using Win32 Disk Imager: Open the software and select the drive letter for your empty Micro SD card from the “Device” menu. Click the folder icon next to “Image File” to locate the previously saved image file. Finally, click the “Write” button to transfer the backup image to the microSD card.

（3）Check the restored data

Insert the Micro SD card containing backup data into the R36S console and power it on.

Verify if the system runs smoothly, whether the game ROM loads properly, and if saved progress is intact – including if you can resume a paused game from the correct checkpoint.

If issues like system failure to boot, game inactivity, or missing saves occur, this indicates potential problems with the backup data.

In such cases, recheck the backup process or perform a fresh backup operation.