Troubleshooting VisualBoyAdvance
This page is dedicated to fixing common errors on Visual Boy Advance as quickly as possible. Click to view solution.
For Visual Boy Advance to properly work, you need to follow the install instructions. In summary;
- Install the latest VBA version
- Make sure you have installed the requirements listed per platform on our installation guide
- Update Windows to latest version (Windows 10 or 11 Recommended)
The older versions of Visual Boy Advance such as 1.8.0 Beta 3 used ESC key to exit full screen, however the latest Visualboyadvance-M version you need to press the F11 key to toggle Full Screen mode.
The infamous white screen error that occurs once you load a ROM file. This can be resolved by using either of these suggestions.
1.Outdated Version
There are quite a number of solutions users can try, however 90% of the time, it’s because of an outdated version of Visual Boy Advance. Make sure to download the latest stable VBA emulator, follow our install instructions and then load your ROM again. If the same error occurs, continue below.
2.Corrupted ROM File
Users still experiencing the white screen issue on Visual Boy Advance even after downloading and installing the latest version could perhaps have a corrupted ROM file. Try re-downloading a different ROM file from our GBA ROM section or, alternatively from a third party site.
Your white screen issue should be resolved, but for those unable to manage to fix it, use our contact us page and we will try to assist remotely.
If it’s the older VisualBoyAdvance 1.8 version: go to Options → Sound; make sure that it’s set to On and not Off or Mute.
If it is the VBA-M version: go to Options → Audio, check the same thing. In VBA-M you have the option of choosing which sound API to use, so if it's still not working then try using a different API.
If you do experience the fast forward is stuck or Speed up function not working correctly on VisualBoyAdvance. Use the factory reset option under Help -> "Factory Reset" to resolve this common error.
There could be multiple reasons why the cheats are not working on VisualBoyAdvance. Try the following solutions;
1.You forgot to enter and activate the master code
Some cheats need to have a master code enabled before the main cheat, so when a cheat requires master code, add it first before the main cheat.
2.You Have a 1.1 ROM Version
Unfortunately, most cheats will not work for this version. Look for the V1.0 ROMs, as this version supports most of the cheats.
3.Too Many Enabled Cheats
Your ROM will get confused when too many cheat codes are activated at once, and this could result in various bugs, glitches, random crashing, and game freezing. Disable unused cheats and activate only the cheat you need.
Make sure your VisualBoyAdvance has folder permissions to create, edit and delete files. Download VBA emulator and the roms to a single folder within Desktop to resolve this error.
Have the emulator empty (no games loaded) and go to Options > Emulator > Save Type, and switch it to Automatic and Flash 128K (if it's on 64K, it will not save). Then exit out of the emulator and open it up again.
Alternatively, download the latest VBA-M version.
Need more help?
None of the above troubleshooting tips worked? Feel free to contact us below and we will respond accordingly.