3DO FZ-1 won't start after installing ODE

[u/dingoyabuki]

I have a 3DO-FZ1 that has been playing games from disc fine as of today. I bought a clone ODE from Aliexpress in May 2024 for $44 and finally got around to installing it. The listing is gone now (https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256806081624431.html), but I've attached screenshots of the listing snapshot.

I saw this thread: https://www.reddit.com/r/3DO/comments/18tf9u5/got_another_china_clone_ode_today/ and downloaded these files:

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1hydgDvZlSXn5MpE8zlW6jNgpFU1xT6GR?usp=drive_link

I put the files and a couple games onto my exFAT-formatted USB drive. I started up the console and the Fixel ODE menu loaded. I ran 2 games and it worked fine.

Next I researched how to manage saves. I saw someone's advice on saving and loading NVRAM save files to manage multiple saves. I tried to do so, but accidentally chose the option to save the system memory (I forgot the name of it).

There was no option to interrupt this, and I didn't want to turn the console off while it was writing to my USB drive, so I let it run. I stepped away for a few minutes, and there was a black screen. I pressed buttons and nothing happened. I then restarted the console, and the menu looked glitchy but still legible. I tried loading one game, got a glitchy screen, and then all black. Then tried another game, same thing.

I tried these steps and still got a black screen after each:

* Re-formatted my USB drive and put the boot.iso file back onto it with 1 game.

* Disconnected the ODE

* Connected the ribbon cables back to the original disc drive

When I turn the console on, I see the screen flash for a short amount of time (as if a video signal is initializing), but still a black screen. The disc tray will open if you press the eject button, and you can even insert a CD and it will spin. However, there is no audio or video.

Is there any hope to recover this? I have a second working FZ-1, maybe there's some way I can use my working console to help recover the system memory I'm guessing I corrupted?

Update - I've waited an hour and tried turning the 3DO back on. Instead of an immediate black screen, I got the glitchiness again until it eventually went black: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=THAPdC1Dn6Y I tried turning it on a couple more times and I usually only get an immediate black screen.