That’s crazy! What could be causing this?
Do you have an Nvidia graphics card? Because that’s what I have. Maybe it’s something Nvidia just can’t recognize or handle for some reason…?
Yes, a 2080 super. I tried both the studio ready driver and game ready driver. Maybe that’s it! Is BarbuDreadMon on AMD? That might answer it!
No, i’m using a nvidia gpu.
Well that settles that… what version of windows specifically? This might be the variable involved.
Retroarch 64-bits on Windows 10 pro 64-bits. It works too on linux which is what i use the most so i’m skeptical about the fact it’s OS-related.
No I am asking the specific windows 10 version. Thanks but I guess I didn’t explain it correctly, sorry.
For example I am on Windows 10 Pro 64 also, but… “version 21H1”… that is the very latest, with all windows updates done also, and I am wondering if it breaks something with retroarch.
I just did a completely fresh install again, this time I left everything default, the 64 bit installer (are you using retroarch 64 bits also or 32 bits?) c:retroarch
Crashes instantly when trying to save only in kronos. I can rewind and save states in every other emulator right up to flycast.
I am using a bluetooth controller so next I will try use a wired and see if that makes any difference. I am trying to think of any variable.
What is your precise install location?
Maybe a screenshot of your Kronos option page?
for all we know it could be even a bios version discrepancy… But as I said, every game that is compatible with Kronos PLAYS perfectly. Only saving is the issue.
I suppose I’ll have to work around it with native game saving but it’s so not the same thing… I’ll need to complete levels and find save points etc to do that, where as I would love to be able to save on the fly.
I appreciate your replies.
PS I just noticed you are testing with Panzer Dragoon Saga… I don’t own that game so can’t legally (and won’t) test it… I am now wondering if it’s specific games that work and others that don’t.
I can tell for sure that i’m not using latest version since i rarely use windows and actually blocked those forced updates. I wouldn’t be able to say the exact version though, and i don’t plan on booting windows anytime soon. But again i really doubt OS matters.
I always use the portable zip, not the installer. FWIW, i would be only half surprised if some settings were carried over from older installation when using the installer. And i use the 64-bit one as already said.
FWIW, i’m always using wired controllers.
D:\RetroArch\
As said several times, i’m always using default settings on a fresh install for my tests. Basically i download latest nightly, uncompress it, copy bios from old setup, launch it, download core from online updater, then launch my game (redump cue/bin format).
I’m using the bios from 1st gen japan console, but i doubt it matters for savestates.
I used that one because the original report was about it.
To my great sadness, especially seeing how much it costs now, i lost that game long ago (more like someone probably stole it from me). I really hope it gets a remake someday.
Thanks for your reply. I just tried the zip 64 download in E:/emulators/retroarch Same crash. (it’s an external samsung t7 ssd drive with my roms on it).
It’s probably a windows thing, that’s what is making the most sense it seems.
However you say you don’t know the exact version of windows, all you do is press windows key, type the word “about” and you will see “about this pc” option. Click on it and it will tell you the exact version of Windows. So if you are saying that save states work for you in Windows Kronos, even if you don’t boot into win10 often, please just check next time you do, it will take a few seconds. I am not asking you to boot into windows to check this specifically, but rather asking when next you happen to boot into windows anyway, to please check.
I am finding it very unlikely though that this isn’t something that the author has to fix in the emulator, as there is more than one person reproducing it. A friend of mine will be testing it over the weekend for me, so that will be interesting to see and I will report when I hear from him.
Anyway, the Kronos guy told me that there’s a bit of a hiatus on updates for it right now and that the author will get back to it at some point soon… Apparently it’s been months since a real update.
I’ll direct him to this topic and hopefully he can reproduce it and fix 
Yes, François is currently busy irl, but anyway all libretro matters are handled by me for that project.
Could you try turning off Settings > Saving > Save State Compression on your setup ?
Hi I just did that, it didn’t work. Still crashes immediately upon save state 
I didn’t realise you were the developer for the libretro Kronos core. Sorry about that.
I’m using Windows 10 Home version 20H2 . Here are my specs:
Intel® Core™ i7-8750H CPU @ 2.20GHz 2.20 GHz
32.0 GB (31.9 GB usable)
64-bit operating system, x64-based processor
With high performance Nvidia processor/graphics card.
Still crashes every time on save state.
FWIW, yesterday i noticed RetroArch is forcing the Kronos core to make 4 calls in a row to its saving state function everytime it requires a savestate (it’s asking 3 times the size consecutively 
and i can’t tell the size without actually making the savestate, then it’s asking me for the actual savestate). I wonder if that non-trivial amount of operation isn’t responsible for your crashes, especially since that function is internally using a tmp file (so something saved on disk in some system tmp folder i guess) every time it is called.
I’ll see if something can be done to make that code a bit less crazy.
Also, note it’s not just Kronos that is having the save state crash its all the Saturn cores:
YabaSanshiro, Yabause and Kronos cores.
Trying to see if I can do anything to help on this issue. I’m running Windows 10, version 21H1, with a GeForce 1050. Also using Retroarch version 1.9.6, with the most updated core versions
I didn’t have PDS available to test out immediately, but used Gradius Deluxe Pack (Japan) and got the following results.
Kronos: No issues that I can tell. Game saved and loaded the state without a crash.
YabaSanshiro: Same as Kronos
Yabause: Saved the game, but then crashed when I tried to load the save state
So that’s not about windows version (i just checked, mine is 20H2 btw), thanks for confirming.
@Neofuuma Are you using a ssd ? And if so, do you know if your windows tmpfiles are saved on that ssd ? I’m still wondering if the issue is related to those consecutive 4 tmpfile creations, and i’m noticing both @Bavanity and @legaiaflame are using a ssd, i think by design a ssd might dislike tmpfile creation (since it’ll probably wear down the ssd).
Not surprising, i know several issues about savestates were fixed in the forks.
Ok, let’s try figuring out when the crash is happening exactly, i just pushed a commit adding some logs, your mission, once it’s available from buildbot (usually in the next 2 hours), will be to set Settings > Logging > Core Logging Level to 0 (Debug) then post the logs you get from saving a state, best case scenario you’ll get something that looks like this in your logs :
[libretro DEBUG] retro_serialize_size returned a size of XXXXX
[libretro DEBUG] retro_serialize_size returned a size of XXXXX
[libretro DEBUG] retro_serialize_size returned a size of XXXXX
[libretro DEBUG] retro_serialize saved a savestate of size XXXXX
Same here except for Beetle Saturn… That works fine. All three of those cores ARE based on Yabause, so whatever is happening on yours is what is happening on mine, and it is only Yabause based cores that are affected.
Hmm I wonder if it’s a 32Gb ram thing! It could be!
We both have 32gb which is the common denominator… Where it worked above, the system is 16Gb ram.
I’ll go through specs again in case there is something that will strike a chord with developer.
Windows 64 bit 21H1 Complete Factory Install, I have never opened the laptop: Alienware M17 R3 bought in May– 32GB DDR4– Nvidia 2080S– Intel 10980HK processor, all cores locked at 4.3ghz– Realtek Audio– Killer Wifi and Ethernet– Qualcomm Bluetooth 5– Toshiba 2TB SSD – Bit Defender–
Note, that can’t be it, as I tested with bit defender not installed at all, I tested with malwarebytes, and also with just Microsoft defender, as installed from fresh windows install.
I can go into more specifics with precise model numbers for components if needed
PS I have done a full hardware diagnostic also which took all night. No problems with ram or drive.