Tutorial NOOB friendly guide to Downgrading your 3DS (From FW <10.7!!)

[Salamencizer]

Last update: 28th July 2016 AD

NO HARDMOD IS REQUIRED IF YOU ARE BELOW OR ON 10.7. (But you can backup your NAND before downgrade as an extra precaution)

Spoiler: If you're on 11.0

If you are on 11.0, you cannot downgrade without getting a hardmod downgrade first. If you want to proceed with this, you can either:

• Hardmod it Yourself
• Get someone to do it for you

After getting a hardmod, you can follow THIS to get a hardmod downgrade, and then continue following this guide.

Spoiler: Old EDITS

EDIT: SafeSysUpdater added only to check your downgrade files
EDIT2: A better proof video added.
EDIT3: This will also work on 10.7, but you will need OOT3Dhax or Ninjhax.
BIG EDIT4: Super Mystery Dungeon Hax (supermysterychunkhax) added.
EDIT 5: (v*)hax (for the game VVVVVV) added.
EDIT 6: Freakyhax (For the game Freakyforms Deluxe) added
EDIT 7: Guide updated with smilehax & BASICSploit, for the game "SmileBasic"

EDIT8: Browserhax and Menuhax for 11.0!
Aah, Nintendo patched memchunkhax again, but partially (again). So as expected, we can now again downgrade our consoles from 10.4/10.5/10.6/10.7 ( to 9.2. Yeah, No joke.
You can wait for yellows8 to release browserhax/menuhax if you're on 10.6/10.7, or you can proceed if you have 10.4/10.5 w/ Menuhax or 10.6/10.7 with Ninjhax/OOThax.

PLEASE NOTE: JP N3DS Users, you'll need to remove the 000400102002CA00 title in order to not get bricked!
Also, remove any DNS which blocks updates, so that you can update if you softbrick.

I will not be responsible for any bricks, so proceed with caution. And remember, OLD 3DS and New 3DS have different downgrade packs, so always double check what you're downloading. Old 3DS Packs will work fine with 2DS.

You can't just use OOTHax with a copy of OOT.You will have to install OOTHax on it, with another entrypoint/another 3DS with Homebrew access/Datel Powersaves. Click here if you have a copy of OOT without homebrew.

You can also use a Sky3DS+ with a ROM of Cubic Ninja/Freakyforms Deluxe to access Homebrew.

You must read this guide from TOP to BOTTOM if you wanna lower the chances of getting a brick. Don't just jump to a specific part of the guide and say 'Oh noes I bricked me console'

Requirements:
-You console with FW < 10.7

-Homebrew Entrypoint:
11.0 with 10.4 NATIVE_FIRM/10.6/10.7: Browserhax, Menuhax, smilehax, Basehaxx, BASICSploit(for US 3DS only), Freakyhax, (V*)Hax, OOTHax, humblehax, SMDHax, or Ninjhax, cuz Menuhax and browserhax dont work (currently) on 10.6 or 10.7.
10.4/10.5: smilehax, Basehaxx, BASICSploit(for US 3DS only), Freakyhax,(V*)Hax, OOTHax, humblehax, SMDHax, Ninjhax, or Menuhax. If you don't yet have menuhax, use the browserhax workaround to get browserhax for installing menuhax.
Below or on 10.3: Basehaxx, smilehax, BASICSploit(for US 3DS only), Freakyhax, (V*)Hax, humblehax, OOTHax, Ninjhax, Menuhax, Ironhax, SMDHax

-SafeSysUpdater, to check your downgrade pack. (You don't need this if you're using PlaiSysUpdater)

-The new sysUpdater for memchunkhax2.1 from here, or PlaiSysUpdater from here.

-Your console's 9.2 downgrade pack from 'that iso site' [or 'that chaos site']. Google this:
MSET 4.X & 6.X backups, Browser backups, Update packs (All Regions) Cha0s Em3rald
If you think Google is failing you, we have DuckDuckGo, Yahoo, Bing (XD) , etc.
Dont use Old 3DS pack for a New 3DS, or a New 3DS pack for an Old 3DS/2DS.

-You are recommended to do a system format before downgrading, as it seems to prevent Soft Bricks (especially on New 3DSs). Also backup your SD Card, format it, then copy all files back. That would reduce brick chances too.

Instructions:
1. Put the sysUpdater.3dsx in /3ds/sysUpdater on your SD Card, and the SafeSysUpdater.3dsx in /3ds/SafeSysUpdater folder.
2. Put the downgrade pack cia files in /updates on your SD Card
3. Start homebrew using your entrypoint
4. Select SafeSysUpdater and press A to check the files. Don't press Y to downgrade, please don't.

5. Only if it says everything is good, exit back to The Homebrew Launcher, and start the sysUpdater/PlaiSysUpdater. Also:


6. Press Y to downgrade.
7. Wait for sysUpdater to do its thing. After it is done, it will say "Rebooting in 10 seconds". If it doesn't reboot in 15 seconds and freezes, it's is safe to turn off your console and turn it back on.
8. If your 3DS boots, with or without SD Card, you have downgraded your console. Congratulations! Now, you have two options:
-Install a good CFW, without arm9loaderhax
-Install a good CFW, with arm9loaderhax

You can check whether you downgrade was complete or not, here.

Don't do any of this, or get a brick:
- Put your 3DS on Sleep Mode during the downgrade process
-Switch Off you 3DS during the downgrade process
-Use Old 3DS downgrade files for a New 3DS or New 3DS downgrade files for an Old 3DS or 2DS
-Downgrade while your console's battery is low
-Or anything stupid which might interrupt the downgrade process

Proof that this works:

No sound in this one too, sorry.

FAQ

Spoiler: FAQ

-I downgrade, the system settings shows 9.2, but I can't run kernalhax for 9.2. i.e. I'm on a broken firmware. What now?
Get into Homebrew using your favourite entrypoint, And Run SafeSysUpdater/PlaiSysUpdater which you downloaded earlier. You must have the update pack on your SD Card for this to work. Press Y to downgrade. It would install very less CIAs, giving you a complete 9.2 firmware.

-Can I use this for 10.3 or below, or do I have to use another guide?
This guide will work fine for all firmwares between 9.3 - 10.7.

-Can I use smashhax for this?
I'll add it in the entrypoints list after I get reports of successful downgrades using smashhax. But not now, please, you might end up on a broken firmware. You can use it to install other entrypoints like menuhax or oot3dshax.

-I run sysUpdater, and I get a black screen. What now?
The successrate of memchunkhax2.1 is more than that of memchunkhax2, but still sometimes it does not succeed. When you get that error, hard reset your console (by pressing & holding the power button for 4 seconds and then turning it on again) and then try running sysUpdater again.

-I get a black screen on boot after downgrading successfully.What now?
Try taking out the SD Card and booting without it, then changing the theme and booting with the SD Card. Or, you could try booting into recovery mode.

-Can I downgrade to 6.x or 4.x instead of 9.2?
You are probably doing this for the DS Profile exploit. No need, just downgrade to 9.2, get a CFW, then install the MSET CIA for 4.x or 6.x on you 9.2 console.

 

[TR_mahmutpek]

Thanks for tutorial

 

[zoogie]

You should allow two votes in case someone has new & old.

 

[Salamencizer]

You should allow two votes in case someone has new & old.

good idea

 

[zKin]

-OOTHax or Ninjhax, cuz Menuhax and browserhax dont work on 10.6

If I'm on 10.5 + Menuhax, still ok, right ?

 

[Salamencizer]

If I'm on 10.5 + Menuhax, still ok, right ?

Post edited, it is okay

 

[RedBlueGreen]

Hopefully this helps people. Just to note, make sure you only use the N3DS pack with the New 3DS and the O3DS with the Old 3DS (2DS falls into this family). Quite a few people (including myself) have bricked a 3DS this way. Also, does this still have the race condition?

 

[zKin]

I'm now on 9.2 ! YEAAAHHHH


now what can i do lel

 

[RedBlueGreen]

I'm now on 9.2 ! YEAAAHHHH


now what can i do lel

You can install a CFW.

 

[zKin]

You can install a CFW.

I don't know wich one is better ? (off topic ? :s)

 

[RedBlueGreen]

I don't know wich one is better ? (off topic ? :s)

I use Cakes on my N3DS XL and Rxtools on my O3DS. Rxtools 3.0 seems to have a 100% boot rate on o3ds but CFW on N3DS seem to suffer from problematic boot rates if you don't do extra steps.

 

[Magical Sheep]

I will not be responsible for amy bricks, so proceed with caution.

In case you didn't realize, you misspelled any. Regardless of that, this tutorial looks really nice. I'm going to try it once I get home from school. Thanks!

 

[RedBlueGreen]

In case you didn't realize, you misspelled any. Regardless of that, this tutorial looks really nice. I'm going to try it once I get home from school. Thanks!

Nice that somebody else caught that. I wanted to comment "Who is this Amy Bricks?" earlier. Do you have a NAND backup?

 

[Magical Sheep]

Nice that somebody else caught that. I wanted to comment "Who is this Amy Bricks?" earlier. Do you have a NAND backup?

Ah, I see.
Currently, I don't. I probably really should go make a NAND backup before doing a downgrade. (Though, it worked just fine back on 10.3, but I don't want to push my luck.)

 

[RedBlueGreen]

Ah, I see.
Currently, I don't. I probably really should go make a NAND backup before doing a downgrade. (Though, it worked just fine back on 10.3, but I don't want to push my luck.)

Initially it had a chance of bricking on 10.3 if sysupdater froze at a certain point. I think it was a hard brick that could occur from this.
EDIT: Removed the part about that ISO site since this thread has the new sysupdated.

 

[Magical Sheep]

Initially it had a chance of bricking on 10.3 if sysupdater froze at a certain point. I think it was a hard brick that could occur from this.
EDIT: Removed the part about that ISO site since this thread has the new sysupdated.

I'll take a look at it. Unfortunately I just left for school.
I may have waited long enough on 10.3 for safesysupdater. I will definitely try our your method after school. (and a NAND backup.)

 

[Salamencizer]

I'll post a video tut soon
EDIT: Proof video uploaded.

 

[Tomy Sakazaki]

Note: You can't install cias using Any CIA manager on an EmuNAND which is on 10.6.

Wait (this may sound stupid, but whatever), so essentially if I downgrade using this method I should update my Emunand to 10.5 using sysUpdater to use CIAs?

 

[SnakeOil992]

I don't have oothax, but my friend does and he will give it to me. I guess I can install oothax even if I'm on 10.6 and can't access homebrew, right?

 

[Suco de Fruta]

Sucessful downgrade o3DS XL from 10.5 to 9.2.