Hacking Any way to backup saves from retail 3DS carts to use with Sky3DS?

[gamesquest1]

you would also need to use a dump of your own specific cart for the header data to match your save.....so only real way to do this would be using gateway's launcher to dump the rom and the save to use with sky3ds, each cart has its own header info, which is used to tie the save to that cart......iirc the only games this wouldn't apply to are games using the 1.0 save encryption type....so pretty much just the launch titles, but yeah, dump rom, dump save, then figure out how to import the save to use with sky3ds

This save won't work in GW mode, at least until GW releases a save convertor, because GW uses a different encryption mode for the saves.
But the backup/restore do not affected by this i.e. it makes a complete backup of the current save regardless of the encryption which can be restored and played again in the same mode (realNAND or GW)

that only applies for 6.x save encrypted games, any games playable on 5.x and lower the saves will work perfectly fine between gateway and retail consoles.....only other issue is save size gateway only accepts 512kb saves, so unless the game has a 512kb save chip or is card 2 you cant use a retail save with gateway

 

[duke_srg]

you would also need to use a dump of your own specific cart for the header data to match your save.....so only real way to do this would be using gateway's launcher to dump the rom and the save to use with sky3ds, each cart has its own header info, which is used to tie the save to that cart......iirc the only games this wouldn't apply to are games using the 1.0 save encryption type....so pretty much just the launch titles, but yeah, dump rom, dump save, then figure out how to import the save to use with sky3ds
that only applies for 6.x save encrypted games, any games playable on 5.x and lower the saves will work perfectly fine between gateway and retail consoles.....only other issue is save size gateway only accepts 512kb saves, so unless the game has a 512kb save chip or is card 2 you cant use a retail save with gateway

There is another option to transfer EEPROM saves regardless of the encryption used on both sides. Assume that each unique card always uses the same unique key sequence (this is true for 1.x and 2.x at least and should be the same for all other methods). XORing save dumps of the same game which just have been initialized from both versions gives the transcode key. Using it will allow to transfer this game save from/to any those two systems. This method won't require a full rom dump

 

[gamesquest1]

There is another option to transfer EEPROM saves regardless of the encryption used on both sides. Assume that each unique card always uses the same unique key sequence (this is true for 1.x and 2.x at least and should be the same for all other methods). XORing save dumps of the same game which just have been initialized from both versions gives the transcode key. Using it will allow to transfer this game save from/to any those two systems. This method won't require a full rom dump

yeah, but for people to use their own saves from their own retail cards each card uses its own uniqueID.....yeah older games using 1.x save encryption are easily decrypted and can be converted could possibly be done without a rom dump, but im fairly sure since 2.x there is no way other than decrypting through a 3DS to decrypt and re-sign the save to use a alternate card header......so for the likes of oot, yeah you could probably do it with just powersaves or r4i save dongle, but for any games since 2.x you would need access to a exploitable console to dump the header info to use with sky3ds so the save and rom match up header ID's

iirc there was someone a while back who was developing a way to dump the rom using the powersaves adapter....idk if they got very far though.

 

[MelonGx]

MelonGx
1. GW Launcher dumps the eeprom content of the card1, just like it does R4i save dongle, I confirm that wiyh byte-comparing results
2. Unlike GW, Sky is not altering the system, it just emulates the real card, so there must be no encryption method problem
3. There is at least one difference between the same CTR code cards (except updated rom releases) is 0x40 byte card ID which is unique for a physical card. It is included in the Sky template and it is the only additional data in a Sky saves (besides the text part and 0xff padding). Card ID is used at least in 2.x save encryption, according to 3d brew.
4. It seems that MT card dump injects cardID in 3dz, you must byte comparw, not just look into headers which is the same for the same ROM.

So what? It's still tested unavailable. Everything going further is meaningless since the save conversion & restoration are tested unavailable.

Just a conclusion:
Sky3DS save is incompatible to every other save type.

 

[duke_srg]

Just a conclusion:
Sky3DS save is incompatible to every other save type.

Incompatible or can't be converted is a different things. I'll return back with the results.

 

[duke_srg]

So changing CardID in template to one from the original card works, at least 2.x encrypted game saves working now. 6.x need more test, still no success

 

[lukas_2511]

Card2 savegames should be easily imported, but you need to change a few parameters in template.txt:

At least Unique-ID has to be the same, also there is information about the manufacturer and the size of the flash, those may have to be modified to.
I successfully imported my Pokemon Y savegame this way.

Card1 savegames may need the updated Unique-ID as well, other than that you should probably able to write the raw data in the save slot for sky3ds.

For both you need to modify the raw save data to look like i documented here: https://github.com/lukas2511/sky3ds.py/wiki/Savegame-Backups

 

[duke_srg]

lukas_2511 correction for Card1:
0x14: 0x04 bytes padding (0xFF)
0x18: 0x40 bytes CardID (see GetRomID here: http://3dbrew.org/wiki/Process_Services_PXI)
0x58: save data (padded with 0XFF to 1Mb total size)

 

[lukas_2511]

lukas_2511 correction for Card1:
0x14: 0x04 bytes padding (0xFF)
0x18: 0x40 bytes CardID (see GetRomID here: http://3dbrew.org/wiki/Process_Services_PXI)
0x58: save data (padded with 0XFF to 1Mb total size)

Is that ID really in there? I tested with a few games, and on every savegame i extracted with DiskWriter it was all 0xff.

 

[duke_srg]

Is that ID really in there? I tested with a few games, and on every savegame i extracted with DiskWriter it was all 0xff.

The ID is here from the Template initially, which may not be set by Sky team (i.e. 0xff). But in case savedata transfer from retail card is needed, real card id should be places both in template and save file for save to work.

 

[lukas_2511]

The ID is here from the Template initially, which may not be set by Sky team (i.e. 0xff). But in case savedata transfer from retail card is needed, real card id should be places both in template and save file for save to work.

Okay thank you. I updated the wiki page with that information.

 

[duke_srg]

Okay thank you. I updated the wiki page with that information.

About Card2 save offset field - have you checked it correlation with Writable Region offset with rom_tool?

 

[lukas_2511]

About Card2 save offset field - have you checked it correlation with Writable Region offset with rom_tool?

Yes that is the writable address from the Card Info Header (http://3dbrew.org/wiki/NCSD).

 

[crimsonnight]

Sorry for the delay guys - bought a second micro sd card and tested by the OoT and the .savs you messaged me Duke - the OoT save didn't work, but the others did (using the included template file)! Does that mean I can restore my cart saves to Sky3DS if I buy the device I linked to earlier in the thread? If so would you mind creating a guide on exactly how it's done... like how to find out the headers of your retail games etc - cheers!

 

[crimsonnight]

Let me know when you can please as I'm keen to get everything sorted

 

[duke_srg]

So which exactly saves worked?
I'm afraid for the anything new you'll better need a console with fw <=9.2 to start GateWay Launcher to dump both saves and CardIDs

 

[crimsonnight]

The ones you sent me with the attached template file. Dammit, so the save dongle's not going to work? There's gotta be some other alternative...

 

[duke_srg]

The ones you sent me with the attached template file. Dammit, so the save dongle's not going to work? There's gotta be some other alternative...

Dongle will work, but the save dataitself is not enough, you need your card unique ID for the most recent games. The easiest option to get this is to dump rom with Gateway or MT launcher which only requires 3ds with firmeare 9.2 or lower. So just find a nearby friend with older 3DS and dump your roms and saves with it

 

[crimsonnight]

Dammit, that's not going to be an option

 

[duke_srg]

Dammit, that's not going to be an option

Any other ROM dump equipment will be a lot more expensive than a new or even new new 3ds, which may have even 9.0 out of the box. I'm not sure if cardID commands is available it Browser ROP exploit, that will be an option