Hacking FAT32 with wbfs-folder to WBFS?

[Zymf]

Using WBFS2FAT I have formattet my HDD with all my games to FAT32. I like FAT32, because then I can use the HDD for other things, but my Wii just won't load games from it.

CFG loader won't mount the drive at all, and Wiiflow will freeze when I try to load a game.

Is there any way to format my drive back to WBFS without having to first transfer my games to my computer, convert them to .ISO's, and then re-transfer them with WBFS manager? (I have 144 GB worth of games on and only 61 GB free space on my computer xD)

I have thought about using Wii Backup Manager, but I don't know if it will also convert the games to the correct filetype :/?

I have just updated the system software, and re-installed cIOS 56 to the latest revision.

 

[migles]

are you sure cfg usb loader and ALL the CIOS are updated?

there should be no problem with fat32...

 

[Cyan]

"cIOS 56" doesn't exist.
I suppose you are talking about d2x cIOS v10 based on IOS56?

Assuming you didn't modify the file allocation table, didn't add files, didn't delete files etc., you can restore WBFS partition back using wbfs2fat.
But I don't suggest doing it, because
1- you probably already changed the drive content, so it won't work
2- FAT32 is better and should work fine.

If fat32 doesn't work, your USBLoader is probably not correctly setup. do a clean reinstall of the loader, or check the settings to select the correct partition (it's maybe still trying to load a WBFS partition, so you need to tell the loader that you now have a FAT32 partition)

 

[Zymf]

Yea, d2x cIOS v10 was what I meant. IOS56 was the base

I'll try and reinstall the loader and see if that helps...
I know where I can select the partition (if I want to use USB1 or SD card), but I don't think there was an option for which format to load :/?

Thanks to both of you - I hope it will work for me now ^^

 

[Cyan]

I don't know very well CFG and Wiiflow, sorry.
But in USBLoaderGX, you don't select the format, you select the partition and the loader detects the format.
Sometime you may have to re-force a partition detection after using a different HDD as it kept the previous drive's information in the settings.

It's maybe the same with other loaders.

 

[Foxi4]

When changing the format of the partition it is recommended to have a look through the config files of the loader or downright deleting them and letting the loader generate a new one. As Cyan said, partition-specific settings are saved in the config files and if they don't match the currently used partition things can go nasty for no apparent reason. It's the same all across the board, no matter which loader you use.

 

[Zymf]

Here's what I've tried:
- Install d2x cIOS v10 on both IOS56 and 57 (before I had only v8 on IOS56)
- Delete the Wiiflow folders from both within the apps-folder and on the root of the SD card, and then make a clean re-install
- Delete the gameconfig.txt file from the root of my SD card (whatever that was?)
- Try USBloaderGX (gave same results as CFG loader; couldn't mount HDD)

None of this worked for me, unfortunately - So I'll try and see if I can convert my HDD back to WBFS format :/

 

[Foxi4]

Are you a 100% sure that your partition is set to Primary? What cluster size are you using? Does the drive feature any sleep or delayed mount functionality? There is no reason why one filesystem would work and another wouldn't, you're definitely doing something wrong.

 

[Zymf]

Are you a 100% sure that your partition is set to Primary? What cluster size are you using? Does the drive feature any sleep or delayed mount functionality? There is no reason why one filesystem would work and another wouldn't, you're definitely doing something wrong.

Uuuhm.. Well. You have pretty much reached the limit of my knowledge now :/
- What do you mean by "set to Primary?"
- I don't remember the cluster size :/ (How do I check?)
- It usually takes 10 seconds from when I connect my HDD to my PC till it recognise it.

This is how my HDD is set up:

FAT32
|- wbfs
> |- BIT.TRIP COMPLETE [SVTEXS]
> > |- SVTEXS.wbfs
> |- CASTLE OF SHIKIGAMI 3 [RS4EXS]
> > |- RS4EXS.wbfs
> |- ... (Lots of other games)

 

[GamerzHell9137]

Sorry for using the same thread but i'm having the exact/similar issue with my USB too.
Most of the times when i put a 4GB+ WBFS game any game loader won't recognize the USB.
I just sit there and watch but nothing happens, i reformatted the USB over and over again until the Loaders recognized the USB but once i change the game it happens again.
I don't want to keep reformatting and copying the WBFS game to WFBS folder cause its takes a lot of time to copy to it.
And yes, only in FAT32 format, WBFS Formatted USB works fine with all games.

EDIT: Maybe i'm supposed to make the game in parts(wbfs1,wbfs2) that is less than 4 GB cause FAT32 supports up to 4 GB? Hmmm... i'll try that.

 

[Zymf]

Sooo... I should look for .wbfs files on my HDD on 4GB+ because these are whats causing the problems? (I'll try that...)

Edit: My games are allready split, so that they do not exceed 4GB :/

 

[Cyan]

file size doesn't affect HDD detection.
If you have a split game, it's like if you have two files on the partition. Nothing wrong.

Like foxi said, the partition format is not a problem.
if you say it doesn't find the "drive", it seems your issue is even before reading the partition.
It the issue is it doesn't find the partition then it's another problem.

I can try to make a version of USBLoaderGX which logs the HDD mounting/detecting.

 

[Zymf]

Wow! If you would do that it would be great!

I think I've tried everything that has been suggested in this thread...

 

[Cyan]

I added SD and HDD partition information log.

But there's an issue :
To debug what's wrong when detecting the drives, you need to start logging at launch before trying to mount the drives.
And to write the log file, you need device access... which doesn't work at launch.
I feel like I coded this for nothing. not a lot of users have USBgecko to debug correctly.

You are launching the loaders from SD or USB?

 

[Zymf]

I launch the loaders from my SD card (like most others I think).

 

[Cyan]

Your USB is connected to the correct USB Port? (Port0)
Port0 is the bottom one on Wii, and the top one on wiiU.

 

[Zymf]

Yes

 

[tbb043]

Are you using Homebrew Channel or a forwarder channel to launch your loader? Whichever it is, maybe try the other way and see what happens.

Try putting a loader directly on the USB drive and see if it will work then. I don't know about the others but CFG should work fine run from USB, that's the only way I've ever used it. (The others probably do too, but I just haven't ever tried those.) Don't just copy your existing one, try a fresh version just to make sure, and take your SD card out just to make sure it's not still loading that version.

 

[jonthedit]

Why not use NTFS?
WBFS files work great with NTFS.

 

[Cyan]

Well, I don't think the problem is the partition format. We are trying to understand why the drive is not found anymore.

You could try this to use IOS58 instead of cIOS.
You can test with Wiixplorer or USBLoaderGX, or even HBC.

In USBLoaderGX, it can be forced to 58 by editing the meta.xml file in a text editor.
Remove the two lines telling "remove me"
and replace --ios=250 by --ios=58


To test with HBC, put the /apps/ folder on your USB.
Then go to HBC settings (1 or 2 on wiimote, I don't remember) and select USB source.
If you see the homebrew listed on HBC then the drive works with IOS58.