Hacking [TUTORIAL] Removing emuNAND from SD Card

[nastys]

"You can use a GParted live disc and just drag the FAT32 partition over where emuNAND was, it'll keep your files" - I thought you did that

I recommend recreating the partition table instead of putting the FAT32 partition onto the emunand/free space, because:

1. to remove the emunand MBR
2. to defragment the SD card

Also, you can install GParted on Ubuntu from the Software Centre, skipping the creation and boot of GParted Live.

Anyway, here's a quick tutorial for Ubuntu, without installing GParted:

Spoiler

Before proceeding, backup all your data on the SD card!!

Open Disks.

Select your SD card (important), then click on the hamburger menu and select Format...

Leave Quick and MBR / DOS, then click Format and confirm.

Click on the + below "Free Space".

Leave these settings as are and click Create.

Could you add it to the first post?

 

[WhoAmI?]

I recommend recreating the partition table instead of putting the FAT32 partition onto the emunand/free space, because:

1. to remove the emunand MBR
2. to defragment the SD card

Also, you can install GParted on Ubuntu from the Software Centre, skipping the creation and boot of GParted Live.


Anyway, here's a quick tutorial for Ubuntu, without installing GParted:

Spoiler

Before proceeding, backup all your data on the SD card!!
View attachment 18598
Open Disks.
View attachment 18593
Select your SD card (important), then click on the hamburger menu and select Format...
View attachment 18594View attachment 18595
Leave Quick and MBR / DOS, then click Format and confirm.
View attachment 18596
Click on the + below "Free Space".
View attachment 18597
Leave these settings as are and click Create.

Could you add it to the first post?

Sure, will do!

 

[GreenZeldaCap]

Can't you just format it.

 

[nastys]

Can't you just format it.

If you mean on Windows, right click on the SD card in Computer and format then no, it won't work, because the emuNAND is on a separate part of the SD card and not just the FAT32 partition.

Sure, will do!

Thanks but the images are broken
I'll upload them to imgur

 

[rsc-pl]

EDITED
Please note - if you just remove or resize partition - it will not work. GW writes information about emunand somewhere in MBR probably.
So
If you need just space in your SDcard - it will be fine if you resize/delete partition, but if you want to use this sdcard for GW3.2 nand settings mod - you will end with black screen after booting GW mode without rewriting MBR.

 

[WhoAmI?]

I recommend recreating the partition table instead of putting the FAT32 partition onto the emunand/free space, because:

1. to remove the emunand MBR
2. to defragment the SD card

Also, you can install GParted on Ubuntu from the Software Centre, skipping the creation and boot of GParted Live.


Anyway, here's a quick tutorial for Ubuntu, without installing GParted:

Spoiler

Before proceeding, backup all your data on the SD card!!
View attachment 18598
Open Disks.
View attachment 18593
Select your SD card (important), then click on the hamburger menu and select Format...
View attachment 18594View attachment 18595
Leave Quick and MBR / DOS, then click Format and confirm.
View attachment 18596
Click on the + below "Free Space".
View attachment 18597
Leave these settings as are and click Create.

Could you add it to the first post?
(and "Also, you can install GParted on Ubuntu from the Software Centre, skipping the creation and boot of GParted Live.", if you don't mind...)

If you mean on Windows, right click on the SD card in Computer and format then no, it won't work, because the emuNAND is on a separate part of the SD card and not just the FAT32 partition.

Thanks but the images are broken
I'll upload them to imgur

I fixed it . I got the links and re-added the images. I also changed the font size and numbered the text.

 

[nastys]

I fixed it . I got the links and re-added the images. I also changed the font size and numbered the text.

Perfect, thanks

EDITED
Please note - if you just remove or resize partition - it will not work. GW writes information about emunand somewhere in MBR probably.
So
If you need just space in your SDcard - it will be fine if you resize/delete partition, but if you want to use this sdcard for GW3.2 nand settings mod - you will end with black screen after booting GW mode without rewriting MBR.

Right, and this is what the first sector looks like:

This is why I recommend recreating the entire partition table if you want to get rid of the emuNAND entirely.

 

[blindseer]

Diskpart method, step 6.5 format quick

 

[WhoAmI?]

Perfect, thanks


Right, and this is what the first sector looks like:

This is why I recommend recreating the entire partition table if you want to get rid of the emuNAND entirely.

Wow. Gateway know how to waste space, right? I can see why WulfyStylez and Co, are working on a different emuNAND format...

 

[WhoAmI?]

Diskpart method, step 6.5 format quick

Thanks. Gonna add it, now

 

[blindseer]

Thanks. Gonna add it, now

No problem, I use that method so you dont have to format outside of diskpart.

 

[nastys]

Wow. Gateway know how to waste space, right? I can see why WulfyStylez and Co, are working on a different emuNAND format...

This is just a dummy 512 bytes (if I recall correctly) sector that replaces the MBR. Every msdos/mbr partition table should have an MBR, or there might be compatibility issues.

 

[WhoAmI?]

This is just a dummy 512 bytes (if I recall correctly) sector that replaces the MBR. Every msdos/mbr partition table should have an MBR, or there might be compatibility issues.

Yup, even so. Members of the KARL team were talking about the offsets that Gateway use for emuNAND and such, which they claim to cause an unnecessary waste of storage.

 

[Deleted-19228]

*redacted*

Just as an FYI the diskpart method I've used for years however there was a MicroSD I was working on yesterday that was causing me issues when attempting to install the mset_usa.cia MicroSD was from a n3ds, it was 4GB, showed around 4GB free but somehow still had an emunand partition on it. emutool 1.0.3 was recognizing it and would actually dump it. Really strange. In any case used the HP formatter tool and it wiped it to where emunand wasn't seen anymore.

 

[WhoAmI?]

Just as an FYI the diskpart method I've used for years however there was a MicroSD I was working on yesterday that was causing me issues when attempting to install the mset_usa.cia MicroSD was from a n3ds, it was 4GB, showed around 4GB free but somehow still had an emunand partition on it. emutool 1.0.3 was recognizing it and would actually dump it. Really strange. In any case used the HP formatter tool and it wiped it to where emunand wasn't seen anymore.

Wow, that is strange. I don't get that problem on my hardware. Diskpart has always worked for me.

 

[Deleted-19228]

Yea. I removed the partition multiple times, reformatted. Emunand was still working for some reason. Took hours to track down because I didn't even think emunand was ever set up on it simply because it showed 3.7GB free. Obviously if the emunand partition was setup it would have <2GB free.

 

[nastys]

Yup, even so. Members of the KARL team were talking about the offsets that Gateway use for emuNAND and such, which they claim to cause an unnecessary waste of storage.

It is actually the same size of the NAND + the size of an MBR, so how is it possible that there is wasted storage?
Maybe I'll check that thread.

 

[WhoAmI?]

It is actually the same size of the NAND + the size of an MBR, so how is it possible that there is wasted storage?
Maybe I'll check that thread.

I honestly don't know xD. Look through the KARL thread. One of the members were going on about their alternate emuNAND which is more efficient than Gateways. Don't quote me on that.

 

[WhoAmI?]

EDITED
Please note - if you just remove or resize partition - it will not work. GW writes information about emunand somewhere in MBR probably.
So
If you need just space in your SDcard - it will be fine if you resize/delete partition, but if you want to use this sdcard for GW3.2 nand settings mod - you will end with black screen after booting GW mode without rewriting MBR.

Yup, I just checked. I also had to add a command to the diskpart tutorial, which re-writes the mbr.

 

[WhoAmI?]

Yea. I removed the partition multiple times, reformatted. Emunand was still working for some reason. Took hours to track down because I didn't even think emunand was ever set up on it simply because it showed 3.7GB free. Obviously if the emunand partition was setup it would have <2GB free.

Updated the diskpart instructions. Step 6 has a command to re-make mbr. If it still doesn't work, use "clean all" instead of "clean". "clean all" resets all the sectors to "0", so it'll take a while depending on the SD cards size.

Edit: Before I destroyed the mbr, rxTools said that emuNAND existed when it didn't. Re-making mbr has fixed it