Hacking What are the best tools to use as of now?

[Subscriber0101]

I've regularly given people help for how to hack their Wiis, and just wanna make sure my info is up to date.

The info I give (and the steps I use) is to use:

• letterbomb with MAC Address
• d2x from this site
  
• Latest Nintendont
• Latest USB Loader GX

Are there any easier, or essential tips besides these that are more up-to-date?

 

[Cyan]

Your steps are good.
just few notes of my own, that other users might not agree with, so just make your own opinion:

that site is telling people to install a mix of cIOS :
cIOS 249 base 56 v10 beta53-alt
cIOS 250 base 57 v10 beta52

I wouldn't recommend it (for many reasons, already explained few times in multiple threads).


if the user want multiple cIOS (like most guides tell users to do) just keep the same revision for both slots : v10 OR v10-alt, not both.
249 : d2x base 56 v10 (NOT alternative, the r52 instead of r53)



quick explanation :
slot 249 is setup with r53, which is used for USB 1 support but lacks emuNAND and has some game incompatibility. plus, it's using base56 which doesn't work with all games.
if you need a base 57, or emuNAND support, you'll lose USB Port 1 support, which you shouldn't have use in the first place.
If you really wanted USB Port1, you'd better install base57 with r53, but should know that emuNAND might not work with your drive, and SD support is not good (Wiiflow supports Wii games on SD, but only with r52)


so, the website setup is fine, as long as you set slot250 as default and only use USB Port0. but why not just install the right IOS in the default slot?

the best setup would be :
249 : base 57 d2x v10 (or v8 on Wii, it's the same), not r53.
And that's all you need.
only one game requires base 56 as far as we know : Spiro's gate support. (the game works with IOS57, but not the physical USB addon device)

so, you can install base56 in slot 250, and set only Spiro to slot250, all other game would use the default IOS249 base57.


The best setup is not the one which is identical to everyone else, but the one you understand WHY you do it.
I'm recommending users to install v10 (r52 instead of r53) but maybe some users have specific needs like USBPort1 support (especially on WiiU where they want multiple HDD at the same time), in that case r53 is the one to use. maybe you'd like base56 instead of 57; or even base58 for whatever reason.


Personally, I don't tell users to use that website, but provide a pack of already merged d2x data + installer. Because a lot of people don't understand what to do with multiple files to merge in the same folder.
here are a set of installer:
d2x installer full pack (v6/7/8/10/10alt) for Wii
d2x installer full pack (v10/v10alt) for vWii

These packs are only missing a modded version of v10 r52 which supports emuNAND with Ustealth drive, so it's not really "full pack" as there's a missing, and less known, version.
I wanted to make a single pack for both Wii and vWii, but I'm afraid people would mix them and install the wrong version.


Latest nintendont has new settings that the official "latest" USBLoaderGX doesn't have yet.
Greywolf made a version with these new settings. You can find it in the USBLoaderGX first post.


But I understand you find it easier to redirect people to already existing website and guide instead of telling different things one by one.
Or maybe you could make a tutorial of your own that you provide to your friends with these links and files hosted all at the same place.
if you want to make the steps easier, you can just provide my packs instead or telling users to grab the d2x installer and d2x data themselves, the pack is already merged. they just have to extract to sd:/apps/d2x_installer/ folder

Like I said, that's your own choice. your overall steps are fine.

 

[Subscriber0101]

Thanks Cyan! Also, forgot to mention one other thing -- is Wii Backup Manager the best tool to use as of now as well?

 

[PrincessLillie]

Wiimmfi and RiiConnect24

 

[Cyan]

For windows, it's the best user friendly.
It works with WBFS (deprecated), FAT32/NTFS partitions.
it can sort/rename the games automatically to the standard filename and paths used by the USBLoaders.


There is also the combo wit/wwt tools from Wiimm, which are a little more complicated to use because they are command line tools, it's a multi-plateform (windows, linux, mac!).
There is a GUI for it too, but I'm not sure if it's the one I'm thinking; https://gbatemp.net/threads/wiijmanager-multiplataform-windows-os-x.214002/

I think there is another multiplateform GUI.


There are more tools and managers, they are proably working fine but can lack features. You should always avoid "WBFS Manager" which has a bug corrupting games on a WBFS partition.
you'd better use FAT32 to prevent corruption issue, and have the drive compatible with other homebrew at the same time.


edit:
One thing I noticed which is missing from your softmod step is Priiloader.
I don't use it myself, but it could become useful to tweak the system menu's options and add an additional semi-brick protection (mainly channel brick).
As long as your users/friends don't mess with the console's internal and channels, they don't really need it, but it can be used to automatically launch USBLoaders at console boot for example.

For additional brick protection you should install :
1. bootmii @ boot2 is available in hackmii installer (only on old Wii)
2. priiloader if bootmii @ boot2 is not possible.

For autoboot into USBLoader / HBC :
1. install a channel forwarder on the system menu
2. set priiloader's autoboot program to a forwarder dol (not to the actual USBLoader's dol, because it's easier to update it from SD than replace it in priiloader)
2-2. alternatively, you can use boot2 if bootmii is installed to autoboot a USBLoader.

 

[Subscriber0101]

thanks, yeah wbfs is deprecated and it restricts drive functionality

One last thing while we're here. Are there any up-to-date guides showing the best methods for getting cheats to work on GCN/Wii games?

AFAIK, using geckocodes.org to download the cheats onto an SD Folder called "codes", and then enabling Ocarina in that game's settings in ULGX, is the best possible way for Wii games. (That true?)

But the process seems a bit more confusing for GCN games. Any good tuts on that?

 

[PrincessLillie]

thanks, yeah wbfs is deprecated and it restricts drive functionality

One last thing while we're here. Are there any up-to-date guides showing the best methods for getting cheats to work on GCN/Wii games?

AFAIK, using geckocodes.org to download the cheats onto an SD Folder called "codes", and then enabling Ocarina in that game's settings in ULGX, is the best possible way for Wii games. (That true?)

But the process seems a bit more confusing for GCN games. Any good tuts on that?

You use Nintendon't for cheats. The process seems to be the same for GCN games as it is for Wii games.

 

[Subscriber0101]

@Cyan -- Good point, totally forgot about all those in my OP! I already use boot2 on my Wii lol but yeah, you should always use either the boot2 or Priiloader method and regularly back up NAND. I also set up my Bootmii (via boot2) to autoboot to the HBC. Thanks for the reminder!

 

[Cyan]

if you use USBLoaderGX to launch the gamecube game with nintendont, then you use the exact same process for cheats.

game -> option -> ocarina : Get cheat list, it will download the cheats in a sd:/txtcodes/<gameid>.txt
enable the cheats you want
generate a GCT file

game -> option -> game option
enable "ocarina" or "nintendont cheats" to let nintendont know you want to use the generated gct file when playing the game.

USBLoaderGX will automatically copy the gct to the same partition than the game and let nintendont know the path to the gct file.

the only issue you can have is that geckocode is missing a lot of gamecube games.
Another website (code junkies) has few gamecube cheats but there's no automated option to retrieve them inside USBGX. you'll have to get each game's "cheat list" manually one by one inside a <gameID>.txt file, store it in /txtcodes/ folder yourself.


edit:
Someone made a "geckocode backup" to get all files already downloaded and ready to copy to SD or USB.
it's maybe a little old now (2014), but you can find it on gbatemp
https://gbatemp.net/threads/all-cheats-text-for-usb-loader-and-nintendont.373990/

installing/copying the txt files on your friend's SD card yourself will prevent them to download it for each game one by one from inside the loader. especially the Monster hunter cheat code which is SO big that people think the loader crashed while it's just "still downloading, please wait few MINUTES"