This is thanks to u/perkel

After Many tries and hours I found this users steps and followed them to success (n3ds). I got through the downgrade process and it automatically rebooted without any problems (no black screen or having to remove the sd).

Here's Perkels solution, and I quote:

"- formated my n3ds (had 10.1, updated to 10.3 then format)
- formated SD (32gb kingstone class10) with SD formater (format overwrite + formatsize adjustements)
- downloaded 9.2-20E firmware for N3DS
- checked md5 of above firmware via this site
MD5: 6dcca8fcbc9a28c82c2a4e5182f3acf8
SHA-1: e7c77bf205137167f1f1befa0c4db9d879a21a2e?
- downloaded this systemupdater which julian posted (SULib one) MIRROR

thread where given (if curious):
https://gbatemp.net/attachments/sysupdater-zip.34449/

- downloaded starter kit for homebrew (from smealum site)
- installed TeraCopy to ensure nothing will be damaged via copy/paste on SD card

- put SD to pc
- copy everything lower via teracopy program! (it will show your option when you do it just via copy/paste like normally you do after you install that program)
- copy starter kit folder content to sd card
- copy sysupdater to 3ds folder in your SD card
- copy updates folder to your SD card once you unpacked your downloaded and checked via md5 sum FW
- get your SD card to your 3DS and set up your 3DS (date, time etc.)
- change your theme to something else and back to default (to ensure menuhax will work)
- do browserhax (scan QR code [L+R and then that left sticker] from this site)
- you should go into HomeBrew thanks to above
- choose menuhax manager and install menuhax
- restart your 3DS and hold L to go into homebrewlauncher directly

Once above is done you have properly installed homebrew on 10.3 and it is confirmed that all files are 100% safe to use (that FW you downloaded) and nothing weird should go wrong (it still has that chance though)

Once above was done i started sysupdater from homebrewlauncher.
Since memchunx doesn't work most of the time i had to try 7-10 times before i got #8 success and sysupdater menu.

Then i pressed Y, nothing happened for 3-5 seconds
Then cheking CIA files... or whatever that was for 10-30 seconds
Then it started to install CIA files
Then it got to autorestart in 10 seconds
Autorestarted (NO CRASH)
Booted into 9.2 system without problem perfectly (without taking out SD card)

In other words perfectly updated without single crash (aside from getting into sysupdate menu)

I give my humble thanks to whoever worked on memchunks, julian for this fantastic build and ton of other people that showed me way to ensure everything will work correctly (like teracopy, md5 etc).

Now i have 9.2 and i am wondering what should i do Good thing to wonder about "

Happy Downgrading!

 

[Dedede]

-snip-

 

[mariosonicds]

How about for a Japanese N3ds... I removed the very unstable file but i got an error... But im on 9.9.0-26J

 

[MichMaster]

You can download both Four Swords and your Ambassador games from the eShop. Even if you couldn't redownload them, you could get them from elsewhere after having downgraded.

Really? I remember I checked recently and the games were not there, I'll need to verify that again and that's true, I could reinstall after the downgrade

I feel for you. I kind of regretted going full digital instead of cartridges. But I sucked it up. Maybe try waiting for the better solution?

After hours last night trying I decided to wait for the better solution. But seeing everyone doing it I couldn't help myself. So today I went and found this method and it work on the first try! Your patience is a gift.

And about those games, wouldn't you just be able to install the cia of them once your downgraded?

Do you have a N3DS or old one? I have a new one and I am worried about something going wrong, I'll wait a bit more until I see more people succeed downgrading it
And about the games, that's true but I need to risk it first xD

 

[ombus]

Don't use FAT lol, use FAT32.

well then the guide is wrong xD if he used fat.

 

[Dedede]

-snip-

 

[Dribblejam]

How about for a Japanese N3ds... I removed the very unstable file but i got an error... But im on 9.9.0-26J

Not sure about jp 3ds. I've only heard to take out that one cia:/

Don't use FAT lol, use FAT32.

I used Windows default formatted and formatted to fat32.

Really? I remember I checked recently and the games were not there, I'll need to verify that again and that's true, I could reinstall after the downgrade



Do you have a N3DS or old one? I have a new one and I am worried about something going wrong, I'll wait a bit more until I see more people succeed downgrading it
And about the games, that's true but I need to risk it first xD

I'm considering this guide tailored for n3ds but it should work for both. Just make sure you have the correct cia firmware files.

Also, EVERYONE MAKE SURE YOU USE JULIANS BUILD OF SYSUPDATER. Will update op.

https://gbatemp.net/attachments/sysupdater-zip.34449/

 

[Tzuba]

It worked! Thank friggin God! I've literally been doing this since 6pm yesterday. Only got a few hours of sleep.

I'm so happy right now lol.

 

[Dedede]

-snip-

 

[Dribblejam]

It worked! Thank friggin God! I've literally been doing this since 6pm yesterday. Only got a few hours of sleep.

I'm so happy right now lol.

Awesome! We share the excitement man. I tried for hours too and for this way to work first try was awesome. Now we can all have some real fun

--------------------- MERGED ---------------------------

In that case I'm going to begin to attempt it using these steps.

Is there any way to back up save files before formatting the SD or is that all lost?

I believe just backing up your ad should be fine. If not, go into settings and go to the sd card management. Your should be able to back up your saves from there. I only backed up my sd for saves so if that's not the right way then I'm screwed

 

[Tzuba]

In that case I'm going to begin to attempt it using these steps.

Is there any way to back up save files before formatting the SD or is that all lost?

There is. Use this: https://gbatemp.net/threads/svdt-save-data-explorer-manager.396562/

When you pick what game to backup, it launches the app and automatically backs up the save in its own named folder in the newly created "svdt" folder. Just do it for each of your games and you should be able to import them back with the same tool when you redownload all of your games again.

 

[Luckkill4u]

Do we need to format? its the only thing holding me back from downgrading atm. Basically i want to downgrade and keep all my games, saves and nnid. If i can downgrade without a format i could back up my nand then create an emunand 9.5 with my game keys, nnid and all my saves should work.

 

[Tzuba]

Do we need to format? its the only thing holding me back from downgrading atm. Basically i want to downgrade and keep all my games, saves and nnid. If i can downgrade without a format i could back up my nand then create an emunand 9.5 with my game keys, nnid and all my saves should work.

If you've tried every other possible option like I did, the last thing to do is format. Nothing else worked until I formatted.

You can backup your saves with the tool I linked above, and you can get all of your games back once you link your nnid to the system again. But your friendcodes and miiplaza data and stuff will be gone.

 

[Dedede]

-snip-

 

[Dribblejam]

Do we need to format? its the only thing holding me back from downgrading atm. Basically i want to downgrade and keep all my games, saves and nnid. If i can downgrade without a format i could back up my nand then create an emunand 9.5 with my game keys, nnid and all my saves should work.

A format isn't supposed to be needed but it seems to increase the success rate by a lot. And all the stuff that you want to keep has been confirmed to be able to keep. Just look a these two pages to see answers on save backups and such.

 

[perkel]

That ? on SHA-1 shouldn't be there (i made mistake in my post because i copied someone else mistake, md5 is fine)
I already got Rxtools and emunand working with cias from homemenu so it isn't wonky downgrade (like in some other cases) either.

as of "format 3ds"

some users already mentioned they got softbricks everytime they tried to downgrade. Formating their 3ds changed that problem.

This tutorial for other regions shouldn't be any different.

For NA. NA FW and check properly md5 sum
For JAP. JP FW check md5 sum and delete that one file from FW (or it will brick)

 

[Dedede]

-snip-

 

[Luckkill4u]

@Tzuba @Dedede @Dribblejam Okay its not required, but I'd rather not format. As far as I know you cant link nnid on firmware less than 10.3 and since I'm n3ds then cfw only supports 9.5. I guess I could backup all my saves, format, relink nnid then downgrade. Just backup and restoring all those saves would be a lot of work. Plus what about dlc?

 

[perkel]

Can anyone confirm that the 9.2.0-20E(Full)_n3DS.zip file sized at 141 MB (148,417,184 bytes), extracts to 102 .CIA files making a collective file size of 142 MB (149,543,616 bytes)?

yes, but don't check it this way. do it like it is in tutorial via md5. WinRaR or 7zip almost never corrupts so only way to corrupt files is to copy/paste them on SD card in which case you need to use TeraCopy which will ensure that no file will be corrupted after copy to SD card.

 

[Dribblejam]

Can anyone confirm that the 9.2.0-20E(Full)_n3DS.zip file sized at 141 MB (148,417,184 bytes), extracts to 102 .CIA files making a collective file size of 142 MB (149,543,616 bytes)?

I got 102 files for USA too. I'd say you're all set.

 

[Dedede]

-snip-