Hacking SWITCH NOOB PARADISE - Ask questions here

[binkinator]

I need some advice;
I have CFWed V1 unpatched Day 1 Switch, loving my little toaster here
After you crack it open it's amazing machine but i noticed that due to it's age, it's getting little worn out here and there, mainly on battery life and general overheating.
I don't overclock it or anything like that, just playing games as dev's intended.

I changed the thermal paste, cleaned it up inside out but nothing has really changed and fan is still loud as heck.
Not to mention, i keep seeing people posting how their V1 Switch'es suddenly die beacuse of age and that probably set my alarm on.

So, here's my dilemma:
Should i keep that V1 Switch alive or maybe i should get myself chipped OLED?
If i should go after OLED, should i get it now or wait ( from what i seen, there seem to be new chips incoming, much cheaper too)?

Subjective Speculation Below (there is no right answer….only opinions and buttholes)

V1 is gold standard IMO. Unless you want the superior screen of course and then nothing beats OLED. As far as age goes it quickly evens out the older these things get. As long as you’re willing to go in and replace the bits (fans are cheap) and you’re able to keep it below 80 degrees Celsius, play on. Once the new Nintendo X comes out the prices of the current models will stabilize. The chip vendors will scramble to get rid of inventory. There will be deals to be had as people move on to the next big thing.

 

[GravityLoL]

Subjective Speculation Below (there is no right answer….only opinions and buttholes)

V1 is gold standard IMO. Unless you want the superior screen of course and then nothing beats OLED. As far as age goes it quickly evens out the older these things get. As long as you’re willing to go in and replace the bits (fans are cheap) and you’re able to keep it below 80 degrees Celsius, play on. Once the new Nintendo X comes out the prices of the current models will stabilize. The chip vendors will scramble to get rid of inventory. There will be deals to be had as people move on to the next big thing.

I know V1 are like most looked up to beacuse they require only basic hacking skills.
I mostly play in docked, handheld only when i'm too tired to sit in chair and need to lay in bed.
i can replace the fan but it won't change that the battery is pretty drained after 5 years of usage :/
Idk is it even worth to replace it

 

[guily6669]

reverseNX-RT is the best. Which games are giving you issues? I’ll try them on mine.

Just tested the Edizon overlay you sent the link and seems to be working fine

About ReverseNX-RT is not really problems but more like the games that sadly SaltyNX\ doesn't support like the exceptions on it like Luigi's Mansion 3 and 32bit games generally speaking

I have SaltyNX 0.4a hotfix which is from Aprl 2021 and ReverseNX-RT 1.01 which is from Jun 2020, I mean they are both sadly very outdated.

One for example that I wanted to use is Red Faction Guerilla, reverseNX-RT simply does nothing, at least to my eyes I see no difference between docked\handheld mode, it does nothing and I know the game has a docked mode, I saw all it's visuals\performance by DigitalFoundry on youtube.

In the PC version Red Faction Res-Mars-tered I think is 64bit only, on switch maybe it's a 32bit app...

Is there any workaround for using ReverseNX-RT on 32bit games? (Unless there's other versions from other devs more recent that I don't know...).

I know V1 are like most looked up to beacuse they require only basic hacking skills.
I mostly play in docked, handheld only when i'm too tired to sit in chair and need to lay in bed.
i can replace the fan but it won't change that the battery is pretty drained after 5 years of usage :/
Idk is it even worth to replace it

I have a V1 and mine is a bit custom modded in terms of cooling, handheld it runs pretty much dead silent, I have to put my ears really touching the cooler exhaust to be able to hear it.

Docked I never used mine, but can replicate on some games with OC and engaging docked mode, it gets to a point where I can hear the fans but it's not even much loud or much hot.

My friend V1 without cooling mods on his dock gets a bit loud for sure, but it's still nothing compared to his PS4 Pro jumbo Jet loud or better the Switch is a similar jumbo jet airplane but only from close if compared to the PS4 Pro from far away
(But this same friend had 1 previously that was exceptionally loud, defective from factory day 1 brand new and the console in about a week went puff, it started making a loud annoying buzz noise from the speakers and in the dock it wasn't super far from the PS4 Pro jumbo jet).

If you still enjoy it handheld and use the device, I think it's totally worth to buy a new battery, it's super easy to replace, but I'd really try to squeeze the original one to the max until it can't really hold almost any juice

 

[ganons]

Got an unpatched Switch, is a jig still required for cfw? Seemed to have misplaced it.

 

[binkinator]

I know V1 are like most looked up to beacuse they require only basic hacking skills.
I mostly play in docked, handheld only when i'm too tired to sit in chair and need to lay in bed.
i can replace the fan but it won't change that the battery is pretty drained after 5 years of usage :/
Idk is it even worth to replace it

Battery is cheap and easy to replace as well. Put a few drops of IPA underneath the battery and allow it time to work it’s way into the sticky that’s holding it in. Pop in a new battery and you’re good to go.

Post automatically merged: Jan 7, 2023

Got an unpatched Switch, is a jig still required for cfw? Seemed to have misplaced it.

Yes, still required unless you put in a hardware mod (Trinket M0 or HWFLY glitch chip)

Post automatically merged: Jan 7, 2023

Just tested the Edizon overlay you sent the link and seems to be working fine

Sweet! Glad this is sorted.

About ReverseNX-RT is not really problems but more like the games that sadly SaltyNX\ doesn't support like the exceptions on it like Luigi's Mansion 3 and 32bit games generally speaking

If it can be done, the guy who wrote it would be the best one to know. I’m sure he didn’t intend for the exceptions to exist and has tried his best to date to make them work. Haven’t looked into the reasons but I’m sure they are good.

I have SaltyNX 0.4a hotfix which is from Aprl 2021 and ReverseNX-RT 1.01 which is from Jun 2020, I mean they are both sadly very outdated.

Those are what I run as well. They were released a while ago but still work for what we have today (with the known exceptions of course.)

One for example that I wanted to use is Red Faction Guerilla, reverseNX-RT simply does nothing, at least to my eyes I see no difference between docked\handheld mode, it does nothing and I know the game has a docked mode, I saw all it's visuals\performance by DigitalFoundry on youtube.

In the PC version Red Faction Res-Mars-tered I think is 64bit only, on switch maybe it's a 32bit app...

Is there any workaround for using ReverseNX-RT on 32bit games? (Unless there's other versions from other devs more recent that I don't know...).

Unfortunately there are none that I’m aware of.

TBH, @masagrator has been on the ball for updates on his projects and turns around fixes when there are FW updates…often within hours.

Maybe he wants to add more flavor and correct any errors I might have made.

 

[Alatus]

Anyone can link me to an up-to-date sysmodule guide?

 

[binkinator]

Anyone can link me to an up-to-date sysmodule guide?

That is a broad statement as there are so many of them that do so many different things. What are you looking to do?

 

[vree]

Yeah redownload the attached one and extract to the root of sd. Replace everything except hekate_ipl.ini

Yeah like I said I already did that.

I think I also replaced hekate_ipl.ini. Could that be the cause? If so how to fix?

 

[GravityLoL]

I have a V1 and mine is a bit custom modded in terms of cooling, handheld it runs pretty much dead silent, I have to put my ears really touching the cooler exhaust to be able to hear it.

Docked I never used mine, but can replicate on some games with OC and engaging docked mode, it gets to a point where I can hear the fans but it's not even much loud or much hot.

My friend V1 without cooling mods on his dock gets a bit loud for sure, but it's still nothing compared to his PS4 Pro jumbo Jet loud or better the Switch is a similar jumbo jet airplane but only from close if compared to the PS4 Pro from far away
(But this same friend had 1 previously that was exceptionally loud, defective from factory day 1 brand new and the console in about a week went puff, it started making a loud annoying buzz noise from the speakers and in the dock it wasn't super far from the PS4 Pro jumbo jet).

If you still enjoy it handheld and use the device, I think it's totally worth to buy a new battery, it's super easy to replace, but I'd really try to squeeze the original one to the max until it can't really hold almost any juice

Care to spill some beans about that 'modded cooling'?

 

[Nynrah]

Some more noob questions from this Switch noob.

1) File transfer to/from USB thumb drive
Is it possible to transfer files from the Switch with a USB thumb drive (inserted in one of the docking station's USB ports)? If so, how?

I can install xci and nsp files that I put on a USB thumb drive via DBI, but I haven't figured out how to move files between the Switch and thumb drive. It's mainly for moving saves between the Switch and my PC without having to remove the SD card, enable wifi (FTP) or use the USB C port.

2) Fake linking online account
Some games require you to link your online account, like Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night or Nintendo Switch Online games. I have been told that there are ways to fake this linkage with linkalho, tinfoil or kefir. At least those are the only methods I know of. Which method is the best way to fake a linked online account or bypass the requirement?

I have not linked a (real) account in the past and it is possible that my Switch is banned because of a little accident that happened after enabling wifi while I thought I had taken the neccesary precautions. I did read some mentions of having linked an account in the past being needed, but I don't know the specifics of it. Not sure what this means for my options to still bypass the linkage requirement.

Also, if I can still fake link an account, what happens if I were to update my firmware in the future? And what using a different SD card? I still got a second card with a fully functional Atmosphere setup, which holds some different games than my main SD card and wonder if I can set up a fake link on both cards if need be.

 

[impeeza]

Some more noob questions from this Switch noob.

1) File transfer to/from USB thumb drive
Is it possible to transfer files from the Switch with a USB thumb drive (inserted in one of the docking station's USB ports)? If so, how?

I can install xci and nsp files that I put on a USB thumb drive via DBI, but I haven't figured out how to move files between the Switch and thumb drive. It's mainly for moving saves between the Switch and my PC without having to remove the SD card, enable wifi (FTP) or use the USB C port.

2) Fake linking online account
Some games require you to link your online account, like Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night or Nintendo Switch Online games. I have been told that there are ways to fake this linkage with linkalho, tinfoil or kefir. At least those are the only methods I know of. Which method is the best way to fake a linked online account or bypass the requirement?

I have not linked a (real) account in the past and it is possible that my Switch is banned because of a little accident that happened after enabling wifi while I thought I had taken the neccesary precautions. I did read some mentions of having linked an account in the past being needed, but I don't know the specifics of it. Not sure what this means for my options to still bypass the linkage requirement.

Also, if I can still fake link an account, what happens if I were to update my firmware in the future? And what using a different SD card? I still got a second card with a fully functional Atmosphere setup, which holds some different games than my main SD card and wonder if I can set up a fake link on both cards if need be.

1. dbi and nxsh could do that.
2. Linkhalo is your tool

 

[Nynrah]

1. dbi ans nxsh could do that.
2. Linkhalo is your tool

Do you mean either DBI or nxsh? And how does this work with DBI? I can browse through my filesystem, but I couldn't find any copy file operation.

As for Linkalho, does that work despite the situation I described (no real account previously linked & probably banned Switch)? And how does it work with future updates and multiple SD cards?

 

[guily6669]

Care to spill some beans about that 'modded cooling'?

I already posted more than once on Gbatemp in different threads...

But here you go:


Basically:

- the perfect amount of thermal paste (blue = MX5, gray = MX4 and on the die I might have used Thermal Grizzly Kryonaut, can't remember);

- no SOC copper sheet + no SOC metal shield + 2 sadly a bit thick thermal pads stolen from my old AMD GPU;

- small full copper memory cooler on top of switch SOC cooler heatpipe with thermal paste below;

- Switch metal backplate cut to accommodate the small cooler (and probably gets more efficient cause since the fans push air from below it there should always be at least some tiny airflow going trough in their way to meet the fan);

- the rear Switch plastic cover put pressure on the added copper cooler to make good contact with the Switch cooler pipe.

Nothing of this is needed anyway and I have no measurements cause I did it some time ago and never tracked temps back then in SX OS, but it should probably have very similar temps to stock at least handheld but with the fans just running always 100% silent in min setting (I have no custom fan curve so it shouldn't be far from a stock Switch which will simply increase fan rpm to maintain whatever temps of it's stock fan curve profile).

EDIT: In the future I might improve it by using better appropriate thermal pads and see what chips are having no contact with the backplate to clean them and use proper thick pads, but it will be a huge pain in the ass to clean all this thermal paste mess

 

[GravityLoL]

I already posted more than once on Gbatemp in different threads...

But here you go:
View attachment 346607View attachment 346606

Basically:

- the perfect amount of thermal paste (blue = MX5, gray = MX4 and on the die I might have used Thermal Grizzly Kryonaut, can't remember);

- no SOC copper sheet + no SOC metal shield + 2 sadly a bit thick thermal pads stolen from my old AMD GPU;

- small full copper memory cooler on top of switch SOC cooler heatpipe with thermal paste below;

- Switch metal backplate cut to accommodate the small cooler (and probably gets more efficient cause since the fans push air from below it there should always be at least some tiny airflow going trough in their way to meet the fan);

- the rear Switch plastic cover put pressure on the added copper cooler to make good contact with the Switch cooler pipe.

Nothing of this is needed anyway and I have no measurements cause I did it some time ago and never tracked temps back then in SX OS, but it should probably have very similar temps to stock at least handheld but with the fans just running always 100% silent in min setting (I have no custom fan curve so it shouldn't be far from a stock Switch which will simply increase fan rpm to maintain whatever temps of it's stock fan curve profile).

EDIT: In the future I might improve it by using better appropriate thermal pads and see what chips are having no contact with the backplate to clean them and use proper thick pads, but it will be a huge pain in the ass to clean all this thermal paste mess

Looks great. I will try to do the same with mine once I get some free time on my hands
If only it wouldn't require taking out that cursed SD cards slot.
Mounting it back in was a nightmare for me

 

[guily6669]

I never did any kind of temps test though, but Just a tiny data on the cooling (This is portable mode in handheld mode with a bit of OC):


(click the image to see full size)

I just took this screenshot about like 10 minutes or more into the game, but it's not on full temperature yet, it will increase a little bit more, but I never fully tested cause I don't play with the FPS monitor overlay and really never cared to do a full test, I barely check temps, it will probably end up at like 48 or higher Cº

But the ambient temperature is also low, in the summer it will be far from this, here outside at the moment google reports as being 19Cº and I have my window open and the room door open to the living room which has another window open, no idea what's the ambient temp inside, I only have a laser thermometer but it shouldn't pick amb temp right from like a wall so I won't bother using it...

Note: I'm using CPU: 1581mhz; GPU: 614.4mhz; MEM: 1863mhz and this is a Erista first version Switch...

ps: I don't think anyone should go this far, just go direct-die-cooling, make sure SOC is making good contact with the cooler, use appropriate thermal pads on top of the memories, and just replace the crap red thermal crap from the copper heat pipe with a better thermal paste and that's it, no need for cutting backplate and add memory coolers, you probably only will win maybe some battery life in the fan running slower...

EDIT: After about 15min I'm getting 46Cº SOC temp reported in the Switch sofware overlay with 45Cº showing in my laser thermometer as max on the air exit of the switch exhaust, but then again neither the Switch SOC temp sensor or my laser thermometer are very precise (cause this would stupidly be almost 100% efficient which is not realistic)...

 

[impeeza]

Do you mean either DBI or nxsh? And how does this work with DBI? I can browse through my filesystem, but I couldn't find any copy file operation.

As for Linkalho, does that work despite the situation I described (no real account previously linked & probably banned Switch)? And how does it work with future updates and multiple SD cards?

The manuals of the tools are on:

DBI: https://github.com/rashevskyv/dbi/releases
https://gbatemp.net/threads/guide-to-setting-up-dbi-installer-over-usb.591075/

linkalho: https://github.com/rdmrocha/linkalho

 

[vree]

@Draxzelex Only thing in contents folder where cheats. And those cheats don't involve the troublesome games.
Maintenance mode did not help.

@impeeza SD card is not corrupt. I did get the sigpatches from there.

Anyway did some retesting.
1) Directly put SD card into PC.
2) Re-copied the sigpatches
3) Added a test game and update directly to the SD card
4) Insert SD into Switch inject and booted.
5) Tried one troublesome game. Said files corrupted check. Cancel retried game same error.
6) Removed said game.
7) Used tinfoil to install BASE game.
8) Tried base game and it booted fine.
9) Updated the game using tinfoil.
10) Tried booting the game and it gives me an error.

Again here is my switch info:

15.0.0 AMS 1.4.0/S

So it seems there is an issue when some games are updated. Game I retested was Switch Sports.
What could I still try to make it all work? Any ideas?

So no one knows what could be going on here?

 

[Draxzelex]

So no one knows what could be going on here?

Well, there is a thread full of potential fixes that you can try to resolve the issue. You can find that thread here.

,Hi,

I'm having an issue with Hekate v6.0.1. In Hekate when I select the Launch button the following message appears on the screen-

"No main boot entries found...
Check that bootloader/hekate.ipl.ini has boot entries or use More configs button for more boot entries."

This is what appears in the hekate.ipl.ini file

[config]
autoboot=0
autoboot_list=0
bootwait=3
backlight=100
noticker=0
autohosoff=0
autonogc=1
updater2p=0
bootprotect=0

Any suggestions on how can resolve this problem?

As Hekate has told you, there are no main boot entries found nor are there any listed in the hekate_ipl.ini file. What you just posted are just settings or the "config" file. You have several options. You can learn how to make a boot entry yourself by following the instructions posted on Hekate's GitHub page or you can download one that already has the boot entries filled out. There are multiple places where you can find one of those. One is included in the patches thread on this website, another can be downloaded from SDSetup, and lastly you can find one from the AIO package DeepSea.

 

[iBeech]

Hey, I’m about to enter the switch modding scene. Almost all my games are purchased from the eshop.

Is there anyway for me to patch these downloaded games so they don’t need to check online to play? Or will I need to source new copies from online in order to play them on a modded switch?

Thanks!

 

[Hayato213]

Hey, I’m about to enter the switch modding scene. Almost all my games are purchased from the eshop.

Is there anyway for me to patch these downloaded games so they don’t need to check online to play? Or will I need to source new copies from online in order to play them on a modded switch?

Thanks!

Emunand mirror 1:1 of sysnand, so what ever you installed on sysnand internal storage get mirror, the rest you have to reinstall.