Need a new SD card, any precautions to take to prevent console ban?

[PKM190]

I think my SD card is failing. Tried wiping it down but I often have to redownload games or reinstall atmosphere files otherwise I get an error saying it cannot be read or SD card is not installed. I think at this point the SD card is just failing.

Wondering if there are any precautions to take when swapping to a new SD card, or if I can just drag/drop files to the new one. For Atmosphere I run it very basic, essentially the contents of the Atmosphere-----master---- (insert version number here) that you download from Github. For 3rd party apps I just have JK Save Manager and some other save manager, maybe a few others that come with Atmosphere?

When I boot the console it defaults into official firmware, to get it to launch into Atmosphere I use a dongle injector which boots right into Atmosphere. I don't run pirated games and use my Switch online. I am not sure if there are any residual things from older versions of Atmosphere, and I think I used to use Hekate many years ago to boot into Atmosphere but have not used that in many years. I do have a Backup folder I made with Hekate, I think that is a NAND backup I made when the console was new 6-7 years ago.

Is swapping SD cards as easy as copy/pasting the contents to the new one for me?

 

[Hayato213]

Depends on if you have a hidden partition emunand or not, if you don't have one you can format it correctly and copy and paste.

 

[realtimesave]

from my experience, having an unbanned switch is random. the one I gave my mom is not banned still and most of my other ones are banned. easiest way to prevent console ban is to not mod it in the first place. that or buy a spare system for legit titles.

 

[PKM190]

Depends on if you have a hidden partition emunand or not, if you don't have one you can format it correctly and copy and paste.

Anyway to check this? I initially set it up many years ago. Now I know I keep it quite simple as of now, but not too sure what I may have done in the early days.

I can look through the files/folders to see if there is something I should remove, just need to know what to look for.

 

[Hayato213]

Anyway to check this? I initially set it up many years ago. Now I know I keep it quite simple as of now, but not too sure what I may have done in the early days.

I can look through the files/folders to see if there is something I should remove, just need to know what to look for.

Check your SD card in computer management -> disk management. You can also check your system setting it is says E under your system string then you have an emunand.

 

[OrGoN3]

Depends on if you have a hidden partition emunand or not, if you don't have one you can format it correctly and copy and paste.

You mean it depends if they use an emummc partition or not. It being hidden or not has no bearing to OPs question.

If they have an emummc partition, they can migrate it to a file partition for easy moving or back it up and then restore it.

 

[Hayato213]

You mean it depends if they use an emummc partition or not. It being hidden or not has no bearing to OPs question.

If they have an emummc partition, they can migrate it to a file partition for easy moving or back it up and then restore it.

Yea hidden partition can be converted to file based and be moved and then reconverted back to hidden.

 

[OrGoN3]

Yea hidden partition can be converted to file based and be moved and then reconverted back to hidden.

Again, there's no reason to say hidden. They aren't necessarily hidden partitions.

 

[Hayato213]

Again, there's no reason to say hidden. They aren't necessarily hidden partitions.

That is up to the user. Since he said 6-7 years ago he might have hidden though. Beside the term "Hidden" is used by the community, not like I made it up, then again it is hidden when you plug in the SD card into the computer.

 

[OrGoN3]

That is up to the user. Since he said 6-7 years ago he might have hidden though.

Having an emummc partition hidden or not is up to the user, yes. You saying hidden partition as if it's the only possibility for an emummc partition is not.

This is getting very OOT so I won't respond again. But please stop defending your incorrect, and possibly misleading usage.

 

[Hayato213]

Having an emummc partition hidden or not is up to the user, yes. You saying hidden partition as if it's the only possibility for an emummc partition is not.

This is getting very OOT so I won't respond again. But please stop defending your incorrect, and possibly misleading usage.

It is up to the user what they want , don't start an argument in the first place, I didn't want a conversation with you in the first place, since you think everything is right, people can decide if they want a file based or a hidden partition emunand, it is up to the user, I prefer hidden as it doesn't touch the emunand parititon if the fat32/exFAT partition get corrupted.

 

[OrGoN3]

It is up to the user what they want , don't start an argument in the first place, I didn't want a conversation with you in the first place, since you think everything is right, people can decide if they want a file based or a hidden partition emunand, it is up to the user, I prefer hidden as it doesn't touch the emunand parititon if the fat32/exFAT partition get corrupted.

I'm responding due to the attack: When did I ever say I think everything is right? I didn't. Moving on.

I didn't start an argument. There is no argument.

It's up to the user if they want a partition based emummc or a file based emummc. A partition based emummc is not necessarily a hidden partition. In the vast majority of cases, it's not hidden.

You continue to use misleading phrasing that could confuse people. That's not an argument, it's a fact. Please stop. That's all.

 

[Hayato213]

I'm responding due to the attack: When did I ever say I think everything is right? I didn't. Moving on.

I didn't start an argument. There is no argument.

It's up to the user if they want a partition based emummc or a file based emummc. A partition based emummc is not necessarily a hidden partition. In the vast majority of cases, it's not hidden.

You continue to use misleading phrasing that could confuse people. That's not an argument, it's a fact. Please stop. That's all.

The OP question wasn't even on File based or Hidden, he only asks about how to move his card, so why you bother starting a converstation about Hidden Parititon vs File Based partition.

Stop making up shit though you said vast majority of case it is not hidden, we wouldn't know there is no active statistic out there.

Obviously you have no idea what you talking about

 

[OrGoN3]

The OP question wasn't even on File based or Hidden, he only asks about how to move his card, so why you bother starting a converstation about Hidden Parititon vs File Based partition.

Stop making up shit though you said vast majority of case it is not hidden, we wouldn't know there is no active statistic out there.

Obviously you have no idea what you talking about

View attachment 565308

View attachment 565309

If you were around when people were making hidden partitions, you'd know the difference. Most people use hekate and hekate doesn't create a hidden partition, regardless of what your random screenshot says. A hidden partition is a partition within a partition. Hekate does not do this because it is not needed as people originally thought.

 

[Hayato213]

If you were around when people were making hidden partitions, you'd know the difference. Most people use hekate and hekate doesn't create a hidden partition, regardless of what your random screenshot says. A hidden partition is a partition within a partition. Hekate does not do this because it is not needed as people originally thought.

I been around longer than you thought I mean I got a hard modded switch October 2018, probably earlier than most people. Beside I been using Hidden partition emunand for a few years, no problem there with 2 TB card. Seriously go start a hidden partition emunand vs file based emunand if you want to talk about it, OP didn't asks, beside you didn't answer OP question, you are not helping him.

 

[SSmiles]

Hello, I've done a number of these SD card upgrades. The procedure is dead simple.
I'm writing the full procedure if any other gpatemp members need this info

1) IF! you have a partition based (emuNAND), head to Hekate -> Tools -> backup eMMC ->SD emuMMC raw partition then backup both BOOT and RAW. This will make a folder named backup and in that will be another folder named restore and other bin files. Drag the files within backup and place it in restore.

2) drag and drop onto your new (hopefully a high endurance) sd card.

3) if you had a partition emunand then head to hekate and partition you SD card then restore the emuNAND.

4) All done, nothing else.

Notes:
*If it's a "file based" emuNAND nothing special needs to happen, you just drop it in the new sd then load it in the emuMMC section of Hekate (however partition based is always safer down the road)

Notes for OP:
*When you drag and drop the atmosphere folder from github it won't leave any "residue" files, just click yes to merge and you won't have extra atmosphere files, same thing with Hekate
*Keep Hekate, it has usefull tools
*PLEASE PLACE YOUR BACKUP SOMEWHERE ELSE LIKE YOUR COMPUTER*
*If you don't have any emuNANDs then it really is just as easy as dropping it in, just leave your backup on your computer

 

[OrGoN3]

Hello, I've done a number of these SD card upgrades. The procedure is dead simple.
I'm writing the full procedure if any other gpatemp members need this info

1) IF! you have a partition based (emuNAND), head to Hekate -> Tools -> backup eMMC ->SD emuMMC raw partition then backup both BOOT and RAW. This will make a folder named backup and in that will be another folder named restore and other bin files. Drag the files within backup and place it in restore.

2) drag and drop onto your new (hopefully a high endurance) sd card.

3) if you had a partition emunand then head to hekate and partition you SD card then restore the emuNAND.

4) All done, nothing else.

Notes:
*If it's a "file based" emuNAND nothing special needs to happen, you just drop it in the new sd then load it in the emuMMC section of Hekate (however partition based is always safer down the road)

Notes for OP:
*When you drag and drop the atmosphere folder from github it won't leave any "residue" files, just click yes to merge and you won't have extra atmosphere files, same thing with Hekate
*Keep Hekate, it has usefull tools
*PLEASE PLACE YOUR BACKUP SOMEWHERE ELSE LIKE YOUR COMPUTER*
*If you don't have any emuNANDs then it really is just as easy as dropping it in, just leave your backup on your computer

3. After partitioning their card they'll have to copy their emummc backup from their PC to their SD card again (or rather don't do it before partitioning). Partitioning will reformat the card and while Hekate can back up some data from the card, it can't back up 29gb.

 

[SSmiles]

3. After partitioning their card they'll have to copy their emummc backup from their PC to their SD card again (or rather don't do it before partitioning). Partitioning will reformat the card and while Hekate can back up some data from the card, it can't back up 28gb.

thanks for clarifying

 

[PKM190]

Check your SD card in computer management -> disk management. You can also check your system setting it is says E under your system string then you have an emunand.

Like this?

Contents of my SD card root

Not sure if I should have two hekate_ctcaer files, one looks older. I have not used Hekate in many years so that 2019 modified date looks about right.

 

[Hayato213]

Like this?

View attachment 565327

Contents of my SD card root

View attachment 565329

Not sure if I should have two hekate_ctcaer files, one looks older. I have not used Hekate in many years so that 2019 modified date looks about right.

Like this you need to see if you have a second partition, if you have a second partition then you have a hidden partition emunand, like mine it is 58 GB since I have an oled. But based on what you have you have no emunand as you have no emummc folder.

To get back to your opening question, as for new SD card you can copy and paste to a new card as long you format it correctly, I would recommend fat32 though, since I see you using an exfat format. You can use something like guiformat and format the new card to fat32

https://guiformat.io/

As for updating you can follow this

Homebrew Tutorial  Thread 'Ultimate guide to upgrade your firmware/Atmosphère'

Sep 22, 2024

ONLY UPDATE YOUR CONSOLE TO 21.x.x IF ALL THE HOMEBREW YOU USE IS UPGRADED

Sometimes you need to upgrade your console, upgrade the firmware or upgrade Atmosphère, using the @l7777 's guide (https://gbatemp.net/threads/updating-hekate-atmosphere-and-hos.631739/) as base I hope to create a list of necessary steps to successful upgrade your console.

This guide uses Hekate, if you don't want to use Hekate skip the steps about it. You may loose some features.

---

Make a backup.​

Always make a full backup of your console, so if...​

• impeeza
• Replies: 84
• Forum: Nintendo Switch

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