Hacking Creating a North American, non-XL New 3DS

[cearp]

The issue is that you aren't decrypting the entire nand, just the CTRNAND partition. Plus there are a few files you'd need to decrypt and edit in the CTRNAND partition as well.
Your best bet is just swapping SecureInfo_A files. There's not much of a reason to do more than that, unless I missed something.

exactly, you are right but that is the only part of my nand i am able to decrypt, haha
simply swapping the nands makes things much easier, with swapping those little files you need to do lots of prep etc


-- so how can i generate a xorpad for the whole nand... would it be an easy edit to the multidecryptor?

 

[WulfyStylez]

exactly, you are right but that is the only part of my nand i am able to decrypt, haha
simply swapping the nands makes things much easier, with swapping those little files you need to do lots of prep etc

The thing is, you can't just 'simply swap the nands'. Even if you decrypted each NAND partition and re-encrypted all of them for another console, it still wouldn't work since you have specific files that need editing/swapping. Thus it's a lot easier to just swap SecureInfo_As, install some titles, and call it a day.

 

[cearp]

The thing is, you can't just 'simply swap the nands'. Even if you decrypted each NAND partition and re-encrypted all of them for another console, it still wouldn't work since you have specific files that need editing/swapping. Thus it's a lot easier to just swap SecureInfo_As, install some titles, and call it a day.

oh what specific files would editing/swapping?

 

[Wowfunhappy]

The thing is, you can't just 'simply swap the nands'. Even if you decrypted each NAND partition and re-encrypted all of them for another console, it still wouldn't work since you have specific files that need editing/swapping. Thus it's a lot easier to just swap SecureInfo_As, install some titles, and call it a day.

So perhaps it doesn't make sense to do this until we have actual Gateway support and can obtain Xorpads, but would anyone be willing to go through in more detail what the process would be? For N3DS Sysnand specifically? I know Cearp said he doesn't want to create a noob friendly tutorial, but you can understand why there's huge demand for this.

My current understanding is that it would be as follows, assuming you start out with a non-NA N3DS < 9.2, a NA 3DS ≤ 9.2, and Xorpads for both systems.
1) Use UpdateCDN to obtain all North American 9.2 firmware CIA's that apply to the N3DS (How can we tell which ones?)
2) Install these CIA's to non-NA N3DS with DevMenu.
3) Make a NAND backup of the non-NA N3DS, and decrypt it.
4) Delete duplicate titles. (How can we tell what needs to be deleted?)
4) Make a NAND backup of the NA 3DS, and decrypt it as well.
5) Replace the non-NA N3DS's SecureInfo_A with the one from the NA console.
6) Re-encrypt non-NA Nand backup, and restore it to the N3DS it came from.

Am I missing anything?

 

[Apache Thunder]

I was just about to say, that swapping the fat16 partition wouldn't be enough. I checked 3DBrew and saw something mention that you have to swap stuff in the NAND partition of the dump (which I think 3DBrew refers to as the TWL section of the file?). The issue is, the xorpad generator only generates the xorpad for the fat16 section. So...not sure how people would be decrypting the other part of the NAND....

 

[JoelLouviere]

I think if you wanted to know which titles you needed to delete were, I'm sure there's a difference in region between them all. 3DBrew could have a hint as to the title names/locations for each region, so you could check there.

 

[boomie0123]

So perhaps it doesn't make sense to do this until we have actual Gateway support and can obtain Xorpads, but would anyone be willing to go through in more detail what the process would be? For N3DS Sysnand specifically? I know Cearp said he doesn't want to create a noob friendly tutorial, but you can understand why there's huge demand for this.

My current understanding is that it would be as follows, assuming you start out with a non-NA N3DS < 9.2, a NA 3DS ≤ 9.2, and Xorpads for both systems.
1) Use UpdateCDN to obtain all North American 9.2 firmware CIA's that apply to the N3DS (How can we tell which ones?)
2) Install these CIA's to non-NA N3DS with DevMenu.
3) Make a NAND backup of the non-NA N3DS, and decrypt it.
4) Delete duplicate titles. (How can we tell what needs to be deleted?)
4) Make a NAND backup of the NA 3DS, and decrypt it as well.
5) Replace the non-NA N3DS's SecureInfo_A with the one from the NA console.
6) Re-encrypt non-NA Nand backup, and restore it to the N3DS it came from.

Am I missing anything?

That's all betting on 3DS and N3DS having the same Xorpads and NAND configuration. I'd say the safest bet is to us a US N3DS XL as the source console, seems like it'd run into less problems.

 

[AquaX101]

The thing is, you can't just 'simply swap the nands'. Even if you decrypted each NAND partition and re-encrypted all of them for another console, it still wouldn't work since you have specific files that need editing/swapping. Thus it's a lot easier to just swap SecureInfo_As, install some titles, and call it a day.

How do you get SecureInfo_A?

 

[BORTZ]

Returning a bricked console for profit or returning it and lying about its current state is FRAUD. Do not suggest it again, users who do will be punished. If I hear of any of you doing this in the real world, I will do what I can to see you are met with legal ramifications. Imagine being that kid who buys a used 3DS only to open it and have a paperweight?

 

[Wowfunhappy]

That's all betting on 3DS and N3DS having the same Xorpads and NAND configuration. I'd say the safest bet is to us a US N3DS XL as the source console, seems like it'd run into less problems.

No, it's just betting on 3DS and N3DS having the same SecureInfo_A files. I'd want someone to confirm this before I tried it, of course, but it would save me literally $200.

 

[WulfyStylez]

No, it's just betting on 3DS and N3DS having the same SecureInfo_A files. I'd want someone to confirm this before I tried it, of course, but it would save me literally $200.

They probably will, if they didn't I imagine 3DBrew would've reflected the change by now.

 

[Wowfunhappy]

They probably will, if they didn't I imagine 3DBrew would've reflected the change by now.

Okay, cool! Do you know if my other steps were correct?

 

[Helper]

As for the sledgehammer/wildly unreasonable solution of swapping CPU and NAND... if it were to work at all, wouldn't you only need to physically swap the CPU? If the device-unique secret is in the CPU, it seems you would be able to just use hardmods to read the donor NAND and write it to the recipient NAND. Would be less work/cost than physically swapping another two BGA chips...

 

[Scarftail]

As far as I'm concerned, nothing should be able to prevent me from swapping the NAND flash chips and whatever carries the console-unique key. I've read that it's called an xorpad. Does anyone know what hardware holds the xorpad? I basically take that and the NAND from a US New 3DS XL and switch them with those from an imported New 3DS. There should be nothing impeding this process as all the other hardware is the same.

 

[Slushie3DS]

Following for the future.

 

[Kohmei]

Perhaps not exactly the right thread for this, but what is the best tool for removing/inserting the ribbons on the motherboard? And where can I find one?

 

[gamesquest1]

Perhaps not exactly the right thread for this, but what is the best tool for removing/inserting the ribbons on the motherboard? And where can I find one?

your fingers, they can be found at the ends of your hands in most cases

but no some people prefer to use tweezers and such, but if your nimble enough with your hinds its not difficult to remove the ribbon cables and replace them using your hand, and a small flat head screwdriver to make sure they are fully inserted.....but again that just for me personally, i know some people would probably have issues inserting/removing them by hand if they are fairly heavy handed

 

[Slushie3DS]

Perhaps not exactly the right thread for this, but what is the best tool for removing/inserting the ribbons on the motherboard? And where can I find one?

I just use a plastic butterknife that I sanded down, kek.

 

[probablygay]

I want an NA N3ds regular too. I had no intentions of buying the N3DS XL as I wanted something with some more portability. I'm enraged that nintendo refuses to release the regular sized N3DS in the USA. I don't have any intentions of piracy, and would really love to import an N3DS and modify it to be a USA N3DS if not only for the friggin' faceplates. Wtf NoA. Why do you have to do this to me.

 

[Scarftail]

Here's my question: If desoldering and resoldering the NAND is all it takes, then couldn't I simply find a soldering tutorial, buy the materials, and I'm good?