Hacking [HOW TO] Upgrade your games on sysnand 9.2 without upgrading

[Jhyrachy]

What is this?
This is a guide to upate and play your updated games on sysnand

Will it works on my 3ds?
This guide works ONLY on the Old 3ds (because for now RXTools is available only for the old 3ds) in any firmwares between 4.5 and 9.2

I'm pretty good with this stuff, give me a tl;dr!
Here you are:

• Make your emunand with gateway launcher
• Unter it with RXTools and upgrade it
• Upgrade your games trough the eShop
• Dump 'ticket.db' from emunand and inject it to sysnand
• Profit!

Ok, maybe a little more specific...
Sure!

• Backup your SD to your pc, because everything will be deleted!
• Download Gateway's "Launcher.dat" (i don't think i'm allowed to link their site, but just google it) and put it in the root of yours SD card (the main directory, the first folderthat open up when you open your sd).
• Launch it trough the proper site using the browser exploit (open the browser and go to the given URL. Like before, I'm not sure if i can link it).
  • In this menu select "Format Emunand" and press A when it'll say that your sd will be formatted and wait for it to finish.
  • After the process is complete, in the gateway's menu, select "Dump NAND", this will make a backup of your sysnand, so that if you broke something you can restore it.
• Pull out the SD from your 3DS and put it in your computer.
  • Copy the "NAND.bin" file in a safe place of your pc, you don't want to lost it.
• Download and set the last version of rxtools
  • Fast how-to:
    • Download the pack
    • Download the firmware running cdn_firm.exe in the 'tools' folder
    • Put 'firmware.bin' and 'rxTools.dat' in the root of your sd card
• Insert the SD in your 3DS and, trough the browser again, run rxTools and enter in Emunand (first option of the menu)
  • To be sure you are in emunand go to settings and check the version in the lower right corner of the upper screen, it should say 'RX-E' followed by your version.
    • If there is no 'RX-E' something went wrong, do this guide again.
    • If there is the 'RX-E' now you ca upgrade to the current firmware going to the 'General' tab and then to the last page
• ATTENTION
  • When you exit from the Settings, you'll be ALWAYS in sysnando NOT in EMUNAND so BE CAREFULL to DO NOT UPDATE YOUR SYSNAND.
• Go in emunand again and check if the system is updated
  • If the system is not updated or it gave you some errors while updating, do the update procedure in emunand again until is done.
  • Remember again that quitting settings will boot you in sysnand, so be carefull!
• Boot again in Emunand and open the eShop
  • Click the top left corner of the bottom screen and go to the last option (other settings)
    • In this menù choose 'Updates' and download all the updates of your games
• Shutdown your 3ds and insert your sd card in your pc.
  • Download Emunand Tool, run it and choose 'extract emunand' and save it somewhere safe
• Insert again the SD in your 3ds and boot again in RXTool menu
  • Choose 'Dump option'
    • Select emunand
    • Select 'ticket.db'
  • When is done go back and choose 'Inject option'
    • Select sysnand
    • Select 'ticket.db'
• If your emunand got corrupted, just plug in the pc and restore the emunand backup done with Emunand Tools

Now you can play your updated games in sysnand!



If i made any error or my english is broken somewhere please let me know, thanks!

 

[Death78793]

Pretty awesome beginner's guide! Good work

 

[thorasgar]

Looks great. I few suggestions.

Make explicit this is for old 3ds only because rxtools does not support n3ds currently.
When initially backing up your mSD indicate to use emunand tool to backup emunand as well as the folders.
Some formatting would be really cool. Bullets, numbering, headers etc.

A few questions.

So does this mean you can run carts in gateway classic mode and the updates will apply?
What emunand do you end up with? The old gateway one or a rxtools emunand? (The premise of the question may not be valid. I have not messed with my o3ds in months).

 

[Jhyrachy]

Looks great. I few suggestions.

Make explicit this is for old 3ds only because rxtools does not support n3ds currently.
When initially backing up your mSD indicate to use emunand tool to backup emunand as well as the folders.
Some formatting would be really cool. Bullets, numbering, headers etc.

Added few more info
About the formatting, i tried but i can't work well with bbcode :/

A few questions.

So does this mean you can run carts in gateway classic mode and the updates will apply?
What emunand do you end up with? The old gateway one or a rxtools emunand? (The premise of the question may not be valid. I have not messed with my o3ds in months).

I'm not sure to understood your question: you make the emunand with the gateway tool, but you use it with rxtools.

 

[thorasgar]

Added few more info
About the formatting, i tried but i can't work well with bbcode :/




I'm not sure to understood your question: you make the emunand with the gateway tool, but you use it with rxtools.

Use the toolbar, there are more option under the "more options" button. Also see this guide for guides as it has some tips.
https://gbatemp.net/threads/guide-to-writing-guides.292367/

Yeah, I thought that question was based off a wrong assumption.

 

[Jhyrachy]

Use the toolbar, there are more option under the "more options" button. Also see this guide for guides as it has some tips.
https://gbatemp.net/threads/guide-to-writing-guides.292367/

Yeah, I thought that question was based off a wrong assumption.

Updated the guide!

I think that now is a lot better

 

[pdensco]

so with this we can play cia games on sysnand?

 

[Jhyrachy]

so with this we can play cia games on sysnand?

With this you can update the .cia games on your sysnand.

For example we can presume you have a 3ds who got smash bros 3ds preinstalled.
Right now you have to upgrade it to play online.
To play with it, you have or to update your sysnand and lose any exploit, or update and play it on emunand, but when is updated you can't play it anymore on the sysnand.

With this guide you can play the updated version on the sysnand.

 

[samiam144]

You may have mentioned it but I missed it: do the nands have to be linked?

 

[pdensco]

so we cannot install cia,s on sysnand through this

 

[Jhyrachy]

You may have mentioned it but I missed it: do the nands have to be linked?

Yes, they need to be linked.

This is needed because you don't add the new id from the emunand ticke.db, you totally replace it.

If nands are unlinked you'll end losing your sysnand games

 

[samiam144]

Yes, they need to be linked.

This is needed because you don't add the new id from the emunand ticke.db, you totally replace it.

If nands are unlinked you'll end losing your sysnand games

Yes, I read that on the other thread, but I specifically want to know if the stuff from emunand will show up on sysnand even though they are unlinked. I guess not since they use different IDs in the Nintendo 3DS folder :/

Actually, how does the 3DS know which ID to look up? Is it in the ticket.db? Title.db? Something else entirely?

 

[Jhyrachy]

Sorry, can't answer to this question.

You can backup your sysnand ticket.db and try.
If it doesn't works you can restore your backup, i think.

 

[JordenNixNix]

I already got some cia games,themes and dlc installed .
Furthermore I did what you said (except injecting ticket.db in my sysnand)

When I do this, will there be any risks for a brick?

I am scared because I read somewhere else if you try to inject your emunand in sysnand, your console will be bricked.
There is more present than only the updates on my emunand.

 

[DjoeN]

So, Let's say:
- Sysnand on 9.2 and my GW-Emunand on 9.5 for now (Linked)
- I have games i want to update
- I don't want to lose my GW-Emunand on 9.5 with 1 warez game on it

I make a backup of my GW-Emunand 9.5 with emunandtool
I install and boot rxTools
I boot in rxMode, now my emunand is RX-E 9.5
I update to 9.6 and update all my legit games (I can't play my 1 warez game anymore now)
(So far i can do that (i've done it before))
I dump my ticked.db from RX-Emunand 9.6
I inject my ticked.db into sysnand 9.2
I inject my GW-Emunand 9.5 back with emunandtool
I inject ticked.db into my GW-Emunand 9.5 with rxTools
I have all my legit games updated in Sysnand and Emunand now and can play back my 1 warez game

Correct me if i'm wrong somewhere

 

[DjoeN]

I know i could have used "EDIT" but i did not on purpose:

So i did try this on a test 3DS Classic:

Got 16 EU Pre-installed games in Sysnand and MH4U / Zelda MM / Pokémon OR/AS/X/Y need updates
I really like to have my free games on emunand 9.5 to (Pokemon Shuffle / Pokemon Rumble World / etc...) without having to revert back to cia files but i can't since i can't access eshop

- I made a backup of my GW-Emunand 9.5.0-23E with emunandtool (we need that one back later)
- I installed and booted rxTools 2.4
- I booted in rxMode, now my emunand is RX-E 9.5.0-23E
- Checked in Settings if it said RX-E 9.5 and it did, so i staid in settings and updated my rx-emunand to 9.6
- When the updated was done, i rebooted into rx-emunand and setup my NNID
- I then updated all my games that needed an update
- Then i downloaded my free games from the eshop (Pokemon Shuffle and Rumble and Ironfall and that submarine game and a few other free stuff)
- After all was updated and downloaded i rebooted my 3DS into rxTools
- I dumped my ticked.db from RX-Emunand 9.6
- I injected my ticked.db into sysnand 9.2 and rebooted into sysnand 9.2
- Every clean cia was updated and my free downloads showed up in Sysnand 9.2
- Turned off 3DS and removed 3DS SD to connect it to my PC
- I made a backup of my rxTools Emunand with emunandtool
- Then i injected my 9.5 GW3D-Emunand backup that i made earlier back with emunandtool
- Booted my 3DS back to rxTools and i injected ticked.db into my GW3D-Emunand 9.5 with rxTools
- Pressed "Select" to reboot my 3DS and booted into Gateway Emunand 9.5.0-23E
- I have all my legit games updated in Sysnand and Emunand now and can play back my 1 warez game and i have all my free games i downloaded and free stuff

So basicly i used RX-Emunand 9.6 to update all games and download my games from eshop i want to replace it later back with my backupped GW3D-Emunand 9.5 BUT with all updates and eshop games on it
This way i have the benefit of the games i bought/ free downloaded and updates and keep the Gateway benefits and have everything updated and playable in sysnand.

 

[thorasgar]

Even the warez game is playable in sysnand?

 

[DjoeN]

Even the warez game is playable in sysnand?

No, iTS the only game thats not playable in sysnand, as expected

 

[tipsytoto]

I know i could have used "EDIT" but i did not on purpose:

So i did try this on a test 3DS Classic:

Got 16 EU Pre-installed games in Sysnand and MH4U / Zelda MM / Pokémon OR/AS/X/Y need updates
I really like to have my free games on emunand 9.5 to (Pokemon Shuffle / Pokemon Rumble World / etc...) without having to revert back to cia files but i can't since i can't access eshop

- I made a backup of my GW-Emunand 9.5.0-23E with emunandtool (we need that one back later)
- I installed and booted rxTools 2.4
- I booted in rxMode, now my emunand is RX-E 9.5.0-23E
- Checked in Settings if it said RX-E 9.5 and it did, so i staid in settings and updated my rx-emunand to 9.6
- When the updated was done, i rebooted into rx-emunand and setup my NNID
- I then updated all my games that needed an update
- Then i downloaded my free games from the eshop (Pokemon Shuffle and Rumble and Ironfall and that submarine game and a few other free stuff)
- After all was updated and downloaded i rebooted my 3DS into rxTools
- I dumped my ticked.db from RX-Emunand 9.6
- I injected my ticked.db into sysnand 9.2 and rebooted into sysnand 9.2
- Every clean cia was updated and my free downloads showed up in Sysnand 9.2
- Turned off 3DS and removed 3DS SD to connect it to my PC
- I made a backup of my rxTools Emunand with emunandtool
- Then i injected my 9.5 GW3D-Emunand backup that i made earlier back with emunandtool
- Booted my 3DS back to rxTools and i injected ticked.db into my GW3D-Emunand 9.5 with rxTools
- Pressed "Select" to reboot my 3DS and booted into Gateway Emunand 9.5.0-23E
- I have all my legit games updated in Sysnand and Emunand now and can play back my 1 warez game and i have all my free games i downloaded and free stuff

So basicly i used RX-Emunand 9.6 to update all games and download my games from eshop i want to replace it later back with my backupped GW3D-Emunand 9.5 BUT with all updates and eshop games on it
This way i have the benefit of the games i bought/ free downloaded and updates and keep the Gateway benefits and have everything updated and playable in sysnand.

When you started, I assume you had 9.2 and 9.5 emunand linked? Otherwise, the ticket.db would fail, correct? So updating firmware on linked emunand won't upgrade or mess with the sysnand? Furthermore, is your one warez game not showing and messing with your sysnand since they are linked? Sorry if these are dumb questions, I unliked my nands as soon as it was possible.

I would love to try this guide but I still don't fully understand where the sysnand saves stuff when unlinked from emunand. If I were to try this, would I not lose my current unlinked emunand's game/save data when I re-injected it back into the SD card? I assume that I can't somehow merge the newly created game/savadata of the sysnand and my existing emunand data.

TL/DR; If my sysnand and emunand are unlinked, and I play games on both, where does sysnand game data get saved and where does emunand game data get saved?

 

[thorasgar]

When you started, I assume you had 9.2 and 9.5 emunand linked? Otherwise, the ticket.db would fail, correct? So updating firmware on linked emunand won't upgrade or mess with the sysnand? Furthermore, is your one warez game not showing and messing with your sysnand since they are linked? Sorry if these are dumb questions, I unliked my nands as soon as it was possible.

I would love to try this guide but I still don't fully understand where the sysnand saves stuff when unlinked from emunand. If I were to try this, would I not lose my current unlinked emunand's game/save data when I re-injected it back into the SD card? I assume that I can't somehow merge the newly created game/savadata of the sysnand and my existing emunand data.

TL/DR; If my sysnand and emunand are unlinked, and I play games on both, where does sysnand game data get saved and where does emunand game data get saved?

You could use SDF decrypt all your saves then when you rebuild your new linked emunand using SDF to inject the saves.

I try to follow as much of this stuff from a curiosity viewpoint but I really don't get why sysnand is so important to many people. Running the exploit for emunand is not really a pain to me and it is a nice layer of protection for my sysnand. I can get all the updates for the "other" site and install them with a lot less hassle than this. But options are good.

Oh, and sysnand saves its stuff in its own folder in the mSD card. Under Pthe "Nintendo 3DS" folder there are two or more long named folders. One for sysnand and one for emunand. There is also a Private one but I am not sure what that is for.