Hacking Brick Protection Help

[ChrisEvans1212]

I'm interested in modding a friend's Nintendo Wii, with his consent ofc. I have already installed HBC and got many emulators and homebrew games working. I would like mod the system further, however I think it would be dangerous to continue without brick protection. I'm having real problems using BootMii

So I've made a backup Nand.bin & Keys.bin and would very much like to test restoring these files in case the worst should happen. However, when I try the restore process I get the following message:

"BootMii not found, too dangerous to continue!"

I am using BootMii as an IOS and have PriiLoader installed. I would very much like to use BootMii/Boot2, but alas, apparently I can't because my Wii is too new.

So, does BootMii as IOS always give this message on restore? Or is this another problem? If the message is normal, is it safe so long as the file is good (& the process is not interrupted). If it's not safe, should I give up on brick protection without Boot2?

 

[SomeGamer]

Just install Priiloader.

 

[The Real Jdbye]

I'm interested in modding a friend's Nintendo Wii, with his consent ofc. I have already installed HBC and got many emulators and homebrew games working. I would like mod the system further, however I think it would be dangerous to continue without brick protection. I'm having real problems using BootMii

So I've made a backup Nand.bin & Keys.bin and would very much like to test restoring these files in case the worst should happen. However, when I try the restore process I get the following message:

"BootMii not found, too dangerous to continue!"

I am using BootMii as an IOS and have PriiLoader installed. I would very much like to use BootMii/Boot2, but alas, apparently I can't because my Wii is too new.

So, does BootMii as IOS always give this message on restore? Or is this another problem? If the message is normal, is it safe so long as the file is good (& the process is not interrupted). If it's not safe, should I give up on brick protection without Boot2?

As the message states, you should not restore a nand.bin without BootMii as boot2. There is a way to bypass that message (I think it involves using a GC controller) but it would be risky. You should not try restoring the NAND unless as a last resort.
However, you won't brick it by installing an USB loader/cIOS.

 

[ChrisEvans1212]

Just install Priiloader.

Please Explain?

I already have PriiLoader installed and can launch it by holding down reset. Is this what you mean?

Or are you recommending I don;t install BootMii at all? If so, you'll need to justify this advice because it seems very wrong to me.

Currently I'm only using PriiLoader as a means to launch BootMii should my NAND file get corrupted. My understanding of PriiLoader is this is does not backup or restore anything. If I had problems in the future I would HAVE to use priloader on every launch until I used BootMii to restore a known good NAND file. This isn't good enough, my friend has severe learning difficulties and cannot be allowed to access BootMii under normal conditions.

 

[SomeGamer]

Please Explain?

I already have PriiLoader installed and can launch it by holding down reset. Is this what you mean?

Or are you recommending I don;t install BootMii at all? If so, you'll need to justify this advice because it seems very wrong to me.

Currently I'm only using PriiLoader as a means to launch BootMii should my NAND file get corrupted. My understanding of PriiLoader is this is does not backup or restore anything. If I had problems in the future I would HAVE to use priloader on every launch until I used BootMii to restore a known good NAND file. This isn't good enough, my friend has severe learning difficulties and cannot be allowed to access BootMii under normal conditions.

Sorry, I was on mobile and typing is a nightmare on one.
I think you should install Priiloader and BootMii as IOS. Then set Priiloader to autoboot something. This way your friend won't even know of PriiLoader.

 

[ChrisEvans1212]

Thank you for the replies.

It might be worth me explaining how much I understand about these two systems in case I've got something wrong:

BootMii can back-up and restore your system files, so if you mess up your system files with some mod or other you can bring back a saved copy of good system files (Nand.bin & Keys.bin)

Priiloader adds a custom autoexec that starts before anything else. So if my system files are so messed up I can't boot my Wii anymore, I can use priiloader to still access BootMii so I can restore my system files.

BootMii/Boot2 was broken on all new Nintendo Wii's as of 2008.

BootMii/IOS can back up your system files, but it is too dangerous to restore them without Boot2. Making the IOS version of BootMii totally useless.

If anything above is incorrect, do speak up.

I will have to do some research into usbloader & cIOS. I've encountered the names, but I don't know what they do yet.

 

[SomeGamer]

So if my system files are so messed up I can't boot my Wii anymore, I can use priiloader to still access BootMii so I can restore my system files.

Only if you didn't mess with system menu IOSes as PriiLoader installs as one.

Making the IOS version of BootMii totally useless.

No because

BootMii can back-up and restore your system files, so if you mess up your system files with some mod or other you can bring back a saved copy of good system files (Nand.bin & Keys.bin)

 

[ChrisEvans1212]

Only if you didn't mess with system menu IOSes as PriiLoader installs as one.

I'm sorry, not sure what you mean here. Do you mean I should not mess with system IOSes because I might break PriiLoader if I do? I'm mostly hoping to install custom menu themes using .mym files, would this interfere at all with the system IOSes I wonder?

I will rephrase some things:

BootMii/Boot2 can back-up and restore system files and is very useful

BootMii/IOS can back-up system files (but can not safely restore them) and is useless

The ability to back up things is useless without facility to restore them. What use would a CD be without the CD player to read it?

If there is another program, besides BootMii, I can use to safly restore my NAND.bin I would like to know.

 

[ChrisEvans1212]

If nobody minds me elaborating a little further:

Lets imagine I install a custom menu theme (or other mod), only something goes wrong and my Wii system menu will not start; my Wii is a brick! I am imagining that in this situation I would need to go through the following procedure:

1) Hold reset button to acesss PriiLoader menu (I'm assuming this works on a bricked Wii)

2) Launch BootMii from the PriiLoader menu

3) Restore Wii system using a NAND.bin & Keys.bin files that were made before Wii got Bricked.

4) Restart Wii; system is now back to normal.

If I've misunderstood something here, please do enlighten me.

 

[Duncan Idaho]

I'm sorry, not sure what you mean here. Do you mean I should not mess with system IOSes because I might break PriiLoader if I do? I'm mostly hoping to install custom menu themes using .mym files, would this interfere at all with the system IOSes I wonder?

Not sure.

BootMii/Boot2 can back-up and restore system files and is very useful

BootMii/IOS can back-up system files (but can not safely restore them) and is useless

Not entireley, Priiloader can also install NAND from what I understand.

 

[endoverend]

If you want to restore NAND with BootMii in IOS, when it gives you that message, punch in "up up down down left right left right B A" (the konami code) on the GC controller in the first slot. For the directions use the D-Pad. This is to prevent users from somehow accidentally restoring their NAND without any way to recover it. As long as you have a backup that is made by Bootmii and not damaged or tampered with in any way nothing should go wrong.

 

[ChrisEvans1212]

Not entireley, Priiloader can also install NAND from what I understand.

Ah ha! I had a really good look through the PriiLoader menu and do not remember seeing anything relating to this. I could have missed it tho. I can't get to the Wii now sadly, but if this is true then it would make sence

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

If you want to restore NAND with BootMii in IOS, when it gives you that message, punch in "up up down down left right left right B A" (the konami code) on the GC controller in the first slot. For the directions use the D-Pad. This is to prevent users from somehow accidentally restoring their NAND without any way to recover it. As long as you have a backup that is made by Bootmii and not damaged or tampered with in any way nothing should go wrong.

Thanks I had no idea what it meant by Konami. So despite the scary message the BootMii/IOS restore feature does work. I wonder why the same message does not appear on the boot2 version? Surely a corrupted NAND file would be bad news for either version.

 

[endoverend]

Thanks I had no idea what it meant by Konami. So despite the scary message the BootMii/IOS restore feature does work. I wonder why the same message does not appear on the boot2 version? Surely a corrupted NAND file would be bad news for either version.

Actually, BootMii boot2 hijacks a point so low in the boot process that NAND hasn't even been loaded up yet. So a corrupted NAND means nothing to boot2. However BootMii IOS wouldn't load up if your NAND was corrupted.
Also, Priiloader can't backup or install NAND.

 

[tswntk]

Priiloader installs to the system menu which is to say if you mess with the system menu (installing custom themes etc) you will lose Priiloader unless your are lucky enough not to brick your Wii and be able to re-install Priiloader.