Hacking Needing help with an old 3DS XL

[CaptainNomadic]

Hello guys
I'm very new to this 3DS hacking thing, been reading everything I could about it and tried to proceed as methodically as I could.
I have an old 3DS XL, and I successfully downgraded it from 9.4.0-21E to 9.2.0.20E in the following way:
http://wololo.net/2016/01/04/3ds-system-software-downgrade-tutorial/
At first I thought I bricked my console because it didn't boot anymore (black screen), but I managed to boot it by moving the "Nintendo 3DS" folder out of my SD card. Is that normal? Is that a problem?

Then I used parts of a french tutorial to set up the emunand, back it up, use RxTools and inject FBI... to no avail.
I'll try to translate what I did:
- I backed up the content of my SD card
- I wanted to use a bigger SD card, so I switched from a Lexor SDHC 4 Gb to a Kingston Class 4 MicroSDHC 16 Gb with a Kingston Micro SD Adapter (is that a problem?)
- I downloaded the latest launcher.dat version from Gateway official website and placed it at the rood of my microSD card
- I booted on Gateway menu with the browser using go.gateway-3ds.com
- I selected "Format Emunand", than backed it up
- I saved the .bin on my computer and restored the content of my microSD card
- I downloaded the latest rxTools version, dezipped it and copied the rxTools folder at the root of my microSD card
- I downloaded and installed Python 2.7, executed cdn.firm.py to get the firm folder with 3 .bins inside and placed the folder at the root of my microSD card
- I downloaded slot0.25keyx and placed it at the rood of my microSD card
- Placed the card back in the console and scanned that QR code:

- Got to that screen:

- Waited for the end of the install that was successful, then got a black screen, so I rebooted and scanned the QR code once more pressing L
- Booted on Emunand with Y
- Checked I was on Emunand by going in the settings, indicating RX-E9.2.0-20E
- Did the update successfully
- Rebooted and got back to the Emunand with rxTools to check the update worked, which it id (RXE-10.4

Then things started to get weird, the rest of the tutorial didn't work.
What I tried to do:
- Downloaded the cia version of BigBlueMenu
- Went to the fbi_injection/eur/v3077 folder and copied the fbi_inject.app and tmd files at the rood of my microSD card
- Went back to the rxTools menu and went to Advanced Option -> Install FBI - Emunand
- Then it kept hanging on "Backing up Health & Safety info", despite many tries

So I tried other ways to inject it
First I tried this:
(after copying the 3.00 and 4.00 Update packs combined on my MicroSD, of course)
"If you are not using Menuhax to access the HBL:

1. Boot the HBL, and select Pasta CFW Loader or Mini-Pasta (Try Mini-Pasta first)
2. Once you boot into Pasta (which looks like your regular 3DS HOME menu), run the HBL again and this time select the FBI homebrew application.
3. Next, navigate to the CIAs folder and install Devmenu_2x.cia
4. Switch Destination to NAND and install old3DS.AGB_FIRM.Patch.cia.
5. Turn off the 3DS and launch Pasta again
6. There should be a gift - unwrap it and Devmenu_2x should be inside!

This installs Devmenu_2x (for installing CIAs from the HOME menu) and the AGB_FIRM Patch (for playing GBA games) to your sysnand."

But everytime I'm in Pasta mode (either from Pasta CFW Loader, Mini-Pasta for booting in Pasta mode from rxTools), I can't access HBL from the browser anymore and it goes back to the normal mode menu.

Then I tried this
"
Section 4a - Installing a CIA Installer
Only for users without a Gateway card or Homebrew Launcher access

Adapted from this thread (thanks @d0k3 and co.!)
Please visit that thread if you have any issues with this section.

1. On your SD card, rename Launcher.dat back to EmuNAND9.dat
2. Then rename Decrypt9WIP to Launcher.dat
3. In the web browser, go to go.gateway-3ds.com to launch Decrypt9WIP.
4. Navigate to SysNAND File Options and then Dump Health & Safety. Let the process finish.
5. Turn off your 3DS.
6. Go back to your 3DSCFWKIT_V3.00-STABLE folder and open the PC_Apps folder.
7. Open the UniversalInjectGenerator folder.
8. Insert your 3DS SD into your PC.
9. Find the hs.app file on your SD and place it in the Input folder that is inside the Inject Generator folder. There will be a BigBlueMenu.cia already in there.
10. Run go.bat. If there are no issues, you will find that there are two inject-ready .app files in the Input folder.
11. To finally inject BigBlueMenu into SysNAND, rename the BigBlueMenu-with-banner.app file to hs.app and place it on your SD, overwriting the one that is already there.
12. Launch Decrypt9WIP again, and navigate to SysNAND File Options.
13. Choose health&safety inject to inject the hs.app. Don't worry, it's not as dangerous as you may think.
14. Now, launch the rxTools menu (hold L during launch), and boot RXMODE SysNAND.
    • You will be booted to what appears to be regular SysNAND.
    • Navigate to the H&S app and it should now be the BigBlueMenu app (Title Manager)!
15. Launch BigBlueMenu.
16. Go to the SDMC tab. Basically, this is your SD card it is looking at.
17. Navigate to the CIAs folder and install/import DevMenu_2x.cia and old3DS.AGB_FIRM.Patch.cia (if this one doesn't let you install, you can use the DevMenu app to install it)
18. You just installed your first CIAs!"

It worked fine until 14. The Title Manager has replaced the H&S app, but if I open it, it loads up the BigBlueMenu interface for a second, then I get a Nintendo error message, white message on a black screen telling me an error has occurred and I must use the power button to restart the console.
I'm very lost and I hope I didn't mess things up too much... I'd really love if any of you could help me out here, because the more I'm reading things, the more at loss I am. I don't want to screw things even more. Where should I begin?

Thank you very much

 

[subcon959]

I didn't read the whole post, but what I read you were doing everything right but you got let down because rxtools itself started getting broken at some point in the nightlies. If you can find the version from 28/9/15 you wouldn't have gotten stuck at the FBI injection part (unless there was a problem with your downgrade itself).

 

[CaptainNomadic]

Thanks! Do you think the black screen I got at first trying to boot after the downgrade that only went away once I removed the Nintendo 3DS folder from my SD card could indicate a messed up downgrade? Also, I have an non-working BigBlueMenu/TitleManager now instead of my H&S app, how do I undo that ?

 

[Shadowfied]

Thanks! Do you think the black screen I got at first trying to boot after the downgrade that only went away once I removed the Nintendo 3DS folder from my SD card could indicate a messed up downgrade? Also, I have an non-working BigBlueMenu/TitleManager now instead of my H&S app, how do I undo that ?

Black screen is normal. It means you have unsupported save data on your SD card, like menuhax for example. Nothing weird at all.

 

[CaptainNomadic]

Black screen is normal. It means you have unsupported save data on your SD card, like menuhax for example. Nothing weird at all.

Okay thank you
I'll inject the original hs.app back to my H&S app, and then I'll try using the specific rxTools version subcon959 mentioned and see how it goes!
If anyone has any input, let me know
Thanks a lot

 

[Shadowfied]

Okay thank you
I'll inject the original hs.app back to my H&S app, and then I'll try using the specific rxTools version subcon959 mentioned and see how it goes!
If anyone has any input, let me know
Thanks a lot

You're welcome. Let me know how it goes and if you have any questions whatsoever.
Also, EXPECT blackscreens. Especially with rx nightlies. A nightly build is NOT EVEN an alpha. It WILL fail to boot. A lot. A black screen (or yellow in homebrew) is nothing to get worried about at any time (unless after a SysNAND downgrade... *lennyface*) and forcing the 3DS off, as bad as it may feel, doesn't degrade it or anything.

 

[CaptainNomadic]

Thanks for the help.
Successfully reinjected the initial hs.app on my H&S. Downloaded the specific rxTools version, managed to successfully inject FBI, but now I can't Boot Emunand in rxMode, I get a message saying "Failed to load NATIVE_FIRM: 4 Reboot rxTools and try again. Press A to continue"
What have I done wrong?

 

[Shadowfied]

Thanks for the help.
Successfully reinjected the initial hs.app on my H&S. Downloaded the specific rxTools version, managed to successfully inject FBI, but now I can't Boot Emunand in rxMode, I get a message saying "Failed to load NATIVE_FIRM: 4 Reboot rxTools and try again. Press A to continue"
What have I done wrong?

You sure you put the firmware files from the python script?

 

[CaptainNomadic]

You sure you put the firmware files from the python script?

With the specific version mentioned, it's not a firm folder with 3 files but a firmware.bin file. Where should I put it?

 

[Shadowfied]

With the specific version mentioned, it's not a firm folder with 3 files but a firmware.bin file. Where should I put it?

I believe it goes in sdmc/rxtools/firm or maybe in sdmc/rxtools - try one at a time.

 

[CaptainNomadic]

I believe it goes in sdmc/rxtools/firm or maybe in sdmc/rxtools - try one at a time.

Tried both, also tried rxtools/data, rxtools/system, root of the sd... Nothing works.

 

[Shadowfied]

Tried both, also tried rxtools/data, rxtools/system, root of the sd... Nothing works.

Well I'd try using the latest nightly again. I very much doubt it's the rxtools version thats making fbi error out. Me and a friend had the same issue with FBI on her system the other day, I'm trying to remember how we fixed it. Did you use the CFWKit from that rxtools guide? If so, fuck it and grab the latest files from their respective download locations. I know getting the latest boot.3dsx from smeas site sorted out some errors for her.

 

[CaptainNomadic]

Well I'd try using the latest nightly again. I very much doubt it's the rxtools version thats making fbi error out. Me and a friend had the same issue with FBI on her system the other day, I'm trying to remember how we fixed it. Did you use the CFWKit from that rxtools guide? If so, fuck it and grab the latest files from their respective download locations. I know getting the latest boot.3dsx from smeas site sorted out some errors for her.

I did use both packs provided in both tutorials. Considering my situation, which files must I absolutely keep on my microSD and which one can I throw away? Thanks

 

[Shadowfied]

I did use both packs provided in both tutorials. Considering my situation, which files must I absolutely keep on my microSD and which one can I throw away? Thanks

Well you dont really need to delete anything, just replace the files that you'll need to be using with the latest versions from their official downloads.

 

[CaptainNomadic]

Well you dont really need to delete anything, just replace the files that you'll need to be using with the latest versions from their official downloads.

Downloaded the latest starter pack and boot file from smea's official website and redownloaded the latest rxTools nightly build... And I'm back on the "Backing up Health & Safety Info" screen! I don't know what to do...

 

[Shadowfied]

Downloaded the latest starter pack and boot file from smea's official website and redownloaded the latest rxTools nightly build... And I'm back on the "Backing up Health & Safety Info" screen! I don't know what to do...

Do you have precious things on the EmuNAND? The best solution is to use MiniPasta to install FBI / BBM in SysNAND and THEN create your EmuNAND.

 

[CaptainNomadic]

Do you have precious things on the EmuNAND? The best solution is to use MiniPasta to install FBI / BBM in SysNAND and THEN create your EmuNAND.

I don't have anything on the EmuNAND, the only thing I did was creating it, backing it up and updating it to the latest firmware version. How should I proceed to get a clean start then? I'm sorry I'm very lost as you can tell haha, my SD is starting to get full of useless crap I fear.

EDIT: Also, do I need to be able to boot HBL in Pasta Mod via MiniPasta to install FBI / BBM in SysNAND? Because I can't.

 

[Shadowfied]

I don't have anything on the EmuNAND, the only thing I did was creating it, backing it up and updating it to the latest firmware version. How should I proceed to get a clean start then? I'm sorry I'm very lost as you can tell haha, my SD is starting to get full of useless crap I fear.

You don't need to get a clean start, just download the MiniPasta .3dsx and put it on your SD, boot it through SysNAND HBL, get back into the HBL, open FBI and see if you can get the FBI / BBM CIAs to install, if so, just use EmuNAND9 and create a new EmuNAND.

 

[CaptainNomadic]

You don't need to get a clean start, just download the MiniPasta .3dsx and put it on your SD, boot it through SysNAND HBL, get back into the HBL, open FBI and see if you can get the FBI / BBM CIAs to install, if so, just use EmuNAND9 and create a new EmuNAND.

Thank you very much but I did something else, and retried the specific rxTools mentioned earlier in this thread, and I put the firmware.bin inside the rxTools/sys folder! Worked like a charm, the injection worked and I currently have BigBlueBox installed through FBI Now I must find how to use al that hahaha

 

[Shadowfied]

Thank you very much but I did something else, and retried the specific rxTools mentioned earlier in this thread, and I put the firmware.bin inside the rxTools/sys folder! Worked like a charm, the injection worked and I currently have BigBlueBox installed through FBI Now I must find how to use al that hahaha

That's awesome! Glad to hear it! If you need anything, feel free to PM me!