Hacking [Wii] A Few Questions for Softmodding in 2016

[gbeaytempur]

Hi, I've spent a couple months trying to learn everything there is to know about Wii softmodding and I'm left with just a few questions before I finish my modjob. My Wii was completely untouched before I started the process & I'm looking to get this right the first time with the most stable/compatible/up-to-date tools available. GBATemp has been essential reading during my research and it's awesome to see the Wii homebrew community still active after many years. If you're reading this and are also new to Wii modding I found this guide to be one of the most comprehensive/up-to-date ones that wasn't easily surfaced via a Google search.

I plan on updating this post with the best answer to each question in order to help others who may be asking themselves similar questions.

My setup so far:

- The easiest & most obvious step was to use the Letterbomb exploit bundled with the HackMii installer to install The Homebrew Channel and (since my Wii is old enough) BootMii as boot2.
- Then using BootMii I made a NAND backup of my Wii & put it in the cloud for safekeeping.

Now, here come the questions.

1. The fantastic CompleteSoftmodGuide website recommends d2x cIOS installer and it provides a download link for the installer.

- Is there a more official/updated project page for the d2x cIOS project? The closest I've been able to find is this archive of the project on Google Code.

- Is the configuration outlined by the CompleteSoftmodGuide still the best setup for 2016 assuming that I'll be using the cIOS for USB Loader GX to launch Wii/Wiiware/VC games off of a large capacity USB storage device?

2. Similarly, when it comes to WAD managers CompleteSoftmodGuide recommends Yet Another Wad Manager Mod (YAWMM) and provides a download link and a pointer to the project's Google Code archive. Is this still the most preferred WAD manager; and if so is there a more updated project page?

3. Finally, I'd prefer to just bypass any sort of EmuNAND/neek2o/SNEEK funny business and instead purchase a large capacity SDXC card, format it to fat32, load my Wiiware/VC games onto it, and launch them via USB Loader GX. Is there any compatibility issues/drawbacks that would make the previously mentioned routes more preferable?

Thanks for anyone willing to help me answer these questions.

Update 5-15-16:

1. d2x cIOS + Installer

- This is the archive of the d2x cIOS Google Code Project Page
- This Github Project Page is the new home of the project and is hosted by davebaol himself

- This is the archive of the d2x cIOS installer Google Code Project Page
- This Github Project Page appears to host the installer, but it doesn't seem to be official. From what I can gather the dev of the installer never exported his/her project from Google Code to Github.

2. Yet Another Wad Manager Mod (YAWMM)

- This is the archive of the YAWMM Google Code Project Page
- This Github Project Page appears to host YAWMM, but it doesn't seem to be official. From what I can gather the dev of YAWMM never exported his/her project from Google Code to Github.

3. Refer to GreyWolf's answer on the first page

 

[Xuman]

To give some of my own advice,

I personally softmod Wii's for people and sell premodded ones as well. I start by using letterbomb everytime, and my method is as follows:

Install hbc and bootmii as ios
Backup nand
Install priiloader
Install d2x beta53 over ios249 base 56
Install d2x beta52 over ios250 base 57

And i personally use yawmm all the time.

I dont know if theres any updated guides, but this has never failed me yet. Hope that helps

 

[GreyWolf]

@Xuman Why beta53/beta52? 53 is only for if you have to have a drive connected to both ports and is screwy with NAND channels.

 

[Xuman]

@Xuman Why beta53/beta52? 53 is only for if you have to have a drive connected to both ports and is screwy with NAND channels.

It's just how I've always done it, and for doing it to give to other people to give them the option to use both slots. I myself also have it setup like this for my own Wii and I've never encountered any problems before with any Nand channels or anything. Although I haven't installed every channel out there to really test.

If all you want is emulators/usb loader/homebrew apps then I do it that way. For Wiiware, if thats where the issues are, I havent really tried to give an honest opinion

 

[Davidosky99]

my setup is
1-letterbomb
2-hbc+bootmii
3-pimpmywii to patch pretty much every IOS and ios 249 250 and 251
4-usb loader gx
5-done

 

[gbeaytempur]

Thanks to everyone who replied so far.

53 is only for if you have to have a drive connected to both ports and is screwy with NAND channels.

So it sounds like beta52 is my best bet for the most stable d2x cIOS then?

Also any thoughts on my idea to just skip out on using any sort of emulated NAND and just using a large capacity SD to play Wiiware/VC? Sorry to single you out, but I think I have over a dozen threads with posts from you giving people advice hahaha.

 

[GreyWolf]

Thanks to everyone who replied so far.



So it sounds like beta52 is my best bet for the most stable d2x cIOS then?

Also any thoughts on my idea to just skip out on using any sort of emulated NAND and just using a large capacity SD to play Wiiware/VC? Sorry to single you out, but I think I have over a dozen threads with posts from you giving people advice hahaha.

That works, too, but if you have a lot of NAND titles your Wii's memory will get full quickly. Using NEEK or EmuNAND avoids that because the saves are stored on your USB drive.