Homebrew [Help] Recovering saves from old SD card

[agentfooly]

Hi there,

To mod my o3DS XL, I used a fresh SD card thinking that my current one might be too full and it'd be easier to follow the ez3DS guide with a blank card anyways.

Now that my 3DS has cfw, I want to get those old saves onto it but I have had no lucking in finding any viable methods. It's gotten to the point where I would just start over the whole process and begin with an SD card transfer to have the saves already on the card I plan to use in the long run. I don't know if that's even possible now that the 3DS is modded, though.

What are my options, if any, of transferring my saves from an old SD card? Thanks!

 

[Quantumcat]

Hi there,

To mod my o3DS XL, I used a fresh SD card thinking that my current one might be too full and it'd be easier to follow the ez3DS guide with a blank card anyways.

Now that my 3DS has cfw, I want to get those old saves onto it but I have had no lucking in finding any viable methods. It's gotten to the point where I would just start over the whole process and begin with an SD card transfer to have the saves already on the card I plan to use in the long run. I don't know if that's even possible now that the 3DS is modded, though.

What are my options, if any, of transferring my saves from an old SD card? Thanks!

Did you ever format you system? If not, you can just copy the Nintendo 3DS folder to your new card.
If you did format it, and you have a NAND backup from before you did, then you can flash it back to sysNAND and do as above.
If you don't, I'm not sure that you can get them back, as they are encrypted for the previous NAND (from before the format).

 

[agentfooly]

Did you ever format you system? If not, you can just copy the Nintendo 3DS folder to your new card.
If you did format it, and you have a NAND backup from before you did, then you can flash it back to sysNAND and do as above.
If you don't, I'm not sure that you can get them back, as they are encrypted for the previous NAND (from before the format).

This probably sounds dumb, but what do you mean by format? I used the ez3DS guide to install a cfw with a9lh and Luma.

 

[Ryccardo]

This probably sounds dumb, but what do you mean by format? I used the ez3DS guide to install a cfw with a9lh and Luma.

Any factory reset from the last page of settings, or pressing Y in the "TinyFormat" homebrew, or a system transfer

 

[agentfooly]

Any factory reset from the last page of settings, or pressing Y in the "TinyFormat" homebrew, or a system transfer

Nope, I haven't done anything of that sort... Maybe I'm good to just drag the /Nintendo 3DS folder over? I swear I tried that though and didn't see my saves. Do I have to update my system first or something? I'm on 9.2.

 

[Ryccardo]

Nope, I haven't done anything of that sort... Maybe I'm good to just drag the /Nintendo 3DS folder over? I swear I tried that though and didn't see my saves. Do I have to update my system first or something? I'm on 9.2.

Well, trying won't hurt!

Actually, let's try scientifically: insert an empty* SD and change the theme, then compare the random-named folders inside "Nintendo 3DS" in your original SD and the one you just used: if they match, you're good to go!

*swap after booting, or add arm9loaderhax.bin to it

 

[agentfooly]

Well, trying won't hurt!

Actually, let's try scientifically: insert an empty* SD and change the theme, then compare the random-named folders inside "Nintendo 3DS" in your original SD and the one you just used: if they match, you're good to go!

*swap after booting, or add arm9loaderhax.bin to it

I like the way you think! I just tried this, and random-named folders match character for character. So again I tried dragdropping this /Nintendo 3DS folder into the SD card (I replaced phtcache.bin, is this important?), but once I plugged it in to my 3DS and checked the data, nothing new. What's up with that?

 

[The Real Jdbye]

I like the way you think! I just tried this, and random-named folders match character for character. So again I tried dragdropping this /Nintendo 3DS folder into the SD card (I replaced phtcache.bin, is this important?), but once I plugged it in to my 3DS and checked the data, nothing new. What's up with that?

Delete the folder and copy it over from your old card again, to ensure there are no conflicts between the old and new data. It has solved the issue for a few other people I suggested it to.

 

[agentfooly]

Delete the folder and copy it over from your old card again, to ensure there are no conflicts between the old and new data. It has solved the issue for a few other people I suggested it to.

HOLY TOLEDO!! It worked!! I love you let's get married!

- one minor issue though, I no longer have the Homebrew/FBI/Luma channels.. Perhaps I just need to reinstall them? Hmm