Hacking bricked n3DS issue

[gamesquest1]

hi, i currently have a 3DS that was apparently bricked in the process of downgrading to 2.1, the user has pretty much shot themselves in the foot every step of the way, they didn't make nand backups before starting, they even deleted the nand backup that are made in the process of downgrading, no xorpads and decided to start adding files to the SD meaning that the original nacd backups are now overwritten.......basically if you can think of pretty much every incorrect step you could make, they did it

now im trying to figure out if there is any possible route of recovery, its a n3ds, so im wondering if the method used for otpless a9lh may be usable in this situation

the only thing i can do at this point is replace FIRM0 and FIRM1 with what i assume is a 11.1 backup made from the dsi downgrade process

so any suggestions or suggestions to try?

(please try limit the "he f00ked" replies, i think its kinda obvious, just looking for second opinions, if nobody has any then thats fine too im just looking if there is any last options of salvation for this system

 

[Alex658]

Well, i assume this n3ds is hardmodded?

If so then the 11.1 backup may be the only shot you have. Though i'm not sure what would happen if the backup was from another console (normally restoring a backup from another 3ds perma bricks it, i dunno if the hardmod can just wipe it off in case of a screw up made by flashing another 3ds backup.

If the most obvious solution (recovery mode) doesn't work... then again you say the 3ds was in 2.1 when it bricked or that it bricked while the person attempted to reach 2.1?

 

[gamesquest1]

yeah i have it hardmodded now, but there is no 11.1 nand backup, just a backup of the 11.1 FIRM made by the dsi downgrade tool, the owner for some reason deleted the nand backup made when performing the 2.1 ctrtransfer after discovering the system no longer booted (i have no idea why you would take such a action, this is just what i was told) he also provided me with a nand backup that actually ended up being from another 3DS which he copied to the SD after deleting the nand dump made during the ctrtransfer so the 9.2 backup is unrecoverable (i already tried and its garbage data)

PS the recovery menu doesn't work

 

[ADS3500]

If recovery mode doesn't work and he doesn't have a nand backup, his only option will be to wait for a method to unbrick a nand dump, but that might never happen.

 

[Deleted-19228]

1) Go to walmart
2) Buy n3ds
3) swap motherboard
4) return n3ds
5) start downgrade

 

[cravas]

With only the FIRMs backup but no NAND, you already know what you have to do:
swap MB with another one.

And, as I read it, He used a NAND from a different console on SD (if He restored it, then it's even worst)
Hipotetically, if the bricked NAND was still on chip, you could possibly dumped it and try to inject the FIRMS backup (although I doubt it would work, just a thought).

If He wouldn't ad files to SD, there was a way to file recover with PC programs (maybe you can still try it running this prog and see if you can get a full NAND* something from the SD: https://www.piriform.com/recuva )

Using a CTR-Transfer NAND won't work (AFAIK) since it's "installed" to specific places on the existing working NAND.

Good Luck.

[OFF-TOPIC]

1) Go to walmart
2) Buy n3ds
3) swap motherboard
4) return n3ds
5) start downgrade

And you think this is a correct way of washing the hands of responsibility???
Did Walmart or Ninty bricked the console or were responsible in any way of a user bricking their console? (or doing the errors He did)

Well, I hope that what you do in life never causes anyone to do the same to you (making you pay for other's mistake)
Don't take this as a flame, just giving you my way of seeing things.
[/OFF-TOPIC]

 

[Dust2dust]

And you think this is a correct way of washing the hands of responsibility???
Did Walmart or Ninty bricked the console or were responsible in any way of a user bricking their console? (or doing the errors He did)

Well, I hope that what you do in life never causes anyone to do the same to you (making you pay for other's mistake)
Don't take this as a flame, just giving you my way of seeing things.

It's all just a matter of what moral values a person has. Some people have morals, some don't. Fact of life.

 

[leerz]

Recovering the nand backups may be worth a shot.
Pray that it was nit overwritten.
I suggest use getdataback for good recovery.

Minor discrep on the nand backup (wrong bytes etc) might get you at least to recovery. (Assuming no critical offsets were overwritten)

 

[Awesomeslayerg]

With only the FIRMs backup but no NAND, you already know what you have to do:
swap MB with another one.

And, as I read it, He used a NAND from a different console on SD (if He restored it, then it's even worst)
Hipotetically, if the bricked NAND was still on chip, you could possibly dumped it and try to inject the FIRMS backup (although I doubt it would work, just a thought).

If He wouldn't ad files to SD, there was a way to file recover with PC programs (maybe you can still try it running this prog and see if you can get a full NAND* something from the SD: https://www.piriform.com/recuva )

Using a CTR-Transfer NAND won't work (AFAIK) since it's "installed" to specific places on the existing working NAND.

Good Luck.

[OFF-TOPIC]

And you think this is a correct way of washing the hands of responsibility???
Did Walmart or Ninty bricked the console or were responsible in any way of a user bricking their console? (or doing the errors He did)

Well, I hope that what you do in life never causes anyone to do the same to you (making you pay for other's mistake)
Don't take this as a flame, just giving you my way of seeing things.
[/OFF-TOPIC]

You know they are making tons of money whether or not.

 

[Deleted-19228]

It's all just a matter of what moral values a person has. Some people have morals, some don't. Fact of life.

Want to talk morals on a site that's essentially dedicated to assisting people mod their systems to play pirated games? Just because you can do it and have no chance of getting in trouble doesn't make it morally acceptable.

 

[Dust2dust]

Want to talk morals on a site that's essentially dedicated to assisting people mod their systems to play pirated games? Just because you can do it and have no chance of getting in trouble doesn't make it morally acceptable.

I never said it was right or wrong. What's acceptable for a certain person is unacceptable for another, and vice versa. Also, morals is something that evolves over time. GBAtemp used to think it was acceptable to offer download links for the latest GBA roms; now it won't provide any illegal file download. Lots of users here are against piracy, yet they probably visit the site everyday, because there's more here than just piracy and hacking talks.

 

[gamesquest1]

the 3DS is revived after way too much messing about with failed partial file recoveries etc, i finally figured out where in the process the ctrtransfer failed, i seen the NAND header and ctrpartition appeared to already be done by looking at a dump of the encrypted nand, so it was a FIRM issue, so i made a xorpad for his 9.2 FIRM and used that to inject a 2.1 FIRM and its now working, then i had the issue of not being able to update the 3DS as it was stuck on o3DS FW,

so i figure, meh easy, i will do another ctrtransfer!.....err yeah that didn't work as it will only go from 2.1-n3ds fw if you have a original nand header for the specific console....so after more messing about i made a tweak to decrypt9 to let me restore a donor n3ds nand header and all appears to be good, moral of the story is.....well.....idk, never give up or something

just figured i would share the end result, i hope nobody else gets themselves into such a position again