Hacking How do I know if my Wii is already softmod?

[Reborn-SWE]

Hey!

I bought a used Wii with the idea of running a game via USB loader.
When I turn on the screen, there is no Homebrew Channel, or USB Loader, then I thought, "the device is not softmod" Then when I put the SD card that was found in the Wii on my computer and it was USB Loader, bootmii etc., it means that maybe all the channels were deleted or has not been installed on the Wii.
The version on my Wii is 4.3E
I want Softmoda but I do not want to tag it as clear as I have three questions:

Question 1
How do I know if my Wii is already softmod?

question 2
Can I run the tutorial any time to softmoda if it is already softmodad without breaking?

question 3
There are how too many tutorial about softmod to choose. Do you have suggestions for a good tutorial for the Homebrew Chanel and USB Loader GX? I'm really confused and need help.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Cyan]

if there were already an SD card inserted when you bought the console, either the user forgot to remove it, or prepared it in case you want to softmod (but he should have ask you and did it for you).
It's possible the console was once softmodded and he removed all of it before selling it.

in any case, you can follow the Wii tutorial again without any risk. if there were already a softmod, it will be replaced. if not, it will be installed for the first time.

there are two common guide to softmod :
- modmii (a program on Windows which will download all you need and will prepare the file to be copied to your SD card. it will also generate a tutorial to follow based on your current situation).
- completesg : https://sites.google.com/site/completesg/

in both cases, I'd recommend to not use the files already on your SD card. you don't know their version, and it could conflict with your new softmod guides. backup or format your SD or use a different one.

if you follow completesg guide, I'd recommend a slightly different thing.
when you are at the part where you install "custom IOS", they will tell you to install some with two different version (r52 and r53), I'd recommend that you install both the same version : beta52

 

[Reborn-SWE]

if there were already an SD card inserted when you bought the console, either the user forgot to remove it, or prepared it in case you want to softmod (but he should have ask you and did it for you).
It's possible the console was once softmodded and he removed all of it before selling it.

in any case, you can follow the Wii tutorial again without any risk. if there were already a softmod, it will be replaced. if not, it will be installed for the first time.

there are two common guide to softmod :
- modmii (a program on Windows which will download all you need and will prepare the file to be copied to your SD card. it will also generate a tutorial to follow based on your current situation).
- completesg : https://sites.google.com/site/completesg/

in both cases, I'd recommend to not use the files already on your SD card. you don't know their version, and it could conflict with your new softmod guides. backup or format your SD or use a different one.

if you follow completesg guide, I'd recommend a slightly different thing.
when you are at the part where you install "custom IOS", they will tell you to install some with two different version (r52 and r53), I'd recommend that you install both the same version : beta52

All I need is to do what the link below?
(To point 4)
https://gbatemp.net/threads/how-to-...backup-wii-gamecube-and-wiiware-games.360687/

 

[Cyan]

don't follow that guide. (she edited few things to not use default settings or path). She also didn't write the guide, she just linked to random and different incompatible youtube tutorial.
Also, NEVER follow a youtube guide without reading a recent text guide to compare. they are OLD, outdated, and missing information, and specifically written to ONE ONLY console which is NEVER yours or your setup.

people doing youtube videos are newbie who barely managed to hack their console and think they are hacker or developers and think they can teach to other people, while they don't understand what they did.
There are usually not a single way to hack a console, but the youtube video NEVER take that in account. they all think that their setup is universal and the way they hacked their console will work forever the same way for everybody else.

NEVER Trust random zip file provided by a youtube video too. at best, it's old and outdated, and you will have to RE-install everything with updated version anyway. at worst, it's not for your console ! a lot of people following youtube video are coming to gbatemp to get help to fix their broken console.

The issue with youtube video is that it's static ! once recorded, you don't change it.
A text guide can be updated quickly after each hacking progress, bug, issues, release, etc.


I told you, either modmii, which will ask question about your setup and will generate a guide based on your answer. It will be different based on different setup.
Or completesg guide, which works on 2.0 to 4.3, but just change the installed version like I told (r52 instead of r53)

I would have recommend this one, but it's old too and makes you install unneeded things.

All I need is to do what the link below?
(To point 4)

Hmm, no, that's not "all" you need to do, if you don't have the homebrew channel installed, there are other things you need to do first.
install the homebrew channel (with letter bomb exploit), probably install priiloader for brick protection and for system menu patching (region free, etc.).
Then comes the point4 : install the cIOS.
you only need 1 cIOS, but most guide will make you install 2 different ones. depending on the guide you follow the version they tell you to install is good (modmii) or useless and problematic (completesg).

If you are on windows, I recommend modmii.
if you are not on windows or really don't want to use that program to generate a good tutorial, follow completesg guide.

and remember, don't use the files you found on your SD card, for safety.

 

[Reborn-SWE]

Hello Cyan,

I trust you and I will do as your suggestion (Complete softmod guide).
Correct me if I'm wrong, here below are all the steps I plan to do.

1 Install the Homebrew Channel (Base to everything)
2 Install BoottMii and make back-up of NAND
3 Install cIOS to load backup games from a USB Drive
4 Install Priiloader (additional brick protection, region free, etc)
5 Install the USB Loader GX to run speal from USB flash memory / external USB HDD.

Will the Wii interface be modified after I have made all the steps? So my children to be able to start the Wii as usual and go into USB loader channel and choose their games.

I appreciate your help and need your patience, after you've answered my questions, I have some additional questions about BootMii but we can take it in another post otherwise it will be too much.

 

[Cyan]

The Wii interface (we call it "system menu") will not be modified.

Few things you may want to know:
- BootMii can be installed either as IOS or into "boot2". Very few console have the boot2 option, so don't worry if you don't have it. in all cases, always install the IOS version, even if you have boot2 (in that case install both).
- Priiloader can be installed before the cIOS, but as long as you follow the guide to install cIOS you will not have any issues and don't need the brick protection installed first.
- to install cIOS, choose the online method. If you want a "pre-setup pack", you can get one here. (I made it, just extract it to sd:/apps/d2x_installer/, it contains all d2x cIOS version for the Wii)
- The System menu can still be used, even with official game disc. But you will have to edit one of Priiloader option to "not prompt for disc update", or it will try to replace your installed cIOS with nintendo's IOS.
- if you want, you can install a USBLoaderGX channel on your system menu, so you don't have to launch the homebrew channel to launch the loader. If you want a channel, install a "forwarder channel" from here using a Wad Manager. that forwarder will load the file located on your SD card (it's a link, shortcut to HBC>USBGX)

don't hesitate to ask question to understand what or why you are doing things.

 

[Reborn-SWE]

Thank you for your patience, I appreciate it.
I'm complement noob relation the Wii.
My goal is only able to do two things:

1 My children to be able to use their games in an easy way from a USB device
2 Wii does not become brick

To go back to the BootMii question, if I get the message "Can only be installed as an IOS," how do I install it?

Then it priiloader that will give me the brick protection but BootMii will give me possible to make NAND back-up. Correctly?

I did not know that would require to install so many programs to Kuna do what I want, it makes me really förvirad but fortunately I have found GBATEMP.NET all of you have answers for everything.

 

[DinohScene]

NAND backups for Wii...
Well, they can be quite handy when your device does brick (if you make regular backups, that way you won't lose your saves)

But in reality, if you do not mess around on the NAND or with the homebrew channel (just set it up for USB loading), you don't really need it.

Personally, I'd make NAND backups periodically.
In case of a brick, I can easily flash it back without having to worry about save files missing.

 

[Reborn-SWE]

NAND backups for Wii...
Well, they can be quite handy when your device does brick (if you make regular backups, that way you won't lose your saves)

But in reality, if you do not mess around on the NAND or with the homebrew channel (just set it up for USB loading), you don't really need it.

Personally, I'd make NAND backups periodically.
In case of a brick, I can easily flash it back without having to worry about save files missing.

That means I do not really need to install BootMii?

how can you Easily flash it back the Wii?

It does not seem to be difficult. Do you have a good tutorial for making flash it back as I can have only if it happens?

Then I do not need the step number 2 in my list, but all the other steps do I need remains. Right?

 

[DinohScene]

Unfortunately, you can not recover from a full brick without hardware.
I believe that banner bricks (installing malfunctioning channels) and certain IOS bricks? (don't quote me on it) can be recovered with BootMii as IOS.
There's also something called Priiloader which adds an extra safety net (isn't the same as BootMii on boot2, which makes it fully brick proof)
But unfortunately, I don't know anything about Priiloader.

If you do end up with a bricked Wii and have a NAND backup, you can extract the save games from it and copy it to a new Wii (probably cheaper then flashing it back via hardware if you don't know how to solder)

Anyway, to keep it really short and "noob friendly"
If you value your save games, install BootMii as an IOS and periodically backup your NAND (delete the old backups)
If, in the unlikely event that your Wii does fully brick, you can extract the savegames from the NAND and copy them to a new Wii OR have the NAND backup flashed back via hardware.
If you don't value your savegames (as they also can be copied to an SD card), you don't need to install BootMii.

 

[Reborn-SWE]

Unfortunately, you can not recover from a full brick without hardware.
I believe that banner bricks (installing malfunctioning channels) and certain IOS bricks? (don't quote me on it) can be recovered with BootMii as IOS.
There's also something called Priiloader which adds an extra safety net (isn't the same as BootMii on boot2, which makes it fully brick proof)
But unfortunately, I don't know anything about Priiloader.

If you do end up with a bricked Wii and have a NAND backup, you can extract the save games from it and copy it to a new Wii (probably cheaper then flashing it back via hardware if you don't know how to solder)

Anyway, to keep it really short and "noob friendly"
If you value your save games, install BootMii as an IOS and periodically backup your NAND (delete the old backups)
If, in the unlikely event that your Wii does fully brick, you can extract the savegames from the NAND and copy them to a new Wii OR have the NAND backup flashed back via hardware.
If you don't value your savegames (as they also can be copied to an SD card), you don't need to install BootMii.

I do not care about your saved game
Ok, if I understood correctly, I do not BootMii to make my Wii work properly if something goes wrong.
How do I do to make my Wii work again if something goes wrongwithout BootMii nand or back-up?

 

[DinohScene]

Seeing Wii's are really cheap these days, I'd say getting a new one is the best option.

Their all hackable (4.3 and below)

 

[GreyWolf]

If you are able to install BootMii as boot2 it's the best option. There is pretty much nothing you can do to the console that's unrecoverable in that situation because BootMii will always be able to run as long as an SD card with the files it needs is inserted in the SD slot.

Installing BootMii as an IOS is almost the same except there has to be a way to load the IOS and start it. To do that you have to be able to at least access the Homebrew Channel or something like Priiloader.

Booting the Wii goes like this: Power on > Boot1 > Boot2 > Region > Health & Safety > System Menu. The earlier in that process you can access the better. BootMii as boot2 will run as soon as the console hardware is initialized. BootMii as IOS can only be run after the Health & Safety check because Priiloader replaces the system menu's startup ".app" file.

There's not really any need to save more than the initial NAND backup if you just want to make sure you can (probably) recover from a brick. The best protection is to make sure you never install or patch an IOS below #200 and that you're sure the channels you're installing are safe. Banner bricks happen when the system menu tries to read a channel that has a corrupted banner. It doesn't just skip the corrupted files, it freezes or crashes resulting in an unbootable console.

 

[Reborn-SWE]

If you are able to install BootMii as boot2 it's the best option. There is pretty much nothing you can do to the console that's unrecoverable in that situation because BootMii will always be able to run as long as an SD card with the files it needs is inserted in the SD slot.

Installing BootMii as an IOS is almost the same except there has to be a way to load the IOS and start it. To do that you have to be able to at least access the Homebrew Channel or something like Priiloader.

Booting the Wii goes like this: Power on > Boot1 > Boot2 > Region > Health & Safety > System Menu. The earlier in that process you can access the better. BootMii as boot2 will run as soon as the console hardware is initialized. BootMii as IOS can only be run after the Health & Safety check because Priiloader replaces the system menu's startup ".app" file.

There's not really any need to save more than the initial NAND backup if you just want to make sure you can (probably) recover from a brick. The best protection is to make sure you never install or patch an IOS below #200 and that you're sure the channels you're installing are safe. Banner bricks happen when the system menu tries to read a channel that has a corrupted banner. It doesn't just skip the corrupted files, it freezes or crashes resulting in an unbootable console.

Thanks, Very good information.

If I can not install BottMii as boot2 (recommended) how I install it? I found no link to download the https://sites.google.com/site/completesg/how-to-use/bootmii

Is it possible to access BootMii if Wii become brick? It must be through the Homebrew Kannal or how for the resumption of NAND? (Not boot2)
I do not know what a Wii was brick behave when you turn it on.

 

[Cyan]

hello, sorry wasn't home today.
thanks for taking the relay helping while I was away.


In the hackmii installer, you have two option for bootmii :
- install as boot2 (possible only on old console model)
- install as IOS (always possible)

If you have a old model, install BOTH.
if you have a new model which tells you "cannot install as boot2", install bootmii ONLY as IOS.
in both case, the IOS version MUST be installed. it's an additional safety to have it installed as IOS.

To install it, that's very easy, in the hackmii installer go to the Bootmii menu and choose the "install as IOS" option.
it will install it. It's a system file, you will not see anything different on your console. but it's there if one day you need it.

Bootmii is used to make the NAND backup and NAND restore.



About the brick, that's fine to want to understand, but I think you worry too much (it's rare to brick, but it happens if you use random homebrew system application).

So, as an explanation, here is a simplified way how the console work:

1) default
power > Boot 1 (internal chipset) > boot 2 (NAND first sector) > System menu > homebrew launcher

2) Priiloader
power > Boot 1 (internal chipset) > boot 2 (NAND first sector) > priiloader (hidden) > System menu > homebrew launcher

                                                   |_________^_____________^

If you brick your console by installing a "bad channel" on your system menu, the system menu will not boot, and your console will stay on a black screen.
If you installed priiloader, you can see that it's running before the "non functional system menu", and priiloader have an option to launch the homebrew channel, where you can delete the "bad channel".


3) Bootmii located at boot2
power > Boot 1 (internal chipset) > boot 2 (NAND first sector) > priiloader (hidden) > System menu > homebrew launcher

                              |____(SD card: bootmii)_________^___________^

If you could modify boot2 (only old console), then it will run Bootmii on your SD card at launch, and from here you see that it can "jump" directly to the system menu, OR to the homebrew channel.

This is another protection, but run much sooner than priiloader.

If you install Priiloader, you already have the necessary protection for "simple bad channel" (it's called a "banner brick", the animated banner animation being bad, it break the system menu).

To fix a banner brick :
Priiloader -> Homebrew channel -> wad manager > delete the bad channel.
the console will now work correctly, the system menu don't try to load a bad channel anymore.

if you have bootmii in boot2 (in fact boot2 is NOT bootmii, it's a redirection to load bootmii from the SD card), then you can dump/restore the full NAND very early at boot. before any program loaded on the console. it's the best method to backup/restore a broken Wii.
If you have bootmii only as IOS, you can only use it if you can launch the homebrew launcher.

Full brick:
Imagine you have "Region > Health & Safety >" which I omitted in my easy boot chronology, but it's located before System menu, and before Priiloader.
If your issue is the region check (you tried to convert your PAL console into JPN console or Korean console, etc.) and did a wrong thing, then you can't fix it anymore without "bootmii boot2" because the first helping program is not reached yet (priiloader can't help you).


4) Bootmii in IOS
power > Boot 1 (internal chipset) > boot 2 (NAND first sector) > priiloader (hidden) > System menu > homebrew launcher > Bootmii

Here, bootmii as IOS can only be launched very late, if your system menu is broken, and you don't have Priiloader, you will never be able to use it.
So, Priiloader + bootmii IOS is the second best protection after "bootmii in boot2" option.

Priiloader+Bootmii in IOS can help you fix a banner brick (jump over the system menu)
but can't help you fix a full brick (issue in region for example)


5) What's your risk ?
I think you worry too much

Like you see, your major issue will be : installing bad channel to the system menu, OR messing with the system (changing the region, editing the configs with homebrew, trying to edit an official IOS instead of installing a custom one).

6) About IOS
Imagine the console has many "slots" (it's actually a folder) where Nintendo install different hardware drivers.
The console has 257 slots, nintendo use 80 slots (slot 9 to 80).
By common usage, hackers decided to use slots located above 200 to be safe and never conflict with nintendo's official drivers.

If you try to touched or delete or edit a slot <200, you can brick.
Always follow the tutorial and don't try random internal system file modification without asking here first

7) custom IOS, the cIOS
Custom IOS are official drivers from Nintendo (driver in slot 56 and 57), patched with additional features (USB access for games), and the result is installed in a free slot (249 and 250)

Slot 249 = custom IOS based on Nintendo official IOS 56
slot 250 = custom IOS based on Nintendo official IOS 57

the 56/57 are still there, never touched or patched.
the 249/250 are copy of the 56/57 with additional features.
the 254 is Bootmii IOS (it's actually not a driver but a program, we can install programs in IOS slot too, but this is the only existing program installed as IOS in my knowledge)

I think I covered the Wii functionality. I tried to make and describe it the more easily I could.
I hope it's enough to understand all this hacking and softmoding you will do to your console.

the hacking step is as follow :

1. install the homebrew channel on System menu. (no worry here, there are lot of checks to prevent bricks)
2. install Bootmii IOS in slot 254 (no worry either, very easy step in hackmii installer, do it at the same time than step1)
2. install priiloader (should be easy.. I never did it so I don't know, but follow the guide and you'll be fine). set some option like "don't ask to update from a game disc" or "region free".
3. install cIOS in slot 249 and 250 using a "IOS installer".
4. put USBLoaderGX on your SD card, so you can launch it from the homebrew channel
5. if you want, you can install a "USBLoaderGX channel" to launch it directly from the system menu instead of launching Homebrew channel first.

If you want help on this step 3-5, I can do it.

 

[Reborn-SWE]

You guys are the best!

So much important information.

I'm really excited to start the process.

Good explanation, that I did not understand is, how to access BootMii if it's black screen (tray)? Or How to select the boot?

 

[Cyan]

if you have priiloader installed, it's a hidden homebrew which by default always boot the system menu. so it acts like a normal, non hacked, console.

If you want to go inside priiloader option, shutdown the console, press RESET and keep it pressed, then power the console.
Priiloader will not auto-boot into the system menu, and will instead display the priiloader menu, where you can change the options and choose what to auto-boot.
You can auto-boot :
1. system menu
2. Homebrew channel (bypassing the system menu, so you can fix a banner brick)
3. any other homebrew (you have to install it in priiloader menu) bypassing the system menu and the homebrew launcher.
4. bootmii IOS


to access bootmii as IOS, you need to do this :
Keep reset button pressed > power > Priiloader > release reset button > Choose launch bootmii > bootmii.
or you can also boot to homebrew channel, press Home button and launch bootmii IOS from here.

 

[Reborn-SWE]

if you have priiloader installed, it's a hidden homebrew which by default always boot the system menu. so it acts like a normal, non hacked, console.

If you want to go inside priiloader option, shutdown the console, press RESET and keep it pressed, then power the console.
Priiloader will not auto-boot into the system menu, and will instead display the priiloader menu, where you can change the options and choose what to auto-boot.
You can auto-boot :
1. system menu
2. Homebrew channel (bypassing the system menu, so you can fix a banner brick)
3. any other homebrew (you have to install it in priiloader menu) bypassing the system menu and the homebrew launcher.


to access bootmii as IOS, you need to do this :
Keep reset button pressed > power > Priiloader > release reset button > Choose boot into homebrew channel > Homebrew channel > Press Home button > choose launch bootmii > bootmii.

YEAH, that was what I wanted to know!
Thanks!!!!


Now I want to talk about a problem I have called dyslexia (you can google it), it is a disease that causes a person may have difficulties to read and write, I saw a guide about the CIOs Installation in https://sites.google.com/site/completesg/backup-launchers/installation and it is very easy to make mistakes, that's why I'll download everything I need from the link but I will follow the guide from this video 11:05 to 22:00 minutes.
Here is the video

You have talked about not following videos from YouTube with links from old files and I want to follow all the advice that you give me, but if you have suggestions for a video showing how ma do it would be easier for me.

PLEASE JUDGING NOT ME! I'm not a lazy person, I have a problem that makes my life more difficult especially when I read.

 

[Cyan]

I watched the beginning, he seems to be following the tutorial, so it looks good.
He also talk about "motion+ wiimote" but don't worry about that. It just proves he doesn't follow the hacking progress and just talk about random rumours without informing himself before doing a tutorial. (that's what I don't like, but this time it's not dangerous. so it's fine)

Only thing you should not follow is this :
at 17:28, he says "be sure to select 53".... please, don't. just select 52 instead.
20:53 is unneeded to set to 65535, because you didn't do it for 17:28, which is completely stupid to do different version.

(I really don't know who is updating that guide)

what you want is :

beta52 for BOTH slot 249 and 250
the same version (either 21010 OR 65535) for BOTH slot 249 and 250
there's no reason to have different version in different slots

 

[GreyWolf]

You can actually start BootMii straight from Priiloader if it's installed as an IOS without the Homebrew Channel installed at all.