Hacking USB Drive works, but doesn't

[blueblur1986]

USB Loader GX will load from the apps folder on my external USB drive, but then fails to mount the drive in USB Loader itself, so it shows no games. Configurable USB loader also fails to mount the drive. WiiMC sees the drive and all it's folders and can play a sample media file I threw on there for testing. Homebrew Channel won't show apps on the drive when I pick it in the options over the SD card [EDIT: Verified false after SD removal]. I'm on system menu 4.3U and all my mods should be up to date. I also know this drive works fine on a friend's Wii that I modded about a month before I did mine.

Here is my sysCheck log:

Spoiler: sysCheck Log

sysCheck v2.1.0b19 by Double_A and R2-D2199 Nano
...runs on IOS58 (rev 6176).
Region: NTSC-U
System Menu 4.3U (v513)
Priiloader installed
Drive date: 2006.05.26
Homebrew Channel 1.1.2 running on IOS58
HomebrewFilter ist nicht installiert
Hollywood v0x11
Console ID: 70051950
Boot2 v4
Found 77 titles.
Found 46 IOS on this console. 1 of them are stub.
IOS4 (rev 3): Stub
IOS9 (rev 1034): No Patches
IOS11 (rev 16174): Trucha Bug NAND Access
IOS12 (rev 526): No Patches
IOS13 (rev 1032): No Patches
IOS14 (rev 1032): No Patches
IOS15 (rev 1032): No Patches
IOS17 (rev 1032): No Patches
IOS20 (rev 16174): Trucha Bug NAND Access
IOS21 (rev 1039): No Patches
IOS22 (rev 1294): No Patches
IOS28 (rev 1807): No Patches
IOS30 (rev 16174): Trucha Bug NAND Access
IOS31 (rev 3608): No Patches
IOS33 (rev 3608): No Patches
IOS34 (rev 3608): No Patches
IOS35 (rev 3608): No Patches
IOS36 (rev 3608): No Patches
IOS37 (rev 5663): No Patches
IOS38 (rev 4124): No Patches
IOS40 (rev 16174): Trucha Bug NAND Access
IOS41 (rev 3607): No Patches
IOS43 (rev 3607): No Patches
IOS45 (rev 3607): No Patches
IOS46 (rev 3607): No Patches
IOS48 (rev 4124): No Patches
IOS50 (rev 16174): Trucha Bug NAND Access
IOS52 (rev 16174): Trucha Bug NAND Access
IOS53 (rev 5663): No Patches
IOS55 (rev 5663): No Patches
IOS56 (rev 5662): No Patches
IOS57 (rev 5919): No Patches
IOS58 (rev 6176): USB 2.0
IOS60 (rev 16174): Trucha Bug NAND Access
IOS61 (rev 5662): No Patches
IOS62 (rev 6430): No Patches
IOS70 (rev 16174): Trucha Bug NAND Access
IOS80 (rev 16174): Trucha Bug NAND Access
IOS202[60] (rev 65535 Info: hermesrodries-v6): Trucha Bug NAND Access USB 2.0
IOS222[38] (rev 4 Info: hermes-v4): Trucha Bug ES Identify NAND Access USB 2.0
IOS223[38+37] (rev 4 Info: hermes-v4): Trucha Bug ES Identify NAND Access USB 2.0
IOS224[57] (rev 65535 Info: hermesrodries-v6): Trucha Bug NAND Access USB 2.0
IOS236[36] (rev 65535 Info: rev 3351): Trucha Bug ES Identify NAND Access
IOS249[56] (rev 21008 Info: d2x-v8final): Trucha Bug NAND Access USB 2.0
IOS250[57] (rev 21008 Info: d2x-v8final): Trucha Bug NAND Access USB 2.0
IOS254 (rev 65281): BootMii
BC v2
MIOS v10
Report generated on 2017/01/13.

EDIT: I downloaded WiiFlow to continue troubleshooting and to my surprise, it actually saw the drive and and the games, but on trying to launch any of them, it results in a black screen. So the drive seems to work...just not with loaders. I formatted a Sandisk flash drive, 16GB, with the FAT32 format tool and used WiiBackupManager to add one of the games from the main drive and it acted the same as the USB hard drive with being able to launch apps, but games won't show up in USB Loader GX/Configurable USB Loader.

 

[GreyWolf]

If the HBC doesn't see it it's probably not MBR/FAT32 or there's a hidden partition on it.

 

[blueblur1986]

If the HBC doesn't see it it's probably not MBR/FAT32 or there's a hidden partition on it.

Drive is MBR, Single Partition, FAT32. Disk Manager GUI nor DISKPART in Windows see any other partition, hidden or otherwise.

EDIT: Upon further testing, HBC just didn't like to read the USB unless I pulled out my SD card. It reads the drive fine and is able to launch the USB Loader from it, where it still fails to initialize the drive and show games. Also found that WiiFlow will see the games on my drive, but is unable to launch any of them, just resulting in a black screen. Updated main post with more information.

 

[John_Ice]

Drive is MBR, Single Partition, FAT32. Disk Manager GUI nor DISKPART in Windows see any other partition, hidden or otherwise.

EDIT: Upon further testing, HBC just didn't like to read the USB unless I pulled out my SD card. It reads the drive fine and is able to launch the USB Loader from it, where it still fails to initialize the drive and show games. Also found that WiiFlow will see the games on my drive, but is unable to launch any of them, just resulting in a black screen. Updated main post with more information.

So you using an older version USB Loader GX because it seems you use the full channel of USBLoader Gx.

Desinstall the full channel and install the USBLoader GX forwarder instead and put the latest revision on your SD Card.

SD:\apps\usbloader_gx

Latest version is 1262. All will be working good after this.

Go there and read the OP guide correctly:
http://gbatemp.net/threads/usb-loader-gx.149922/

 

[blueblur1986]

So you using an older version USB Loader GX because it seems you use the full channel of USBLoader Gx.

Desinstall the full channel and install the USBLoader GX forwarder instead and put the latest revision on your SD Card.

SD:\apps\usbloader_gx

Latest version is 1262. All will be working good after this.

Go there and read the OP guide correctly:
http://gbatemp.net/threads/usb-loader-gx.149922/

I originally modded my Wii with ModMii, but wanted to use USB Loader GX, and wanted to boot into it when turning on the Wii. I put the latest GX on my SD card, but selecting it and installing it as boot in Priiloader as boot caused the Wii to boot to a black screen, so I found a forwarder WAD that I installed that searches SD/USB for the app and then boots it. I was using version 1260, but updated to 1262 and it still won't load games, timing out while it's loading on "Initialize USB" with a countdown.

I tried to bypass this method altogether by restoring boot to the system menu, going to the Homebrew Channel and launching USB Loader GX that way, but it has the same issue. I also installed a forwarder channel for the main system menu to bypass the Homebrew channel and same problem.

 

[John_Ice]

I originally modded my Wii with ModMii, but wanted to use USB Loader GX, and wanted to boot into it when turning on the Wii. I put the latest GX on my SD card, but selecting it and installing it as boot in Priiloader as boot caused the Wii to boot to a black screen, so I found a forwarder WAD that I installed that searches SD/USB for the app and then boots it. I was using version 1260, but updated to 1262 and it still won't load games, timing out while it's loading on "Initialize USB" with a countdown.

I tried to bypass this method altogether by restoring boot to the system menu, going to the Homebrew Channel and launching USB Loader GX that way, but it has the same issue. I also installed a forwarder channel for the main system menu to bypass the Homebrew channel and same problem.

If you see a "Initialize USB" with a countdown, it's because you HD is not recognized. Try with another HD or USB stick or whatever to see if the error continue. You have to try everything you can to see what the problem is ! Just continue to do some testing and be back after to tell us the result if you have trouble.

Don't try to do everything to work in harmony ! Do one test by test.... Don't install anything in priiloader for now. When everything will work good, after, install what you will know work good. Take your time and try to understand what you do.

 

[blueblur1986]

If you see a "Initialize USB" with a countdown, it's because you HD is not recognized. Try with another HD or USB stick or whatever to see if the error continue. You have to try everything you can to see what the problem is ! Just continue to do some testing and be back after to tell us the result if you have trouble.

Don't try to do everything to work in harmony ! Do one test by test.... Don't install anything in priiloader for now. When everything will work good, after, install what you will know work good. Take your time and try to understand what you do.

I tried a Corsair USB stick, 16GB, and a Sandisk USB stick 16GB, 32k FAT32 formatted and neither work, both giving the same results as the hard drive in USB Loader.

 

[Jack Daniels]

what cios do you use?

 

[Xanthe]

I had this exact same problem too, but with loading games. None of them would load. I formatted it the WAY the forums told me to, but it didn't work. I did fix it, however. I went in to the latest WBFS (0.45 I believe) and formatted it from there. WBFS has a format option for you. When I used that, everything worked. I could load games and other media. Give it a shot.

 

[blueblur1986]

what cios do you use?

I have hermesrodries-v6, hermes-v4, and d2x-v8final. Looks like USB Loader GX is set to use cIOS 249 which is d2x-v8final.

--------------------- MERGED ---------------------------

I had this exact same problem too, but with loading games. None of them would load. I formatted it the WAY the forums told me to, but it didn't work. I did fix it, however. I went in to the latest WBFS (0.45 I believe) and formatted it from there. WBFS has a format option for you. When I used that, everything worked. I could load games and other media. Give it a shot.

I tried doing this to my flash drive and still got the same result. I rather not reformat the drive if I don't have to as it's 500GB and about half full.

 

[GreyWolf]

Flash drives are pretty hit-or-miss on Wiis, and don't use WBFS.

It's very old and only compatible with Wii games. No homebrew, Gamecube, or anything else can go on the partition.

 

[blueblur1986]

Flash drives are pretty hit-or-miss on Wiis, and don't use WBFS.

It's very old and only compatible with Wii games. No homebrew, Gamecube, or anything else can go on the partition.

I tried it in both WBFS and FAT32. No difference.