Hacking USB Loader GX - Can't Shutdown/Exit when using d2x-v10beta52

[MW99]

Been using d2x-v10beta53-alt for awhile now but wanted to switch to beta52 for better NAND emulation. However, after switching to beta52 I'm no longer able to shutdown or exit to HBC from USB Loader GX, it just gives me a black screen.

d2x-v8final yields the same results. Switching back to beta-53alt allows me to shutdown/exit again.

I'm using the latest USB Loader GX.

sysCheck: https://gbatemp.net/attachments/syscheck-txt.93695/

 

[MW99]

I've played around with it some more and discovered something... It shuts down/exits with beta52 if there is no USB drive connected, but if there is a drive connected, it won't shut down/exit.

I tried two different USB drives, so I don't think that there's anything wrong with my drive, and besides, it works fine with beta53-alt.

 

[MW99]

NAND dumping from USB Loader GX doesn't work with beta52 either.

 

[Cyan]

that's very strange, because nobody else reported that issue, and there are a lot of users with that setup.

If it works fine with r53 for you, test your emuNAND with r53. It can work.
it's not "better compatibility with r52", it either works OR not at all with r53. if one game works, all other compatible game will. it's not a game compatibility issue, but a drive issue.

if r53 works with your drive, then you don't need r52.

 

[MW99]

that's very strange, because nobody else reported that issue, and there are a lot of users with that setup.

If it works fine with r53 for you, test your emuNAND with r53. It can work.
it's not "better compatibility with r52", it either works OR not at all with r53. if one game works, all other compatible game will. it's not a game compatibility issue, but a drive issue.

if r53 works with your drive, then you don't need r52.

Thanks. How do I test my emuNAND? I've tried dumping my NAND via GX with beta53 and it says that it completed but errors occurred.

 

[Cyan]

If you can't even dump your nand, then it probably means that cIOS is not compatible with your drive.

if your drive is a flash, it's not recommended, even with r52.
if it's an external hdd, then I don't know why you have the shutdown and NAND dumping issue with it. maybe I don't have enough information (hdd type, size, partition table type, format, cIOS base, etc.)
but like said, that cIOS works fine with other user's hardware. if you can, test a different drive.

 

[MW99]

If you can't even dump your nand, then it probably means that cIOS is not compatible with your drive.

if your drive is a flash, it's not recommended, even with r52.
if it's an external hdd, then I don't know why you have the shutdown and NAND dumping issue with it. maybe I don't have enough information (hdd type, size, partition table type, format, cIOS base, etc.)
but like said, that cIOS works fine with other user's hardware. if you can, test a different drive.

My drive is a flash drive. I didn't know that they weren't recommended... too bad I just ordered a 128GB one. If that doesn't work either, then I might just send it back and get an external hard drive.

 

[Cyan]

Flash drives seems to have a different way to init/access their storage's data.
writing to a flash drive is not working from cIOS (dumping a game disc, doing a NAND backup, etc.)

it should work fine with IOS58, but you could have issues later as it reloads to cIOS to manage emuNAND and you could corrupt it because data will not be written correctly while using it.

 

[MW99]

Flash drives seems to have a different way to init/access their storage's data.
writing to a flash drive is not working from cIOS (dumping a game disc, doing a NAND backup, etc.)

it should work fine with IOS58, but you could have issues later as it reloads to cIOS to manage emuNAND and you could corrupt it because data will not be written correctly while using it.

Alright, thanks. I went ahead and ordered one of these:

WD 1TB Elements Portable External Hard Drive - USB 3.0 - WDBUZG0010BBK-WESN https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00CRZ2PRM/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_N3DEzbHJ6K7QJ

Hopefully it will work for me.

 

[Cyan]

it will work as long as you set IOS58 in USBLoaderGX settings.
new drives require IOS58 to initialize, but then you can reload to 249 when launching a game without problem.

 

[MW99]

it will work as long as you set IOS58 in USBLoaderGX settings.
new drives require IOS58 to initialize, but then you can reload to 249 when launching a game without problem.

Wouldn't that possibly corrupt the emuNAND like you said in your earlier post?

 

[Cyan]

it's a little more complicated.

What was corrupting the NAND dump is the fact that flashdrive don't allow writing. so it could prevent saving a setting, or a savegame while you are in emuNAND + flash drive.

the issue with IOS58 is different : You can dump your NAND with IOS58, it will work, but IOS58 and cIOS are not using the same replaced character method for incompatible FAT32 characters.
to launch a channel from emuNAND you need cIOS d2x, so you'd better dump your NAND with the same IOS that will "emulate" it, for compatibility reason.

you'll have to use cIOS d2x to "write" the NAND (dump it), to be sure it's using the same IOS that will be used to "read" the NAND.
it's only a one time thing, and only require a quick manipulation from you (be sure the drive is init before launching the loader, you can do it from different ways, like launching wiiflow, or nintendont, or any homebrew using IOS58, even USBGX) then launch USBGX with d2x without shutting down the console to keep the drive initialized and dump your NAND.

once emuNAND is dumped with d2x, you can use IOS58 inside the loader without issues, as it will automatically reload the cIOS when you launch a channel.

 

[MW99]

it's a little more complicated.

What was corrupting the NAND dump is the fact that flashdrive don't allow writing. so it could prevent saving a setting, or a savegame while you are in emuNAND + flash drive.

the issue with IOS58 is different : You can dump your NAND with IOS58, it will work, but IOS58 and cIOS are not using the same replaced character method for incompatible FAT32 characters.
to launch a channel from emuNAND you need cIOS d2x, so you'd better dump your NAND with the same IOS that will "emulate" it, for compatibility reason.

you'll have to use cIOS d2x to "write" the NAND (dump it), to be sure it's using the same IOS that will be used to "read" the NAND.
it's only a one time thing, and only require a quick manipulation from you (be sure the drive is init before launching the loader, you can do it from different ways, like launching wiiflow, or nintendont, or any homebrew using IOS58, even USBGX) then launch USBGX with d2x without shutting down the console to keep the drive initialized and dump your NAND.

once emuNAND is dumped with d2x, you can use IOS58 inside the loader without issues, as it will automatically reload the cIOS when you launch a channel.

Awesome, thank you very much for your help! The drive should arrive in a few days and I'll let you know how it goes.

 

[MW99]

Setup the new drive today and everything seems to work! I'm now able to shutdown with d2x-v10beta-52.

I dumped the NAND to the drive and it said the process completed but "Errors occured". Is this normal? My channels are showing up on my emuNAND, so it appears to be working.

Also a couple questions about emulation modes...

Everything seems to be explained here, but I'm still a bit confused about Wii Saves: Full vs Partial. I want to have it so that my real NAND is essentially no longer used for anything game related. Setting it to Full seems like the most obvious choice, but I'm not so sure. Does the NAND dump created by GX include all Miis, already created save data, etc.? If so, then Full sounds like the best choice.

What's the purpose of the partial mode? When would using it be of benefit? That's the part I don't quite understand.

 

[Cyan]

Glad the HDD is working better this time.

If you made a full NAND Dump, you can use "full" option, as everyting has been dumped and can be found on your SD or USB.
If you didn't make a NAND dump, using partial let the game redirect only the savegame and generate the required folders without the need to have a working emuNAND first. all other NAND access stays on the console (mii, settings, etc.)

so, for what you want, you have to use "EmuNAND Save" to "Full".
note that some games don't like EmuNAND at all (Zelda skyward sword for example, not even partial mode)


The Partial mode is used to ONLY redirect the savegame. instead of saving the savegame to the console, you keep it on your external device. it's useful if you have multiple Wiis (yours, family, cousin, etc.) and want to keep your save with your games, so you only bring your HDD and can continue playing where you stopped without the need to use Savegame Manager GX.
It also let you have a savegame on your HDD while another player can have his own save on the console (multiple save with a simple option).

You'll ask me "why not use FULL instead? it also has my savegame AND my Miis!
So, yes, you can use FULL, but you need a full dump of your NAND, which is not an issue, but it will use YOUR settings which means you need your own Wiimotes, your own Network adapter and wifi settings....
It's better to use Partial if you have multiple wiis, so the game use the console's settings (network, wiimote) but your own savegame. of course, it's an issue if you play a game which is based on Mii. you'll have to copy the mii to the console first.
Another solution is to use an option inside the loader : "Copy sysconf to EmuNAND"
You need it if you have "full emuNAND" and play on a new console, it will copy the console's network and wiimote setting to your EmuNAND, allowing you to play without re-syncing your own wiimotes.

Settings > features > Copy sysconf

Just don't forget to do it again each time you move to another console.



What I find bad is the fact you have "Errors occurred". it should tell you "success" instead.
I don't know what was wrong, you might have to try again, maybe try dumping on SD card instead of USB then move the content to USB and edit the path in the loader to use it?

 

[MW99]

Tried dumping to SD and it still says Errors occurred. Also tried your suggested method of initializing the drive with IOS 58, but that didn't seem to help.

Does GX keep a log somewhere, or is there a debug feature that can be enabled? It'd be nice to know exactly which errors are occurring.

Is there another tool I can use to dump the NAND? Can I setup NEEK and set GX to use the same NAND that NEEK uses?

 

[MW99]

Any ideas, @Cyan ?

 

[GreyWolf]

The file is in /shared2/sys/SYSCONF on the real NAND. You can use WiiXplorer to copy it if you turn on the option to allow real NAND access. It sounds like your NAND is corrupt to me.

 

[MW99]

The file is in /shared2/sys/SYSCONF on the real NAND. You can use WiiXplorer to copy it if you turn on the option to allow real NAND access. It sounds like your NAND is corrupt to me.

I don't know how it would be corrupted... everything appears to work fine except for this NAND dumping thing.

 

[GreyWolf]

Well the only thing I can think of that can cause USB Loader GX to say errors occurred is when you've got data folders for game saves but the saves have been deleted. Those errors can be ignored.

If it's giving you that error when dumping only SYSCONF that would seem to indicate there's something wrong with that file. Trying to copy it with WiiXplorer would either confirm that or rule it out.