Hacking [Release] NTRBoot for R4igoldcc,ARDS(EZ),ARDSI

[Windylacine]

This doesnt work on my Action Replay DSi. I have the ARDSi with Blue Sticker.
The Restore Firmware works, but, when i try to boot the ntrboot, black screen only, and if i put away the magnet the 3ds menu comes up.

same thing happened with mine, I tested that on my cfw'd N3DSXL, two black screens.

 

[RattletraPM]

If anyone's interested, I've posted on /r/3dshacks a guide on how to install NTRBoot on an Action Replay DS Media Edition, which is slightly different and more complicated than on a regular ARDS, but it works. Howerer, keep in mind that, at least for now, once you install NTRBoot on an ARDS ME, there's currently NO WAY TO REVERT TO ITS STOCK FIRMWARE. You can flash a regular ARDS firmware file to it and it'll work, but you'll lose Media Player and Datamax functionalities. I'll try to make a tool that rebuilds an ARDS ME firmware from a ROM dump when I have the time, but no guarantees on that.

Link to the original post:
https://www.reddit.com/r/3dshacks/comments/6zmrh2/psa_you_can_install_ntrboot_on_an_action_replay/

Copy-paste of the guide, if you don't want to go on Reddit for any reason:

Spoiler

So, if you're fine with that, in order to flash NTRBoot to an ARDS ME you'll need:

* ARDS ME, complete with USB Cable and Code Manager (& drivers) installed on a PC
* A console that can boot your Action Replay (DS/DS Lite)
* A flashcart - **this is currently REQUIRED**, as we need to trick the Code Manager into thinking that you own a regular ARDS. You could also try to use the ARDS ME's Media Player function to boot a ROM (yes, it can do that, as long as it isn't a commercial ROM) but I haven't tested it.
* Action Replay DS 1.71 Firmware file ([download link](http://uk.codejunkies.com/support/article.aspx?article_id=434))
* A HEX editor
* NTRBoot for ARDS - the version I've linked here has been modified by me and doesn't need a patched Code Manager executable ([download link](http://www.mediafire.com/file/d7oo6d2im5l1e76/ards_ntrboot.bin))

Now let's get started:

*(Optional, but highly recommended) Make a ROM backup of your ARDS ME.* If you don't have a shacked 3DS with GodMode9, you can use other tools, such as [NDS Backup Tool](https://gbatemp.net/threads/nds-backup-tool-wifi.252623/).
1) Download the firmware file and open it in a HEX editor.
2) Delete the first 8 bytes (41 52 32 4D CC CD 00 00), then save and change the file's extension from .bin to .nds.
3) Copy that file to your flashcart, then run it. Wait until you get to the ARDS's main menu.
4) Eject the flashcart and insert your ARDS ME into your slot-1. Plug in the USB cable to your ARDS ME and to your computer.
5) Open Code Manager. The ARDS ME should instantly recognize your PC (if not, click the mouse button on the top-right on your DS. If it doesn't appear, you didn't insert your cartidge properly into the slot, so eject it and reinsert it until it gets recognized). Drag and drop the NTRBoot for ARDS file onto the title bar of Code Manager.
6) Wait until the firmware file is uploaded. Once it's finished, click "yes" when you're prompted to write the firmware to the ARDS ME.
7) NTRBoot has been installed on your Action Replay DS Media Edition. Congrats! Now place a FIRM file called ntrboot.firm on your 3DS's SD card and follow the guide.

There might be a way to install NTRBoot to the ARDS ME without using a flashcart, but I'll first need to do some extra testing and research, so that's it for the moment.

EDIT: The reddit post is currently awaiting mod approval, follow the guide here if you want.

 

[Deleted User]

If anyone's interested, I've posted on /r/3dshacks a guide on how to install NTRBoot on an Action Replay DS Media Edition, which is slightly different and more complicated than on a regular ARDS, but it works. Howerer, keep in mind that, at least for now, once you install NTRBoot on an ARDS ME, there's currently NO WAY TO REVERT TO ITS STOCK FIRMWARE. You can flash a regular ARDS firmware file to it and it'll work, but you'll lose Media Player and Datamax functionalities. I'll try to make a tool that rebuilds an ARDS ME firmware from a ROM dump when I have the time, but no guarantees on that.

Link to the original post:
https://www.reddit.com/r/3dshacks/comments/6zmrh2/psa_you_can_install_ntrboot_on_an_action_replay/

Copy-paste of the guide, if you don't want to go on Reddit for any reason:

Spoiler

So, if you're fine with that, in order to flash NTRBoot to an ARDS ME you'll need:

* ARDS ME, complete with USB Cable and Code Manager (& drivers) installed on a PC
* A console that can boot your Action Replay (DS/DS Lite)
* A flashcart - **this is currently REQUIRED**, as we need to trick the Code Manager into thinking that you own a regular ARDS. You could also try to use the ARDS ME's Media Player function to boot a ROM (yes, it can do that, as long as it isn't a commercial ROM) but I haven't tested it.
* Action Replay DS 1.71 Firmware file ([download link](http://uk.codejunkies.com/support/article.aspx?article_id=434))
* A HEX editor
* NTRBoot for ARDS - the version I've linked here has been modified by me and doesn't need a patched Code Manager executable ([download link](http://www.mediafire.com/file/d7oo6d2im5l1e76/ards_ntrboot.bin))

Now let's get started:

*(Optional, but highly recommended) Make a ROM backup of your ARDS ME.* If you don't have a shacked 3DS with GodMode9, you can use other tools, such as [NDS Backup Tool](https://gbatemp.net/threads/nds-backup-tool-wifi.252623/).
1) Download the firmware file and open it in a HEX editor.
2) Delete the first 8 bytes (41 52 32 4D CC CD 00 00), then save and change the file's extension from .bin to .nds.
3) Copy that file to your flashcart, then run it. Wait until you get to the ARDS's main menu.
4) Eject the flashcart and insert your ARDS ME into your slot-1. Plug in the USB cable to your ARDS ME and to your computer.
5) Open Code Manager. The ARDS ME should instantly recognize your PC (if not, click the mouse button on the top-right on your DS. If it doesn't appear, you didn't insert your cartidge properly into the slot, so eject it and reinsert it until it gets recognized). Drag and drop the NTRBoot for ARDS file onto the title bar of Code Manager.
6) Wait until the firmware file is uploaded. Once it's finished, click "yes" when you're prompted to write the firmware to the ARDS ME.
7) NTRBoot has been installed on your Action Replay DS Media Edition. Congrats! Now place a FIRM file called ntrboot.firm on your 3DS's SD card and follow the guide.


There might be a way to install NTRBoot to the ARDS ME without using a flashcart, but I'll first need to do some extra testing and research, so that's it for the moment.

Since you seem to know about the inner workings of this stuff, would you happen to know why several of us are having trouble with various ARDSis? Yellow and blue don't seem to work.

 

[RattletraPM]

Since you seem to know about the inner workings of this stuff, would you happen to know why several of us are having trouble with various ARDSis? Yellow and blue don't seem to work.

It's defintely a strange thing, considering that pretty much all ARDS versions use the exact same hardware with very minor modifications, but it might be because they use a different NAND chip (ARDS/EZ/ME/i use a 1x16 MB chip, if they use, say, a 2x8 MB chip then they will both have a total ROM size of 16 MB but NTRBoot will have to be ported differently) and/or some stuff in the NAND is mapped to a different offset (in that case, we need a NAND dump to figure out exactly where to write the blowfish key and FIRM file. Keep in mind that ROM dump =/= NAND dump.)

 

[Deleted User]

It's defintely a strange thing, considering that pretty much all ARDS versions use the exact same hardware with very minor modifications, but it might be because they use a different NAND chip (ARDS/EZ/ME/i use a 1x16 MB chip, if they use, say, a 2x8 MB chip then they will both have a total ROM size of 16 MB but NTRBoot will have to be ported differently) and/or some stuff in the NAND is mapped to a different offset (in that case, we need a NAND dump to figure out exactly where to write the blowfish key and FIRM file. Keep in mind that ROM dump =/= NAND dump.)

I'm not sure if it's any help, but I have a hacked 3DS and an ARDSi. If I can get any of the info you need, let me know.

 

[Clothahump]

Managed to install ntrboot just fine on an old Action Replay DS (no i, no ez).
Tried restoring it and that's where I'm stuck. I'm booting the DSARv00.nds from my R4i Gold 3DS RTS (I also have a Supercard DSTWO and an R4 Upgrade Revolution at my disposal, but neither of these cards seem to want to boot fully into the action replay menu, the SCDS2 gets stuck on the "not endorsed by Nintendo" screen and the R4 doesn't even boot it at all).
Now when I try to swap out the flashcard for my ARDS, it doesn't recognize it (while it does recognize my Pokémon Diamond cartridge for example), and the Code Manager tells me to connect the AR to an NDS to install a new firmware.

I've checked my device manager, and the Action Replay shows up in there when I connect it.
Any suggestions?

 

[RattletraPM]

I'm not sure if it's any help, but I have a hacked 3DS and an ARDSi. If I can get any of the info you need, let me know.

Sadly, I don't think that can help. Either if it's an issue of having a differend NAND chip with bigger pages or an offset-related issue, the only way to know how to fix it is to have a NAND dump of the thing either by figuring out the correct commands to read/write data directly from/to the ARDS (which is something I don't know how to do, plus I'd need to own one of the affacted ARDSi to even attempt to figure that out) or by opening up the cartidge and solder the flash chip to a reader (and that, as you may understand, is pretty difficult).

 

[Mazamin]

I have an r4igold.cc, it's bricked so I can't load nds files with it, can I flash it with my modified 3ds?
I also have a gw blue card and a http://r4i-sdhc.com/ r4i sdhc.
I need to unbrick a new 3ds xl.

 

[PikaPirate]

I have the ARDSi with no Micro SD slot and the blue label, I don't think the patched code manager is writing ntrboot correctly to it, if at all, as after going through the process it still functions as normal (with the black screen til the magnet is removed when attempting to boot). Possible hardware differences between the different revisions, or me just going wrong somewhere?

 

[Chetti]

When I try to use my R4igold.cc it tell me "An error has ocurred, please power off"

Do I did something wrong?

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

Is it neccesary to update and run the update before patching the file "Update_4.5.0_r4igold3DS.nds"? Because I'm on 11.5 and I don't think i could run the update.

 

[Aliceloveszubats]

will it ever be possible to flash a ARDSi without a computer? not like it fits in my new 2ds xl anyway...but id still like to know.

 

[cicciochiave]

Managed to install ntrboot just fine on an old Action Replay DS (no i, no ez).
Tried restoring it and that's where I'm stuck. I'm booting the DSARv00.nds from my R4i Gold 3DS RTS (I also have a Supercard DSTWO and an R4 Upgrade Revolution at my disposal, but neither of these cards seem to want to boot fully into the action replay menu, the SCDS2 gets stuck on the "not endorsed by Nintendo" screen and the R4 doesn't even boot it at all).
Now when I try to swap out the flashcard for my ARDS, it doesn't recognize it (while it does recognize my Pokémon Diamond cartridge for example), and the Code Manager tells me to connect the AR to an NDS to install a new firmware.

I've checked my device manager, and the Action Replay shows up in there when I connect it.
Any suggestions?

I had your same problem: boot the .nds file with a flashcard, then swap the cart but the code manager didn't recognize...etc...
But I found a version 1.0 of the ards rom (the one in this guide is 1.71) that recognize it
i don't know if i can attach it here, if it's not allowed i'll remove it

https://mega.nz/#!kY9yBKAS!HuRIazqHUJt0TA8jpxXnlp92ZunjMPdOq0soe0IBpIg

 

[Chetti]

Sigh... I know I'm going to be ignored again but.. how do I even patch the .ds file with Lunar ips?
Everytime I try to patch the ips file with the .nds it doesn't show me the .nds so I'm stuck...

 

[Deleted User]

Sigh... I know I'm going to be ignored again but.. how do I even patch the .ds file with Lunar ips?
Everytime I try to patch the ips file with the .nds it doesn't show me the .nds so I'm stuck...

Select the IPS file as you've been doing, then in the bottom-right corner of the next window, select "All Files".

 

[Chetti]

h the ips file with the .nds it doesn'

god bless you dude n.n god bless you.

---------------------------------------------

Ok, I already patch the file and copy it into the flash card but I still got the "An error has ocurred press and hold the power bottom"?

Anyone? please? it doesn't let me enter to the flashcard menu.

 

[dj505]

Anyone have a Dropbox mirror or something for the needed files? Can't access MEGA at the moment

 

[Chetti]

Do I need someting else?
Ok I give up, thanks.
Maybe it cannot be on my 11.5

 

[ThisIsDaAccount]

I have two kinds of Action Replay DSi- the yellow label with no SD slot and the black label with an SD slot. I have not been able to get the yellow one without an SD slot working at all, but the other one works fine.

 

[Jayro]

I'm having a lot of trouble with this. I'm using the ARDSi that doesn't have an SD card and an unhacked O3DS running 11.4. I have SafeB9SInstaller named ntrboot.firm on my SD card along with the boot9strap folder and required files.

Booting with the magnet and start+select+x+power held down simply boots to a black screen. If I move the magnet away, the home menu starts. Nothing else happens.

It's possible you just don't have the timing right. I hold X+Start+Select, then hold power down for 1 second, and let them all go. Boots into the installer every time.

 

[Deleted User]

It's possible you just don't have the timing right. I hold X+Start+Select, then hold power down for 1 second, and let them all go. Boots into the installer every time.

On an ARDSi with the yellow sticker? Everybody else with this card is having the exact same issue I am, so I can't imagine it's a timing thing.