Hacking (almost) total noobie - questions about USB Loader GX

[IAmCaptPlanet]

ok, so like i said i'm almost a total noob

but i DO

- have HBC installed
- have a bunch of emulators
- have WiiMC and WiiMC+ and use them
- have Mario Kart CTGP, Riivolution (for NSMBW hacks), and Project M (but i havent tried it)

but i want to know is this "loader" (havent tried any of them) is what will allow me to play

- Wii isos (regular isos, different region stuff, and Fatal Frame 4 english translation, Fatal Frame 2 being a different region, and just regular Wii isos)
- Triforce games (for Mario Kart GP 1 & 2, obviously)
- Gamecube isos (i actually got one to work with Nintendont, but would like to know if i could get them all working in this)
- wads (for Mega Man 9 & 10 mainly)

i have read a little of this page https://gbatemp.net/threads/usb-loader-gx.149922/ but was hoping to get my noobish questions out here, so

1. is the USB Loader GX meant to "replace" the regular Wii menu? i dont have a problem with clicking on HBC then USB Loader GX to access games, do i even need to fool with "forwarders" then (something else i dont know what is) so

2. what is a forwarder and are they necessary

3. will USB Loader GX play the 4 things (wii isos, triforce games, gamecube isos, and wads) i want it too or do i need 4 different apps?

4. whats a external HDD you guys recommend (if you are allowed to put amazon links on here that would be cool, and say what it is you like about them please)

sorry if all this is (probably) very redundant, but i'd like to have some up to date answers. and thanks for taking the time to read all this!! and for any help you can offer a (almost) total noob!

 

[Cyan]

Wii ISO : yes, but all other USBLoader can do the same.
Triforce games : Yes, Wiiflow can do it too, I don't remember about CFG Loader.
Gamecube ISO : Yes, same as triforce, as both GC and triforce and in fact played using another loader (nintendont) launched from the loader. (USBLoader -> select game -> Nintendont play that game)
Wads : yes, all other loaders can do the same.

https://gbatemp.net/threads/backup-loaders-comparison-chart.333364/


1) USBLoaderGX main purpose is not a System menu replcement, but a game loader interface. it doesn't have all the system menu's feature, but has a lot others. you can of course use it as your daily system menu replacement, but some function will still require the real menu (like console Settings edition, network setup, etc.)

2) Forwarders are channels installed on the system menu which doesn't contain the program you want to use, but they are forwarding to (reloading/launching) the program located on SD card or USB.
for example, if you install a "USBLoaderGX forwarder" it will actually launch the file located on : SD:/apps/usbloader_gx/boot.dol

the difference with a "full channel" is that full channel contains the actual program installed on the console (if you launch the channel, it loads the "boot.dol" from the console's memory) while the forwarder loads the file located on an external device instead of internal memory.
the advantage is :
- Easy update of the program ! just replace the file on SD card. The homebrew can update itself by downloading a new boot.dol and replacing itself on SD.
- no need to reinstall a WAD to update the program. safer (no brick issue by writing to NAND memory)
- Forwarder channels are smaller size than full channels, it doesn't fill the small console's memory.
that's the first use of forwarder.

Second use of the forwarder is a little more technical, but very useful :
When you exit a game, you can choose to reload an installed channel on your console instead of reloading the system menu.
by choosing to return to the installed forwarder, you are actually reloading USBLoaderGX when you exit a game.
Loader -> play game -> exit -> loader.
if you don't have a forwarder :
Loader -> play game -> exit -> system menu -> launch loader manually

3)
USBLoaderGX let you "launch" all the 4 type.
but it doesn't play the 4 type by itself, it requires Nintendont as additional homebrew located on your SD card (sd:/apps/nintendont/boot.dol) to actually play gamecube and triforce games.
Like said above, USBLoaderGX acts as a GUI (graphical interface) to select the game you want to launch, then it doesn't launch the gamecube game but it actually launches nintendont and tell it which game you chose so it can autoboot it for you.
if you have USBLoaderGX forwarder installed, exiting the gamecube game will return to USBLoaderGX interface automatically, it's like that loader is letting you play all games. all is done transparently to you.

USBLoader -> select game -> nintendont play that game but you don't see nintendont program -> exit -> USBLoader

The Wii games are played with the USBloader, no other homebrew needed
The WAD (channels) have different way to be played :
- installed on the console, launched from the loader (100% compatibility? but takes so much space on your console you can't install many games at the same time)
- installed on SD or USB (copy of your console's memory), launched from the loader (80% compatibility)
- installed on SD or USB (copy of your console's memory), launched from the loader but launching Neek the same way nintendont is launched for gamecube games (99% compatibility, but slower to boot and use)



4)
for best compatibility, I wouldn't recommend a big drive. I would even recommend an old one, buuuuut they are usually not sold anymore
so, I don't know which device to suggest, sorry. Someone else will probably tell you.

 

[IAmCaptPlanet]

so, i'm just gonna tell you what i've got and what i've done so far and let you guys tell me if i'm close

ive got nintendont and usb loader gx and can open them from the homebrew channel

i've got a Fatal Frame English patch file (downloaded in a bunch or rars, compiled to an iso, and converted to wbfs)

it's 3.92 gb and located in USB root:wbfs/Fatal Frame IV - Mask of the Lunar Eclipse [001]/001.wbfs

supposedly this is all i need to play it. but its not showing up in USB Loader GX

it is set to show wii, and i've tried both usb ports. i know its reading the USB stick (it has a message when you start it without the stick)

havent been able to get it to work

i got Super Mario Sunshine and Star Fox Dinosaur Planet Gamecube isos and Mario Kart GP 1 and 2 isos.

they work fine as long as i click on Nintendont in the HBC and get at em that way. no idea how to open through USB Loader GX

except the aspect ratio is stretched to fill the screen (but some cube games have widescreen, so i guess using TV settings works there)

and i got Mega Man 9 and 10 wads. not even sure what i need with these


i mainly want to figure out Fatal Frame 4 first and from what i learn there tackle the harder stuff later.

any idea what i'm doing wrong?

 

[GreyWolf]

Name your files like this:

GC:
/games/Game Title [TitleID]/game.iso (or disc2.iso for 2nd disc of games)

Wii:
/wbfs/Game Title [TitleID]/TitleID.wbfs (or TitleID.wbf1 for games > 4GB)

Example:
"/games/Animal Crossing [GAFE01]/game.iso"
"/wbfs/Animal Crossing - City Folk [RUUE01]/RUUE01.wbfs"

 

[Cyan]

The TitleID need to be 6 digits, and you can't just invent the titleID, games have their own ID provided by nintendo.
I'd recommend using Wii Backup Manager to put the Wii game on your hard drive (prevent using Flash drive, they are known for being incompatible and freezing).

When you use that program, it will rename the folder and filename correctly using the real TitleID.

in the program, select the ISO in the "file" tab, and select the Wii HDD partition in the "drive1" tab.
then, select game from File tab and choose "transfer to drive1".

The default setting is not the best for this program, but ... I should really make a guide instead of writing it every time
edit:

and voila, copy/past from one of my previous message :

Spoiler

If you want better folder name on your Wii HDD drive, set the settings like this :

go to settings > fat32/NTFS tab >
enable these options:
- store in subfolders
- choose Title_[ID] pattern
- choose "automatically update storage convention on partition mount"

go to settings > Titles >
- enable Wiitdb
- click download titles.txt
- Use wiitdb for file and folders name.

Save the settings.
Go to main window and mount your drive ! done ! everything is renamed automatically.

For gamecube games, I forgot which program you could use to get the proper filename and titleID.


if you want to do all this manually, copy file from windows explorer, rename the folder and filename youself, then you can find game's titleID here : http://gametdb.com/Wii/Search

if you are not confused at this point and still want to do it manually, you can see all the compatible folder and filename here :
https://gbatemp.net/threads/usb-loa...ck-to-hbc-for-some-games.386627/#post-5455832

 

[IAmCaptPlanet]

ok, ive gotten my 2 Cube games to work!!

and i got Fatal Frame to show up, but it goes back to HBC when i click start. might this to do with the region?

also, i'm thinking manually is the way to go for me, im only doing this mainly for translated Japanese games (Fatal Frame 4 and Captain Rainbow) and PAL games that didnt make it over here (Disaster: Day of Crisis, Another Code R, and Fatal Frame 2)

also, are there games bigger than 4 gigs?

and what is good to use with wads through USB Loader GX

thanks a million for the help so far!!

----------edit----------
actually, i might end up downloading some Cube first person shooters to play using the IR sensor for aiming, if it works pretty well

 

[IAmCaptPlanet]

also i get this message "Running on IOS58 Wii disc and some channels will not work" whats that mean?

also, i just tried it in Dolphin and it came right up, but would rather have Wii play.

i dont have a HDD just yet, figured id try around on flash drive a game or two until i get one

 

[Cyan]

even for ONE single game, I'd recommend using WiiBackupManager.
it will check the game's integrity at the same time, telling you if the game is good or not, and properly creating the folder and filename. no mistake from the user's side.

2)
There are games bigger than 4GB, even dual layer DVD games, but that's not a problem from USBLoaders or FAT32, the wbfs file is split in multiple part (.wbf1 .wbf2 etc.)

3)
Nintendont added IR censor to play gamecube games?
I didn't know.

4)
it means you didn't softmod your console correctly, that's why it exits back to HBC or system menu when you launch a Wii game.
you need to install a patched IOS.
That will be another tutorial for you. You are on Wii or WiiU ?

5)
Flash drive are fine, as long as it works for you. Just know that it has compatibility issues.

 

[IAmCaptPlanet]

1) i'll give it a shot. it is a program you use on a computer then transfer to the wii after its right and ready?

2) Fatal frame was bigger than 4gigs as an .iso, but not as a .wbfs would that make a difference

3) https://gbatemp.net/threads/nintendont-wiimote-nunchuck-support-discussions.371356/ has a set up specifically for FPS games to run with the IR sensor! but probly wont work with Metroid Prime 1&2, but they got Wii ported anyway. (i'm thinking Geist with Wii-mote aiming, gonna be EPIC)

4) yes, dont remember anything with an ios. i followed a pretty straightforward guide, but may have been a guide to JUST and ONLY get emulators on a Wii (which it did fine). but i (lika newb) just figured if HBC was on my menu, then i was HACKT. and it's an original white GC compatible Wii

5) yep. i got a real old (and unfortunatley ugly) External HDD laying here, but i'm using it atm. but if i can figure it out on a flash drive, i'll be investing. (a reason i was wanting recommendations on them, i want a pretty white little one) (and if i figure it ALL out, ima buy me a shiny BLACK Wii for a travel Wii)

thanks so much, also (i've seen in other threads) if you want me to send a syscheck, can you point me to a "how to" for that as well.

 

[Cyan]

1)
it's a computer you use on computer to manage your ISO on your drive.
it's a ISO manager, it lets you convert ISO to wbfs (convert and split automatically), verify the games, rename the folders and filename automatically, etc.

2)
ISO are always bigger than 4.0GB as they are 4.7GB
wbfs format cleans the ISO and removes the unused sectors, keeping only the game's data.
both are identical as game's content, only the filesize and the purpose is different. (ISO are used to burn to disc, wbfs are used by USBLoaders, both have the same content)

5)
I don't need a syscheck, I'll just consider you have no system file problem.
we will just add a new patched system file (they are called IOS).
that patch will add disc access redirection to USB, to make the Wii read games from USB instead of Disc
it's what we call "custom IOS" (cIOS) even if it's not really "custom" but just a patched version of an official nintendo system file.

So, let's install the needed IOS :
1. get this pack: d2x cIOS installer full pack for Wii
2. on your SD card, create this folder : SD:/apps/d2x_installer/
3. extract the pack's content into that folder

you should have this :
SD:/apps/d2x_installer/boot.dol
SD:/apps/d2x_installer/meta.xml
SD:/apps/d2x_installer/icon.png
SD:/apps/d2x_installer/ciosmaps.xml
SD:/apps/d2x_installer/7/
SD:/apps/d2x_installer/8/
SD:/apps/d2x_installer/10/

4. on Wii, be sure you have a working network connection
5. put SD card to Wii, and launch d2x installer from HBC.
6. select this from the install menu (use dPad up/down/left/right) :
What: d2x v8 final
where : 249
base : 57
version : 21008

Press A to install
it will download the official IOS57 from nintendo's server, then it will patch it with d2x module v8, an the result will be installed to your Wii into the slot number 249.
that's all, press Home to exit after it successfully installed.

You can now launch USBLoaderGX, it should use the slot249 by default (instead of slot58).
If it still tells you "you can't do much, only channel will work" then go to the loader's settings > Loader's IOS : set the value to 249 and reboot.

Now you can launch Wii games.


WAD file will be for another tutorial another day

 

[IAmCaptPlanet]

to make the Wii read games from USB instead of Disc

i assume you mean "as well as" not "instead of"

i dont want to lose my disc reader, but honestly if i get this set up i might just use back-ups

also, yeah. i'm better with just getting one step a day right! lol

 

[IAmCaptPlanet]

OMG, i dont know what i just did!!! lol

was just gonna say, it was B to exit. pressing home removes ios's and it said "none to remove" or something similat. it was at the default top left position, i hope i didnt accidentally destroy anything,

but i got Fatal Frame 4 to WORK!!! and my disc still works from the Wii menu!

 

[Cyan]

that's strange, I'm pretty sure it's "home" to exit the installer.
maybe you found a screen where Home button had another use, and B was used to "return" to the main screen.
but once on main screen, home is used to exit. no?

I fixed your post above.

You don't lose disc access, because you don't use cIOS when using disc.
the Wii uses only one IOS slot at a time, and it determines the features and hardware you have access to.

if you play a game from disc (officially, from disc channel), or launch a homebrew, or any apps working on the console, it will loads ONE and only one IOS. all other IOS slot are not in memory, not interfering or conflicting.
it's like a dedicated driver loaded specifically for the program.

When you use USBLoaders and play games, it uses the slot 249 (which contains the patched system file) and allows USB access.
all your other IOS are still there, unpatched, used by the other applications and games if needed.


But you are right in the sense that it doesn't deactivate your disc drive, as you can still access disc drive when using the slot249 (well, the patched IOS57).
it's used to play a game disc launched directly from the loader instead of using the Disc channel on system menu.
the advantage is : region free, cheat code, options, patches, language, etc. you can edit all the settings as if it was an ISO on your HDD except it's launched from a retail disc.
to do that, clic the disc icon on the far right of the top menu when you have a disc inserted, or choose "mount" instead of "install" when you insert a disc in the console while you are in the loader.

 

[IAmCaptPlanet]

i am still unsure about what the WiiBackupManager is used for. just to tell you the GameID? or it somehow renames it for you so you dont have to? or it converts isos to wbfs? or splits files over 4 gigs?

speaking of, i got Fatal Frame (Project Zero) 2 and its over 4 gigs, but already in wbfs format. do i convert to iso, then back to wbfs? and split it with my iso to wbfs program?

and what name Homebrew app do you use thats best for wads? let me read up on it and play around with it. i can come back later for more questions!!

 

[IAmCaptPlanet]

HEY, i actually figured something out for myself (well YOU did it for someone else, but i found it!!!! lol)

https://gbatemp.net/threads/how-do-i-load-a-wad-from-usb-loadergx.332464/

works awesome, got Mega Man 9 going right now.

that said is their a list of EmuNAND compatible wads, and ones that have to be real NAND

also, what does NAND stand for?

 

[Cyan]

Wii backup Manager is used to "manage your Wii backups", it's used to convert ISO files on PC to wbfs files on wii HDD, auto-split the file if needed, and copy the content to/from both location. it can also check the integrity of your games (sha1 option to verify your ISO or wbfs file). it can auto-download the game covers and put them in the correct folder for the USBLoaders. Though, I don't recommend it, just use the internal Cover download features of USBLoaderGX to get them.

if you already have a "wbfs" file, then you can just copy the file manually to your HDD but you'll risk using a wrong path (mistakes are always possible).
you can also use that program if you already have a wbfs file format, it will just copy the file to hdd for you. it's just a shortcut to "see and manage your games in a single place instead of using the File explorer".


the Wiiware and virtual console compatibility list :
http://wiki.gbatemp.net/wiki/Wii_cIOS_EmuNAND_Compatibility_List


NAND is a type of chipset memory. the Wii uses that type. It's common practice to use "NAND" to designate the Wii's internal data storage (file and folders located on the console)
WiiU uses the "eMMC" type of memory, but people call the console's internal memory and data a "NAND" too, due to bad habit.

EmuNAND is also a wrong word to designate "NAND access redirection to a copy of the memory located on external device". a better word is "redNAND" for redirected NAND access.
it doesn't emulate a NAND memory type, it loads data from SD instead of internal memory. the SD contains a copy of your console's internal memory (all its folders and files) and the consoles is duped and sees it as "officially the internal memory".
it's a way to install lot of WADs to SD and counter the limited size of the internal memory (512MB), and a way to prevent bricking your internal memory by affecting the copy instead of touching your real data on the console (in case you want to test hacking, theming the system menu, etc. any mistake is done on the copy, and you can always recreate it from your untouched real NAND)

USBLoaderGX is listing games from your "emuNAND" folder content after you created it (by dumping your console's internal data to SD:/nand/)
when you add a WAD using the loader's WAD manager, it install (extracts) the wads to that path as if it was your internal console memory.
when you launch a game located here, the cIOS is responsible for redirecting all access to NAND to SD:/nand/ instead.
but cIOS is not 100% compatible with that redirection function, some games are not working. you'll have to install them on real NAND (using a WAD manager, not the loader's internal wad manager), or using "neek" mode which is another way to redirect NAND.

 

[IAmCaptPlanet]

this might be a dumb question (lol, probably) but my WiiBackupManager recognizes my Project Zero 4 file as

[R4ZJ01] http://www.gametdb.com/Wii/R4ZJ01

but the

[WFFF4I] http://www.gametdb.com/Wii/WFFF4I

cover looks cooler (and is in English)

will it hurt to just change the filename and try to get it to get the better cover? or will it always revert to the first way on it's own

and i'd like to have Project Zero 2 Wii edition listed before Fatal Frame 4, can you make it let you rename stuff?

would prefer
Fatal Frame 2
Fatal Frame 5

now it just says
Project Zero 2
Zero 4

no biggie

but i do have one more question for now

my Project Zero 2 is 4.06 gb, what do i use to split it up? do i have to convert it back to an iso first?

 

[Cyan]

if you have the japanese version, and want the english covers, you don't need to mess with the game's ID.
just download the cover you want, rename it to R4ZJ01.png and place it in the folder where you have all the other covers (sd:/apps/usbloader_gx/images/covers or 2d or 3d etc. (look what's inside and put any picture you like with the same game's TitleID here)


if you want proper names, ... do you use gametdb ?
settings > update > Wiitdb.xml
settings > features > Use Wiitdb : Enabled
reboot.

if it's not to your liking, you can rename the games, but it has different way to do this, some good, some less good.
but first, tell me you are using wiitdb, then we will advise.