Hacking System Format Questions

[TribstyAnn]

If you remove your sd card and perform a system format, will the downloaded games become unplayable and will you lose the save data, if you put the sd card back in afterwards?

If you put an SD card from another 3ds into a formatted one will it have the games and saves from the original 3ds system, or will it ruin the data on the card?

Basically, I have CFW on a system, and I don't have it on another one I bought recently. I want to get CFW on the second system via DSiWare Game Injection. The problem is that I've used the second system for a while, and I want to keep all the games and save data. The games are downloaded games from the eshop, all that I legitimately own and payed for. Also the target system has my NNID on it and I want it to keep it. The source system was formatted, so it has no NNID on it. I would appreciate any help and tips.

 

[GerbilSoft]

If you remove your sd card and perform a system format, will the downloaded games become unplayable and will you lose the save data, if you put the sd card back in afterwards?

If you put an SD card from another 3ds into a formatted one will it have the games and saves from the original 3ds system, or will it ruin the data on the card?

1. Yes; 2. No.

"System Format" creates a new SD encryption key, so anything from before the format becomes unreadable.

Regarding NNID transfer, I'm not sure what the correct way is to handle that. You may want to consider getting a hackable flashcart and using NTRBootHax instead.

 

[TribstyAnn]

I am considering getting a flashcard. It would be nice to have anyways. Do the ones that work for NTRBootHax only play NDS games or 3DS games as well. If both it would be nice to have just for anyways.

I don't understand why the save data and games would be unplayable. Honestly it should be just that you put an sd card into any 3ds, and download and play games on it, and then when you remove it and put it in any other 3ds everything should still be there. A system format should not harm the stuff on the sd card. I know that's not how it works, but that's how it should be.

Could I do a system transfer from my target system to the source system, wait a week and transfer back to install CFW? Would I save my NNID and games/save data that way?

 

[GerbilSoft]

The SD card contents are encrypted per system, and per system format instance. Each system format changes the encryption key.

Only NDS flash carts can be used for NTRBootHax, since the boot ROM specifically looks for a DS cartridge.

You could do the system transfer back after a week. IIRC, it transfers both NNIDs, but I'm not sure how you select one or the other. (Note that this will only work if both systems are the same generation; that is, Old3DS/2DS to Old3DS/2DS or New3DS/2DS to New3DS/2DS. You can't go back from New3DS/2DS to Old3DS/2DS.)

 

[TribstyAnn]

One is a New 3ds XL and the other is the New 2ds XL

I'd have to wait a week without playing my 3ds though. The source system had a top screen crack that makes everything hard to see. Would doing the system transfer from the target to the source, and then back again in a week keep all of the save data and games?

 

[GerbilSoft]

One is a New 3ds XL and the other is the New 2ds XL

I'd have to wait a week without playing my 3ds though. The source system had a top screen crack that makes everything hard to see. Would doing the system transfer from the target to the source, and then back again in a week keep all of the save data and games?

System transfer moves the SD encryption key between systems, so you'd have to move the SD card along with it. It'll keep all the games and saves from the source system, but not the target system.

 

[TribstyAnn]

If I can't get a flashcard, I may try that.

Also in the list of compatible flashcards on the Nintendo homebrew discord server there are ones that say 3ds in the title, but don't have the little tab on them. Do they support both 3ds and nds games? I'll get the pic, in one second.

Ones like the R4i Gold 3ds Starter, and the R4I Gold 3ds RTS etc.

 

[GerbilSoft]

None of the NDS flash cards that are supported by NTRBootHax support 3DS games at all. They only support DS games.

I don't know of any dual-mode flash cards other than that one early one that acted like a DS card but had a switch that let you play a single hard-coded 3DS game.

 

[TribstyAnn]

Oh okay. Then I guess the 3ds in the name is kind of misleading.

Where's the best play to buy the R4i cards? Is amazon or ebay a good place?

 

[Quantumcat]

Oh okay. Then I guess the 3ds in the name is kind of misleading.

Where's the best play to buy the R4i cards? Is amazon or ebay a good place?

It's not misleading. There are plenty of DS flashcarts that only work in DS, or only in DS and DSi, but not 3DS. The label tells you that the cart works in 3DS.

 

[TribstyAnn]

Some places I'm looking to buy other than amazon and ebay, have a GBATemp Trusted Trader Reseller Emblem. Can anyone just copy paste that on their site, or is that a good indication of a safe place to buy them?

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It's not misleading. There are plenty of DS flashcarts that only work in DS, or only in DS and DSi, but not 3DS. The label tells you that the cart works in 3DS.

It's slightly misleading that it works in the 3ds but only works with nds roms. Not a big deal though.

 

[Quantumcat]

It's slightly misleading that it works in the 3ds but only works with nds roms. Not a big deal though.

They're DS flashcarts though....
I guess it could be misleading, if you aren't familiar with what 3DS game cartridges look like.