Tutorial  Updated

How to use LayeredFS for Backup Loading + What Games Work/Don't

This thread is outdated
A lot of information in this thread is heavilly out of date.
If you have time, and have Staff permission, feel free to edit this thread and remove this statement once necessary.

Some information that needs to be addressed:
  • SX OS and Atmosphere now supports proper LayeredFS, instructions for using it has changed since this tutorial was made
  • Supported Firmware information is out of date
  • LFSKit needs to be updated to properly support non 5.x.x firmware
  • Compatability chart needs to be re-made
-PRAGMA



WARNING
  • DO NOT GO ONLINE WHEN DOING THIS (YOU WILL BE BANNED)



How to use LayeredFS for Backup Loading


Firmware Supported: ONLY 5.x.x
Use the PRAGMA LFS Kit below.

PRAGMA's LFS Kit


DOWNLOAD
SOURCE

  • Go from NOTHING in your SD Card to playing a game backup in a few clicks!
  • Decrypt .XCI -> romfs/exefs folder with main.nmpd auto edited aswell as folder's name auto renamed to donor titleid
  • Download NOTHING except LFSKit!
ENJOY!

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Picking a Donor Title and getting Donor TitleIDRunning Game Backups!


    1. A donor title is the application we will run to open the backup.
      Pick a game you don't care about (Download a Demo or a free game from eShop, for example Octopath Demo)
      saves are something no one knows much about, we don't fully know where or how they are stored.
      They might overwrite the donor titles save, so seriously pick a game you DONT care about, not a game you rarely play.

    2. I also recommend picking a donor title/game combo that has been tested and reported working just so you know if YOU did something wrong or not.
    3. Find the TitleID of the donor title you chose from http://nswdb.com or http://switchbrew.org/index.php?title=Title_list/Games
      Region must be the same, choose the TitleID for the base-game NOT for the update title, even if your updated.

    1. Once again, boot into Hekate-IPL (Step 1).
    2. Enter "Launch firmware" and select "RomFS".
    3. Your now in your system's home menu.
    4. Open the Donor Title you set the TitleID of on that folder and .npmd file earlier.
    5. The game will load up flawlessly.
      If you opened the Title lets say, Fortnite, and Fortnite booted, the titleid of the folder in sd:/atmosphere/titles/{fortnitetitleid} doesnt exist, or doesnt start with 0100.
      If it gives you an error screen, either you didnt edit the main.npmd properly, or its an incompatible title/donor combo.
    To see which games work and which dont using which donor titles, look below.
    If you notice that you used a combination of Game and Donor title that isnt in the list below, post in the thread and I will add it. (look under to see what I need to add to chart).


Troubleshooting


  • Black Screen/Infinitely Loading
    Leave it for around 5 minutes then press the home button and go back into the game without closing it. Often this can do the job.
  • Freeze when Loading
    Close the game and try again, its a common occurence, you may have to try up to 4-5 times before getting it to work, sometimes you may even have to reboot between retries.
 
Last edited by pman152,
Added instructions to get game backups working From Nothing at all not even SD Files to Having a game running.
 
Now the only think missing to make this 80% functional would be a keyboard!
One could create many backup redirected at the same demo file and rename them as necessary!
 
Tried Binding of Isaac with Fallout Shelter as Donor.
It works, but if I close the game and reopen it the Switch crashes, after a restart I can launch it again with the save.
So it only crashes after I close and reopen it with the same User.
Is that normal?
 
Tried Binding of Isaac with Fallout Shelter as Donor.
It works, but if I close the game and reopen it the Switch crashes, after a restart I can launch it again with the save.
So it only crashes after I close and reopen it with the same User.
Is that normal?
Yh the crash after close thing is basically normal, happens to 90% of games.
 
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Tried Binding of Isaac with Fallout Shelter as Donor.
It works, but if I close the game and reopen it the Switch crashes, after a restart I can launch it again with the save.
So it only crashes after I close and reopen it with the same User.
Is that normal?

Common issue and happens with a lot of other games too. Also attempting to run homebrew after causes a crash and text asking the user to power off the device
 
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Can someone help me out? I'm wondering where is the backup save data stored? does it replaces the target's save data? Thanks in advance!
 
I'm just gonna hold off a few days on this because some one will more then likely drop a menu loader for us not to long from now. and plus i have the sx pro preordered and they are getting there 2nd batch next week so i'll be able to play all the backup's i would like to at the end of the month.
 
Hi guys! Can we use the same main.npdm patched file with many games? i.e just copy paste it in the game's folder to get it working?
 
Pokkén Tournament works with the Fortnite donor as the OP states, saves do not work however.
If you choose to continue the game it will pretend to save but it wont.
When you try to cancel out of entering a name, an error occurs.
 
Hi guys! Can we use the same main.npdm patched file with many games? i.e just copy paste it in the game's folder to get it working?
No the contents are different.

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

It seems this is only 5.x right now, can someone confirm?
It is, the kernal-patches.bin file is only for 5.x.x
it would work for other firmwares if it was custom built for those but no one managed to yet

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

Wait lads, is it possible that some donor titles work with some game titles because of cart/imagesizes. For example, lets just say, GameA works with DonorB. GameA is a 16gb imagesize and DonorB is 32gb imagesize. But GameB doesnt work with DonorB because GameB is a 64gb imagesize? Would this be a possibility? Its suspicious Hyrule, Splat and other TOP nintendo games that are primarily big cartsizes are all working with SMO.
 

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