Hacking [RCM Payload] Hekate - CTCaer mod

[juggernaut911]

Having a device with lithium battery at storage degrades the battery if it falls at lower 10-15% for a long period of time.
But because it's mostly unused it will show you a correct percent (or in mAh further below) after doing 2 full charge cycles (0-100% x2).

If that's the case this percent will go up. For example mine after a year and a half of usage it was showing 93%. But this was because my battery had more than 2 months to do a 0% (because of the hekate dev and constant charging in RCM).
So after a full charge cycle went up to 98%.

The cycles count is useless though. Because horizon does not save it and restore it. So it's always low after a power off.
Every 100% is one full charge cycle. But as you can see it is always 1 or 2 cycles (100%-299%).
(I'll remove in next version btw).

Anyway, when you store a device for months, make sure that the battery is at 40-50%.
(With switch, it's important to power off through hekate)

Thank you very much for the info! I will complete a 0%-100% cycle and check for changes. I don't know what the charge level was when I stored it but I doubt it was optimal. Thanks again!

 

[TheLastOfUs]

If you never went online, Nintendo knows nothing about your console.
Otherwise they know many things about your console.
If they know you run unofficial stuff though? Depends on what you run and how careful you were.

Devmenu (which im told is LayeredFS basically), along with Hekate and SX OS...I just figured rawnand is a complete replacement of everything. I did go online (when I was not hacked at all). But other than that - not with anything else.

 

[Misledz]

Here's a question I'm a bit too afraid to ask after reading through this. I've used hekate for weeks now, I have no purpose for LayeredFS atm but only use has been for save backups and resetting Octopath save timer. Error logs are disabled since 4.2 and I've always kept it that way, however a week ago the only crash I had was when replacing FTPD through Filezilla, about two incidents now I've gone to eshop to check on release dates and available demos (still fine) but that's about it, while booted into hekate. Any precautions I should keep in mind as I've never cleared logs either since that seems to be a red flag.

I've done a NAND backup recently after updating to 3.2, but that's after the crash.

 

[CTCaer]

Devmenu (which im told is LayeredFS basically), along with Hekate and SX OS...I just figured rawnand is a complete replacement of everything. I did go online (when I was not hacked at all). But other than that - not with anything else.

Then you are probably fine. But you never know what they'll start checking next..

Here's a question I'm a bit too afraid to ask after reading through this. I've used hekate for weeks now, I have no purpose for LayeredFS atm but only use has been for save backups and resetting Octopath save timer. Error logs are disabled since 4.2 and I've always kept it that way, however a week ago the only crash I had was when replacing FTPD through Filezilla, about two incidents now I've gone to eshop to check on release dates and available demos (still fine) but that's about it, while booted into hekate. Any precautions I should keep in mind as I've never cleared logs either since that seems to be a red flag.

I've done a NAND backup recently after updating to 3.2, but that's after the crash.

The error logs uploading being disabled saved you. I believe it's a bigger red flag to have custom errors than having inconsistent error log.
In Europe we also enjoy GDPR. So if you disable user information sharing, it stops most of the telemetry data.
If your account is configured for another region, you still have to check if you have this options in your account settings (on the nintendo account site).

 

[Zumoly]

(With switch, it's important to power off through hekate)

I don't understand this bit. Could you clarify more?

 

[CTCaer]

I don't understand this bit. Could you clarify more?

Switch never powers off completely. So it will eat your battery away in around 1-2 weeks.
If you power off via hekate, the whole power system is powered down. And the only thing that will chip away your battery is the battery charger and fuel gauge ICs.
(Which can also be prevented)

 

[Zumoly]

Switch never powers off completely. So it will eat your battery away in around 1-2 weeks.
If you power off via hekate, the whole power system is powered down. And the only thing that will chip away your battery is the battery charger and fuel gauge ICs.
(Which can also be prevented)

That explains quite a lot! I now know where those 2% are going even after a full power off.
Thank you for letting me know
If you don't mind: how can we also prevent "the battery charger and fuel gauge" from chipping away bits of power?

 

[CTCaer]

That explains quite a lot! I now know where those 2% are going even after a full power off.
Thank you for letting me know
If you don't mind: how can we also prevent "the battery charger and fuel gauge" from chipping away bits of power?

By enabling shipping mode. It's that BATFET disconnection - battery desync fix, which is now deprecated.
But I would not suggest you to do it. Some users had problems with that. Normally it should work correctly, but dunno..

 

[Misledz]

Then you are probably fine. But you never know what they'll start checking next..


The error logs uploading being disabled saved you. I believe it's a bigger red flag to have custom errors than having inconsistent error log.
In Europe we also enjoy GDPR. So if you disable user information sharing, it stops most of the telemetry data.
If your account is configured for another region, you still have to check if you have this options in your account settings (on the nintendo account site).

Much appreciated buddy, just checked the Ninty account settings, no setting available for US region (Since Nintendo doesn't do support and refuses it for Philippines RIP) just the "
Services authorized to receive this account's information" which is used for Fortnite and niconico, so I take it i'll be able to log into OFW and play Fortnite just fine?

Once again, great job on this, highly appreciate everything you've done for the community incase that hasn't been said enough.

 

[CTCaer]

Much appreciated buddy, just checked the Ninty account settings, no setting available for US region (Since Nintendo doesn't do support and refuses it for Philippines RIP) just the "
Services authorized to receive this account's information" which is used for Fortnite and niconico, so I take it i'll be able to log into OFW and play Fortnite just fine?

:/
We are lucky I guess that we have it.

Well you can login for sure. But I don't know if they will force download your logs though..

 

[Misledz]

:/
We are lucky I guess that we have it.

Well you can login for sure. But I don't know if they will force download your logs though..

Fingers crossed it won't come down to that lol. I wonder if there's a line or so that states in their ToS that allows them to bypass and still force it to upload all that data.

 

[GalladeGuy]

I'm trying to backup my SYS partition, but ever time it fails on backing up SAFE. This also happens with rawnand.bin.13. Also, is it possible to use hekate to verify existing backups?

 

[CTCaer]

I'm trying to backup my SYS partition, but ever time it fails on backing up SAFE. This also happens with rawnand.bin.13. Also, is it possible to use hekate to verify existing backups?

You can't cross verify old backups because the data changes with each boot to Horizon.

What error message shows up when dumping SAFE or rawnand.bin.13?

 

[TheLastOfUs]

You can't cross verify old backups because the data changes with each boot to Horizon.

What error message shows up when dumping SAFE or rawnand.bin.13?

Do you recommend backing up Package1/2 + boot0/1 as well? In order to fully restore to my nonhacked state from my v2.3 backups - should I restore boot0/1 or just rawnand?

Also I backed up PKG1/2/3/4/5/6 from the older one....are those OK to restore? Rather do they need to be?

 

[CTCaer]

Do you recommend backing up Package1/2 + boot0/1 as well? In order to fully restore to my nonhacked state from my v2.3 backups - should I restore boot0/1 or just rawnand?

Also I backed up PKG1/2/3/4/5/6 from the older one....are those OK to restore? Rather do they need to be?

You didn't read OP, huh?

A full backup/restore consists of BOOT0 + BOOT1 + rawnand.bin.

 

[TheLastOfUs]

You didn't read OP, huh?

A full backup/restore consists of BOOT0 + BOOT1 + rawnand.bin.

Not when I posted...I then saw it. Sorry about that xD you did write it.

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

You didn't read OP, huh?

A full backup/restore consists of BOOT0 + BOOT1 + rawnand.bin.

P.S. god bless ya for responding to everyone. You're super awesome in case you didnt know ^^

 

[Kioku]

Not when I posted...I then saw it. Sorry about that xD you did write it.

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



P.S. god bless ya for responding to everyone. You're super awesome in case you didnt know ^^

He's too good to us :x

Need to get a new backup going.. Hm

 

[kamo]

I'm getting FATFS error 13 when I try to enter the launch a firmware menu. Any idea what that means?

edit
Newest payload/64GB Card formatted by the system.

edit 2
Another thing. I had to replace the internal sd card adapter. I have new one now that works flawless in the Switch OS. I can use and format cards.

edit 3
Tried another card, no luck

 

[CTCaer]

I'm getting FATFS error 13 when I try to enter the launch a firmware menu. Any idea what that means?

edit
Newest payload/64GB Card formatted by the system.

edit 2
Another thing. I had to replace the internal sd card adapter. I have new one now that works flawless in the Switch OS. I can use and format cards.

edit 3
Tried another card, no luck

(13) There is no valid FAT volume.

Hmm..
I remember another user that had the same problem.
Btw, did you see another yellow error? (e.g [FatFS] Error: ....)

Also, is it possible to format the card with FAT32 (32KB cluster) or exFAT (128KB cluster) through Windows?

 

[kamo]

(13) There is no valid FAT volume.

Hmm..
I remember another user that had the same problem.
Btw, did you see another yellow error? (e.g [FatFS] Error: ....)

Also, is it possible to format the card with FAT32 (32KB cluster) or exFAT (128KB cluster) through Windows?

I get the following if I use the Print SD Card Info option.

[FatFS] Error: No FAT/FAT32/exFAT found!
Failed to mount SD card (FatFS Error 13).
(make sure that a FAT type partition exists)

Thing is these cards work. Both in Windows and in the Switch OS. I can format them in both. I can write and read files in both. This only happens in RCM. I suspect my replacement sd reader (the internal one in the Switch) is at fault. My cards worked before. It's just weird, if it works in the Switch OS it should also work in RCM right?