This probably only applies to people who use a Mac to manage files to their Switch's SD card. Doing this could change the files' archive bit, causing problems on the Switch OS.

One way to fix the contents of your SD card, is to use Windows to uncheck the "Folder is ready for archiving" option for every file and folder on the SD card, except for all the files and folders under "/Nintendo/Contents/registered/". After doing this, all of your games and homebrew should work, and your pictures and videos should reappear. (Instructions below.)

(In other words, the archive bit must be set for items inside the "registered" folder, and unset for everything else (including the "registered" folder itself)).

SD Card Related Issues:
- Unlocking the console: "Error Code: 2017-0247 Unable to access microSD card" or
"Data on this microSD card is corrupted and cannot be used. The corrupted data will be deleted."
- Launching software: "The software was closed because an error occurred."
- Missing screenshots and videos / "Could not save".
- Missing / no homebrew in hbmenu
- Homebrew not recognising SD files / not working.

Disclaimer Regarding the Nintendo Folder:
If all your games are already "corrupted" then this shouldn't affect you, and you can proceed with the guide.
This should work fine for everyone as it had for me and the others, but something might still happen. If changing the archive bit on the Nintendo folder corrupts games that were previously uncorrupted instead of fixing them (which is unlikely), do make a post below.

Step-By-Step Instructions:
- You will need a Windows computer/ VM for this.
- This guide aims to fix the entire SD card. You may do it differently to fix specific files and folders.
- You can also use Hekate to fix just the switch folder, or all files (excluding the Nintendo folder).

1. Select all items at the root of your SD card.
2. Right click the items and select "Properties".
3. Select "Advanced...". Untick the "Folder is ready for archiving" checkbox, then click "OK".
(Note: If the checkbox is already unticked, do steps 3-4 twice, ticking it on the first time and unticking it on the second time.)
4. Click "Apply". When the confirmation dialog comes up, select "Apply changes to this folder, subfolders and files", and click "OK".

5. Navigate to "/Nintendo/Contents/registered/".
6. Select all items inside the "registered" folder.
(/Nintendo/Contents/registered/<select all items in here>)
7. Right click the items and select "Properties".
(Note: Steps 8-9 are the same as above, but this time we want the checkbox to end up being ticked.)
8. Select "Advanced...". Tick the "Folder is ready for archiving" checkbox, then click "OK".
(Note: if the checkbox is already ticked, do steps 8-9 twice, unticking it on the first time and ticking it on the second time).
9. Click "Apply". When the confirmation dialog comes up, select "Apply changes to this folder, subfolders and files", and click "OK".
10. All your files should now be fixed.

Using a Mac:
If you need to use a Mac to manage files on the Switch SD, you can find a compatible file manager program (any suggestions?) or a use Windows VM. If you know how to use Terminal, you might be able to do it with this other tutorial.
​

Other:
Rajkosto mentioned this 2 months prior, but you'll have to change archive bits on the Nintendo folder if you want to fix your games.

 

[lovelypotato]

Wow thanks a lot for your post!

I had issues with - Launching software: "The software was closed because an error occurred." and your steps worked for me. I almost formatted my SD card because I couldn't fix my issue for a couple of hours.

 

[Myron49485]

Wow thanks a lot for your post!

I had issues with - Launching software: "The software was closed because an error occurred." and your steps worked for me. I almost formatted my SD card because I couldn't fix my issue for a couple of hours.

Glad it helped!

I just used to format my SD card, but I could only reinstall my games that many times.

 

[Akira]

The only problem when trying to copy data specially big NSPs using VM is takes a lot longer than using MacOS itself. This tutorial will definitely help me though since I have encountered this error twice already. Had to format the sd cards and recopy the files again which is a little bit annoying.

 

[Ericthegreat]

Could dual boot linux. (or Windows)

 

[novalkun]

This probably only applies to people who use a Mac to transfer files to their Switch's SD card. Doing this changes the files' archive bit, causing problems on the Switch OS.

One way to fix the contents of your SD card, is to use Windows to uncheck the "Folder is ready for archiving" option for every file and folder on the SD card, except for all the files and folders under "/Nintendo/Contents/registered/". After doing this, all of your games and homebrew should work, and your pictures and videos should reappear. (Instructions below.)

(In other words, the archive bit must be set for items inside the "registered" folder, and unset for everything else (including the "registered" folder itself)).

SD Card Related Issues:
- Unlocking the console: "Error Code: 2017-0247 Unable to access microSD card" or
"Data on this microSD card is corrupted and cannot be used. The corrupted data will be deleted."
- Launching software: "The software was closed because an error occurred."
- Missing screenshots and videos / "Could not save".
- Missing/ no homebrew in hbmenu.
- Homebrew not recognising SD files.

Step-By-Step Instructions:
- You will need a Windows computer/ VM for this.
- This guide aims to fix the entire SD card. If you understand the steps, you may choose to fix a specific location, e.g. just the "Nintendo" folder.

1. Select all items at the root of your SD card.
2. Right click the items and select "Properties".
3. Select "Advanced...". Untick the "Folder is ready for archiving" checkbox, then click "OK".
(Note: If the checkbox is already unticked, do steps 3-4 twice, ticking it on the first time and unticking it on the second time.)
4. Click "Apply". When the confirmation dialog comes up, select "Apply changes to this folder, subfolders and files", and click "OK".

5. Navigate to "/Nintendo/Contents/registered/".
6. Select all items inside the "registered" folder.
(/Nintendo/Contents/registered/<select all items in here>)
7. Right click the items and select "Properties".
(Note: Steps 8-9 are the same as above, but this time we want the checkbox to end up being ticked.)
8. Select "Advanced...". Tick the "Folder is ready for archiving" checkbox, then click "OK".
(Note: if the checkbox is already ticked, do steps 8-9 twice, unticking it on the first time and ticking it on the second time).
9. Click "Apply". When the confirmation dialog comes up, select "Apply changes to this folder, subfolders and files", and click "OK".
10. All your files should now be fixed.

Using A Mac:
If you need to use a Mac for file transfers to the Switch SD, you can find a compatible file manager program (any suggestions?) or a use Windows VM. If you know how to use Terminal, you might be able to do it with this other tutorial.
​

Edit:
I don't know if there are any consequences for doing this, or if this would break certain games or homebrew, but all seems to be fine.
I realised that rajkosto mentioned this 2 months ago, but not everyone might know what to do.

I took me two days to find this thread .Now my hekate/ReinX n others can load nsp games
Thanks

 

[focusonme]

thank you

 

[Zer0w]

Wanted to thank you, this fixed my issue of not launching into CFW all of a sudden. Also the first sentence didn't seem to apply for me as I was on Windows.

 

[Bilada]

The "advanced" option is not showing for me

 

[SolderJS]

Re: macOS

When you copy a file onto a FAT32 volume the default behavior is to put the files in the "Folder is ready for archiving" (CHECKED) state.

Select all items at the root of your SD card. Untick the "Folder is ready for archiving" checkbox, then click "OK".

To mark as "NOT Ready for Archiving" set the "Archived Flag"
(https://ss64.com/osx/chflags.html)

# set the archived flag
# This is the same as UNCHECKING "Folder is ready for archiving"
# (archived != ready to archive)
sudo chflags -R arch /Volumes/YOUR_NINTENDO_SD/

...

Select all items inside /Nintendo/Contents/registered/. Tick the "Folder is ready for archiving" checkbox, then click "OK".

To mark as "Not Archived" create or change the file
(https://www.win.tue.nl/~aeb/linux/lk/lk-7.html)

# by creating new files, the archived flag will be unset by default
# This is the same as CHECKING "Folder is ready for archiving"
# (new or "changed" file == ready to archive)
rsync -av --perms --progress /YOUR_BACKUPS/Nintendo/Contents/registered/ /Volumes/YOUR_NINTENDO_SD/Nintendo/Contents/registered/

 

[Crimzaelus]

I think this is an old post but I just want to say that this fixed my issue when updating to 11.0.1 CFW. Saw the error on my switch when injecting the payload and boom, followed the steps here and my Switch is running again. I was able to update the CFW to 11.0.1 too.

 

[aarstar]

This just saved me when I transferred my files to a new SD card. Thanks!

 

[masagrator]

This tutorial is not more needed.
Just run Archive Bit Fix in Hekate (be sure to have latest version)

 

[aarstar]

Does that Hekate option fix the issue with emuMMC Nintendo folders also? My issue was my main Nintendo folder used for sysMMC was fine but none of my games opened on my emuMMC without changing the archive bit of the folders inside the registered folder. When I setup my new SD card, I first had to copy all the files from my original SD card to my Windows PC and then copy them to my new SD card. Before that, everything was working fine with the original SD card in both sysMMC and emuMMC.

 

[masagrator]

Does that Hekate option fix the issue with emuMMC Nintendo folders also? My issue was my main Nintendo folder used for sysMMC was fine but none of my games opened on my emuMMC without changing the archive bit of the folders inside the registered folder. When I setup my new SD card, I first had to copy all the files from my original SD card to my Windows PC and then copy them to my new SD card. Before that, everything was working fine with the original SD card in both sysMMC and emuMMC.

It solves archive bit issue with all folders in main partition - so emummc folder also.

 

[aarstar]

Okay, good to know, thank you.

 

[dan24678]

Thanks to everyone who posted on this thread. I was having the issues described here and thanks to the info posted, I now know how to proceed. I want to share my experience to hopefully help others seeing this issue. I'm on all the latest software versions and using a 256GB ExFAT SD card with my Mac.

At least for me, once the archive bit was set on the Nintendo folder and the Switch was rebooted, all previously installed games are corrupted and cannot be salvaged. I tried all the different console commands and using Hekate to fix the Archive bit, but it did not work.

So at least for me, if you mess this up once and start up your Switch, there is no coming back -- your existing installed games are corrupted. You can see that they are messed up by going into Data Management on your Switch and you will see the games listed as taking up 0.0 MB (and obviously, they won't start). Deleting them in the Switch menu does not reclaim the space on your card.

Instead, you need to start all over by putting the SD Card in your Mac and deleting the entire contents of /SDCard/Nintendo/Contents/.

Before rebooting your switch with the games deleted (and NSPs ready to install) don't forget this time to fix the archive bits correctly. I decided to use Hekate for this rather than terminal. Terminal might work but Hekate seems safer.

The "Fix Archive Bit" option in Hekate has moved and is no longer where other commenters mention. Instead, click on Tools. In the bottom right of the screen appears the words "Arch bit". Click that then click "Fix Archive Bit".

Finally, if the corrupted games still appear on your Switch, you need to go into Data Management and delete all the games which are listed as 0.0 MB. Now you can begin reinstalling them.

 

[igarza81]

thank you so much this helped my smash ultimate crash on boot when loading up the arcropolis 3.00 beta

 

[Donnie-Burger]

thank you so much this helped my smash ultimate crash on boot when loading up the arcropolis 3.00 beta

Hekate has this option now.

 

[igarza81]

Hekate has this option now.

oh wow lol all this time i had no idea. thanks!