Hardware Nintendo Switch won't boot past Nintendo logo, but RCM and Charging is Fine

[mrharmonia]

Hi everyone.

My Nintendo Switch stopped working around a while back (it's past its warranty), and I've looking into how to get it fixed. My Switch would no longer turn on at all, so I removed the battery and it turned on, but only to the Nintendo logo before shutting off and never displaying the Nintendo Switch logo. I later got a jig to get it into RCM mode and it worked. Hekate battery status showed something very interesting on it though. One of these being that the Switch believes it has 0% battery, which is why I think SwitchOS doesn't even want to boot. I replaced the battery with an OEM I bought on eBay but still the same issue occured. Which part of the Switch could be damaged? I took it to a repair shop with a replacement M92T36 and they seem to think that isn't the problem and refused to change it. The Switch battery is getting charged because it lasts a good while without being plugged in, and I have backed up the NAND as well.

 

[Vorde]

If you're able to find an image of a stock Switch on that specific firmware, as long as you have your keys and such, I believe you could restore using that to test and see if it's software related (which it sounds like since you can get into RCM).

 

[mrharmonia]

If you're able to find an image of a stock Switch on that specific firmware, as long as you have your keys and such, I believe you could restore using that to test and see if it's software related (which it sounds like since you can get into RCM).

I gave that a try, though I used ChoiDujour to do it with a fresh software update image on 5.1.0 (can't use ChoiDujourNX since not even CFW will boot for Homebrew) and it did the exact same thing, so it feels like the software is fine.

 

[Vorde]

I gave that a try, though I used ChoiDujour to do it with a fresh software update image on 5.1.0 (can't use ChoiDujourNX since not even CFW will boot for Homebrew) and it did the exact same thing, so it feels like the software is fine.

Was your Switch on 5.1.0 when it bricked though?

 

[mrharmonia]

Was your Switch on 5.1.0 when it bricked though?

Yes, I had never done anything with RCM before then, and I always kept it up to date.

 

[Vorde]

Yes, I had never done anything with RCM before then, and I always kept it up to date.

We need someone in here that knows more about how Horizon actually boots and what kind of POST it does when it first turns itself on. This would likely give us an idea at least where to start, but if you've flashed an image too it and such I mean it should work. Just for fun, have you tried running a CFW and seeing if that boots up; like ReiNX or something?

 

[mrharmonia]

We need someone in here that knows more about how Horizon actually boots and what kind of POST it does when it first turns itself on. This would likely give us an idea at least where to start, but if you've flashed an image too it and such I mean it should work. Just for fun, have you tried running a CFW and seeing if that boots up; like ReiNX or something?

Yes I did, actually. I don't wanna be banned of course, so I made sure the internet router was off during the attempt. However, when it tried to launch the CFW OS, which I think was Hekate CFW instead of the RCM payload I would be left on a black screen after the initial Hekate logo appeared. After the attempt I restored the NAND back to the backup I had taken. Because Hekate RCM says I have 0% battery, my theory is that Horizon thinks I have no battery and refuses to boot up.

 

[kumikochan]

Yes I did, actually. I don't wanna be banned of course, so I made sure the internet router was off during the attempt. However, when it tried to launch the CFW OS, which I think was Hekate CFW instead of the RCM payload I would be left on a black screen after the initial Hekate logo appeared. After the attempt I restored the NAND back to the backup I had taken. Because Hekate RCM says I have 0% battery, my theory is that Horizon thinks I have no battery and refuses to boot up.

and you never used a third party dock ? Or a third party charger that doesn't have a 56k ohm resistor in it

 

[salamandrusker]

Why does not the hekate battery fix pass first? and then try. when it says that it restored the nand was of the same version that the last firm that it had in its console? if you restored an old nand and had more fuses burned at the time of restoration you have an expensive brick

 

[mrharmonia]

and you never used a third party dock ?

No 3rd party dock here. Only dock I have used is the Nintendo one from the box (I got the system on launch day last year) and the only cable I used to charge in portable mode was the official Nintendo USB-C cable I got with my Pro Controller. Before my switch stopped working, the Switch had been charging in the official dock.

Why does not the hekate battery fix pass first? and then try. when it says that it restored the nand was of the same version that the last firm that it had in its console? if you restored an old nand and had more fuses burned at the time of restoration you have an expensive brick

I did give the Hekate battery fix a try almost immediately (I looked it up to double check what it did) and nothing happened. My NAND was backed up after it stopped working (I had never touched RCM or anything not stock) while it was on 5.1.0, so it's not a version mismatch that would cause the fuse boot error.

 

[kumikochan]

No 3rd party dock here. Only dock I have used is the Nintendo one from the box (I got the system on launch day last year) and the only cable I used to charge in portable mode was the official Nintendo USB-C cable I got with my Pro Controller. Before my switch stopped working, the Switch had been charging in the official dock.

Looks to me your M92T36 is broken but that should only happen with 3th party docks or cables that don't have the 56k ohm resistor in it. It's showing all the signs of that chip being broken so don't know what actually caused it could also be it not being that since it charges so not sure myself

 

[Vorde]

Looks to me your M92T36 is broken but that should only happen with 3th party docks or cables that don't have the 56k ohm resistor in it. It's showing all the signs of that chip being broken so don't know what actually caused it

When you say 3rd party cables, does that mean it's possible to do long term damage to the Switch just by using a USB-C cable and AC adapter meant for cell phones? I've charged my system a couple of times with my OEM Samsung Galaxy S8 charger and cable, but I didn't think that the system would have an issue with drawing more current then what's actually needed

 

[kumikochan]

When you say 3rd party cables, does that mean it's possible to do long term damage to the Switch just by using a USB-C cable and AC adapter meant for cell phones? I've charged my system a couple of times with my OEM Samsung Galaxy S8 charger and cable, but I didn't think that the system would have an issue with drawing more current then what's actually needed

It can always happen tho. I just make sure to use a cable with a 56k ohm resistor in it. The chance of more electricity flowing through is low but it can happen and the resistor makes sure it doesn't. Nintendo was being 2 cheap and didn't put one in the usb c port themselves. It doesn't cost that much but yeah guess they were being 2 cheap

 

[Vorde]

It can always happen tho. I just make sure to use a cable with a 56k ohm resistor in it. The chance of more electricity flowing through is low but it can happen and the resistor makes sure it doesn't. Nintendo was being 2 cheap and didn't put one in the usb c port themselves.

That sounds like a really unreliable chip if it cannot regulate the current properly inside of a game console lol. Pretty sure the AC adapter from Nintendo is a 5V 3A adapter, so the fact that the console draws 5V means it should be able to charge itself on things lower than 3A and such, just not operate at optimal performance.
Not saying you're wrong, I've seen it happen as well on some of the other threads, and I've never quite understood how something like that could happen.

 

[kumikochan]

That sounds like a really unreliable chip if it cannot regulate the current properly inside of a game console lol. Pretty sure the AC adapter from Nintendo is a 5V 3A adapter, so the fact that the console draws 5V means it should be able to charge itself on things lower than 3A and such, just not operate at optimal performance.
Not saying you're wrong, I've seen it happen as well on some of the other threads, and I've never quite understood how something like that could happen.

Yeah it did happen and caused bricks because of using cables with no resistor in it. I'm just trying to be 100 percent safe and make sure all the cables that I use have that. Has to do mostly with usb a - usb c cables. Usb c to c are unaffected by this

 

[Canna]

have you left it plugged into just the charger for a thew hours ?
Once the battery reaches 0 its a pig to charge again a long time...
Can you charge the the battery in another switch ? or use a battery from another switch,, some battery's come not charged you know

Do you see a charge icon top left when you plug it in ?

2 things could be at fault here, the battery ic chip in red circle ,, or the power ic chip in blue square

Spoiler: Power control chip

im leaning towards the battery ic chip

But try to charge the battery for 3 hours with just it plugged into the nintendo charger not the dock...

Could also try the hekate battery calibration feature on the tools menu of hekate but i cant see that helping you as if both batterys are reporting 0 and i think its just for linux hence why i think battery ic chip bad..


It could be either one of those chips, but im sure the battery ic chip is the battery level monitor chip

 

[mrharmonia]

have you left it plugged into just the charger for a thew hours ?
Once the battery reaches 0 its a pig to charge again a long time...
Can you charge the the battery in another switch ? or use a battery from another switch,, some battery's come not charged you know

Do you see a charge icon top left when you plug it in ?

2 things could be at fault here, the battery ic chip in red circle ,, or the power ic chip in blue square

Spoiler: Power control chip

im leaning towards the battery ic chip

But try to charge the battery for 3 hours with just it plugged into the nintendo charger not the dock...

Could also try the hekate battery calibration feature on the tools menu of hekate but i cant see that helping you as if both batterys are reporting 0 and i think its just for linux hence why i think battery ic chip bad..

I've left it plugged in over night (just this last night, it was unplugged before) with the Nintendo Charger adapter (for the dock) but plugged in directly to the Switch itself. The Hekate battery tool didn't help me out. I did change the battery with a new one and I do notice the battery is charging, it's just not being read by the Switch.

I do have a second Switch that I got after this one broke due to a good deal I got at Target, but I really want my save data and if Horizon won't boot I cannot do the system transfer. That one charges just fine with my existing power adapter.

 

[Canna]

I've left it plugged in over night (just this last night, it was unplugged before) with the Nintendo Charger adapter (for the dock) but plugged in directly to the Switch itself. The Hekate battery tool didn't help me out. I did change the battery with a new one and I do notice the battery is charging, it's just not being read by the Switch.

I do have a second Switch that I got after this one broke due to a good deal I got at Target, but I really want my save data and if Horizon won't boot I cannot do the system transfer. That one charges just fine with my existing power adapter.

I was reffering to the new battery and the old battery being charged in your new switch...

But like i said its one of those chips im thinking the battery ic,,
Im sure the power ic M92T Handles charging and power delivery and battery ic handles the monitoring all tho i may be mistaken..
If you could test the output on the pins of the battery ic in bad switch in comparison with the new switch with a multi meter, you may find your answer...

But did you know you can backup your saves,,and transfer them with hacdiskmount method..If you cant boot switch as you can access those saves from your partitions..

 

[Vorde]

I was reffering to the new battery and the old battery being charged in your new switch...

But like i said its one of those chips im thinking the battery ic,,
Im sure the power ic M92T Handles charging and power delivery and battery ic handles the monitoring all tho i may be mistaken..
If you could test the output on the pins of the battery ic in bad switch in comparison with the new switch with a multi meter, you may find your answer...

But did you know you can backup your saves,,and transfer them with hacdiskmount method..If you cant boot switch as you can access those saves from your partitions..

It's reasons like this that the homebrew and hacking scene are important. Backing up saves is no laughing matter.

 

[mrharmonia]

I was reffering to the new battery and the old battery being charged in your new switch...

But like i said its one of those chips im thinking the battery ic,,
Im sure the power ic M92T Handles charging and power delivery and battery ic handles the monitoring all tho i may be mistaken..
If you could test the output on the pins of the battery ic in bad switch in comparison with the new switch with a multi meter, you may find your answer...

But did you know you can backup your saves,,and transfer them with hacdiskmount method..If you cant boot switch as you can access those saves from your partitions..

I think the battery IC must be it, too. The battery charges just fine. I'm going to see if I can get a multimeter to check the battery IC on my bad switch to see but I feel certain it's that now.

I did give the hacdiskmount method a try since I have the keys of both systems, but I'm not sure if I did something wrong because after I transferred my user and system partitions (according to the ChoiDujour instructions) my new Switch was unable to boot past Nintendo logo as well. (I restored the NAND afterwards from the back up I did on that system and it turned on like it did before I touched the system, just without my data of course).

It's reasons like this that the homebrew and hacking scene are important. Backing up saves is no laughing matter.

Exactly! That's why I'm really upset at Nintendo for how this situation has turned out because they did not allow us to backup anything and barely will be allowing us to September after paying for their service, but it's too late for quite a few people.