Hacking Question When will a free XCI Backup Loader be released?

[Purple_Shyguy]

You can already install XCI files and/or convert them into NSP files, so there isn't much of a point.

The "point" of xci is you don't have to install them. So installing them doesn't remove the point at all.

 

[Garou]

seeing no 3ds/3dz loading in free cfw on 3ds for years, I don't see it happens on switch
mostly because lack of interest/skill. although if it happens it would be nice

 

[Clydefrosch]

the issue is still that, to create an xci loader, you'd need to pirate nintendo code or something?
which is why none of the ones who could easily do it, do it.

though i do see the positives in less tickets and at times, fewer steps, those still don't really offset all the pros of having smaller install size (some 14gb xcis turn into 9gb nsps), faster loading times and 'normal' access through home menu

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I get it that pl favor over nsp b/c its the same thing as pkgs [ps3, ps4, vita] and cia[3ds/2ds] Thing is not everybody has the double storage to install them so it becomes a hassle to delete a game or 2 just to install a new one. Yeah ppl will say "Just get a bigger SD" well thats kinda the point xci's can be on external drives with way more storage. A 3TB can cost the same as buying 400GB SD card maybe less. Tho imo nsp's really shine on Emunand for safety sake of not installing them on the sysnand

usb install is a thing, you dont need double space for it. and 400gb sd cards currently go for ~85 bucks. its a steal and you'll never need that many games available at once anyways. and I'm saying that as someone who hoarded every worthwhile 3ds game in the past.

How? I can never get the 'install over usb' option to show up in tinfoil.
is it because i'm on 3.0.0?

yes, apparently it only shows up on fw over 4.1

 

[enarky]

I think most people who are really opposed to XCI loading never used it themselves. XCI is so much more convenient, you just drop it on your SD card, mount it and start playing. With NSP you always have a whole installation process that takes a lot of time. Anytime you need space you need to uninstall the game and when you want to play it again it's the whole installation all over again.

For people who are into that piracy thing mainly to try games before buying this is really inconvenient.

EDIT: also, loading XCI from USB. No need to waste space for games you don't play regularly or on the go on SD or internal NAND.

 

[NuadaXXX]

sx need only one thing and then its better as atmosphere in all situations. KIPS!!

maybee directly loading from horizon in the sx menu and its the best in the world noone need more !!

 

[Zumoly]

How? I can never get the 'install over usb' option to show up in tinfoil.
is it because i'm on 3.0.0?

Hm... Probably.

 

[Retrojunkies]

Erm, where are you getting that information from?

from them little minions under his bed that co conspire to destroy tx business PMSL

 

[Zumoly]

You can automaticly trim them while dumping them, so at least for legal backups it's no extra step for the user.

Even when trimmed it doesn't (usually) equate the size of the NSP.

 

[Aniblaze]

Then you have never read https://gbatemp.net/threads/nintendo-switch-banning-hub-warning.508710/ . Plenty of people who have been banned using legit XCI. Take a look.



No. https://gbatemp.net/threads/nintendo-switch-banning-hub-warning.508710/ look at the info. People have been banned for simply using their own private cert with their XCI. No crashes, no libnx errors.

Thank you for that link. I filtered the Excel document on people who used XCI + cert online, and those that were banned. The included screenshot shows that every single one that was banned, also used other banflags (checkpoint, emulators, etc.). Those that didn't use any other homebrew stuff DID NOT get banned. You are wrong.

 

[RednaxelaNnamtra]

The creport in Atmosphere dumps reports to the SD card.

Missing an aspect of the OS does not necessarily reduce ban risk.

I understand what you're saying. I'm just not discounting multiple people reporting that they used real, personal certs (that nobody else used) with their XCI on SX OS and still got banned, and did not install any NSP's.

It's good to know that you haven't been banned. Good luck on that continuing to be the case.

Atmospheres creport not only dumps them to the SD card, it also prevents writing them to the NAND. And because the error never got written to the NAND, you switch can't send it to Nintendo, resulting in a lower ban risk, because they have less information to detect that you are using a cfw.

Even when trimmed it doesn't (usually) equate the size of the NSP.

Yeah, but when you are thinking mainly about safety, and ease of use and using your own dumps online, than that's not the biggest concern.

 

[Zumoly]

Yeah, but when you are thinking mainly about safety, and ease of use and using your own dumps online, than that's not the biggest concern.

I believe Nintendo gave the option of using eshop titles (NSP) for those who don't want to use carts?

 

[gnmmarechal]

Expected, but still somewhat disappointing.

 

[Kubas_inko]

I have no idea why no one ever mentions the possibility of keeping the switch clean using XCIs, while NSPs are an automatic ban flag if the user doesn't restore the NAND everytime he wishes to boot sysNAND

They aren't, because everyone who thinks backups his clean NAND before anything...

 

[Mateto]

They aren't, because everyone who thinks backups his clean NAND before anything...

Don't make the mistake of thinking I haven't created every possible backup I could before doing everything else, but I fail to understand if you actually meant "RESTORES his backup before going into sysNAND", or not. If you didn't mean that, then your reply does not concern my post, so I'm gonna let the possibility slide, but if you did then I want you to consider the POSSIBILITY of being wrong about the necessary steps for booting into sysNAND.

What I mean is that maybe, using XCIs only, and offline (90DNS or Stealh Mode too), you wouldn't need to restore the NAND before booting into sysNAND, which is necessary if using NSPs.. Were it the case, wouldn't you agree that it can be considered an advantage of sorts? Therefore, this can answer plenty of questions like "Why would you want a XCI loader? NSPs are better". Besides, NSPs aren't objectively better, and neither are XCIs! They both have their points of strength, and I think people need to realize not to mix subjective preferences to objective reality. As a matter of fact, NSPs are pretty cool and I can't wait to use them after I deep research into the matter and find the most convenient solution to remain unbanned, which I still am using the XCI method above mentioned. Of course, my experience is not universal proof, but I'm not the only one and the spark of interest in a XCI loader is rising because of these experiences, too. Not counting the XCI builder and other possible tools, of course.
EDIT: typos

 

[Jayro]

Condemn me to hell if you wish, but I'd still like to see an NX Flash Cart. "Burn" XCI images to SD cards of the matching size, or have a button that can switch between games like the SKY3DS did. Just no need for stupid templates. Surely it could be done, it just might stick out of the Switch a fair bit and be ugly. But then you could have XCI loading on OFW using hardware emulation of a legit Switch cart.

 

[RednaxelaNnamtra]

I believe Nintendo gave the option of using eshop titles (NSP) for those who don't want to use carts?

I thought so on the 3ds, than I got banned, and now I lost legal access to games worth multiple hundreds of euros, just because Nintendo refuses to transfer the nnid from the banned system to a new device. (btw I accept the ban of the n3ds itself, it was my own fault, just not the nnid transfer part)

Also you can't sell eshop titles, if you don't play them anymore, or give it to a friend to test a game.

 

[Kubas_inko]

Don't make me mistake of thinking I haven't created every possible backup I could before doing everything else, but I fail to understand if you actually meant "RESTORES his backup before going into sysNAND", or not. If you didn't mean that, then your reply does not concern my post, so I'm gonna let the possibility slide, but if you did then I want you to consider the POSSIBILITY of being wrong about the necessary steps for booting into sysNAND.

How I meant it.: Everyone who wants to know, who asks, will always get answers that doing a NAND backup is essential if you later want to be safe while going online. Even every guide out there has this part. So people who think will do a backup and once they know they had enough, they will restore it to be safe.

What I mean is that maybe, using XCIs only, and offline (90DNS or Stealh Mode too), you wouldn't need to restore the NAND before booting into sysNAND, which is necessary if using NSPs.. Were it the case, wouldn't you agree that it can be considered an advantage of sorts? Therefore, this can answer plenty of questions like "Why would you want a XCI loader? NSPs are better".

An advantage with some great hustle. I don't get it. What do you see about XCI loading that makes it so comfortable? You have to have huge files in 1 place. Updates and DLCs will install to Nintendo folder anyways. If you want to launch them, you have to go through the menu each time you want to play them. When you want to delete them, you delete them the same way as NSPs but then you also have to delete them from SD card. They are bigger unless you cut them.
Another problem being that other homebrew can leave some marks no matter what. Also logs. So in that case you are just hoping that you haven't used wrong homebrew which could have left a mark.
Also, going online with 90DNS on any CFW with any format alone is like being offline for ninty.
"If you want to prove how safe they are, disable safe mode (DNS of some sort) and 90DNS and go and play some games online." That what I always say to XCIs are safe.

They both have their points of strength, and I think people need to realize not to mix subjective preferences to objective reality.

I might sound like a total moron, but the only point of strength I see in XCIs is, that they are safer. Not safe, but safer. Which means nothing if you stay offline or use DNS these days.

They both have their points of strength, and I think people need to realize not to mix subjective preferences to objective reality.

Stay offline or use DNS. Easy as that. Or in my case, stay online. I haven't been banned yet and I am using NSPs from the day one they were possible. Pretty cool heh?
Also, another way of making it safer is to set your console to EU and then disable telemetry because of GDPR.

 

[RednaxelaNnamtra]

How I meant it.: Everyone who wants to know, who asks, will always get answers that doing a NAND backup is essential if you later want to be safe while going online. Even every guide out there has this part. So people who think will do a backup and once they know they had enough, they will restore it to be safe.

An advantage with some great hustle. I don't get it. What do you see about XCI loading that makes it so comfortable? You have to have huge files in 1 place. Updates and DLCs will install to Nintendo folder anyways. If you want to launch them, you have to go through the menu each time you want to play them. When you want to delete them, you delete them the same way as NSPs but then you also have to delete them from SD card. They are bigger unless you cut them.
Another problem being that other homebrew can leave some marks no matter what. Also logs. So in that case you are just hoping that you haven't used wrong homebrew which could have left a mark.
Also, going online with 90DNS on any CFW with any format alone is like being offline for ninty.
"If you want to prove how safe they are, disable safe mode (DNS of some sort) and 90DNS and go and play some games online." That what I always say to XCIs are safe.

I might sound like a total moron, but the only point of strength I see in XCIs is, that they are safer. Not safe, but safer. Which means nothing if you stay offline or use DNS these days.

Stay offline or use DNS. Easy as that. Or in my case, stay online. I haven't been banned yet and I am using NSPs from the day one they were possible. Pretty cool heh?
Also, another way of making it safer is to set your console to EU and then disable telemetry because of GDPR.

Yeah, the temetry part is a big helper in reducing the ban risk.

About the nsp usage:
You probably can't use the games online function with them or can you? That's the main advantage I see in xcis, to go online with my own dumps.
Also just as a note, you can keep the updates on the internal NAND and the games on the SD of you want to, this way you don't need to delete them most of the time.

BTW, the first thing I do after cfw boot is disableling the save mode.

 

[Mateto]

How I meant it.: Everyone who wants to know, who asks, will always get answers that doing a NAND backup is essential if you later want to be safe while going online. Even every guide out there has this part. So people who think will do a backup and once they know they had enough, they will restore it to be safe.

Normally, I would agree with you, given that it is a probable near 100% solution to all ban-related problems, but if the possibility of not having to restore it arises, wouldn't you simply stop doing that? And I mean that in a pure hypothetical scenario, of course, but for example.. You don't restore your clean NAND everytime you wish to go online with your CFW 3DS, right?
Obviously, the Switch hacking scene will probably never reach that level of soundness, but of course I'm here talking about possibilities and stuff, therefore you may never change your way of thinking it and honestly it is fine as it is. Actually, it is a very safe way of thinking, and I can respect that. Anyway...

An advantage with some great hustle. I don't get it. What do you see about XCI loading that makes it so comfortable? You have to have huge files in 1 place.

Having huge files inside my SD card is not really that much of a hassle, I think. Maybe installing NSPs is, though.. But of course, while I "get it" and "you don't", this is related to personal preference so we can't really argue about that.

Updates and DLCs will install to Nintendo folder anyways.

Are you talking about legit ones or NSPs? The former shouldn't relate to the issue at hand, and NSPs are a "no no" with a XCI loader, but of course then you would need to limit yourself to cartridge games.. Now, there are actually two solutions to this problem: XCI builder, thus not having to install anything at all, or a emuNAND of sorts with a different Nintendo folder, i. e. SX OS's emuNAND. Of course, with a perfect emuNAND, you wouldn't need XCIs either if you want to stay ban safe, but still.

If you want to launch them, you have to go through the menu each time you want to play them.

Yeah, I don't actually mind it, but it could be fixed somewhat : P many users don't like it.

When you want to delete them, you delete them the same way as NSPs but then you also have to delete them from SD card.

What do you mean with "you delete them the same way as NSPs"? Are you referring to the "traces" of your usage of XCIs? Because otherwise, you would only need to delete them from SD card. And if you're talking about "traces", it is not an XCI related problem. If you wish to erase your traces, you restore your NAND, and anyway I'm here talking about the possibility of not having to do that if you only use XCIs.

They are bigger unless you cut them.

Hmm.. Yeah, that's true, but if you cut them they are basically the same size of NSPs, so no problem.

Another problem being that other homebrew can leave some marks no matter what. Also logs. So in that case you are just hoping that you haven't used wrong homebrew which could have left a mark.

Yeah, but this is XCI unrelated : P

Also, going online with 90DNS on any CFW with any format alone is like being offline for ninty.
"If you want to prove how safe they are, disable safe mode (DNS of some sort) and 90DNS and go and play some games online." That what I always say to XCIs are safe.

I might sound like a total moron, but the only point of strength I see in XCIs is, that they are safer. Not safe, but safer. Which means nothing if you stay offline or use DNS these days.

Stay offline or use DNS. Easy as that. Or in my case, stay online. I haven't been banned yet and I am using NSPs from the day one they were possible. Pretty cool heh?

I feel like this is the strongest point of your argument, and I want to clear some doubts about what you said before proceeding:

>"If you want to prove how safe they are, disable safe mode (DNS of some sort) and 90DNS and go and play some games online."
What do you mean play some games online? Only connected to the WiFi, or actually playing online multiplayer?

>"...I see in XCIs is, that they are safer. Not safe, but safer. Which means nothing if you stay offline or use DNS these days."
But with NSPs, you ALSO need to restore the clean NAND if you wish to play multiplayer games online in sysNAND.

>"Or in my case, stay online. I haven't been banned yet and I am using NSPs from the day one they were possible. Pretty cool heh?"
Sure, but with "stay online" you mean stay online with DNS, right? I don't think you are playing multiplayer NSPsonline, of course, and when booting sysNAND, you restore your clean NAND. Am I correct?

Also, another way of making it safer is to set your console to EU and then disable telemetry because of GDPR.

Sure, agreed.

 

[OrGoN3]

Thank you for that link. I filtered the Excel document on people who used XCI + cert online, and those that were banned. The included screenshot shows that every single one that was banned, also used other banflags (checkpoint, emulators, etc.). Those that didn't use any other homebrew stuff DID NOT get banned. You are wrong.

That's completely false. I'm scrolling down the October version right now and number 36 on the list, xlce101x, used xci + cert online and did NOT use any NSPs or dev menu. Another is 132, PatrickD85. I'm not going to continue because you purposely left them off your screenshot of only 5 reports.