Hacking Revert back to haxchi from accidental CFW install! How do I clean this up!

[thedarknight]

Hi all,

I've been running standard Haxchi for a few months and had CBHC Coldboot Installer in the homebrew menu. I followed the Wii U hacks guide and stopped here;

https://wiiu.hacks.guide/haxchi


I used a legitimately purchased copy of Brain Age. As I was in a rush at the time and after installing a few requested games, I left the console unattended with the hope to clean up the mod when I had more time. In the interim, the console has been used by a family member and have found today that the Haxchi install was updated to CBHB through the Homebrew channel. I only noticed as the Haxchi channel turned to an exclamation mark (!), with the label "Do not touch me". To make matters worse, the Hombrew channel is not installed on the menu but accessible via Haxchi. I found that I could still access the Homewbrew channel via the updated Haxchi icon and I uninstalled CBHB. The problem is that the Icon has not reverted back to Haxchi (still has the exclamation mark) and unlike previously where it would direct me straight to the Homebrew channel when I selected it, it now takes me to the CBHB menu first and have to access the select the Hombrew chanel from the options to get to it. Ideally, I want to remove CBHB all together from the console to avoid this happening again and keep the console on the Haxchi only. I don't want to not run the risk of the console being bricked if the console is left unattended and played by young kids. What would be the best method to clean up the mod from here and is the original guide I followed still reliable?

Thank you.

 

[godreborn]

do you get an "auto loading" message when you turn the system on?

 

[thedarknight]

do you get an "auto loading" message when you turn the system on?

No, it goes straight to the Wii U home menu screen now. It was previously going to the text menu shows when you go to "Coldboot installer" - if that's what you mean?

 

[Ryccardo]

CBHC is a two (or three) part affair:

1- a DS emulated game has its files replaced to exploit the emulator
1.5 - The icon of said game is replaced, usually with an exclamation mark (but any valid icon can be used), and so is its name
2- said game is set as the default system application

Installing CBHC does 1 and 2, and also 1.5 if the appropriate replacement artwork was present on SD;

Uninstalling it just reverts 2 (which is all is needed), if you want to undo 1 and 1.5 just uninstall and redownload the DS game (or install Haxchi over it)

(Installing Haxchi does 1 with a different payload optimized for manual use, and also 1.5 if the appropriate replacement artwork was present on SD)

 

[godreborn]

hmm...can you play any games from a coldboot (without running haxchi)? I'm not sure if the original icon and text will appear if you uninstall cbhc. I uninstalled cbhc once to check if a game worked in normal fw. I copied the game, and the icon and text didn't change. apparently, this happens if you copy (not move) a game.

 

[Ryccardo]

I'm not sure if the original icon and text will appear if you uninstall cbhc.

No, because once they have been replaced, there's simply nowhere to get the original back from (without adding significant extra logic for redownloading from eShop, I mean)

 

[godreborn]

No, because once they have been replaced, there's simply nowhere to get the original back from (without adding significant extra logic for redownloading from eShop, I mean)

that's what I figured.

 

[thedarknight]

Uninstalling it just reverts 2 (which is all is needed), if you want to undo 1 and 1.5 just uninstall and redownload the DS game (or install Haxchi over it)

Are you suggestion to delete it from data management, re-install Brain Age and re-install the mod?

hmm...can you play any games from a coldboot (without running haxchi)?

I have only a handful of games installed on an external HDD but locally released games are still running fine. Games from outside of my local region are not.

 

[Ryccardo]

Are you suggestion to delete it from data management, re-install Brain Age and re-install the mod?

Either that, or just installing Haxchi over it - the result will be the same (since the Haxchi installer also comes bundled with artwork, in the /haxchi/ folder of the SD)

Since you have verified that CBHC only starts if you manually run "dont touch me", you can demonstrate it's not set as default app anymore (which is all that matters for making it safely removable); in fact you could keep manually running it this way with no problem

 

[thedarknight]

Thanks for your help Ryccardo and godreborn.

I won't get a chance to fix this today but think I will re-install Haxchi and have the homebrew channel on the menu this time round.

If I ever needed to revert the system back to it's original state and wanted to complete a system format, I would need to uninstall haxchi (ensuring its not auto-enabled on boot)?

Could I remove CBHC/Mocha CFW from the SD card all together to stop it from showing in homebrew channel and avoid an accidental install?

 

[thedarknight]

I've successfully re-installed Haxchi and now seems to operating slightly different then previously. Which includes holding down the A button to access homebrew launcher. The console now also boots straight to the Wii U Menu, so I am assuming that custom firmware is not running on boot now and should prevent the console from being bricked if somebody was to ever remove Haxchi/Brain Age from the data management menu or formats the console?

I've also noticed that I am now re-directed back to the Mii Universe channel when I exit Homebrew Launcher and not the main menu...I can't seem to figure out if this is normal behavior? Finally, Is it safe for me to install the Homebrew Channel on the internal HDD? I am receiving a black screen when I attempt to boot it from the external HDD.

Thank you again.

 

[Deleted User]

I've also noticed that I am now re-directed back to the Mii Universe channel when I exit Homebrew Launcher and not the main menu...I can't seem to figure out if this is normal behavior?

This is normal behaviour. Back from before we had IOSU custom firmwares, the SD card was inaccessible, except from within a few select apps (Mii Maker, Smash Bros. and a few others). HBL is loaded in place of Mii Maker in order to get IOSU to give us access to the SD card. You'll notice that, after running Haxchi and loading HBL initially, you can open HBL by pressing the Mii Maker button on the Wii U Menu until you turn off your console or open System Settings.

The real Mii Maker launches when you close HBL because there would otherwise be no other way to access it without restarting your console.

Finally, Is it safe for me to install the Homebrew Channel on the internal HDD? I am receiving a black screen when I attempt to boot it from the external HDD.

I have installed the Homebrew Channel (edit: the Wii U one, not the Wii one) on my console's internal NAND, and it works fine. (but you need to launch a custom firmware first, Haxchi has one built-in but I'm not sure what the default button for it is, I use my own configuration)

 

[M7L7NK7]

I know it's always a "family member" that updates someone's console but they managed to update Haxchi to cold boot?? lol

 

[thedarknight]

You'll notice that, after running Haxchi and loading HBL initially, you can open HBL by pressing the Mii Maker button on the Wii U Menu

Wasn't aware of this. I might consider not installing the Homebrew Channel and using this method instead. If I decide to install it later down the track, I will try it on the internal HDD now that I know it is safe to do. It's definitely not booting on the external. Thanks for your help.

Finally, if anybody is able to confirm the following...I would greatly appreciate it:

The console now also boots straight to the Wii U Menu, so I am assuming that custom firmware is not running on boot now and should prevent the console from being bricked if somebody was to ever remove Haxchi/Brain Age from the data management menu or formats the console?