Ensure you have a pre-cfw CLEAN NAND backup if you want to use sysnand for online

File based EmuMMC is working but if you use FAT32 it is very limited and heavily bottlenecked, if you decide to use exFAT then it is very unstable and can corrupt your SD card easily; as of now use partition based as file based is very slow/unstable!!

Rewriting guide with NYX in mind alongside quad boot files for that.


Pre-Setup [Win/Linux]

Spoiler

• Dump your NAND via hekate or use a clean dumped nand(you need to dump BOOT0/BOOT1 and rawnand) ENSURE AUTORCM IS TURNED OFF!
• Merge these into one file using:
  
  Linux cmd:
  cat BOOT0 BOOT1 rawnand.bin.00 rawnand.bin.01 rawnand.bin.02 rawnand.bin.03 rawnand.bin.04 rawnand.bin.05 rawnand.bin.06 rawnand.bin.07 rawnand.bin.08 rawnand.bin.09 rawnand.bin.10 rawnand.bin.11 rawnand.bin.12 rawnand.bin.13 rawnand.bin.14 > emummc.bin
  
  Windows cmd:
  copy /b BOOT0+BOOT1+rawnand.bin.00+rawnand.bin.01+rawnand.bin.02+rawnand.bin.03+rawnand.bin.04+rawnand.bin.05+rawnand.bin.06+rawnand.bin.07+rawnand.bin.08+rawnand.bin.09+rawnand.bin.10+rawnand.bin.11+rawnand.bin.12+rawnand.bin.13+rawnand.bin.14 emummc.bin
• If you are using a single file dumped nand then:
  Linux cmd:
  cat BOOT0 BOOT1 rawnand.bin > emummc.bin

Windows cmd:
copy /b BOOT0+BOOT1+rawnand.bin emummc.bin

Setting up EmuMMC[Linux]

Spoiler

1. Format your SD, clear any partitions and etc.
2. Create your normal partition (MAKE SURE IT IS FAT32 AND 32K CLUSTER).
3. Leave enough space to fit the NAND image.
4. Make that last partition FAT32 aswell
   
5. Identify the partition address */dev/xxx
6. Use this command to write your complete emummc image to the EmuNand partition we made earlier:
   sudo dd if=<your_emummc_bin> bs=512M of=<Step 5, partition add> status=progress
7. Once this is done download the latest AMS and Hekate.
8. Download the EmuMMC config and create a folder named "emummc" then paste it there..
9. Use a tool like GParted to find the first sector of the partition holding the EmuNAND
10. Convert the value from step 8 to hexadecimal > just google <number> to hexadecimal ; it should give out a number such as 0x1039 and etc; IF on the case that it gives one like say 800 then it'll be 0x800.
11. SOMETIMES EmuMMC may not work fully with "0x" infront of the sector, it's hit & miss.
    
12. edit the config file in emummc with this value.

Setting up EmuMMC[Windows10]

Spoiler

Install tools:

• https://www.partitionwizard.com/partitionmanager/sd-partitions.html (Has freeware installer at the end, ensure you untick the box)
• https://uranus.chrysocome.net/linux/rawwrite/dd-0.4beta1.exe (Copy this into the folder where you made your complete EmuMMC image, rename it to dd)

Steps:

• Using the partition tool, delete all partitions on the sd (all data on the sd will be gone)
• Create the first partition at the start of the table, make this a Fat32 32K Cluster partition, leave 31GB at the end of the table.
• Format the end partition as FAT32 aswell, cluster size does not matter.
• 
• Using CMD cd into the folder where you have your emuMMC files and dd.
• Figure out what partition you will specificy to DD by using running the cmd dd --list
• 
• As you can see K: is my EmuMMC partition and it is linked to \\?\Device\HarddiskVolume19, this is the disk we will write to via DD.
• Using the CMD dd if=<your_emummc_bin_path> bs=512M of=<Disk we identified on previous step> --progress image your EmuMMC onto the last partition.
• Once the last partition has your EmuMMC, start setting up AMS and Hekate, download Atmosphere CFW and Hekate.
• Copy AMS + Hekate onto your SD
• Download the EmuMMC config and create a folder named "emummc" then paste it there.
• Find your first sector by using the disk tool, right click your EmuMMC partition > properties > partition info > first physical sector.
• Convert the number to hexadecimal by going on google and searching <Number> to hexadecimal ; a value such as 0x492A3900 or etc will show.
• SOMETIMES EmuMMC may not work fully with "0x" infront of the sector, it's hit & miss.
• Open emummc folder on your sd then open the config and paste the hexadecimal number over the existing one.
• Launch hekate then atmosphere, if it is all done right you should be in EmuMMC

Dual/Triple/Quad boot[L4T Ubuntu/Lakka, Stock-Sys, EmuNand]

Spoiler

Rewrite in progress

Notes:

• No I won't sit you through this, the process is already laid out there.
• If you decide to use exFAT I won't really help.
• You can do the partitioning and file merging on windows but I don't know any tool to write the image to a specific partition.
• There is NO such thing as *Cleaning* your NAND, if you don't have a clean backup then bad luck, you can maybe get away with clearing logs if you haven't been online for a long time but even then I wouldn't suggest it; should've made a clean NAND backup, I won't guide you through any of that.

CLICK HERE FOR EMUMMC CONFIG

DISCLAIMER: I am not resposible for you killing your switch, bricking it from the failure to make a NAND backup; I am in no way obliged to provide you personal support nor am I obliged to do anything else; I'm not resposible for you messing up your SD Card either.



Windows guide:

 

[tabzer]

EmuMMC leave it on 8.0.1, 8.1.0 may need work; sysNand if playing online just do norm update to latest.

What kind of issues might be present on 8.1 emummc (updated emummc from 8.0.1 to 8.1 with Choi) ? I was able to get it to work well with your recent kip build. So far I haven't run into issues.

 

[TariqSoftDev]

What kind of issues might be present on 8.1 emummc (updated emummc from 8.0.1 to 8.1 with Choi) ? I was able to get it to work well with your recent kip build. So far I haven't run into issues.

Well not sure, it's just standard with any new update that there may be any slew of weird kinks.

 

[James Sableye]

Is it worth keeping my CFW on sysNAND and a clean build on emuNAND? I wont be updating my FW on CFW and it will let me update my clean build without burning fuses.

Any possible issues with this approach?

 

[TariqSoftDev]

Is it worth keeping my CFW on sysNAND and a clean build on emuNAND? I wont be updating my FW on CFW and it will let me update my clean build without burning fuses.

Any possible issues with this approach?

I do it reverse, SysNand for norm stuff since I don't really care for burnt fuses(not like Im gonna downgrade or anything), EmuMMC for CFW stuff.

 

[James Sableye]

I do it reverse, SysNand for norm stuff since I don't really care for burnt fuses(not like Im gonna downgrade or anything), EmuMMC for CFW stuff.

i hear you. i'm just thinking, my switch is on 8.0.1 stock FW and who knows, if a softmod comes out in the future that can autoboot CFW without RCM i'd like to hope i'm not already patched out!

 

[James Sableye]

OK - so my idea wasn't great one. When you boot into emuNAND the hbmenu is set-up. therefore emuNAND is never clean. The only way to stay clean curently is to use the internal NAND.

 

[alevan]

Is there a way to test it if I am using emummc instead of the native soldered emmc?

 

[Bl4ckeagle]

@alevan
I think the most easiest way is to create different users?

 

[chinesekidx]

I followed your tutorial and was able to installed emummc. But everything I install through goldleaf/tinfoil usb-installation gets corrupted eventually. I managed to successfully install mario kart 8 and couple rounds in, I get an error and my game corrupts. I know its not the nsp, because I've used the same one before installing emummc and everything worked fine. Is this happening to any1 else?
I'm using a genuine 128GB sandisk U1 microsd card.

 

[Patrykek]

I followed your tutorial and was able to installed emummc. But everything I install through goldleaf/tinfoil usb-installation gets corrupted eventually. I managed to successfully install mario kart 8 and couple rounds in, I get an error and my game corrupts. I know its not the nsp, because I've used the same one before installing emummc and everything worked fine. Is this happening to any1 else?
I'm using a genuine 128GB sandisk U1 microsd card.

Corruption of games is normal on EmuMMC.

 

[chinesekidx]

Corruption of games is normal on EmuMMC.

How normal is it though? 90% of the time that install games, they ended up corrupted. And I'm running 8.0.1 to avoid anything unstable from 8.1.

Would switching sd cards help with this? Or we just have to wait for a more stable release at this point?

 

[TariqSoftDev]

I followed your tutorial and was able to installed emummc. But everything I install through goldleaf/tinfoil usb-installation gets corrupted eventually. I managed to successfully install mario kart 8 and couple rounds in, I get an error and my game corrupts. I know its not the nsp, because I've used the same one before installing emummc and everything worked fine. Is this happening to any1 else?
I'm using a genuine 128GB sandisk U1 microsd card.

Read first part of thread on SD cards.

 

[chinesekidx]

Read first part of thread on SD cards.

I read that part. Are all Samsung Evo microsd cards 100% working? I have a 128gb Samsung Evo u3 that I can try later on.

So this corruption/crash issue has nothing to do with write speeds or anything?

 

[Xen0]

If I want emummc for CFW stuff and sysmmc for online... I need to disable autoRCM to boot normally into sysmmc, is that right? And everytime I want to go into emummc I have to dothe jig stuff again?

 

[TariqSoftDev]

If I want emummc for CFW stuff and sysmmc for online... I need to disable autoRCM to boot normally into sysmmc, is that right? And everytime I want to go into emummc I have to dothe jig stuff again?

Yep; personally I just removed my vol + strap from my modchip so I Only have to press power + vol up to boot cfw.

 

[henkp]

Yep; personally I just removed my vol + strap from my modchip so I Only have to press power + vol up to boot cfw.

Wouldn't it be possible to just hekate reboot into stock?

btw still figuring out whether i'm currently using emummc or sysmmc. Don't dare to do a 'Normal' reboot myself until somebody confirms the above...

Edit: so it seems Atmosphere boots with a black&white logo when using emunand. Yet, as I only just got my emunand running and switch was completely clean before, can somebody point me to which screen/image should be black&white? Preferably with the color-edition next to it to make sure I get the difference

 

[Atmosfear]

>Another process is using the drive you're trying to write to, close partition managers and any file explorers.

Ah well thank you for the info, lemme update the guide!

Could you add that to your tutorial please? I had the same issue.

 

[Cyan]

Wouldn't it be possible to just hekate reboot into stock?

unfortunately not possible anymore since 7.x
But that would be great if there were a way to boot (hook up) the official nintendo bootloader from RCM.

Is there a way to test it if I am using emummc instead of the native soldered emmc?

You could set the Home menu differently, theme color, etc.
For example, if you install the HBL channel on emuMMC you'll know you are in CFW if you see it.
different users might be a little less quicker to notice, it's only a small icon in the top, but up to you to remember the method you use to differentiate them.


@TariqSoftDev
Just a confirmation, in your guide for windows, when using dd you say "<Disk we identified on previous step>"
but there isn't any example (I'm sure it's on purpose to prevent users from copy/paste wrong commandline?), but do we have to type all the line including the slashes and question mark, \\?\Device\etc... or just the Harddiskvolumexx name, its number, or the mounted letter?



General question to all users:
Are you using different SD Card for sysNAND and emuNAND?
or keeping the same SD card for both and relying on the different folder name only to hope nintendo doesn't detect your emuMMC partition and data on it?
If you use different one, it might be annoying to always swap SD cards, but also might be a problem if emuMMC reboots by itself due to error and you are not ready to swap SD or use Jig.


Is there a safeguard to only launch Atmosphere using EmuMMC and not boot atmosphere over sysNAND?
if the ini file is wrong it doesn't launch at all, or it launches sysNAND?

 

[TariqSoftDev]

unfortunately not possible anymore since 7.x
But that would be great if there were a way to boot (hook up) the official nintendo bootloader from RCM.


You could set the Home menu differently, theme color, etc.
For example, if you install the HBL channel on emuMMC you'll know you are in CFW if you see it.
different users might be a little less quicker to notice, it's only a small icon in the top, but up to you to remember the method you use to differentiate them.


@TariqSoftDev
Just a confirmation, in your guide for windows, when using dd you say "<Disk we identified on previous step>"
but there isn't any example (I'm sure it's on purpose to prevent users from copy/paste wrong commandline?), but do we have to type all the line including the slashes and question mark, \\?\Device\etc... or just the Harddiskvolumexx name, its number, or the mounted letter?



General question to all users:
Are you using different SD Card for sysNAND and emuNAND?
or keeping the same SD card for both and relying on the different folder name only to hope nintendo doesn't detect your emuMMC partition and data on it?
If you use different one, it might be annoying to always swap SD cards, but also might be a problem if emuMMC reboots by itself due to error and you are not ready to swap SD or use Jig.

It states it in the guide along with a picture, it's needed to type it all since that is what dd for windows links too.

As for your question; I use a single 256G card with my modchip, I removed the Vol up strap so I can dual boot at a buttons press then used Argon with my quad boot files so I can tap & launch ubuntu, emummc and lakka with ease.

• As you can see K: is my EmuMMC partition and it is linked to \\?\Device\HarddiskVolume19, this is the disk we will write to via DD.
• Using the CMD dd if=<your_emummc_bin_path> bs=512M of=<Disk we identified on previous step> --progress image your EmuMMC onto the last partition.
  
  

 

[Cyan]

when you said "it's the disk we will write" it could mean just the "disk name" like "harddiskVolume19" only. Maybe to be less confusing you could add "all the line, including the slashes and question mark") or "this is the link we will write" instead of disk
that's probably me being too strict on writing guides, but I like providing as much information as possible to prevent user errors. I suppose at worse, dd doesn't write anything and it's not dangerous.


thanks for the SD Card answer. I might just use the same card too.