Hacking Modded Wii (4.3U) permanently bricked?

[HarveyHouston]

So, I think I may have permanently bricked my Wii today. I was testing some homebrew I had gotten when during an IOS check it froze. I turned off my Wii and powered it on, and now all it does is say:

The system files are corrupted.
Please refer to the Wii Operations Manual
for help troubleshooting.​

I've tried holding RESET and powering on. I've tried holding all four directions on the GameCube controller. I've tried holding - and +. Nothing works. After the Health and Safety screen, it gives me that error. I don't have BootMii installed as part of boot2, nor do I have Priiloader. I'm on System Menu 4.3U.

Strangely, I can reset at the Health and Safety message, and if I reset right before I see the error, I see the series of squares as if it's going to the System Menu.

What are my options, other than modifying the hardware? I want my Wii back!

 

[Alexander1970]

So, I think I may have permanently bricked my Wii today. I was testing some homebrew I had gotten when during an IOS check it froze. I turned off my Wii and powered it on, and now all it does is say:



I've tried holding RESET and powering on. I've tried holding all four directions on the GameCube controller. I've tried holding - and +. Nothing works. After the Health and Safety screen, it gives me that error. I don't have BootMii installed as part of boot2, nor do I have Priiloader. I'm on System Menu 4.3U.

Strangely, I can reset at the Health and Safety message, and if I reset right before I see the error, I see the series of squares as if it's going to the System Menu.

What are my options, other than modifying the hardware? I want my Wii back!

Hello.

That is sad to hear you have troubles with your test Wii.
(No PRIILOADER ?!? Oh no....... )

Please try the following:

- remove the SD Card and see what happens.
- reboot your Wii 5-6 times in a Row.
- also please try it 5-6 times and press/hold "+" and "-" Buttons and proceed on the Health screen.
- try a "newer" Wii original Game on bootup

Good Luck,my friend.

 

[MrCokeacola]

What are my options, other than modifying the hardware? I want my Wii back!

Restore your backed up NAND that you saved to your PC...

 

[HarveyHouston]

- remove the SD Card and see what happens.
- reboot your Wii 5-6 times in a Row.
- also please try it 5-6 times and press/hold "+" and "-" Buttons and proceed on the Health screen.
- try a "newer" Wii original Game on bootup

None of those work. I'm not seeing anything. Am I doing something wrong?

Restore your backed up NAND that you saved to your PC...

How can I restore when I can't even access the internal storage? I said I had no BootMii or Priiloader.

 

[Deleted User]

Then you're just outta luck here.
This is why when you install HBC first thing to do is BootMii and NAND Backup.

Try harder, search for ways to restore your wii without NAND Backup.

 

[ROllerGuy]

You've most likely ran a bricker. Your Wii is screwed.

 

[HarveyHouston]

Does anyone know where I can get SaveMii? It might fix my problem. I am using an original Wii, after all.

EDIT: I was able to boot into SaveMiiFrii; apparently I wasn't holding the GameCube buttons right. I had to take the controller apart, but it works. Now, however, whenever I put in a Wii disc, the 4.3U disappears, and nothing happens. Is there something I can do to fix this that doesn't require a modchip?

 

[XFlak]

What do u mean the 4.3U dissappears?

Do you have a game disc that has an exploit? Like super smash bros, or Lego Indian Jones, etc.

 

[HarveyHouston]

What do u mean the 4.3U dissappears?

It just does. I disassemble my GameCube controller (carefully, so I can put it back together and use it again!), plug it into the fourth port, hold the rubber piece down so that all four indents where the Control Pad is supposed to be are touching the circuit board, and power the Wii on. I see that in the bottom right, there reads 4.3(USA) (my mistake; it wasn't U, it was USA). I insert a Wii game disc dated 2010 and later, and then the message disappears. I listen to my drive, and do not hear it reading the disc. Obviously, it detects that the update has already been installed.

Do you have a game disc that has an exploit? Like super smash bros, or Lego Indian Jones, etc.

I have LEGO Batman: The Video Game. I can get Bathaxx from the WiiBrew site. Will that work?

 

[XFlak]

Tbh I think it's a long shot but it would be cool to try. Unfortunately I'm no expert on wii autoboot discs so I promise nothing except the very best of luck.

if you can boot into a game with an exploit then we're in business, but otherwise probably toast

 

[HarveyHouston]

I've tried a bunch of different things, to no avail. I got a DVD-RW, wrote a recovery ISO called Universal Unbrick Disc V2, put it in the Wii in SaveMiiFrii mode, and nothing happens. I tried to browse the files on the Wii U using Wiixplorer, and it doesn't read it! Perhaps it's a different drive, I guess. I dunno. I'm totally frustrated. I'm thinking of throwing my Wii into the yard and HAMMERING IT INTO LITTLE TINY PIECES!!!

 

[Alexander1970]

...throwing my Wii into the yard and HAMMERING IT INTO LITTLE TINY PIECES!!!

I am sorry for you my friend.
I understand this is very frustrating......and maybe a little "anger" goes on yourself... (Priiloader......)

But may a little alternative instead for you ?

This is a piece of plastic and metall.It won´t get hurt if you throw it and hammer on it.In the worst case YOU hurt yourself (Screws that fly around and get stuck in your eye....)
AND it can be replaced (your eye may not be..)

Please save your energy and "throw" it in your great Rockband Project !
THAT deserves it.And many People here appreciate this also.

Thank you and keep it up,great Rockband Warrior.

 

[KleinesSinchen]

I've tried a bunch of different things, to no avail. I got a DVD-RW, wrote a recovery ISO called Universal Unbrick Disc V2, put it in the Wii in SaveMiiFrii mode, and nothing happens. I tried to browse the files on the Wii U using Wiixplorer, and it doesn't read it! Perhaps it's a different drive, I guess. I dunno. I'm totally frustrated. I'm thinking of throwing my Wii into the yard and HAMMERING IT INTO LITTLE TINY PIECES!!!

I know this very understandable feeling. But hitting the Wii with a sledge hammer will not (really) give you a better feeling. And the drive is probably still usable. Please don’t destroy it.

About the recovery ISO:
The Wii drives are bad at reading DVD-RW. Try a non rewritable DVD-R (not +R). As far as I know it requires a modchip anyway for loading a burned recovery disc this way (I don’t know for sure).

About trying to read burned media with a Wii U: The drive will refuse to do this.

 

[XFlak]

FYI, some drives won't play backup discs period, and will only play originals.

 

[HarveyHouston]

Okay, I am probably going to need a modchip. I've read about ones that don't require soldering it to the motherboard, and there may possibly be some that won't even require taking your Wii apart, but I'm having trouble finding such. Any recommendations would be nice.

This is a piece of plastic and metall.It won´t get hurt if you throw it and hammer on it.In the worst case YOU hurt yourself (Screws that fly around and get stuck in your eye....) AND it can be replaced (your eye may not be..) Please save your energy and "throw" it in your great Rockband Project ! THAT deserves it.And many People here appreciate this also.

Thank you for your loyal support. I appreciate it very much! Thanks also for the little bit of humor. I wear glasses when I work on hardware, so I doubt my eyes will get the damage.

I know this very understandable feeling. But hitting the Wii with a sledge hammer will not (really) give you a better feeling. And the drive is probably still usable. Please don’t destroy it.

About the recovery ISO: The Wii drives are bad at reading DVD-RW. Try a non rewritable DVD-R (not +R). As far as I know it requires a modchip anyway for loading a burned recovery disc this way (I don’t know for sure).

About trying to read burned media with a Wii U: The drive will refuse to do this.

First of all, hitting it with a hammer was in jest. Secondly, unfortunately all I have is a DVD-RW, but I will get DVD-Rs when I can. Thirdly, my Wii U is not bricked, so that's not important to me.

FYI, some drives won't play backup discs period, and will only play originals.

I have an original Wii; it should be able to if I have a modchip, BootMii, or Priiloader. Since the latter two were never installed, a modchip is the path I'm taking now (only if I can keep from modifying my Wii's hardware!).

 

[HarveyHouston]

No commercial discs do, you need to edit the titleID at the very start of the iso before burning (fi you're going to use a chip, of course - with WODE or those weird stream-isos-from-PC chips that were around for a time you just mount the virtual disc; I don't think the SunDriver is a good choice here because you may not be able to set its selection menu to autoboot)

So, which chip(s) do I need to recover from a banner-brick? Where can I find them?

 

[Ryccardo]

So, which chip(s) do I need to recover from a banner-brick? Where can I find them?

You need to open the console and find out which model of optical drive you have (https://www.wiidrives.com/list can help you estimate but only checking yourself is the final answer), any chip compatible with your drive (whether it's the traditional type which solders or clips directly to the drive, or the inline type which plugs in the middle of the data cable including ODEs) will work

 

[HarveyHouston]

You need to open the console and find out which model of optical drive you have (https://www.wiidrives.com/list can help you estimate but only checking yourself is the final answer), any chip compatible with your drive (whether it's the traditional type which solders or clips directly to the drive, or the inline type which plugs in the middle of the data cable including ODEs) will work

Result: https://www.wiidrives.com/identify?serial=LU74988816
This is accurate, considering I already opened my Wii and saw the top label of the disc drive beginning with "D4".

 

[Ryccardo]

Result: https://www.wiidrives.com/identify?serial=LU74988816
This is accurate, considering I already opened my Wii and saw the top label of the disc drive beginning with "D4".

If it's a D4 (straight orange laser cable) it's an unmoddable drive - get an ODE, or an older drive and an appropriate chip for it

 

[Convey12]

Glad there's a possible fix to this.