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Ultimate Wii U Troubleshooting Guide | system memory error 160-0103 | stuck Wii U Screen | stuck Factory Reset | Black Screen (after stuck update)

Introduction


There are several common problems Wii Us run into. Some symptoms have a varaity on causes and some problems have different solutions. This is primarily a meta guide designed to diagnose the cause of the problem and then to point you to the solution that is right for you.

The first step you should try is removing all external devices. If the problem persists look at the Symptoms described below, which will then point you the Cause to find further information

Symptoms


160-0103 error message
Does it happen during boot (before the Wii U Menu) or after (e.g. In a game, during inital setup)
  • After -> Failing eMMC
  • During
    • Do you know for sure CBHC (Cold Boot Haxchi) was not installed. (you bought it new back then and never modded it)
      • No CBHC -> Failing eMMC
      • CHBC or not sure -> try CBHC unbrick, if it doesn't help go to failing eMMC
Stuck on Factory Reset -> Failing eMMC

160-0101 error message during boot -> CHBC Brick

160-1400 error message during boot -> Missing Disc Drive

160-1402 error message during boot ->Wrong Disc Drive Key

Stuck on Wii U boot Screen
Did mess with Region Change / Initial Launch / Deleting MLC files
  • Yes -> Initial Launch
  • No -> Failing eMMC

Black Screen
What is the LED doing?
  • Doesn't light
    • Check if the Powersupply provides 15V
      • Check for short on Wii U Power connector
        • If none of these apply -> 3V3 Standby Buck Converter probably failed
  • Staying red
    • Try turning on using the eject button and remote
      • Still red -> SLC Failure / boot1 corruption / SEEPROM corruption
  • Red blinking after some time -> Overheating / VRMs failing
  • Red Blinking on cold boot -> Short on one of the Power Rails
  • Blue blinking -> SLC Corruption (system.xml / fw.img) or bad RAM
  • Orange blinking -> ISFShax SD card missing
  • static blue
    • Wait 1m, try turning off by shortly (less than 1s) pressing power
      • Still on -> OS crash
      • Turns off -> Display Problem

Wii U Menu freezes when trying to launch anything -> Defective 2.4Ghz Wifi Module

All games freeze on the splash screen -> Defective Bluetooth Module

Wii U freezes during boot on Wii U Menu splash screen while coldbooting Aroma / Tiramisu -> Defective Bluetooth Module

Solutions


CBHC Brick
There was an exploit called Haxchi. It gets installed to a DS VC game and then exploits that game when launched to launch a CFW / Homebrew. To avoid having to launch the game every boot manually, the cold boot title could be changed from the Wii U menu to the exploited DS Game, so it gets launched when the Wii gets turned on. The Problem happens when said game gets deleted or moved. Then the Wii U can't find it's cold boot tile, doesn't know what to do and shows either 160-0101 or 160-0103. If the error happens some time after boot this isn't a CBHC brick and changing the CB title will do nothing for you!
The CBHC brick can be fixed by changing the coldboot title back to the Wii U Menu. Luckily @GaryOderNichts has found the UDPIH exploit and created the recovery menu, which allows us to do just that.
Go here: https://gbatemp.net/threads/udpih-usb-host-stack-exploit-recovery-menu.613369/


Failing eMMC
A failing eMMC causes a 160-0103 error whenever a corrupted file gets read from the internal memory (MLC). That can happen at any point. Don't confuse this problem with a CBHC brick, which can also cause 160-0103. It can also happen that the error message isn't shown. If for example the fonts are corrupted, the Wii U will hang at the white Wii U screen. Also if that error happens during Factory Reset, the error would only be shown on the Gamepad and if that isn't connected you will just notice that the Factory Reset get's stuck. In theory this error can also be caused by logical corruption (not actual failing Hardware) but from our experience it was always a Hardware fault (except if you explicitly messed with the eMMC or SCFM). In some very rare cases that can be caused by corruption on the SLC, which caches the eMMC (MLC) but most likely it is a failing eMMC chip. Nintendo sourced the eMMC chips for the 32GB Consoles from Samsung, Toshiba and Hynix. The Hynix ones are the ones failing. Not all Hynix chips have to fail, but almost all chips that fail are Hynix. Also it's not like Nintendo cheaped out or Hynix is a bad company, it just looks there was a problem effecting these chips, which only shows up after a few years. Also the 8GB Consoles are not affected, they don't use Hynix.
So if the Symptoms match (an even more if you know you have a Hynix) it's pretty sure a failing eMMC. Even if that problem only happens sometimes it should be dealt with asap, because it will get worse and will eventually lead to a full brick.

If you want a 100% confirmation you can dump the logs, either using the homebrew WiiUCrashLogDumper https://github.com/wiiu-env/WiiUCrashLogDumper/releases/tag/v0.1 which requires Tiramisu or Aroma. If your Wii U can't run Homebrew anymore, because it crashes you can use UDPIH and the recovery_menu from @GaryOderNichts to dump the logs: https://gbatemp.net/threads/udpih-usb-host-stack-exploit-recovery-menu.613369/

Then search all the .log files for MEDIA ERROR and DATA CORRUPTION.

Only errors concerning the dev:mlc01 are relevant. Here the example for such an error:
Code: 
10:48:16:325: FSA: ### MEDIA ERROR ###, dev:mlc01, err:-2228230, cmd:11, path:(null)
Errors concerning the optical disc drive (dev:odd01) can be ignored. Here is such an example, that can be ignored:
Code: 
10:48:16:325: FSA: ### MEDIA ERROR ###, dev:odd01, err:-2228230, cmd:11, path:(null)

Even though this is a Hardware problem, not all hope is lost (even without soldering)! Over the course of this year we developed not just one but three procedures to fix or work around that problem.

If you can solder there is the option of replacing the eMMC with a micro SD card, this can be done by either soldering wires directly or by using the MLC2SD Interposer. IMPORTANT: only solder when the Tutorial tells you to, for the first part the old eMMC must still be connected!
You can then either install a 64GB SD card in that Interposer and cleanely reinstall the System Titles, which is the recommended way or you can clone your existing MLC to a 32GB card and fix the corruption manually as good as possible (no longer recommended)
For the fresh Install on a 64GB card look here: https://gbatemp.net/threads/how-to-upgrading-rebuilding-wii-u-internal-memory-mlc.636309/
For cloning the old eMMC look here: https://gbatemp.net/threads/using-n...emmc-fix-160-0103-system-memory-error.636361/

If you can't solder there is also the option to use redNAND with ISFShax: https://gbatemp.net/threads/fixing-...-soldering-using-rednand-with-isfshax.642268/

As already said the recommended option is using NAN-AID with a 64GB SD card is the recommended option. It gives you a nice storage upgrade and allows you to run completely stock firmware. By formatting and reinstalling we ensure that there is no corruption and the system is in a 100% clean state. You can also upgrade to more to 64GB, but that would require a CFW all the time. The disadvantage is that you lose all the data. So you have to back it up and then restore the data. That is usally still less effort than fixing the cloned MLC.
When cloning the existing MLC, you carry over all the corruption. Depending how bad it is, that can be more or less work to fix. There is also some kind of corruption that can't be fixed and would cause future factory resets to hang.
The redNAND method has the obious advantage that you don't need to solder and that you can choose the size freely, but that comes with some disadvantages: Your Wii U will depend on the removable SD card to function. The card can get removed or lost. Also you need to run a CFW all the time. Since this depends on some hacks, it might be less reliable.


OS Crash
But to tell for sure what's the problem, we would need to look at the logs.
We can test if UDPIH https://gbatemp.net/threads/udpih-usb-host-stack-exploit-recovery-menu.613369/ works, It is unlikely to work, but easy enough to try and the pico can later also be used for paid the beak. You need to try connecting the Pico a little early (time it by the disc drive sounds). You won't see anything on the screen, instead you have to look at the LED and see if it turns purple to determine success. If it was successful, you can navigate blindly to dump the logs, which can then be analyzed.
If UDPIH doesn't work there is Paid The Beak (PTB), it allows launching minute to install ISFShax and dumping the logs to see whats wrong. One common reason on 32GB models is a bad eMMC (see the Failing eMMC sections)

Depending on some factors we can make some guesses. If you experienced system memoery error 160-0103 before or your Wii U froze before (especially during installing stuff), there is a good chance you have a failing eMMC. If you open the console up and see it is a Hynix eMMC (don't confuse with the SLC or the RAM), then it is very likely that the eMMC is failing. In that case a SD card reader can be used to dump the eMMC, the image can then be transfered to an SD card and the SD card can then replace the eMMC. In most cases that will make the Wii U show at least a picture and make udpih work again, so we avoid the defuse.
You might be wondering why transfering the corrupted data from the eMMC over can improve the situation. The answer is, that at that stage in the boot it often doesn't fail because of a read but of a write operation. When the eMMC is failing, it can go into a read only state, which makes the write fail and the OS crash. Also writes of partial blocks can fail, because for that the eMMC would need to read back the rest of the block, which can fail, if the eMMC detects corruption.


Display Problem
This can be as simple as a broken HDMI cable, the Wii U being configured for the old AV cable instead of HDMI (or the other way around) or it can also be the HDMI chip failing. The Problem is, without a TV picture you can't see the paring code for the gamepad. The easiest thing to try, ist to use the AV cable, if you have one (maybe from the original Wii).
If you don't have this cable or it doesn't help, you still have options:
  • Bruteforce just try out all combinations, there aren't that many, so it is feasible with some time. To get the Wii U into paring mode, you have to press the sync button twice.
  • Dumping the code via UDPI: https://gbatemp.net/threads/udpih-usb-host-stack-exploit-recovery-menu.613369/post-10275652 after you have dumped the pin, turn off the Wii U, look at the code on the PC, turn the Wii U on again, wait a minute, press the sync button on the console twice and enter the pin on the gamepad.
Once the gamepad is synced again, you can go to the settings and configure the TV there. If you can't get the TV to work there might be a Hardware problem, like a broken HDMI cable broken HDMI port or broken HDMI chip.


Initial Launch
Use UDPIH https://gbatemp.net/threads/udpih-usb-host-stack-exploit-recovery-menu.613369/post-10275652 with this recovery_menu: https://github.com/jan-hofmeier/recovery_menu/releases/tag/v0.5.0-3 and set the Inital Launch Value to 0. Then shut down and boot the Wii U normally. It should boot into the inital setup.


SLC Corruption / bad RAM
First try Paid The Beak (PTB). If PTB is able to load minute, then the RAM is likely fine and you have SLC corruption. In that case have a look at this thread: https://gbatemp.net/threads/wii-u-blinking-blue-light-no-image.640588/

If PTB also gives you a blue blinking LED, first verify that the UNSTBL_PWR jig works, by trying it once without the SD in. If it still blinks blue, then triggering UNSTBL_PWR doesn't work and you need to troubleshoot that. But if the LED stays red, then triggering UNSTBL_PWR works and the reason you also got a blue blinking LED with PTB is likely bad DRAM.
In this case you would need de Fuse to diagnose further:
If the defuse boot1 loads but boot1 then fails to load minute (fw.img) from the SD, then you probably have have bad memory. For further diagnosis you would have to modify the memory test in the minute boot1. But first make sure the SD is set up correctly and if minute still doesn't load look at the defuse README for troubleshooting.


3V3 Standby Buck Converter failure
Check if the 3V3 output (C1257) of the buck is shorted. If the output is not shorted check if the 15V input (C1388) is there, when console is plugged in.
3V3SB.jpg


SLC Failure / BOOT1 Corruption / SEEPROM Corruption
TODO


Overheating / VRMs failing
Open the Wii U and clean it. If you use a vacuum make sure to hold the fan. If it spins the fan, it can generate voltage, which can fry the Wii U.
If that doesn't help one of the VRMs, buck converters or the power brick is probably weak.


Short on Power Rail
If you have messed with the Disc Drive make sure the cable is connected the right way around. The end with the stubs goes towards the Disc Drive
TODO


ISFShax SD card missing
Make sure the SD card is formatted FAT32 and has the minute fw.img on it. See https://gbatemp.net/threads/how-to-set-up-isfshax.642258/ for details.


Disk Drive Missing
160-1400 means the Wii U can't find it's Disc Drive. If it is physically connected, then probably this small component on the Wii U board failed and needs to be replaced or bridged: https://gbatemp.net/threads/absolute-fix-to-160-1400-error.572879/


Wrong Disc Drive Key
160-1402 means the key in the Wii Us SEEPROM doesn't match the key on the drive circuit board. So you probably just connected the Drive from another Wii U. If your intention was to swap the drive, you have to move the circuit board from the old drive to the new one. In the future it might be possible to change the key in the SEEPROM, but currently it's not.


Defective 2.4Ghz Wifi Module
The console freezes when trying to boot a game, but music still plays and the animation also moves
It can be replaced without soldering. It is the Module with the black and white cable attached


Defective Bluetooth Module
If the BT Modules is broken the Wii U Menu Boot screen will freeze. A line like this in the syslog would also indicate a problem with the BT Module:
Code: 
00:00:11:915: BT: [Err] OHCI initialization failed - rv=0xfffffff6
It can be replaced without soldering.
 
Last edited by SDIO,
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Click to expand...
For the black one: it's pretty sure a bad eMMC. It's not a CBHC brick, since you reach the menu.
Install ISFShax via UDPIH and then you can dump the logs to confirm.
If you don't want to solder, you can either use redNAND or USBMLC.

For the White one: does the Power LED light up at all?
 
SDIO said:
For the black one: it's pretty sure a bad eMMC. It's not a CBHC brick, since you reach the menu.
Install ISFShax via UDPIH and then you can dump the logs to confirm.
If you don't want to solder, you can either use redNAND or USBMLC.

For the White one: does the Power LED light up at all?
Click to expand...

Thanks for your help.

Alright, so for the black one i should start with this guide :
https://gbatemp.net/threads/how-to-set-up-isfshax-stroopwafel.642258/

Then this one from your signature : Fixing system memory error 160-0103 (failing eMMC) without soldering / Setup redNAND

Right ?


As for the White one, no the Power Led light doesn't light up at all.

Thanks again.
 
I have been buying Wii Us on eBay that have been listed as broken/for parts. This guide has been incredibly useful in figuring out what's wrong with them! Most of them just had a Display Problem, and two of them had failing eMMCs. One of those I was able to get redNAND working on, too. I've become very fascinated in buying and fixing these Wii Us since then, and I feel like it's a great project to start learning about electronics.

That said, I received a Wii U that won't power on. Following the guide, I got confused. I've never used a multimeter before... so, I don't know what the steps mean. I'm wondering if you can go into more detail about what the three steps mean under the LED doesn't power on section. Thanks!
SDIO said:
  • Doesn't light
    • Check if the Powersupply provides 15V
      • Check for short on Wii U Power connector
        • If none of these apply -> 3V3 Standby Buck Converter probably failed
Click to expand...
 

Attachments

  • IMG_9243.remuxed.mp4
    2.5 MB
Hi, another Wii U came in, and it has an interesting issue. The symptoms lead to the OS Crash section. I am able to get UDPIH working, since the purple LED is on, but nothing is displaying. I'm unable to blindly navigate the menu, either. The buttons don't do anything. I know that both buttons work, since they both power on the console. But they don't do anything once the LED is purple. Am I missing something? Is this a new issue? Should I try something else?
 
RoyKo said:
Alright, so for the black one i should start with this guide :
https://gbatemp.net/threads/how-to-set-up-isfshax-stroopwafel.642258/

Then this one from your signature : Fixing system memory error 160-0103 (failing eMMC) without soldering / Setup redNAND

Right ?
Click to expand...

Yes

MarioGlitchy9 said:
I don't know what the steps mean. I'm wondering if you can go into more detail about what the three steps mean under the LED doesn't power on section. Thanks!
Click to expand...
I can't give a complete course on how to use multimeters and such, but maybe have a look at YouTube. Like eevblog, when he fixes something, it's mostly the same troubleshooting steps with checking if voltage is there.

MarioGlitchy9 said:
Hi, another Wii U came in, and it has an interesting issue. The symptoms lead to the OS Crash section. I am able to get UDPIH working, since the purple LED is on, but nothing is displaying. I'm unable to blindly navigate the menu, either. The buttons don't do anything. I know that both buttons work, since they both power on the console. But they don't do anything once the LED is purple. Am I missing something? Is this a new issue? Should I try something else?
Click to expand...
Are you following the ISFShax guide? It has instructions for what buttons to press in that case.
 
SDIO said:
I can't give a complete course on how to use multimeters and such
Click to expand...
Haha, that's fair. I'll look into it when I have some time. I shouldn't have expected you to babysit me like that.

As for the second console I mentioned, I tried PTB on it, and it wasn't working. I kept getting a flashing blue LED. But I was able to get it to work with the exact same setup on a different console that was giving me error 160-0103 as soon as it booted. I'm not sure why it wasn't working on this one.

I gave up on that, then tried UDPIH again, using the ISFShax guide, like you mentioned. Miraculously, it displayed the minute menu! The buttons worked, too! And I swear it wasn't working before, but I'm going to run with what I've got.

I went ahead and made backups of the OTP, SEEPROM, and SLC.RAW, just like the guide explained. I went ahead and dumped the sys crash logs using minute as well. The OS Crash section of the troubleshooting guide explained that the syslogs will tell what's really going on with the console. However, I don't know what to look for in the logs, so I'll attach them to my post if you'd like to take a look. Thanks for the reply! :)
 

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I only remember a missing bluetooth module producing similar errors in the logs
 
Anybody ever had a Wii U that sometimes is completely dead (no red light) and then sometimes it works flawlessly. I have 15V and 3.3V Standby. I gave the smc a reflow. Reseating the Wifi Boards seemed to help too. And then again - dead.
When plugged in, the reset line is low.

Solved!

U17 RTC Chip reflow with flux and an iron
 
Last edited by classiphil,
SDIO said:
I only remember a missing bluetooth module producing similar errors in the logs
Click to expand...
Hmm, well, the bluetooth module is certainly not missing. I've opened it up, and it's still there, plugged in and everything. Do you think it'd help to try replacing it?
 
Have a nice day.Thanks for this fantastic guide. It's truly excellent work. I've read it over and over again, trying to find my desperate case.When I turn on my Wii U, the LED goes from purple to orange, then purple again, and it always freezes with no TV signal.I managed to install ISFShax from the SD card, and I'm attaching the logs folder. I'm hoping for some serious help from the helpful folks on this fantastic Gbatemp forum.
 
Giuliano said:
Have a nice day.Thanks for this fantastic guide. It's truly excellent work. I've read it over and over again, trying to find my desperate case.When I turn on my Wii U, the LED goes from purple to orange, then purple again, and it always freezes with no TV signal.I managed to install ISFShax from the SD card, and I'm attaching the logs folder. I'm hoping for some serious help from the helpful folks on this fantastic Gbatemp forum.
Click to expand...
Make sure you have fw.img of minute on your SD card. Don't use the PTB boot1 SD card. This one is just for booting via PTB trigger. You need a fat32 formatted card.
 
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Thanks for the reply.ISFShax is installed, but to see the ISFShax menu, I have to boot the Wii U from the SD card with the fw.img file inside. If I turn on the Wii U without the SD card, the LED changes from purple to orange, then purple, and it freezes.I'm not sure which guide to use to continue.I'm attaching the log file.
 

Attachments

classiphil said:
Install via hax-installer after booting with your SD card.
Click to expand...
Sorry for the translation, which doesn't explain my problem. The ISFShax menu launches from the SD card, and with ISFShax, I don't understand how to install the exploit from the browser or the missing plugins.From the ISFShax menu, patch (SLC) and boot IOS (SLC) ERROR: no plugins found in SLC:/sys/hax/IOS_PLUGINS <check you select the right option>At least the core plugin is requiredFailed to load IOS with patches
 
If you use the ISFSHAX Zip as a starting point for your SD Card all should work fine: Link
To launch the exploit you do not need to install anything onto your wiiU. Just put your favorite Payload on your SD Card (like Aroma) and put 5payldr.ipx in your ios_plugins folfer, as described here: SDIOs-Manual (under Installing Aroma / Tiramisu)

"ERROR: no plugins found in SLC:/sys/hax/IOS_PLUGINS" - This meens that you did not install via "hax". You need to boot wit the SD Card and then start the hax APP.

If this does not help, feel free to ask again.
 
Last edited by classiphil,
Black WII U Issue (LED Red Flashing Light under some circumstances):

I haven't used the WII U in a while so just yesterday I'd decided to try to install basic homebrew.
Unfortunately, after turning on the Wii U and even during the process, there's been a consistent issue.

  • After turning the Wii U on, the first thing I did was attempt to load the Regular Wii Menu inside the system. It immediately shut off and the console's LED indicator flashed red. (The console will continue to work after unplugging it and plugging it back in, assume this is the case for each time this issue comes up)
  • Following a basic guide, I went to settings and deleted all of my stored internet connections, upon exiting settings, the console automatically turned off again
  • Upon turning on the console, I was able to access the Wii menu. (I have not tested any other apps yet, and I can do so for the purposes of identifying the issue further in the future.)
  • Installed the necessary programs into an SD Card which I then connected to the Wii U.
  • Attempt to back-up my NAND. It fails and the console reboots back into menu properly.
  • Realize there's an update for my Wii U
  • Attempt to update. Upon completion of the load, the Wii U crashes into flashing Red LED
  • Repeat 3 times. Then take out SD Card and repeat one more time. It works. Wii U is updated.
  • Attempt to back-up NAND again. It fails, console reboots back into menu properly.
  • Attempt to dump only SLCCMPT and OTP. Wii U Crashes into flashing Red LED
I'm new to this, so I can't tell if it's indicative of a failing eMMc, Overheating, or a failing NAND. If it helps any, there does not appear to be any problems with the fans.
Post automatically merged:

Black WII U Issue (LED Red Flashing Light under some circumstances):

I haven't used the WII U in a while so just yesterday I'd decided to try to install basic homebrew.
Unfortunately, after turning on the Wii U and even during the process, there's been a consistent issue.
  • After turning the Wii U on, the first thing I did was attempt to load the Regular Wii Menu inside the system. It immediately shut off and the console's LED indicator flashed red. (The console will continue to work after unplugging it and plugging it back in, assume this is the case for each time this issue comes up)
  • Following a basic guide, I went to settings and deleted all of my stored internet connections, upon exiting settings, the console automatically turned off again
  • Upon turning on the console, I was able to access the Wii menu. (I have not tested any other apps yet, and I can do so for the purposes of identifying the issue further in the future.)
  • Installed the necessary programs into an SD Card which I then connected to the Wii U.
  • Attempt to back-up my NAND. It fails and the console reboots back into menu properly.
  • Realize there's an update for my Wii U
  • Attempt to update. Upon completion of the load, the Wii U crashes into flashing Red LED
  • Repeat 3 times. Then take out SD Card and repeat one more time. It works. Wii U is updated.
  • Attempt to back-up NAND again. It fails, console reboots back into menu properly.
  • Attempt to dump only SLCCMPT and OTP. Wii U Crashes into flashing Red LED
I'm new to this, so I can't tell if it's indicative of a failing eMMc, Overheating, or a failing NAND. If it helps any, there does not appear to be any problems with the fans.
 
ParadoxIan said:
Black WII U Issue (LED Red Flashing Light under some circumstances):

I haven't used the WII U in a while so just yesterday I'd decided to try to install basic homebrew.
Unfortunately, after turning on the Wii U and even during the process, there's been a consistent issue.

  • After turning the Wii U on, the first thing I did was attempt to load the Regular Wii Menu inside the system. It immediately shut off and the console's LED indicator flashed red. (The console will continue to work after unplugging it and plugging it back in, assume this is the case for each time this issue comes up)
  • Following a basic guide, I went to settings and deleted all of my stored internet connections, upon exiting settings, the console automatically turned off again
  • Upon turning on the console, I was able to access the Wii menu. (I have not tested any other apps yet, and I can do so for the purposes of identifying the issue further in the future.)
  • Installed the necessary programs into an SD Card which I then connected to the Wii U.
  • Attempt to back-up my NAND. It fails and the console reboots back into menu properly.
  • Realize there's an update for my Wii U
  • Attempt to update. Upon completion of the load, the Wii U crashes into flashing Red LED
  • Repeat 3 times. Then take out SD Card and repeat one more time. It works. Wii U is updated.
  • Attempt to back-up NAND again. It fails, console reboots back into menu properly.
  • Attempt to dump only SLCCMPT and OTP. Wii U Crashes into flashing Red LED
I'm new to this, so I can't tell if it's indicative of a failing eMMc, Overheating, or a failing NAND. If it helps any, there does not appear to be any problems with the fans.
Post automatically merged:

Black WII U Issue (LED Red Flashing Light under some circumstances):

I haven't used the WII U in a while so just yesterday I'd decided to try to install basic homebrew.
Unfortunately, after turning on the Wii U and even during the process, there's been a consistent issue.
  • After turning the Wii U on, the first thing I did was attempt to load the Regular Wii Menu inside the system. It immediately shut off and the console's LED indicator flashed red. (The console will continue to work after unplugging it and plugging it back in, assume this is the case for each time this issue comes up)
  • Following a basic guide, I went to settings and deleted all of my stored internet connections, upon exiting settings, the console automatically turned off again
  • Upon turning on the console, I was able to access the Wii menu. (I have not tested any other apps yet, and I can do so for the purposes of identifying the issue further in the future.)
  • Installed the necessary programs into an SD Card which I then connected to the Wii U.
  • Attempt to back-up my NAND. It fails and the console reboots back into menu properly.
  • Realize there's an update for my Wii U
  • Attempt to update. Upon completion of the load, the Wii U crashes into flashing Red LED
  • Repeat 3 times. Then take out SD Card and repeat one more time. It works. Wii U is updated.
  • Attempt to back-up NAND again. It fails, console reboots back into menu properly.
  • Attempt to dump only SLCCMPT and OTP. Wii U Crashes into flashing Red LED
I'm new to this, so I can't tell if it's indicative of a failing eMMc, Overheating, or a failing NAND. If it helps any, there does not appear to be any problems with the fans.
Click to expand...
This doesn’t really sound like overheating to me, especially since the crashes happen during storage-related operations (NAND backup, SLCCMPT dump, system update) rather than after long use.

A failing eMMC/NAND is more likely. The red flashing LED is usually a general hardware fault/shutdown, and the fact that:

  • NAND backup repeatedly fails
  • SLCCMPT dumping hard-crashes the console
  • system updates failed multiple times
  • removing the SD card changed behavior
  • vWii initially crashed but later worked inconsistently
all point toward unstable storage access.

A few things you can test:

  • Try another SD card (properly formatted FAT32, 32 KB clusters)
  • Test launching other stock apps/games from internal storage
  • See whether crashes happen more often when reading/writing large amounts of data
  • Check if the console has a Hynix eMMC chip (those are notorious for failure on Wii U systems)
If it is eMMC degradation, stop repeatedly attempting NAND operations for now, since excessive failed writes can sometimes make things worse. If the console still boots reliably, your priority should probably be getting whatever backups you can while it’s still semi-functional.

The fact that the fan is working and the crashes are tied to storage-heavy operations makes overheating much less likely in my opinion.
Post automatically merged:

Giuliano said:
Sorry for the translation, which doesn't explain my problem. The ISFShax menu launches from the SD card, and with ISFShax, I don't understand how to install the exploit from the browser or the missing plugins.From the ISFShax menu, patch (SLC) and boot IOS (SLC) ERROR: no plugins found in SLC:/sys/hax/IOS_PLUGINS <check you select the right option>At least the core plugin is requiredFailed to load IOS with patches
Click to expand...
The error already tells you the problem: ISFShax itself is loading correctly, but the required IOS plugins are missing from the SLC.

Right now your console only boots because Minute/fw.img is being loaded from the SD card. Without the SD card, IOS cannot find the plugins in SLC:/sys/hax/IOS_PLUGINS, so the boot process stops at the purple LED.

You do NOT need the browser exploit at this stage anymore.

What you should do:

  1. Prepare the SD card exactly like the ISFShax package expects
    • FAT32 format
    • fw.img on the root
    • wiiu/apps/hax_installer/
    • ios_plugins/ folder present
    • 5payldr.ipx inside ios_plugins
  2. Boot using the SD card so Minute starts.
  3. From Minute, launch the hax_installer app and install the IOS plugins to the SLC.
After that, the Wii U should boot normally without depending on the SD card for the plugins.

The message:

"ERROR: no plugins found in SLC:/sys/hax/IOS_PLUGINS"
Click to expand...
means the ISFShax installation is incomplete, not necessarily that your NAND is dead.

Also make sure you are NOT still using the PTB recovery SD setup as your normal SD card. The PTB card is only for triggering recovery boot and can confuse the setup if reused unchanged.
 
classiphil said:
If you use the ISFSHAX Zip as a starting point for your SD Card all should work fine: Link
To launch the exploit you do not need to install anything onto your wiiU. Just put your favorite Payload on your SD Card (like Aroma) and put 5payldr.ipx in your ios_plugins folfer, as described here: SDIOs-Manual (under Installing Aroma / Tiramisu)

"ERROR: no plugins found in SLC:/sys/hax/IOS_PLUGINS" - This meens that you did not install via "hax". You need to boot wit the SD Card and then start the hax APP.

If this does not help, feel free to ask again.
Click to expand...
Good day,I followed the guide "How to set up ISFShax + Stroopwafel" by the excellent Sdio, but when I tried using Launching in Minute --> Spoiler Aroma, the gamepad didn't respond.The other spoilers aren't usable.The Wii U only allows me to enter the ISFShax menu, but I have an SD card inserted with the fw.img file.I should probably reinstall ISFShax and Aroma from the SD card, but how?Regarding the plugin error, could you please create a guide for installing plugins from the SD card when you have time?Thanks for your time.
 
You are very close, ISFShax itself is already working correctly.
The problem is simply that the IOS plugins were never installed to the SLC, which is why you get:

ERROR: no plugins found in SLC:/sys/hax/IOS_PLUGINS
Click to expand...
This is NOT a dead NAND issue.

The reason the console only boots with the SD card inserted is because Minute is currently loading fw.img from the SD card, but IOS cannot find the required plugins internally.

You do NOT need the browser exploit anymore.

Here is the safest way to fix it:

  1. Prepare a clean SD card
  • FAT32
  • 32 KB cluster size recommended
  1. Copy the ISFShax files again
    Your SD card should contain:
  • fw.img → on the root of the SD
  • /wiiu/apps/hax_installer/
  • /ios_plugins/
  • 5payldr.ipx inside /ios_plugins/
  1. Also copy Aroma correctly
    You should have:
  • /wiiu/environments/aroma/
  • the Aroma files from the latest release
Insert the SD card and boot the Wii U
You should reach the ISFShax / Minute menu.

  • Launch the hax_installer application
  • Install the IOS plugins to SLC
This is the missing step causing your error.

  1. After installation:
    Reboot the console with the SD card inserted.
Now:

  • “Patch (SLC)” should no longer show the plugin error
  • Aroma should boot correctly
  • the Wii U should no longer depend on the SD card just to find plugins
About the GamePad not responding in Aroma:
That usually happens when:

  • Aroma files are incomplete/corrupted
  • wrong payload selected
  • old PTB recovery setup still on the SD
  • mixed Tiramisu/Aroma files
I strongly recommend:

  • using a completely clean SD card
  • reinstalling only:
    • ISFShax files
    • latest Aroma package
    • latest 5payldr.ipx
Do NOT reuse the old PTB recovery card unchanged.

If Minute still cannot launch hax_installer after this, please post:

  • a picture of your SD card folder structure
  • the exact Minute menu entries you see
  • which fw.img version you are using
Then we can guide you further safely.
 
Last edited by classiphil,

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