Hacking Questions about making softmodded Wii Kid Friendly

Donkey Punch · Jan 6, 2010

I softmodded a friend's Wii that unfortunately was already updated to 4.2u and I am wondering about the best way to make it kid friendly? In other words what is the best way to prevent younger kids from messing up the soft mod?

How do I prevent them from deleting or using the Homebrew channel (while still keeping it installed)?

My second question involves the Shopping Channel. One of the kids that will use this Wii likes to go on the Shopping Channel and download. They have already paid for a few games. What happens if I install some VC/Wiiware .wad files? Will this get their system Banned? Does Nintendo detect it? Hopefully asking this question isn't breaking forum rules. Sorry if it does.

Thanks in advance for your advice in this thread. Cheers.

TroyTheZombie · Jan 6, 2010

easy.

use preloader .30 rev4. (i'd suggest priiloader, but it tends to boot to it even when you don't want it to)

turn off online updates, and disc updates.

Use config usb loader, turn off the ability to uninstall games and set up a password to block them from changing options.

its fine to install legal (bought) and non legal wads. i do suggest not installing games they have paid for, as they tend to "disappear" off the shop channel "already downloaded" list.

No, nintendo cannot "ban" your system. They can block your mac address if they catch you playing online with cheats active, but other than that, no.

Donkey Punch · Jan 6, 2010

Thanks for the reply.

How do I protect the Homebrew Channel from being used or deleted? I installed cIOScorp for disk backup loading to make it easiest for kids to use (no USB game loading). The only thing I worry about is them going into Homebrew channel and messing with stuff.

Cheers.

XFlak · Jan 6, 2010

or how about u use categorii v2 (just released) to organize all or some of your homebrew apps into a LOCKED folder (requiring a custom password of your choice to view the apps within that folder)

That way u can keep the homebrew channel and your kids wont be able to mess with any apps u feel are risky.

U shouldn't be worried about them deleting the homebrew channel (from the data management page) as I can't imagine any kid doing this by accident... not to mention that from there they will be able to delete ANY channel, so deleting homebrew is the least of your worries. If this is a concern to you, make a nand backup (which u should do anyways, if u haven't already), and just be prepared to restore your nand if your kids ever do get into those settings

there are also parental controls made by nintendo (not homebrew, these can be found in the wii settings), not sure exactly what they do... but u can look into that also

daxtsu · Jan 6, 2010

Or if you almost never use the System Menu, turn on Preloader/Priiloader's Block System Menu with Black Screen hack, or its variants(code dump, etc).

XFlak · Jan 6, 2010

daxtsu said:
Or if you almost never use the System Menu, turn on Preloader/Priiloader's Block System Menu with Black Screen hack, or its variants(code dump, etc).

his kids use the shop channel... somehow i doubt they've figured out how to launch it without the system menu... lol, so I'm assuming they use the wii system menu often, as most people do

in my opinion, that blackscreen hack is more of a gag than anything else... or if some1 feels like not sharing their wii with others

Donkey Punch · Jan 6, 2010

Thanks again guys for all your replies.

I did make a Nand backup but unfortunately Bootmii couldn't be installed on boot2 (only as an IOS). I have priiloader installed but I don't feel the Wii is 100% brick protected without boot2. As mentioned before it is a friend's Wii and I don't want his kids messing things up.

I looked into "categorii v2" but it seems like it would just create a confusing mess on the SD card. It doesn't seem like an elegant solution. I am pretty stubborn and having to edit an XML file to get an app to run is insane. Thanks for the suggestion though.

Uninstalling the HBC seems like the easiest solution since I don't intend to do many changes to the softmod. The only question is will there be complications to re-install the HBC in the future? I installed cIOScorp for instance. Will I get errors and have to do a song-and-dance just to get HBC reinstalled?

XFlak · Jan 6, 2010

if u installed cioscorp v 3.6, u should be able to re-install the HBC no problem (so I've read)

if u installed an earlier version u will have to do some quick IOS installs in order to install the HBC again later

just 2 be sure, try just running (and quiting) out of the hackmii installer, if it doesn't give u a "no vulnerable ios" error then u wont have a problem in the future

EDIT: if u want to block all the apps from the sd card, just rename your apps folder to apps_ (or anything other than apps), they wont be able to do anything then without actually plugging the SD card or hard drive into a computer and renaming it back... and I dont think kids are THAT smart! lol, heck i don't think adults (who are unfamiliar with wii hacking) are that smart!

Donkey Punch · Jan 6, 2010

xflak40 said:
EDIT: if u want to block all the apps from the sd card, just rename your apps folder to apps_ (or anything other than apps)

lol, that would be great if that works. A simple elegant solution that I am embarrassed that I didn't try already. Will give it a shot.

Thanks!

Donkey Punch · Jan 8, 2010

Final follow up for anyone else that might also be worried about making their Wii kid friendly.

Just as xflak40 suggested I renamed the "app" folder to "app_bak" and if you open the homebrew channel it shows as being blank without any apps. Nice and kid proof.

The last issue that I had was that on the 4.2 Wii if the kids clicked on the SD card icon at the bottom of the screen it would immediately ask if you wanted to boot Bannerbomb. To fix this I simply renamed the "private" folder that was on the SD card.

Thanks to all that replied in this thread.

cup9192 · Jan 8, 2010

How would renaming the "private" folder affect their ability to save a channel or wiiware or vc game to the sd card? Would the wii create a new "private" folder? I ask because it is evident that the stock memory [blocks] available on the wii get chewed up pretty quickly by vc/wiiware downloads, and you already indicated that this family enjoys said content.

Also, once the hack is done, bannerbomb is likely unnecessary to keep around anyhow. I just simply deleted it from the sd card via the wii's data management (it's not as though I don't have a copy stored on the PC -- even have a dvd backup just in case).

Cheers to you though for trying so hard to kiddie-proof their wii. Luckily, my four year-old listens well enough that he doesn't do anything without asking first, and oddly, navigates the soft-modded wii with config usb loader with greater ease than his twelve year-old sister!

Hacking Questions about making softmodded Wii Kid Friendly

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