Tutorial  Updated

How to use LayeredFS for Backup Loading + What Games Work/Don't

This thread is outdated
A lot of information in this thread is heavilly out of date.
If you have time, and have Staff permission, feel free to edit this thread and remove this statement once necessary.

Some information that needs to be addressed:
  • SX OS and Atmosphere now supports proper LayeredFS, instructions for using it has changed since this tutorial was made
  • Supported Firmware information is out of date
  • LFSKit needs to be updated to properly support non 5.x.x firmware
  • Compatability chart needs to be re-made
-PRAGMA


WARNING
  • DO NOT GO ONLINE WHEN DOING THIS (YOU WILL BE BANNED)


How to use LayeredFS for Backup Loading

Firmware Supported: ONLY 5.x.x
Use the PRAGMA LFS Kit below.

PRAGMA's LFS Kit

DOWNLOAD
SOURCE

  • Go from NOTHING in your SD Card to playing a game backup in a few clicks!
  • Decrypt .XCI -> romfs/exefs folder with main.nmpd auto edited aswell as folder's name auto renamed to donor titleid
  • Download NOTHING except LFSKit!
ENJOY!

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Picking a Donor Title and getting Donor TitleIDRunning Game Backups!


    1. A donor title is the application we will run to open the backup.
      Pick a game you don't care about (Download a Demo or a free game from eShop, for example Octopath Demo)
      saves are something no one knows much about, we don't fully know where or how they are stored.
      They might overwrite the donor titles save, so seriously pick a game you DONT care about, not a game you rarely play.

    2. I also recommend picking a donor title/game combo that has been tested and reported working just so you know if YOU did something wrong or not.
    3. Find the TitleID of the donor title you chose from http://nswdb.com or http://switchbrew.org/index.php?title=Title_list/Games
      Region must be the same, choose the TitleID for the base-game NOT for the update title, even if your updated.

    1. Once again, boot into Hekate-IPL (Step 1).
    2. Enter "Launch firmware" and select "RomFS".
    3. Your now in your system's home menu.
    4. Open the Donor Title you set the TitleID of on that folder and .npmd file earlier.
    5. The game will load up flawlessly.
      If you opened the Title lets say, Fortnite, and Fortnite booted, the titleid of the folder in sd:/atmosphere/titles/{fortnitetitleid} doesnt exist, or doesnt start with 0100.
      If it gives you an error screen, either you didnt edit the main.npmd properly, or its an incompatible title/donor combo.
    To see which games work and which dont using which donor titles, look below.
    If you notice that you used a combination of Game and Donor title that isnt in the list below, post in the thread and I will add it. (look under to see what I need to add to chart).


Troubleshooting

  • Black Screen/Infinitely Loading
    Leave it for around 5 minutes then press the home button and go back into the game without closing it. Often this can do the job.
  • Freeze when Loading
    Close the game and try again, its a common occurence, you may have to try up to 4-5 times before getting it to work, sometimes you may even have to reboot between retries.
 
Last edited by PRAGMA,

superss

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Am I doing something wrong??, tried with 2 games and got the same error, both are known to run, :(
pokemon quest -> Arms
Voez demo-> Pokken
 

M-Gardevoir

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imgur.(dotcom)/69XQegf
Am I doing something wrong??, tried with 2 games and got the same error, both are known to run, :(
pokemon quest -> Arms
Voez demo-> Pokken

Yep, same thing.

i feel like we've missing some additional files or simply we failed at insering the SBK and TSEC key. I'll try to do everything from the start.

(Btw i'm using a shared by Zumoly files)
 

superss

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Yep, same thing.

i feel like we've missing some additional files or simply we failed at insering the SBK and TSEC key. I'll try to do everything from the start.

(Btw i'm using a shared by Zumoly files)

hey its working, but I didnt use the program on OP at all! (It doesnt work), I had to convert the xci's to tittles again with another program called "xcitotittleconverter" and it worked!.
tell me if it works :)
 

thefunkygibbon

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I too am getting the "failed to launch firmware" when trying to run romfs from hekate-ipl
mem card is def in as i can dump to it and launch cfw. i let PRAGMA tool create the files... but given that it seems to crash out on various parts of the tool, i don't particularly trust it has created the files correctly.
 

M-Gardevoir

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hey its working, but I didnt use the program on OP at all! (It doesnt work), I had to convert the xci's to tittles again with another program called "xcitotittleconverter" and it worked!.
tell me if it works :)

Tried it, i can't say "it's working yay" cuz it's not (got a black screen) but it's a step forward. It's not crashing anymore my system.

BTW the OP program is totally broken ATM.
 

Insidious611

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Honestly the new webpage is actually *less* useful than the table on the forum post was. What the fuck was the point?

Also I love how the github page refers to the program from the OP as "bugless" and nobody can fucking get it to work.

I highly encourage people to just waybackmachine this entire thread. The old tutorial and table were just fine.
 
Last edited by Insidious611,

DollyWhipDoll

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Database moved to https://lfsdb.com/
This is so that I can update the list a LOOOOOT easier. Having to copy every details from posts was EXTREMELY tedious and a LOT more work then you think.

This is getting extremely tedious to update. People are posting too fast. Im only on start of page 19. Getting honestly sick of having to copy paste entry tables, add entry info, colorize, bold, save, edit again.

That data base submit form looks like what @Crownfox, already, started with the Google submit form. Maybe you can 'borrow' from her list, lol. Really liking the Awesome Table site.

That's why I made the spreadsheet and the google form. Makes it easy. Even has a nifty viewer now.

The following are links to the individual thingies
Viewer
Spreadsheet
Google Form to Submit Game Reports

https://gbatemp.net/threads/layeredfs-title-compatibility-list.507749/


Nothing special. He has Odyssey as Donor title for ARMS, so it opens Odyssey's Manual instead of ARMS.

That video I found on YouTube is the first time I've seen games mixed up with each other. Of the videos I've seen here, none have done it and I haven't read about it anywhere else. Do post others since you 'seem' to have seen this before and I haven't after hundreds of posts.
 

Zumoly

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That video I found on YouTube is the first time I've seen games mixed up with each other. Of the videos I've seen here, none have done it and I haven't read about it anywhere else. Do post others since you 'seem' to have seen this before and I haven't after hundreds of posts.

Someone claimed it's actually opening the manual of the donor game!
Also don't you think it's strange the uploader never started a game?
Maybe everything is being layered except for donor specific files (like the manual).
 

DollyWhipDoll

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Used Octopath demo as Donor for Zelda : BOTW

Not working the first time (error) and crashed the system with an err-code the second time.

Seems like nothing's going to run that game, layered

Someone claimed it's actually opening the manual of the donor game!
Also don't you think it's strange the uploader never started a game?
Maybe everything is being layered except for donor specific files (like the manual).

I just saw that video in some other thread on here.

@Centergaming is that your video and does the game play?


Here a list of US free stuff, for anyone curious...

Hi, here is a list of all demos and free games that are available on the USA store:

https://imgur.com/a/b6HOpPj
 

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