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This thread is outdated
A lot of information in this thread is heavilly out of date.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  • Supported Firmware information is out of date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,

Deleted member 451920

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Is there currently a fix to why the switch keeps crashing after you launch a second game with layeredFS? Pokken DX will only ever work once fresh booted RomFS from hekate menu and other have a 40/60 chance
 

HoTsHoTz79

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Which method people loading games at 4.x are using? Since the one on this thread states that works only for 5.x

Watch this video first
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=207&v=oiE8Luc0c9E

Read the description there, as it provildes links to what you need to download ... THEN

Follow this post (thread) on how to make LayeredFS work on 4.1.0;
https://gbatemp.net/threads/atmosphere-layeredfs.507653/#post-8059224

once you follow that thread, you will have the patched kernel file... which you need to replace with what you got earlier
 

xiaohei

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The video tutorial worked for me and the game i had chosen worked perfectly. I guess the issue now is that I can not move files larger than 4gb to a fat32 sd card and the layeredfs tutorial in the video will not work with exfat formatted cards. Does anyone have a solution besides breaking the file up and extracting on sd card (not sure if this will work by the way.)?
 

HoTsHoTz79

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The video tutorial worked for me and the game i had chosen worked perfectly. I guess the issue now is that I can not move files larger than 4gb to a fat32 sd card and the layeredfs tutorial in the video will not work with exfat formatted cards. Does anyone have a solution besides breaking the file up and extracting on sd card (not sure if this will work by the way.)?

you can add exFat driver if below 5.X firmware
https://gbatemp.net/threads/how-to-install-the-exfat-driver-without-updating-2-x.505176/

i'm on 4.1 with LayeredFS, CTCaer 2.3... and exFat loading works fine
 
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xiaohei

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I am on 5.1.0, but when I go to load layered fs it states "the memory card is exfat and needs to be fat32 and does not load layeredfs. Not sure how to make it work with exfat.


Not sure why but after i reformatted it worked. thanks for the help
 
Last edited by xiaohei,

HoTsHoTz79

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I am on 5.1.0, but when I go to load layered fs it states "the memory card is exfat and needs to be fat32 and does not load layeredfs. Not sure how to make it work with exfat.

oh i just assumed you were on lower firmware since they didn't have exFat drivers...

I have not read anyone mentioning that issue... so i cant help sorry

Edit - looks like you did an edit and its working aftter format... cool
 
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hackotedelaplaqu

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Bbb dumps xci are said multi5 but besides bayonetta2, it's english only for me. Is it a bug of layeredfs method or I'm missing something?

Sorry to quote myself but I just found the answer myself to share. Donor title has to be multi5 too. The demos I used (voez and kitten squad had no french language).
 
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Insidious611

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I posted this to the database but for Skyrim loaded over Octopath Traveler Demo be aware that it works fine as long as you have 3 saves or less. If you save a fourth time it has a chance to crash, and a fifth time is a guaranteed crash. I'm guessing Octopath Traveler only has storage space for 3 saves.
 
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Mario Kart 8 doesn't work in VOEZ demo, no big suprise, that was known but tried it again anyways.
 

RedHotSgtPeppers

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Hey guys I know I read on another thread about how to pull saves from LayeredFS games, and I can't figure it out. I used Fortnite as a donor to launch Bayonetta and got a few hours into Bayonetta and I want to be able to port the save over for when I get my TX OS code. I used Checkpoint and backed up my save under Fortnite since Bayonetta isn't showing up. Did I do it right or am I missing something? Also the save I backed up for Mario Odyssey (a physical cart I own) has different file types than the save file I backed up under the Fortnite folder if that means anything. thanks!
 

Zumoly

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Hi Guys!
Fun fact: Demo and full games have the same title ID
Question: After downloading a demo, what happens if you buy the full game?
Does the demo get replaced by the full? Is there a new title ID created?

Edit: Actually that's not the case lol! Using the Shoguntool actually gives you info on the full game only.
 
Last edited by Zumoly,

stingray1059

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Hi Guys!
Fun fact: Demo and full games have the same title ID
Question: After downloading a demo, what happens if you buy the full game?
Does the demo get replaced by the full? Is there a new title ID created?

Edit: Actually that's not the case lol! Using the Shoguntool actually gives you info on the full game only.

hmm no.. i tried booting puyo puyo tetris over puyo puyo demo... black screen.
 

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