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This thread is outdated
A lot of information in this thread is heavilly out of date.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  • Supported Firmware information is out of date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

Zris96

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sry for captions but

ANYBODY CAN PLAY ZELDA BOTW VİA LAYEREDFS?
I can, with octopath traveler prologue demo as donor and latest SD files...

By the way... anyone knows how to inject an update + dlc to the base nca?... I've been able to install breath of the wild with the updates but I don't know how to install DLCs
 
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Mark1381

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Yeah you need extract the ROMFS.BIN and the exefs folder from the xci, I am assuming that ocotopath is card 2 since it just came out. You would need to use XCI Explorer to extract the largest .NCA file from the XCI. The you would be able to use the NCA-NSP-XCI_TO_LayeredFS script and you should be good to go.
unfortunately I've given up as I can't figure out how to extract any of these things I apparently need, the ROMFS.BIN, exefs, and main.npdm...All I've been able to do is extract the largest NCA but it hasn't gotten me a single step further after watching over 1 hour of YouTube tutorial and reading around here. It'd be a lot nicer if someone did a guide for complete idiots step by step like Pragma tried, but my computer doesn't like the final step because of some java error.

The decrypter doesn't work, says sector 0 is corrupt but the game reads fine in XCI Explorer
 
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haaskub

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unfortunately I've given up as I can't figure out how to extract any of these things I apparently need, the ROMFS.BIN, exefs, and main.npdm...All I've been able to do is extract the largest NCA but it hasn't gotten me a single step further after watching over 1 hour of YouTube tutorial and reading around here. It'd be a lot nicer if someone did a guide for complete idiots step by step like Pragma tried, but my computer doesn't like the final step because of some java error.

The decrypter doesn't work, says sector 0 is corrupt but the game reads fine in XCI Explorer


try this guy, super easy

https://gbatemp.net/threads/game-cart1-2-xci2titleconverter-for-layeredfs.509641/
 

TR_mahmutpek

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I can, with octopath traveler prologue demo as donor and latest SD files...

By the way... anyone knows how to inject an update + dlc to the base nca?... I've been able to install breath of the wild with the updates but I don't know how to install DLCs
How did you downloaded octopath traveller demo? I mean I am on 4.1, I will update via rajkasto's guide but accesing eshop? Isnt it a ban risk? How to download with safer way?

--------------------- MERGED ---------------------------

Has anybody not banned for downloading donor title; even entered RCM (backup nand) and/or entered Homebrew menu before?
 

Mark1381

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try this guy, super easy

I will give that link a shot tomorrow. I'll have to get the main.npdm but thankfully it has a link too.

While Octopath Traveller was the only game I really wanted to play I tried the Decrpyt XCI on an XCI of Super Mario Odyssey and it pulled the romfs.bin perfectly, however with the XCI I have of Octopath it just finishes immediately when I press enter without creating directories or extracting anything, so I can only guess there is someone wrong with the XCI I have even though XCI Explorer recognizes it fine.
 

Stelker

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I will give that link a shot tomorrow. I'll have to get the main.npdm but thankfully it has a link too.

While Octopath Traveller was the only game I really wanted to play I tried the Decrpyt XCI on an XCI of Super Mario Odyssey and it pulled the romfs.bin perfectly, however with the XCI I have of Octopath it just finishes immediately when I press enter without creating directories or extracting anything, so I can only guess there is someone wrong with the XCI I have even though XCI Explorer recognizes it fine.

even easier: https://gbatemp.net/threads/extract-nsp-nca-xci-update-all-in-one-tool-for-layeredfs.511156/
an All in 1 kit (all but cart2)
 

PeterGemp

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Does anyone have a working donor for Taiko no Tatsujin XCI? The japanese drumming game.

Confirmed not working with as a donor:
Kitten Squad
Pinball FX3
OceanHorn Demo
Octopath Traveller Demo
 
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Zris96

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How did you downloaded octopath traveller demo? I mean I am on 4.1, I will update via rajkasto's guide but accesing eshop? Isnt it a ban risk? How to download with safer way?

--------------------- MERGED ---------------------------

Has anybody not banned for downloading donor title; even entered RCM (backup nand) and/or entered Homebrew menu before?
I officially updated to 5.1.0
 
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Lunsce

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Is it possible to install a NSP file without SX OS? Or converting the NSP file to XCI to use it with the Layered?
 

PeterGemp

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Is it possible to install a NSP file without SX OS? Or converting the NSP file to XCI to use it with the Layered?
You've got it the wrong way. .XCIs contain .NCAs, similar to .NSPs.

But .NCAs need to be decrypted with a titlkey(not ID) before we're able to unpack them like in the case of .XCI.
The goal is to get exefs-folder and a romfs.bin
 

Draxzelex

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So... there is no way to install base nca with update nca + dlc nca?
.NCA is not a properly supported file type. .NSP is which is why everything must be converted into that format. Theoretically, one could make a homebrew that automates the process and installation by pre-converting the files into .NSP format before installation, but its not that useful in practice.
 

Lunsce

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You've got it the wrong way. .XCIs contain .NCAs, similar to .NSPs.

But .NCAs need to be decrypted with a titlkey(not ID) before we're able to unpack them like in the case of .XCI.
The goal is to get exefs-folder and a romfs.bin

And what tool does extract those both files from a NSP file?
 

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