Hacking Virginize Wii for system update

Retal · May 4, 2020

Hi guys,

I want to virginize my Wii so I can update it safely. Is anyone aware of any particular dangers when doing a system update that must be avoided? The Wii system itself warns that updating modified systems may cause problems.

It's been about 10 years since I modded my Wii so I've forgotten what was done. It was booting straight into the Homebrew channel but I figured out how to remove that, by uninstalling Priiloader, so that seems like the most dodgy thing fixed. But I can't remember how to do anything else. That is, except perform a system scan, the results of which I attach.

It looks to me like just three cIOS are modified: 36, 249, 250 (because they're fake signed). I don't know if I need to restore these before updating, and if so, I can't remember how to do it. I also don't know if I need to uninstall Bootmii or Homebrew Channel. Any advice? Can I just blind update without any worries? My system version is currently 4.2E.

Alexander1970 · May 4, 2020

Retal said:
Hi guys,

I want to virginize my Wii so I can update it safely. Is anyone aware of any particular dangers when doing a system update that must be avoided? The Wii system itself warns that updating modified systems may cause problems.

It's been about 10 years since I modded my Wii so I've forgotten what was done. It was booting straight into the Homebrew channel but I figured out how to remove that, by uninstalling Priiloader, so that seems like the most dodgy thing fixed. But I can't remember how to do anything else. That is, except perform a system scan, the results of which I attach.

View attachment 207531 View attachment 207532

It looks to me like just three cIOS are modified: 36, 249, 250 (because they're fake signed). I don't know if I need to restore these before updating, and if so, I can't remember how to do it. I also don't know if I need to uninstall Bootmii or Homebrew Channel. Any advice? Can I just blind update without any worries? My system version is currently 4.2E.

Hello.

For removing BootMii please do this not.
There is a very high Chance that your Wii is getting bricked and unusable if something goes wrong.

You can remove the BootMii Folder on the SD Card so it no longer boots.
And if you no longer use an SD Card,there is no "Sign" of it.

If you want to do this,you also have to remove the Priiloader and that is also not the best Idea.

Please reconsider this Process.

For uninstall BootMii you can use the HackMii Installer,it should have the Option for this Operation.
For Priiloader you can use the Priiloader v0.8.2 Setup.

Again,I would not recommend it.

An other Option to get rid of all is to Update your Wii to Version 4.3x with the System Update Option.
I do also not recommend it,because I have no Idea which Modding Solution was used on your Wii.

Thank you.

Retal · May 4, 2020

I think Bootmii might already be removed, maybe by an earlier system update. I can't launch it from the Homebrew channel (console just stalls on a black screen if I try it).

justjack · May 4, 2020

You can update and it will overwrite your cIOS and probably the Homebrew Channel will be deleted if it's an old version, but you can just reinstall things later. You could get the latest Homebrew Channel first and it should survive the update. Also, that cIOS you have is outdated. Maybe you should look into Modmii to get your homebrew up to date. I would reinstall priiloader later, too (and bootmii if you uninstalled it too). It's a nice extra protection.

Retal · May 4, 2020

justjack said:
You can update and it will overwrite your cIOS and probably the Homebrew Channel will be deleted if it's an old version, but you can just reinstall things later. You could get the latest Homebrew Channel first and it should survive the update. Also, that cIOS you have is outdated. Maybe you should look into Modmii to get your homebrew up to date. I would reinstall priiloader later, too (and bootmii if you uninstalled it too). It's a nice extra protection.

But the whole point is to remove all those things. That is what is meant by virginize. I don't want any traces of hack utilities left behind.

justjack · May 4, 2020

Retal said:
But the whole point is to remove all those things. That is what is meant by virginize. I don't want any traces of hack utilities left behind.

I know what you meant, but you said it was in order to update safely, and there's no need to virginize the Wii to do that. Now, if you want to remove everything because reasons, then sure, go ahead.

Retal · May 4, 2020

So you're sure you can never brick the Wii by updating 4.2 -> 4.3?

Retal · May 4, 2020

Is it a problem that I cannot launch BootMii? I reinstalled BootMii (as IOS) and the Homebrew Channel to the latest versions. HBC is fine, but launching BootMii from the HBC menu just results in the video feed cutting out (black screen).

slaphappygamer · May 4, 2020

I’m high

XFlak · May 4, 2020

Retal said:
So you're sure you can never brick the Wii by updating 4.2 -> 4.3?

If the wii was originally Korean and region changed this could lead to 003 brick (unless the wii was modded by ModMii in which case it would be protected from even this). To safely update to 4.3 for all wii's you can use modmii. It will also help you update your softmods, overwriting any old mods in place. There's no point in virginizing a wii

For bootmii to load you need to have the appropriate bootmii folder/files on the SD card

Retal · May 4, 2020

I just updated it using the system menu. Everything was fine. There is no (visible) trace of any mods, although there's probably still CIOS2xx installed, unless the update stubbed them.

Ryccardo · May 4, 2020

Retal said:
I don't want any traces

That's "hard" to do - you see, there's a file called uid.sys, which records the titleID of every installed or disc title ever used on the system; the only proper way to clear it is to use Ohneschwarzenegger to generate a blank nand from scratch, and to flash it with BootMii or hardmod...

...on the other hand, you could simply reinstall clean copies of [any modified IOS in official slots] (with the caveat explained by @XFlak ), uninstall BootMii/boot2, Priiloader, and the HBC to have a functionally unmodified system (since only one IOS is used at any single time, and official software doesn't use unofficial IOS numbers, whether or not you still have any CIOS in the usual 2xx numbers installed is irrelevant)

Hacking Virginize Wii for system update

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