Hacking Switch bricked -- tried lots of stuff -- nothing helps -- still fixable?

aunt-lydia · Nov 8, 2020

Hi there,

I recently got myself an unpatched Switch that won't turn on. Here's the thing.

It charges, shows battery charging symbol. When powering it on normally, Nintendo Logo appears, then screen goes black and nothing happens. If I want to restart it, I have to press Powerbutton for 10-15 seconds.

What works still?
--> entering RCM, injecting payloads (havent found one that didn't work so far)
--> creating/restoring NAND backup of eMMC, eMMC benchmark works well
--> creating emuMMC, flashing Linux or Android with hekate
--> USB tools for mounting rawnand and SD
--> joycons work when attached in hekate
--> wifi

What does not work?
--> booting up anyting

What have I tried?
--> booting normally: black screen after Nintendo Logo
--> booting emuMMC/sysNAND/cfw sysNAND (atmosphere): black screen after Nintendo Logo / after atmosphere Logo
--> booting Linux(switchroot ubuntu): initial setup works, then freezes after setup completes
--> booting Android (after successful flashing with TWRP): screen remains blank, fan is running, nothing happens (TWRP boots up successfully if pressing VOL+)
--> dumping original firmware and found it's 10.0.4, burnt fuses count = 13
--> downgrading using various tutorials using ChoiDujour, HacDiskMount and EmmcHaccGen and, almost all of them were completed successfully but I still get the black screen after Nintendo Logo
----> funny thing with this tutorial (suchmememanyskill github) was, that in TegraExplorer when running the systemRestore.te script it would just show two red 00 when trying to restore the system folder. When mounting System partition in HacDiskMount and modifying it, theres no error message though.
--> restoring the NAND backup that I took after I got the console various times and starting again from the beginning.....

At this point I wonder if it is actually a hardware problem. On a bricked console, it should at least be possible to run android or ubuntu, right? I got both running on another console, installing the same way, and they work like a charm. I'm thinking of using this device for practicing my soldering skills, or replacement parts, or maybe I just hang it on my wall and throw darts at it. BUT before that happens I thought I'd ask somebody who actually knows about these things, if they would see still a chance to save this sucker.

Alright, everyone who read till there, thanks for that, and any help is highly!!! appreciated.

Cheers :grog:

Masamune3210 · Nov 11, 2020

Sounds like hardware damage if its affecting even other os's like Linux. Don't think switchroot messes with anything on the system other than joycons powermanagement fans gpu and touch so its likely one of those. My bets on either power management chip being fried from using the wrong charger or something similar

aunt-lydia · Nov 11, 2020

Masamune3210 said:
Sounds like hardware damage if its affecting even other os's like Linux. Don't think switchroot messes with anything on the system other than joycons powermanagement fans gpu and touch so its likely one of those. My bets on either power management chip being fried from using the wrong charger or something similar

Thanks! I will have a look and check some circuits on the board. Maybe it's a good opportunity to acquire some soldering skills =)

eyeliner · Nov 15, 2020

Themes, or you tried to downgrade. Or, unluckily, your mmc module met its demise.

Chakratos · Nov 15, 2020

Check for themes on your SD if you have not already

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

Defenitely check themes on your SD if you have not already

aunt-lydia · Nov 16, 2020

Chakratos said:
Check for themes on your SD if you have not already

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

Defenitely check themes on your SD if you have not already

Thanks for your reply! Could you specify? You mean, themes folder on the SD card? should I remove it, or what would be your suggestion?

About the eMMC module, I also thought so, but if it was broken, I probably wouldn't be able to backup and restore the sysNAND, which I still can do with hekate.. or you think it could still be broken?

Stoned · Nov 16, 2020

Format your SD Card and do a Clean Atmosphere/kosmos/deepsea Setup on SD Card.

aunt-lydia · Nov 16, 2020

Stoned said:
Format your SD Card and do a Clean Atmosphere/kosmos/deepsea Setup on SD Card.

yep, did that many times... doesn't change anything.

With all the software workarounds I tried so far, I think there's a fair chance it's a hardware error. The thing that I find most suspicious is when I try to run systemrestore.te script on TegraExplorer (with prepared new SYSTEM folder of course) and when flashing SYSTEM, get a red 00 (double zero) that doesn't go away, and after waiting a few minutes the screen turns funny with grey background and some purple stripes that are expanding by a few pixels slowly ^^

Draxzelex · Dec 2, 2020

aunt-lydia said:
Thanks for your reply! Could you specify? You mean, themes folder on the SD card? should I remove it, or what would be your suggestion?

About the eMMC module, I also thought so, but if it was broken, I probably wouldn't be able to backup and restore the sysNAND, which I still can do with hekate.. or you think it could still be broken?

Backup the Nintendo folder as it holds your games and whatever mods you have in the contents folder then format the SD card to FAT32 and get the latest Atmosphere.

aunt-lydia · Dec 3, 2020

Draxzelex said:
Backup the Nintendo folder as it holds your games and whatever mods you have in the contents folder then format the SD card to FAT32 and get the latest Atmosphere.

Hi, thanks for your reply. That was one of the first things I tried, but the problem hasn't been solved so far. I ordered a power IC chip now and will try to replace it. After all the things I tried, I am pretty sure it is a hardware issue.

I will update the thread after my little soldering experiment ^^ cheers

severhead · Dec 4, 2020

Have you tried initializing/restoring to factory settings? Press volume up and down, and power and you should be able to try it, if you just bought it and it came in with a black screen there's nothing to lose really.

If that doesn't help, it seem like somethings up with the mainboard if you tried everything there is and it's definitely not correlated to the SD Card

aunt-lydia · Feb 11, 2021

Hi folks, just a little update here, I managed to replace the M92T36 chip (which is supposed to control the power) but even after the replacement there is NO change in the behaviour. hmpf. well, at least I am one step further in the error source elimination process.. I found that one capacitor located south of the chip is shorted. the cap itself seems fine though. might take the issue to another forum as well. cheers!

Draxzelex · Apr 11, 2021

aunt-lydia said:
Hi folks, just a little update here, I managed to replace the M92T36 chip (which is supposed to control the power) but even after the replacement there is NO change in the behaviour. hmpf. well, at least I am one step further in the error source elimination process.. I found that one capacitor located south of the chip is shorted. the cap itself seems fine though. might take the issue to another forum as well. cheers!

Do keep the rest of us who tried to help you posted with any potential progress you may come across.

The Real Jdbye · Apr 12, 2021

aunt-lydia said:
Hi folks, just a little update here, I managed to replace the M92T36 chip (which is supposed to control the power) but even after the replacement there is NO change in the behaviour. hmpf. well, at least I am one step further in the error source elimination process.. I found that one capacitor located south of the chip is shorted. the cap itself seems fine though. might take the issue to another forum as well. cheers!

If you replaced the chip and the cap is still shorted both sides then the cap is most likely at fault. You can remove it and test it again to make sure.

aunt-lydia · Apr 20, 2021

Hi guys, thanks for getting back to me in this post. I was not able to resolve the problem so far, however I got much further to the core of the issue. Anyone who is interested in it can look up the thread I created on it on tronicsfixforum.com (https://www.tronicsfixforum.com/t/s...endo-logo-and-crashes-even-with-linux/4619/59). Basically, the cap appears to be fine as it doesn't show continuity when taken off the board.The two connectors on the board are still shorted, even without the capacitor on it. People there suggested that there is a short on the 1V8 PDR on the board, unfortunately loads of components are connected to this one and it would be very unlikely to find the culprit. I still have in mind to take off another IC and see if the short clears. If there is any good news, I will post it here as well, all other progress I will keep it to the hardware forum I mentioned earlier.

Draxzelex · Apr 29, 2021

aunt-lydia said:
Hi guys, thanks for getting back to me in this post. I was not able to resolve the problem so far, however I got much further to the core of the issue. Anyone who is interested in it can look up the thread I created on it on tronicsfixforum.com (https://www.tronicsfixforum.com/t/s...endo-logo-and-crashes-even-with-linux/4619/59). Basically, the cap appears to be fine as it doesn't show continuity when taken off the board.The two connectors on the board are still shorted, even without the capacitor on it. People there suggested that there is a short on the 1V8 PDR on the board, unfortunately loads of components are connected to this one and it would be very unlikely to find the culprit. I still have in mind to take off another IC and see if the short clears. If there is any good news, I will post it here as well, all other progress I will keep it to the hardware forum I mentioned earlier.

Sorry to bother you but any updates?

The Real Jdbye · Apr 29, 2021

aunt-lydia said:
Hi guys, thanks for getting back to me in this post. I was not able to resolve the problem so far, however I got much further to the core of the issue. Anyone who is interested in it can look up the thread I created on it on tronicsfixforum.com (https://www.tronicsfixforum.com/t/s...endo-logo-and-crashes-even-with-linux/4619/59). Basically, the cap appears to be fine as it doesn't show continuity when taken off the board.The two connectors on the board are still shorted, even without the capacitor on it. People there suggested that there is a short on the 1V8 PDR on the board, unfortunately loads of components are connected to this one and it would be very unlikely to find the culprit. I still have in mind to take off another IC and see if the short clears. If there is any good news, I will post it here as well, all other progress I will keep it to the hardware forum I mentioned earlier.

You can start taking off every related component until the short goes away, it's a big task, but it's not impossible, well as long as the culprit isn't one of those tricky BGA chips. Few can solder those by hand.

NotErista · May 1, 2021

. Deleted message

aunt-lydia · May 1, 2021

The Real Jdbye said:
You can start taking off every related component until the short goes away, it's a big task, but it's not impossible, well as long as the culprit isn't one of those tricky BGA chips. Few can solder those by hand.

by those you mean the CPU/GPU and RAM? I don't feel confident about dealing with those, much more praciticing is needed. the thing is, as I was told, that there are heaps of components connected to that rail, and I wouldnt even know exactly which ones. also I couldnt find any part that is getting suspiciously hot. next time I get out my microscope, I try the max IC which is located under the CPU. There is one of the same kind to the left of the CPU which I alrady took off, but it did not clear the short.

Draxzelex said:
Sorry to bother you but any updates?

No mate, I will let you know here if I get some news.

The Real Jdbye · May 1, 2021

aunt-lydia said:
by those you mean the CPU/GPU and RAM? I don't feel confident about dealing with those, much more praciticing is needed. the thing is, as I was told, that there are heaps of components connected to that rail, and I wouldnt even know exactly which ones. also I couldnt find any part that is getting suspiciously hot. next time I get out my microscope, I try the max IC which is located under the CPU. There is one of the same kind to the left of the CPU which I alrady took off, but it did not clear the short.

No mate, I will let you know here if I get some news.

SoC is nigh impossible to resolder/reflow without a professional setup, but there are some smaller ones that are tricky but technically doable by hand. I was more thinking of those. There's one with 15 ish tiny BGA pads you can get lucky with (not sure which chip that is just seen it in repair videos on YouTube) but much more than that and the odds of getting every single one soldered correctly shrinks rapidly.

There is the possibility that the issue is with the soldering of the SoC itself, but I couldn't tell you how likely that is, only that it seems unlikely since you're getting a Nintendo logo so you know there's life. Still possible, just one faulty trace could cause weird symptoms without outright dying, but it's not the most likely scenario. It could be basically anything at this point as far as I know (I'm not really an expert on this) but you seem to have tried the usual fixes, Has it been hacked before? Maybe it's simply bricked or there is some issue with the NAND itself. As I recall a faulty NAND chip would result in pretty much anything that tries to read or access the NAND in any way will just fail to work. Not 100% sure on whether that includes Lakka and Android too. Logically they shouldn't even need to know that there is an internal NAND but I dunno. Even booting an emuNAND doesn't work when you have a faulty internal NAND chip. If all else fails "My Mate Vince" or "TronicsFix" on YouTube might buy it off you and try to fix it for a video and maybe he has more luck than you do. And if not at least you get a pretty decent second opinion on what the issue is. If you end up not being able to fix it, at least you can get an interesting video out of it.

Hacking Switch bricked -- tried lots of stuff -- nothing helps -- still fixable?

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