Hacking View Wii U Partition on PC?

Arnold101 · Jun 17, 2021

CableLeecher said:
The Wii U partition starts directly at sector 0 unlike to other systems filesystem/partition scheme. anyhow I had the same issue a while ago and was able to fix it with 2 additional HDDs.
one to make a complete DD-Image on to be on the safe side.
the second hdd doesn't have to be the same size. in fact it doesnt matter how big small it is. you just have to overwrite on the "damaged" hdd the first 64 bytes with the same content from a freshly formatted Wii U HDD.
Important: Only the first 64 bytes to restore the partition-header.
You can use Acronis Disk Director or any other tool that allows you that write directly to the physical disk structure starting from sector 0.
If you overwrite more than 64 bytes, you will overwrite the "directory"
This is what worked for me. I hope this helps.
Cheers, CableLeecher.

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

Damn

@Cyan was faster again

hello can you please tell me how i read the 64 bytes of sector 0 from a fresh formatted wiiu hdd to restore my hdd? i open the hdd from winhex and starts copying first 64 bytes from the beginning fo the disk?

@Cyan

Arnold101 · Jun 17, 2021

Cyan said:
Hmm, old thread, and you didn't really tell why you want to do that.
what's your reason, and what do you expect to do?

if you want to copy all your disc to another one, you will not need only 64 bytes.
the first 64 bytes are the partition information, if your partition is corrupted it "could" be caused by something wrong in that area and you could "maybe" fix it by rewriting a valid 64byte header to that location.
You can use whatever device you want, as long as the WiiU formats it and that you can dump it's first sector.

But please, let me/us know what you really need and want to do before doing anything.
look at the above messages, I asked the user to make a backup and he didn't, that's too bad as he lost data

edit:
Ahh, sorry, didn't see it was a message from May 2017. Maybe you are not even in need to fix that drive.

So, MO35AB, you just bumped an old thread while you had your own here :
https://gbatemp.net/threads/wiiu-hdd-not-being-recognized-anymore.486419/
I'll answer in your other thread, so other users will follow what has been suggested or not, and can help too.

hope you reply this time.

https://ibb.co/F5w22vH i copied all that sector 0 showed in photo from fresh formatted wiiu hdd 500gb to the first 500hdd wiiu to fix, but not fixed nothing

Cyan · Jun 17, 2021

Arnold101 said:
hope you reply this time.

this time ? you mean, I should have answered the first time when sent me a PM at 12h44 AM ? (you know, time zone and round earth, etc.)
Or after quoting me in another old thread at 01h01AM ?
or after you posted and notified me AGAIN at 01h14 AM ?
and seeing I was sleeping, you asked again at 04h54 AM .... sorry, I was still asleep.
quoting and sending 4 messages in few minutes intervals will not wake me up. I wake up in the middle of the night to answer a random user necrobumping old threads only starting at 5 notifications in a row... too bad, you missed just one more.

Arnold101 said:
i copied all that sector 0 showed in photo

Why copy ALL the sector 0 (512 bytes), when you quoted both cableleecher AND me, saying "64 first bytes ONLY" ?

No idea which help you want me to provide, when everything is already explained and help already provided, but you are neither reading nor following them.

Edit:
Just to be plain clear : NO, I can't and won't help you.
I don't know more than what is already posted, what you already quoted, and what you already didn't follow. my knowledge stops here.

Arnold101 · Jun 20, 2021

Cyan said:
this time ? you mean, I should have answered the first time when sent me a PM at 12h44 AM ? (you know, time zone and round earth, etc.)
Or after quoting me in another old thread at 01h01AM ?
or after you posted and notified me AGAIN at 01h14 AM ?
and seeing I was sleeping, you asked again at 04h54 AM .... sorry, I was still asleep.

lol, yes correct, you miss only that was the day before (24hours before your reply), not the same day after few hours as you want to make appear. Also "necroposting" is illegal? not that i know so shut up. You too are a random user.

Also in every post you say copy sector 0, not only the first 64bytes. Only in this one another user, not you, copied only 64bytes. And i tried first with the full sector 0 first.

AmandaRose · Jun 20, 2021

Arnold101 said:
You too are a random user.

@Cyan is not a random user he is an ex staff member of the site and one of the most respected and knowledgeable members of the site. What he is telling you is correct but you don't seem to want to listen to him for some reason.

godreborn · Jun 20, 2021

3141card might be able to help you with this, not sure. he's a dev on psx place. he knows how to fix an internal hdd that's been initialized. I just can't remember how you fix the first sector. I'm thinking you hex it in, but I'm not sure. if you mention trouble with the ps3 or google it, I think you'll find the answer on psx place. just use that information for the wii u hdd and see if it works.

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

alright, it is with a hex editor. here's how to do this on the ps3 by sandungas:

https://www.psx-place.com/threads/help-me-save-my-cousins-ps3-hdd-he-initialized-in-gpt.24244/

Arnold101 · Jun 20, 2021

AmandaRose said:
@Cyan is not a random user he is an ex staff member of the site and one of the most respected and knowledgeable members of the site.

X-Center · Jan 19, 2022

purechaos996 said:
So I've run into a bit of a snag, my Wii U is suddenly reporting that my Hard Drive with all my eShop games and save-data is not formatted for the device which I know isn't the case since I was using it just a few hours ago.

The drive still spins up and is detected fine by my PC so I was wondering if anyone has created a tool that can read these Wii U formatted drives that way I can hopefully get my data onto something else while I try and fix this drive.

Thanks.

I actually found a way, now it will be useless but im still saying. If you download FTPiiU Everywhere you can access storage_usb from an FTP app. You can find your games into the titles folder.

X-Center · Jan 19, 2022

purechaos996 said:
So I've run into a bit of a snag, my Wii U is suddenly reporting that my Hard Drive with all my eShop games and save-data is not formatted for the device which I know isn't the case since I was using it just a few hours ago.

The drive still spins up and is detected fine by my PC so I was wondering if anyone has created a tool that can read these Wii U formatted drives that way I can hopefully get my data onto something else while I try and fix this drive.

Thanks.

Using FTPiiU Everywhere you'll find games into storage_usb/titles folder

mentos124 · Jan 19, 2024

Cyan said:
WBFS is a game pirating format.
Nintendo doesn't use Pirated tools.

WiiU HDD are not using any partition table, the data starts at sector 0.
But the first sector, even if encrypted for his console, should contains information about the partition itself (like the size, etc.)
MAYBE (and only maybe) the issue is on that first sector. and if it doesn't contains the file table, you could try to fix it.
ALWAYS keep a full backup of your actual drive. make an image.

what I suggest:
1. make an image of your drive as backup
2. put on wiiu and format it
3. play xenobladeX and make a save again (just in case it's needed)
4. make an image again.
5. write back the first image starting at sector 1 (keep the newly formated sector0 which should be the partition info if nintendo is placing it at the start).

both images should be using the same key.

I guess nobody tested merging sectors? at least nobody reported their tests, so that's just an idea and a test.
it could not work at all
it could see only xenoblade and not your other games if the first sector contains info on current files or folders.
it could need more than one sector
you might need to make multiple dumps and compare them to know which sectors are modified after each changes done on the console.

WRONG!! wbfs is used for game backups

Hacking View Wii U Partition on PC?

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