Hacking BootMii backup plan...

[ningling12]

So, with the help of a couple of members of this forum, I've managed to get the HBC on my stubborn Wii. But now I am unsure how to proceed because of a snag I've run into.

Though my Wii is capable of BootMii on boot2, I haven't been able to install it because the SD cards I have cannot be mounted (error code -1). So, either my Wii is VERY picky about SD cards, or the reader is shot.

If I install BootMii as an IOS for now, will I be able to change it later to boot2? Also, if it is installed as an IOS, will that occur on the SD card? NAND? Both? I am not really sure whether this method involves the SD card or not. If not, I could at least proceed. Otherwise I will have to buy some more SD cards to test.

Also, has anyone experienced an SD slot failure? Was it repairable? Thank you.

EDIT: Rereading the HackMii options I see that most of the answers are there. You can install and uninstall BootMii as IOS, so switching to boot2 later would have been fine. Also, when I attempted to install as IOS, I was prompted to insert an SD card, so that's a no go too. I guess I'll shift my focus to the SD reader now.

 

[KleinesSinchen]

From the previous thread:

I grabbed the internet channel from the eShop and gave Flashhax a go. It took on the third attempt and I was able to add the HBC. I also found out that this console can have BootMii on boot2 (score!), giving me some relief. Hopefully it can be done, then I can address whatever corruption has already been done to this console with a safety net.

In the meantime, I haven't been able to put BootMii on boot2 because the SD cards I have cannot be mounted (error code -1). So, either my Wii is VERY picky about SD cards, or the reader is shot. Either way, it explains why Letter bombing, Wilbranding etc. would never have been successful with my current setup.

Maybe no corruption has been done at all. If the SD-card based exploits failed because of a faulty(?) card reader there’s a good chance the Wii System Software is okay. If it’s not broken, don’t fix it. Messing around with the System Menu is not a good idea if the Wii doesn't have any other (not-SD related) problems.

Have you seen any “sign of life” from the reader (e.g. Data Management, copying saves to SD, showing free blocks etc.)?

As far as I know bootmii requires access to the SD-card no matter if as IOS (not useful without Priiloader) or in boot2. The NAND-backup is written and read to/from the SD.

 

[XFlak]

How r you loading the hackmii installer if not with the SD card?

 

[KleinesSinchen]

How r you loading the hackmii installer if not with the SD card?

With FlashHax. See the previous thread:
https://gbatemp.net/threads/how-do-you-repair-a-partially-updated-system-menu.523042/#post-8374141

 

[XFlak]

If the SD card slot is shot and you don't want to repair it (understandable since you can just get a new wii for cheap) then you won't be able to make a nand backup without taking apart the wii and dumping the nand using an infectus modchip or some equivalent. Bootmii can be installed as boot2 using the same method but again is pointless since you wouldn't be able to launch it without an SD card anyway.

If I were you I would use ModMii to mod your wii, skip over installing the HBC, bootmii and making a nand backup, then continue on... and instead of copying files to an SD card, copy them to a fat32 formatted hard drive so you can load it from the HBC. Most apps should just work, but I think IOS236 installer mod will not (it looks for a wad on the root of the SD card). Instead you will need to launch a wad manager with ahbprot enabled in its meta.xml (try using yawmm) to install a cios236.wad, you can download both using ModMii Classic's download pages. Once that's done you can continue with the guide, priiloader installer mod should work and will offer some protection, but you might not be able to enable system menu hacks (not sure if this will work with a hard drive replacing the SD card).

Technically you don't even need an IOS236 but can instead use a wad manager with ahbprot to install your list of wads identified by ModMii, but there is slightly more risk involved in this method, so I would use ahbprot to install cios 236, then load cios 236 to install the other wads.

Note the wads ModMii will instruct you to install that carry any risk is system menu wads and system menu IOS (ios80 for 4.3). If your not changing system menus (I. E. You are starting and ending on 4.3) you can safely ignore installing IOS80 (because u should have it installed already, and you don't NEED to have it patched), then there is zero risk of using an ahbprot wad manager to install ModMii's list of wads excl IOS80.

 

[ningling12]

If the SD card slot is shot and you don't want to repair it (understandable since you can just get a new wii for cheap) then you won't be able to make a nand backup without taking apart the wii and dumping the nand using an infectus modchip or some equivalent. Bootmii can be installed as boot2 using the same method but again is pointless since you wouldn't be able to launch it without an SD card anyway.

If I were you I would use ModMii to mod your wii, skip over installing the HBC, bootmii and making a nand backup, then continue on... and instead of copying files to an SD card, copy them to a fat32 formatted hard drive so you can load it from the HBC. Most apps should just work, but I think IOS236 installer mod will not (it looks for a wad on the root of the SD card). Instead you will need to launch a wad manager with ahbprot enabled in its meta.xml (try using yawmm) to install a cios236.wad, you can download both using ModMii Classic's download pages. Once that's done you can continue with the guide, priiloader installer mod should work and will offer some protection, but you might not be able to enable system menu hacks (not sure if this will work with a hard drive replacing the SD card).

Technically you don't even need an IOS236 but can instead use a wad manager with ahbprot to install your list of wads identified by ModMii, but there is slightly more risk involved in this method, so I would use ahbprot to install cios 236, then load cios 236 to install the other wads.

Note the wads ModMii will instruct you to install that carry any risk is system menu wads and system menu IOS (ios80 for 4.3). If your not changing system menus (I. E. You are starting and ending on 4.3) you can safely ignore installing IOS80 (because u should have it installed already, and you don't NEED to have it patched), then there is zero risk of using an ahbprot wad manager to install ModMii's list of wads excl IOS80.

First, thank you for making ModMii and thank you for your help!

My plan was to softmod this Wii and give it to my young nephew and niece who have no access to consoles like the Wii. I could just give them this Wii with my game discs I guess, but I would prefer to make backups and share those instead.

So, I tried ModMii with the files collected by ModMii but just got an exception.

Here is what I started with: older Wii (LU3...) on a hopefully uncorrupted 4.3U system menu, HBC installed via Flashhax exploit, working DVD drive, working wifi connection.

When I launch the HBC, there are no files listed, but I can open the settings (press 1) and shutdown menu (press home).

Here is what I tried:

1. using 2 SDHC cards (both store-bought Sandisks (a class 10 and a class 4)) and 1 Lexar SD (256MB); loaded them with apps directory containing various homebrew apps (CIOS installers, HackMii etc.)
Result: Homebrew lists no apps

2. Created a new Mii, played Mario Kart with it, checked SD from Wii menu
Result: no game saves, 'card cannot be used...' message

3. Put together a COPY_TO_USB directory using ModMii following your instructions [Note: no option to download cios236 in ModMii?], tried accessing these files from a FAT32-formatted USB flashdrive in usb0 and from the Lexar SD card by loading HBC, pressing '1', waiting 10 seconds and selecting 'SD' or 'USB'
Result: both approaches immediately result in an exception.

Any ideas?

 

[mikefor20]

I will tell you from experience, the Wii is a piece of shit. Sounds like it might be busted. The SD reader is FINICKY, I recommend you go round up every SD you can find and try them all. To be thorough. Especially Non-SDHC. BootMii doesn't need much. SMALL CARDS HAVE BETTER COMPATIBILITY. BootMii was even worse compatibility. I had to buy a few for SNEEK, which technically loads through BootMii before I found working ones. 1GB or 2 nonSDHC. What system menu are you on? Wii didn't support SDHC out of the box. Support was never great. I had several cards that didn't function right on the Wii and work just fine with everything else. Like all ninty products. The HDD for Wii U and Switch are bitches too..

Maybe you can get things going that way and skip a repair.. I hope it was a couple bunk SD cards. To be honest I skimmed the thread. TL;DR I bought a 4 pack online of 2GB cards, non-sdhc. And those work with everything in the Wii. SanDisk. I have 2 for Neek, one with Kid friendly UNEEK EmuNAND setup and the other with my UNEEK EmuNAND. 1 for BootMiiii/restore stuff and one for Wii-Linux. 16GB class10 Transcend SD for Triiforce and as my min card, a 1TB HDD for the rest.

 

[XFlak]

To be clear, you have a fat32 hard drive plugged into port 0 with apps in the apps folder that are not appearing in the HBC? Further, you have pressed 1 and toggled to view apps stored on the USB?

If so... Either your USB port is also friend or more likely you should try a different hard drive as the one your using isn't compatible.

Im pretty sure you can find 236 on ModMii's download page 1 or 4 or something

 

[DestroyedEDGE]

3. Put together a COPY_TO_USB directory using ModMii following your instructions [Note: no option to download cios236 in ModMii?], tried accessing these files from a FAT32-formatted USB flashdrive in usb0 and from the Lexar SD card by loading HBC, pressing '1', waiting 10 seconds and selecting 'SD' or 'USB'
Result: both approaches immediately result in an exception.

Any ideas?

Your flashdrive likely isn't compatible. Try a different one. (I have a WD USBHDD that works for me, maybe try that?)
Also, yeah, IOS236 is on ModMii page 1.

 

[ningling12]

I will tell you from experience, the Wii is a piece of shit. Sounds like it might be busted. The SD reader is FINICKY, I recommend you go round up every SD you can find and try them all. To be thorough. Especially Non-SDHC. BootMii doesn't need much. SMALL CARDS HAVE BETTER COMPATIBILITY. BootMii was even worse compatibility.

I tried a 256MB SD by Lexar which USE to work. Apparently it died awhile back and USBLoaderGX moved all the files it needed to the external HDD. I didn't notice until tonight! Long ago I setup Priiloader (I think) to skip the system menu boot straight to USBLoaderGX on my son's Wii. I removed the Lexar SD card to try to setup the Wii I am having trouble with. Well, tonight he fired his up and I was surprised to see it booted staight to USBLoaderGX. So, apparently the SD card is unnecessary if everything is setup right, which gives me hope.

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

To be clear, you have a fat32 hard drive plugged into port 0 with apps in the apps folder that are not appearing in the HBC? Further, you have pressed 1 and toggled to view apps stored on the USB?

If so... Either your USB port is also friend or more likely you should try a different hard drive as the one your using isn't compatible.

Im pretty sure you can find 236 on ModMii's download page 1 or 4 or something

Yes, I tried a couple of drives including one that our Wii uses. I was confused about the IOS236 thing. I was looking for 'cios236', which isn't on the page with all of the CIOSs. Now I understand that you are taliking about IOS236. Thank you.

When I try to use the external HDD, a flash drive, or any of the SD cards, I get "An exception (DSI) has occurred" and a data dump.

 

[DestroyedEDGE]

What app gives you the dump?

Sent from my moto x4 using Tapatalk

 

[Captain_N]

cios236 is used as a base to run homebrew apps under. I use it to install all the ciosdx2 249 stuff on virgin 4.3 wiis. I dont use thing like priiloader or modmii. I use smash bros to install homebrew channel. then i install cios236. then i use cios236 to install cios 249,250 Then i install the usb loader gx channel and wii flow channels. Then thats about it...

 

[DestroyedEDGE]

cios236 is used as a base to run homebrew apps under. I use it to install all the ciosdx2 249 stuff on virgin 4.3 wiis. I dont use thing like priiloader or modmii. I use smash bros to install homebrew channel. then i install cios236. then i use cios236 to install cios 249,250 Then i install the usb loader gx channel and wii flow channels. Then thats about it...

Did you even read the previous posts?

Sent from my moto x4 using Tapatalk

 

[Captain_N]

Did you even read the previous posts?

Sent from my moto x4 using Tapatalk

Yeah, i was explaining what cios236 is used for.

 

[DestroyedEDGE]

I'm pretty sure most of us know what it's used for, but ok

Sent from my moto x4 using Tapatalk

 

[ningling12]

What app gives you the dump?

Sent from my moto x4 using Tapatalk

The Homebrew Channel does the moment I select 'USB' or 'SD' from the menu reached after pressing the '1' button.

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

The Homebrew Channel does the moment I select 'USB' or 'SD' from the menu reached after pressing the '1' button.

For example, when I click 'SD Card', I get a black screen with white text that reads:

Exception (DSI) occurred!
GPR00 813DA1A8 .....
...

STACK DUMP:
813da1a8 --> 813da1a8 --> ...
...

CODE DUMP:
813da1a8: ...
...

 

[DestroyedEDGE]

(Undo edit)
https://r.tapatalk.com/shareLink?ur...share_tid=514110&share_fid=27398&share_type=t

 

[ningling12]

Well, I dunno what's happening

Thank you, I am following it now. His appears to be a HDD failure. My guess is that the exception occurs whenever there is a problem with the storage device. I think that if it is absent or improperly mounted, HBC grays its button out.

 

[DestroyedEDGE]

Ok, sorry I removed the link.

Sent from my moto x4 using Tapatalk

 

[ningling12]

Ok, sorry I removed the link.

Sent from my moto x4 using Tapatalk

No, you misunderstood me. I followed the link you posted and just wanted you to know that now I am following that thread too to see if there is a solution. So thank you!