BSOD N3dsxl

[Kwyjor]

To re-iterate my previous message: are you getting "corrupt boot.firm" messages even when the SD card is completely removed? Once CFW is properly installed, if no SD card is inserted, then the 3DS is supposed to read boot.firm from the internal NAND.

 

[ponitheponi]

are you getting "corrupt boot.firm" messages even when the SD card is completely removed?

Unfortunately yes. When there's no SD card inserted, it gives me the magenta notification light, then turns off shortly after booting.

 

[Kwyjor]

Have you always been getting magenta/red/orange notification lights, or have you actually gotten explicit "boot.firm corrupt" messages?

(If anyone else reading this is wondering about notification light colors, see https://github.com/SciresM/boot9strap/releases/tag/1.4 .)

 

[ponitheponi]

Ever since I hacked it and started going through guide by guide to figure out the root cause, it's started out the corrupt boot.firm files (magenta light, red light). After enough booting tries and trying to get into the safe mode, it may give me an arm11 error or a "unable to mount ctrnand or load ctrnand firm". Once it decides to start working, I don't see any error notifications/messages at all- I can turn it off and turn it back on without fail or issue from the notification lights or the error messages. But if left alone enough, it starts out with either the red light if an SD card is in it or a magenta if the SD card is out.

 

[CoolMe]

It could be just the sd card reader giving you random Arm11 & "unable to find mount ctrnand.. "errors, even if your sd card's Luma3DS & ctrnand's are just fine. However this is a separate issue to the BSOD, as faulty/malfunctioning sd card readers don't give BSODs from my experience. It must be something else..
If you have another N3DSXL, why don't you swap the sd card reader and see if it changes anything.
I would also suggest looking into ctrtransfer type d9 , though be careful with it..

 

[Kwyjor]

It could be just the sd card reader giving you random Arm11 & "unable to find mount ctrnand.. "errors, even if your sd card's Luma3DS & ctrnand's are just fine.

As per the above link, a magenta light is "SD FIRM missing, CTRNAND FIRM corrupt". I think it's really quite unimaginable that a bad SD card reader could somehow interfere with reading the NAND when there is no SD card inserted whatsoever.

 

[CoolMe]

As per the above link, a magenta light is "SD FIRM missing, CTRNAND FIRM corrupt". I think it's really quite unimaginable that a bad SD card reader could somehow interfere with reading the NAND when there is no SD card inserted whatsoever.

It does. When mine was failing the 3ds wouldn't boot with or without the sd card in, with or without Luma3DS in the sd card/ctrnand. It would just give a faint blue light and turns off.. Sometimes it shows an Arm11 error or "unable to mount ctrnand..". From this erratic behavior he's being experiencing i assume it's the same.
One sure way for me to know it was it, it would crash randomly in GodMode9, so you couldn't backup /restore nand or do ctrtransfer comfortably as you normally would. It could error out at any time..

 

[jeffyTheHomebrewer]

Hm. Well, my guess is that yeah it probably is something on the board not properly flowing. Could be the NAND chip somehow actually, as that'd explain the failed SD boot.firm boots, as B9S lives on the internal memory of the 3DS, and B9S is what loads the SD card's boot.firm (if the SD boot.firm is missing, it uses the boot.firm in CTRnand, if livable. if THAT'S missing, I assume it either just loads the regular 3DS software, or crashes. Not testing that myself yet)

 

[jeffyTheHomebrewer]

It does. When mine was failing the 3ds wouldn't boot with or without the sd card in, with or without Luma3DS in the sd card/ctrnand. It would just give a faint blue light and turns off.. Sometimes it shows an Arm11 error or "unable to mount ctrnand..". From this erratic behavior he's being experiencing i assume it's the same.
One sure way for me to know it was it, it would crash randomly in GodMode9, so you couldn't backup /restore nand or do ctrtransfer comfortably as you normally would. It could error out at any time..

Wait, the SD reader being bad can actually fuck with CTRnand operations? Well, what if the reader is missing entirely? What then?

..would it work as normal?

 

[CoolMe]

Wait, the SD reader being bad can actually fuck with CTRnand operations?

From my experience, yes, as previously stated..

Well, what if the reader is missing entirely? What then?

..would it work as normal?

I think it's necessary in order for the system to boot. Otherwise it wouldn't.. Same for the WiFi chip, and the cameras (for N3DS consoles)..

 

[jeffyTheHomebrewer]

From my experience, yes, as previously stated..

I think it's necessary in order for the system to boot. Otherwise it wouldn't.. Same for the WiFi chip, and the cameras (for N3DS consoles)..

Ah. that makes sense.
(also sorry to sidetrack for a bit, but how did OP install B9S 1.4? It's not included with SafeB9SInstaller, nor does 3ds.hacks.guide say where to put boot9strap.firm on the SD card...)
(edit: nvm, turns out it goes in SD:/boot9strap, along with the stupid dumb i-hate-it unnecessary-in-my-opinion .sha file)

 

[ponitheponi]

Could be the NAND chip somehow actually, as that'd explain the failed SD boot.firm boots

It's funny you mentioned that, I talked with my dad (who's a lot more knowledgeable about computer stuff than I) about it, and he suggested that there might be a loose contact or something on the chip given how it'll work after enough attempts and the stars align as opposed to starting it after it's been off for a while. I'll need to disassemble it enough to check, but if it's a simple fix, a soldering iron should take care of the rest.

 

[Ondrashek06]

along with the stupid dumb i-hate-it unnecessary-in-my-opinion .sha file

The .sha file is just for checking whether the file it was included with is OK. It literally does nothing but contain the checksum. It isn't necessary for B9S to run.

 

[jeffyTheHomebrewer]

The .sha file is just for checking whether the file it was included with is OK. It literally does nothing but contain the checksum. It isn't necessary for B9S to run.

But it is needed for SafeB9SInstaller to actually install it... bullshit.

 

[jeffyTheHomebrewer]

It's funny you mentioned that, I talked with my dad (who's a lot more knowledgeable about computer stuff than I) about it, and he suggested that there might be a loose contact or something on the chip given how it'll work after enough attempts and the stars align as opposed to starting it after it's been off for a while. I'll need to disassemble it enough to check, but if it's a simple fix, a soldering iron should take care of the rest.

Considering how small yet complex the 3DS is, I don't recommend trying to disassemble it yourself unless you KNOW WHAT YOU'RE DOING AND TRUST YOURSELF TO NOT MAKE IT A THOUSAND TIMES WORSE.
Sorry for all caps, I just want to make sure you understand how important that is! Also, a regular phillips screwdriver ain't gonna work the whole way thorugh.

 

[Kwyjor]

It does. When mine was failing the 3ds wouldn't boot with or without the sd card in, with or without Luma3DS in the sd card/ctrnand. It would just give a faint blue light and turns off.. Sometimes it shows an Arm11 error or "unable to mount ctrnand..". From this erratic behavior he's being experiencing i assume it's the same.

So you replaced the SD card reader and all these errors went away..?

One sure way for me to know it was it, it would crash randomly in GodMode9, so you couldn't backup /restore nand or do ctrtransfer comfortably as you normally would. It could error out at any time..

But doing any of those operations in Godmode9 would require an SD card to be inserted.

I think it's necessary in order for the system to boot. Otherwise it wouldn't..

But not booting at all is very different from producing error messages about NAND corruption.

This all feels like it is getting increasingly speculative.

 

[jeffyTheHomebrewer]

But doing any of those operations in Godmode9 would require an SD card to be inserted.

Well... you could try to copy GM9 to nand. Let me check something

Yep, you should, in theory, be able to put GM9 on sysnand by copying godmode9.firm to:
1:/rw/luma/payloads
Just use GM9 from the SD while the 3DS is working all hunky-dory to copy it, and it should work I believe.

 

[jeffyTheHomebrewer]

Yep, just tried it on my 3DS and it works fine. Not too sure about things that require the gm9 folder though.

Yep, anything that wants to read from or write to 0: (the SD card) fails. Maybe if I feel like it I could compile a version of GM9 to use 1: (sysnand) instead of 0:, as stupid as that may sound.

 

[CoolMe]

So you replaced the SD card reader and all these errors went away..?

Correct.

But doing any of those operations in Godmode9 would require an SD card to be inserted.

Yes, but even when the sd card is not inserted, just being on the UI of GodMode9 without doing any operations, sometimes it did crash on me.. And that's when it boots to GodMode9 (it was just the fading blue light most of the time)..

But not booting at all is very different from producing error messages about NAND corruption.

Well, believe it or not it was the sd card reader messing with everything for me..

This all feels like it is getting increasingly speculative.

 

[ponitheponi]

Sorry for the radio silence the past few days- I replaced the motherboard in the 3DS, and it turned out it was exactly the issue- something was up with the NAND chip I guess, since the new motherboard doesn't even freak out when trying to start it up. It just starts up as normal. I'd probably have to hack it again, but as far as I'm concerned, the issue that was plaguing this 3DS has been cleared up.

Thanks again, everyone, for guiding me and helping me through this journey.