Hacking Can't get past "Valid ELF image detected" on Wii U

nbchick

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Issue Resolved.

Hello. I could really use some advise. I'm trying to softmod the VWii on my Wii U. It has the latest firmware. I'm using the Lego Indiana Jones game to do it with the Indiana Pwns hack. Also using a 1gb Sandisk SD card. I followed the guide https://gbatemp.net/threads/full-vwii-softmod.339899/ Loaded the files onto the card as the guide says. I copied the US save file to the Wiis memory per instructions. I load the game, proceed with the process and get to the screen to start the mod process.
It essentially gets to "Valid ELF image detected." and won't proceed any further, just hands there. I've tried formatting the card with SDFormatter, tried Fat16 and 32 formats, tried 2 SD cards of the same make/model (They came out of 2DSs) Made sure nothing was plugged into the USB, re-downloaded and copied all files, recopied the hack save file. I haven't got it softmodded yet. Google mostly refers to Wiis but even then, results are limited. I'm out of ideas.
Anybody have any suggestions? I've been at this for hours :(

Edit: A picture of the TV screen
RkqXGZ2.jpg
 

Mr. Mysterio

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I just downloaded the newest Indiana Pwns and the newest HackMii installer. I extracted both onto my 2GB FAT16 SD card, I activated the exploit from LEGO Indiana Jones, and it loaded the HackMii installer successfully!

Try the following:
- Download the two files from the links above. (Don't worry about viruses, these links are to the official sites.)
- Reformat your SD card to FAT16.
- Copy the contents of "indiana-pwns.zip" to the root of the blank SD card.
- Open "hackmii_installer_v1.2.zip", now open "hackmii_installer_v1.2", now copy boot.elf to the root of the SD card.
- Install the save for your region on the vWii.
- Run LEGO Indiana Jones and activate the exploit!
 

nbchick

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I'll start from scratch in a bit and let you know.
When I decided to try this, I bought a copy of the game specifically for this. There were no previous save files for it. I went straight to trying to mod it, I never played the game on the console before. I thought maybe this was the reason, so I got my kid to play a little bit, go to the college and force a save by modifying one of the characters. Then went completely out of the game, put the SD card in with just boot.elf and the private folder that I had previously downloaded. Went to data management and tried to copy the save file for the hack, it wouldn't let me. I had to delete the save file we just made. So I deleted it, back to the menu, ran game, ran exploit, same result. The card is in FAT32 format, if that makes a difference. I tried FAT16 earlier I believe, but it wouldn't detect it.
So when I can think straight again, I'll do exactly as you said from scratch.
 

Mr. Mysterio

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I'll start from scratch in a bit and let you know.
When I decided to try this, I bought a copy of the game specifically for this. There were no previous save files for it. I went straight to trying to mod it, I never played the game on the console before. I thought maybe this was the reason, so I got my kid to play a little bit, go to the college and force a save by modifying one of the characters. Then went completely out of the game, put the SD card in with just boot.elf and the private folder that I had previously downloaded. Went to data management and tried to copy the save file for the hack, it wouldn't let me. I had to delete the save file we just made. So I deleted it, back to the menu, ran game, ran exploit, same result. The card is in FAT32 format, if that makes a difference. I tried FAT16 earlier I believe, but it wouldn't detect it.
So when I can think straight again, I'll do exactly as you said from scratch.

I'm 99.9% sure that FAT32 will not work with Indiana Pwns (or any of the game-based exploits).

PS: FAT16 will just be labeled FAT in Windows 7.

PPS: I had never played my copy of LEGO Indiana Jones on my vWii before today.
 

sarkwalvein

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This usually happens when you use a non-Nintendo WiiMote, Nunchuck or (specially) Classic Controller.
Try connecting your wiimote ONLY (with no accessory at all), and try using an original Wiimote.
 
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Mr. Mysterio

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This usually happens when you use a non-Nintendo WiiMote, Nunchuck or (specially) Classic Controller.
Try connecting your wiimote ONLY (with no accessory at all), and try using an original Wiimote.

When I (successfully) tested this, I used an original Nintendo Blue Wii Remote with an original Nintendo Black Nunchuk attached. Nothing else was connected.
 

nbchick

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No luck. I formatted the card, full format with SDFormatter, made sure it was FAT16. Copied the files just like you said, proceeded to run the exploit. Frozen. Reboot, I unpaired both Wiimotes, paired the other Wiimote only, the one I wasn't using before. Tried again with only that Wiimote, no Nunchuck, same result. Both Wiimotes and the Nunchuck are Nintendo but I gave this a try just in case. :(
 

nbchick

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I dont know if this is related but we used to have a Wii, we still have the Wii Sports game from it. We've never been able to play it on this Wii U. The disc is in good shape, but when you put it in, the Wii Dashboard becomes none-responsive. The animations still do their thing, but the Wiimote dissapears off the screen, the power button doesn't respond, no amount of clicking on the wiimote does anything. The disc icon never shows up on the dashboard.
 

Mr. Mysterio

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No luck. I formatted the card, full format with SDFormatter, made sure it was FAT16. Copied the files just like you said, proceeded to run the exploit. Frozen. Reboot, I unpaired both Wiimotes, paired the other Wiimote only, the one I wasn't using before. Tried again with only that Wiimote, no Nunchuck, same result. Both Wiimotes and the Nunchuck are Nintendo but I gave this a try just in case. :(

According to your description, the only difference between your test and mine is that I formatted my SD card with the Windows 7 built-in formatter, but you used SDFormatter. I should have been more specific in my directions.
I have one more suggestion: Download the "makefat16.zip" from my post here. This program will format ANY SD card from 16MB to 32GB with the correct FAT16 formatting to work with the Wii (and vWii). Run the program, then type the drive letter of the SD card. It should now show up as a 2GB FAT16 SD card. Now, just copy the files as before, then try the exploit again. Because this temporary format is a little unstable in the long term, you should reformat the card AGAIN after installing The Homebrew Channel.

If this still doesn't work, my last idea is to update the Wii U the the latest firmware (5.3.2 I think), then try again.

PS: I don't know what is causing the bug with Wii Sports, but if you can get the HackMii installer working then you can use a backup loader to play Wii Sports off a USB drive. Maybe that's what you had in mind the whole time! :lol:
 

nbchick

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Followed your instructions again, used the makefat16 utility, same result. I did turn my 1gb card into 2gb, that's interesting.
The Wii U is up to date, I tried that earlier.
I got this console like a month after launch, I don't know if that has anything to do with it? I am so out of ideas
 

Mr. Mysterio

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I thought of one more thing to try. When it freezes at "Valid ELF image detected.", two things could be happening.
1: The exploit fails to run the ELF.
2: The ELF is run, but it crashes before refreshing the screen.

I wrote a simple homebrew ELF to test the loader. All my program does it write a message on the screen to prove that it is running. :-) Unzip the attached folder onto the SD card root, the run the exploit again. If the screen says "This is a running ELF!!" then the HackMii installer is crashing. If it freezes again, then the loader is crashing.

PS: I haven't had time to, actually, well, test my program, but I am fairly confident that it will work.
 

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nbchick

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Got to the screen "This is a running ELF file! :)"

Edit: 10 minutes later, still on that screen. Does this help?
 

nbchick

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A friend has offered to lend me her copy of Super Smash Bros Brawl and a 2gb SD card. Do you think this would make a difference?
 

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