Hacking Question Clean Backup 4.1.0 - Is it really usable?

[PixelatedMushroom]

Hi,

Nintendo Switch Firmware: 4.1.0
Memory Card: SanDisk 64 GB SDXC MicroSD card.
No homebrew/cfw has ever been executed .

Background:
I inserted my SDXC MicroSD card and found that to use it I would have to update my system software. To avoid any system update, I formatted my sd card to fat32 and was able to use it. I uploaded the Hekate ctcaer 4.2 payload using TegraRCMGUI to get rawnand, boot 0/1, pkg 1/2, etc. The rawnand.bin file was divided into 15 files and joined it using the script. I used Total Commander to copy the files from SD card to PC (Windows 10). I also used Rajkosto's biskeydump to get biskeys.

Problem:
Although my nand backup is completely clean, I don't think it can be used in a "clean" manner. Since my OS 4.1.0 doesn't got the exfat drivers. Whenever, I will need to restore the nand, I wouldn't be able to do so since the restore is only possible in exfat format. As far as I understand, if I install the drivers without updating, I wouldn't have a clean backup/restore afterwards.

1. What should I do for a clean nand backup/restore in this case? I want to have a clean complete backup before installing any cfw.
2. I want to unlink my nintendo account without updating system software.
3. I would appreciate if anybody can confirm if I have all the required backup files. My backup directory structure is as follows:

| biskeys.txt
| BOOT0
| BOOT1
| rawnand.bin
|
+---dumps
| bootrom_patched.bin
| bootrom_unpatched.bin
| evp_thunks.bin
| fuses.bin
| ipatches.bin
| kfuses.bin
| tsec_keys.bin
|
+---partitions
| BCPKG2-1-Normal-Main
| BCPKG2-2-Normal-Sub
| BCPKG2-3-SafeMode-Main
| BCPKG2-4-SafeMode-Sub
| BCPKG2-5-Repair-Main
| BCPKG2-6-Repair-Sub
| PRODINFO
| PRODINFOF
| SAFE
| SYSTEM
|
+---pkg1
| nxloader.bin
| pkg1_decr.bin
| secmon.bin
| warmboot.bin
|
+---pkg2
| ini1.bin
| kernel.bin
| pkg2_decr.bin
|
\---restore
\---partitions


Thanks!

 

[Lucky16]

Hekate can use exFAT even without the exFAT update. The Switch's official operating system (called Horizon) can't.
That means you can format your microSD card to exFAT, use it to restore your backup (or make a new one), then format it back to FAT32 and use it as normal on your Switch.

I can't help with the rest, sorry.

Edit: Obviously, back up all your data before formatting, as I'm sure you would anyway!

 

[PixelatedMushroom]

Hekate can use exFAT even without the exFAT update. The Switch's official operating system (called Horizon) can't.
That means you can format your microSD card to exFAT, use it to restore your backup (or make a new one), then format it back to FAT32 and use it as normal on your Switch.

I can't help with the rest, sorry.

Edit: Obviously, back up all your data before formatting, as I'm sure you would anyway!

Whaaaaattttttt!!!! I thought horizon wasn't able to do this because of drivers.

So it means if I start to use exFat format with a CFW, even then my nand restore will return my switch back to untouched state right?

 

[Lucky16]

Like I said, Horizon can't. Horizon doesn't have an exFAT driver until you install the update. But Hekate isn't Horizon - it's written by a hacker who can get away with using an exFAT driver without paying Microsoft for the right to do so.

So it means if I start to use exFat format with a CFW, even then my nand restore will return my switch back to untouched state right?

That sounds reasonable, but I haven't actually tried it, so I can't verify. Sorry.