Important note

This only works if your Switch hasn't ever been online. If it was, you might already be banned for whatever reason OR Nintendo has some kind of a "log snapshot" that will be different from the one that will be created once you go online again with your Switch at the end of this tutorial (leading to a ban).
The only use case for this is, if you have a Switch, that never went online (!) and you started using CFW/NSPs/Homebrew WITHOUT creating a clean NAND dump BEFORE.

I had a friend that never went online but also never created a NAND dump and started using all the custom firmware niceness as it came out. Now that it's easy to create an emuNAND for that, he wanted to go online with his sysNAND. @shchmue helped me out on Discord cleaning up his NAND to remove all logs and afterwards he indeed was able to play online (and still is).

Obviously I'm not responsible for any bricks or other bad and explosives things happening to you following this.
Also I can't guarantee it will work as intended and/or you won't be banned. There's a thousand reasons the latter could happen (or already happened for whatever reason). However this guide is the only way for this specific use case and should work.

Steps

Since this involves using memloader and HacDiskMount to mount your NAND (aka eMMC) in Windows, I'll save myself a lot of time by pointing you to Raj's fantastic guide (because why writing everything down another time?) so let's get started:

1. Use hekate (faster and probably better than SX OS) to create a NAND backup (aka eMMC dump). Dump both, Boot0/1 and the full raw NAND.
   Seriously this is like the most important step ever! If anything goes wrong or you accidentally delete one more thing than you should, restoring your NAND backup only takes around 15 - 20 minutes in hekate and lets you start over.
   1. Optional: Create an emuNAND/emuMMC out of your current "hacky" sysNAND to continue using CFW there after your sysNAND is clean.
2. If you haven't ever used your Switch in combination with your computer you need to install the USB drivers first. You can follow the first step of this guide to do so.
3. Follow this guide by Rajkosto to the point where you are able to mount your NAND in Windows.
4. Mount the USER partition and delete everything on it. Unmount it afterwards.
5. Mount the SYSTEM partition and delete everything on it except these two things:
   
   • content (folder)
   • 8000000000000120 (file that is inside the save folder)
   
   Unmount if afterwards.

That's it! You should end up with only two folders and nothing else on your SYSTEM partition: content and save.
And inside that save folder you deleted everything except that single file I mentioned above (8000000000000120).

Credits

@shchmue for telling me exactly what to do
@rajkosto for his HacDiskMount guide and all his fantastic tools
@CTCaer for his work on hekate (dumping/restoring NAND is so fast and easy nowadays)
@m4xw for making my life complete with his libnx RetroArch port (actually not related to this guide but had to mention it)

 

[lordelan]

Well sadly I only have the rawnand.bin from my original backup (before any CFW stuff happened) and not the BOOT0 and BOOT1 files. So I can't restore that backup

That shouldn't be a problem. You could downgrade with daybreak to the FW u have the backup from (of course without connecting to the internet), then dump your BOOT0 & 1 and then proceed.

 

[AlcuZan]

Well I don't know which FW that backup has. Is there any way to find out?

 

[lordelan]

Well I don't know which FW that backup has. Is there any way to find out?

I'm pretty sure there is.
Try to load it up with a few tools, for example the EmuNand Tool: https://gbatemp.net/threads/emutool...r-sd-switch-emu-type-on-sxos-and-more.550756/
Or NxNandManager:
https://github.com/eliboa/NxNandManager
It might show you the FW version.

 

[OrGoN3]

If you want to play online, it is highly recommended that you restore a sysMMC backup from before you dirtied your sysMMC.

If you do not have a clean sysMMC backup to restore, then there is a chance that you will not be able to play safely online without getting banned. However, you can try using an automated tool like Haku33 to clean your sysMMC. This is not recommended, since it might cause a mismatch between what's on your sysMMC and what's on Nintendo's servers, but without a clean sysMMC backup, this may be your only option.

https://github.com/StarDustCFW/Haku33

Curious. Why are you still recommending Haku33 when TegraExplorer's SystemWipe script exists?

 

[AlcuZan]

I'm pretty sure there is.
Try to load it up with a few tools, for example the EmuNand Tool: https://gbatemp.net/threads/emutool...r-sd-switch-emu-type-on-sxos-and-more.550756/
Or NxNandManager:
https://github.com/eliboa/NxNandManager
It might show you the FW version.

I used this and it worked: https://github.com/shchmue/FVI
So I'll downgrade to 7.0.1 now, dump BOOT0 and BOOT1, restore my OG backup, then follow your guide

 

[Lacius]

Curious. Why are you still recommending Haku33 when TegraExplorer's SystemWipe script exists?

Is one more effective than the other?

 

[lordelan]

I used this and it worked: https://github.com/shchmue/FVI
So I'll downgrade to 7.0.1 now, dump BOOT0 and BOOT1, restore my OG backup, then follow your guide

Oh good find! I didn't even know that this existed although the tools I named probably would have had that function as well but I'm glad you found your FW version. Good luck. Should be good to go now.

 

[OrGoN3]

Is one more effective than the other?

No.

 

[Deleted User]

has anyone tested if this works on Mariko units?

 

[AlcuZan]

That shouldn't be a problem. You could downgrade with daybreak to the FW u have the backup from (of course without connecting to the internet), then dump your BOOT0 & 1 and then proceed.

Wanted to thank you for that tip. It worked flawlessly and so far I am able to play Pokémon Unite without any problems thanks for the guide!

Edit: So there is one VERY IMPORTANT detail that one should be aware about - if you boot into Stock SysMMC from hekate and have AutoRCM enabled and then perform a system update the usual way, AutoRCM will be turned off! So to boot into EmuMMC again, you have to manually bring your Switch into RCM mode again! I wasn't aware of this and thus a little shocked.

 

[lordelan]

Edit: So there is one VERY IMPORTANT detail that one should be aware about - if you boot into Stock SysMMC from hekate and have AutoRCM enabled and then perform a system update the usual way, AutoRCM will be turned off! So to boot into EmuMMC again, you have to manually bring your Switch into RCM mode again! I wasn't aware of this and thus a little shocked.

Yup, while homebrew solutions like Daybreak or ChoiDujourNX prevent the AutoRCM flag, an official FW update from Nintendo always overwrites (and thus resets) it.
However, it's not a big deal imho. Worst thing that might happen is that you burn too many fuses that way but since you can always use hekate to boot either sysNAND or emuNAND and since it's unlikely there will ever be a dongle-less software coldboot that needs a low amount of burnt fuses, it doesn't really matter.

 

[IDZero]

Good day everyone, new member here. I've a quick question related to restoring my switch completely back to stock. I have a clean nand backup that i already used. Should i use haku33 now to erase every dirty file that can potentially ban this switch? Always stayed offline till a certain point where i used internet for homebrew related stuff only. This while incognito was already active. What to do now as i want to donate this switch to someone. As you can clearly tell im a noob @ this stuff. Any help is welcome. Thanks in advance.

p.s. After restoring clean nand i booted normally into ofw and everyhting seemed fine untill ive been asked to erase my sd card? Is this normal after restoring nand? What should i do? At this point i shut my switch off.

 

[OM3GAZX]

When you clean your sysNAND that includes games, will they be erased along with their save data?

 

[blackegg]

download using tinfoil is count as online ? or just in-game online ?

 

[lordelan]

download using tinfoil is count as online ? or just in-game online ?

It'll most likely get you banned if you're not hidden.

 

[blackegg]

i think i always turned on the incognito mode, but its saver to think my tinfoil activities can detected by them
thankyou

 

[Violaesse]

Hi, I am sorry to bother you, I think something similar has been asked in different questions, but I'd like your opinion if you can. My switch has never been online since it was modified, but it did before. I always used CFW with the EmuNAND, except once by mistake, I booted using SysNAND, I recognized it immediately (empty homescreen) and shut the console down, but I don't know if this might have been logged. I never used autoRCM and I DO have a clean NAND backup. Do you suggest using your guide or restoring the NAND? Also is there anything else I should do to clean it (except for removing/cleaning the SD card of course)? Thanks really!

EDIT: I never used Incognito, thinking I didn't need it if I stayed offline all the time, I don't know if it was a mistake though.

 

[Shulia]

I found a guy selling a switch that has had backup games installed in the sysnand. It has never went online. Does this work with it?
I mean, will I be able to play online after those steps?

 

[Zkajavier]

Hi, I am sorry to bother you, I think something similar has been asked in different questions, but I'd like your opinion if you can. My switch has never been online since it was modified, but it did before. I always used CFW with the EmuNAND, except once by mistake, I booted using SysNAND, I recognized it immediately (empty homescreen) and shut the console down, but I don't know if this might have been logged. I never used autoRCM and I DO have a clean NAND backup. Do you suggest using your guide or restoring the NAND? Also is there anything else I should do to clean it (except for removing/cleaning the SD card of course)? Thanks really!

EDIT: I never used Incognito, thinking I didn't need it if I stayed offline all the time, I don't know if it was a mistake though.

Restoring the clean nand backup is your best choice. And no, it was not a mistake, but your nand is dirty and should never go online unless you restore a backup or clean it beforehand.

I found a guy selling a switch that has had backup games installed in the sysnand. It has never went online. Does this work with it?
I mean, will I be able to play online after those steps?

I was in the exact same position as you a couple years ago and I followed the steps of this guide and I use the sysnand for legit games a lot, never been banned. So yes.

 

[lordelan]

I found a guy selling a switch that has had backup games installed in the sysnand. It has never went online. Does this work with it?
I mean, will I be able to play online after those steps?

If it really NEVER went online then sure, you will be save with this guide since Nintendo doesn't have any logs snapshot of that device yet.