Hacking Question "Could not find bootloader\hekate_ipl.ini"

[Silent_Gunner]

So, I got a 3.0.1 Switch from eBay, and have finally gotten around to trying to get it to run emulators, and the damn thing keeps giving me this error when I try to boot the Switch with the CFW, even though the file is certainly located where it's supposed to be and everything.

I'm sure I'm not the first one to run into this problem, but with how things are changing every almost every day given that the devs are still in the early stages of modifying the Switch, I figured I'd ask anyways since threads saying you couldn't run homebrew past 3.0.0 seem to be out of date with people running CFW, emulators, and other stuff on FWs past 3.0.0. (Those topics were the first to come up in Google)

 

[Draxzelex]

On the SD card should be a file titled...exactly what you wrote in the thread title which is like a notepad document that contains instructions on how to launch Hekate. Without it, Hekate has no idea how to launch anything and defaults to stock firmware (OFW). Luckily, there's someone who already compiled a hekate_ipl.ini with a bunch of useful configurations as well as some homebrew.

https://gbatemp.net/threads/newest-hekate-sdfiles-zip.506280/

 

[Silent_Gunner]

So, the file was named hekate_ipl.ini.txt...

...this is what happens when you're tired, busy, and just not able to focus 100% because of it being the first day of college, people.

 

[fearlubu]

I apologize for reviving a year old thread, but what did you do to fix this problem exactly? I checked the file and sure enough it is indeed hekate_ipl.ini .

 

[Silent_Gunner]

I apologize for reviving a year old thread, but what did you do to fix this problem exactly? I checked the file and sure enough it is indeed hekate_ipl.ini .

I had the hekate file named incorrectly. This was back when I'd say homebrew on the Switch was starting to get practical and before RetroArch even got it's official port to Horizon (the community-dubbed name for the Nintendo Switch's OS), and I was nervous I'd destroy my dirty Switch that I bought specifically for hacking. Just make sure that "hekate_ipl.ini" ends there and doesn't have a .txt or any other extension at the end of it. I don't remember the deets as it was a year ago, but I'm thinking I may have been using Notepad because I'm not gonna bust out Notepad++ for something I'm just gonna use once. If you have to, check the box in File Manager on Windows 10 to show file extensions.

Otherwise, I don't know if there was anything else that went wrong or that contributed to this issue. What OFW do ya' got? While I think CFW works on every FW right now, I also haven't updated the FW on my dirty Switch because of the potential for it to introduce compatibility problems with homebrew for the Switch.

 

[fearlubu]

Hmmm, it appears that the file is named correctly. I'm able to get into the hetake menu, but I can't launch anything. After the sept screen appears for a split second the screen turns off. I can't do anything else other than manually turn it off (hold power for 15 seconds) and inject a payload into it. I can't turn it on normally.

I do notice that in the more settings (or something like that) selection, just right of launch on hekate keeps saying that it can't detect hekate_ipl.ini . It's certainly named correctly and in the correct folder path. I'm not sure if that information is relevant, but I noticed it a few times.

 

[Silent_Gunner]

Hmmm, it appears that the file is named correctly. I'm able to get into the hetake menu, but I can't launch anything. After the sept screen appears for a split second the screen turns off. I can't do anything else other than manually turn it off (hold power for 15 seconds) and inject a payload into it. I can't turn it on normally.

I do notice that in the more settings (or something like that) selection, just right of launch on hekate keeps saying that it can't detect hekate_ipl.ini . It's certainly named correctly and in the correct folder path. I'm not sure if that information is relevant, but I noticed it a few times.

Check the paths and the like. Your microSD card is formatted as FAT32, correct? Having it as exFAT seems to cause a lot of problems.

 

[Geridious4]

Check the paths and the like. Your microSD card is formatted as FAT32, correct? Having it as exFAT seems to cause a lot of problems.

Not to revive this thread but
I've done this guide 5 times plus did other different guides also

https://nh-server.github.io/switch-guide/

Everything goes absolutely perfect except the end when I go to launch button to launch atmosphere I get this everytime

"no main boot entires found...
You can use the following entry to boot stock or use More configs button for more boot entires.

When I click more configs it says
"no .ini or boot entires found...
Check that a .ini file exists in /bootloader/ini/, and that it contains at least one entry

The bootloader file hekate_ipl.ini exists in the bootloader folder

However there is no files in the bootloader/ini folder so I must be missing something in there.

SD card is formatted fat32
Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Maupiti]

You need to edit the hekate-ipl.ini and add one or several lines where you specify one or several payloads to be launched from the « launch menu » in Hekate.

 

[Geridious4]

You need to edit the hekate-ipl.ini and add one or several lines where you specify one or several payloads to be launched from the « launch menu » in Hekate.

thank you for your reply I appreciate it, strange that no guide tell's me to do that, if you could help me what to type, i'd really appreciate it as i'm struggling a lot here.

this is the files text code on my SD card, it's labeled hekate_ipl.ini and it opens in notepad program if that helps at all

{------ Atmosphere ------}
[Atmosphere FSS0 EmuMMC]
fss0=atmosphere/fusee-secondary.bin
kip1=atmosphere/kips/*
icon=bootloader/res/emu_boot.bmp
{}
[Atmosphere FSS0 SYS]
fss0=atmosphere/fusee-secondary.bin
kip1=atmosphere/kips/*
emummc_force_disable=1
icon=bootloader/res/sys_cfw_boot.bmp
{}
{-------- Stock ---------}
[Stock SYS]
fss0=atmosphere/fusee-secondary.bin
stock=1
emummc_force_disable=1
icon=bootloader/res/stock_boot.bmp

 

[Maupiti]

Îve seen you fixed this issue in another thread. Glad it works for you now.

 

[Geridious4]

Îve seen you fixed this issue in another thread. Glad it works for you now.

I did thank you for your help, i really appreciated it, definitely a strange fix but a fix none the less haha, cheers eh

 

[Implode]

thank you for your reply I appreciate it, strange that no guide tell's me to do that, if you could help me what to type, i'd really appreciate it as i'm struggling a lot here.

this is the files text code on my SD card, it's labeled hekate_ipl.ini and it opens in notepad program if that helps at all

{------ Atmosphere ------}
[Atmosphere FSS0 EmuMMC]
fss0=atmosphere/fusee-secondary.bin
kip1=atmosphere/kips/*
icon=bootloader/res/emu_boot.bmp
{}
[Atmosphere FSS0 SYS]
fss0=atmosphere/fusee-secondary.bin
kip1=atmosphere/kips/*
emummc_force_disable=1
icon=bootloader/res/sys_cfw_boot.bmp
{}
{-------- Stock ---------}
[Stock SYS]
fss0=atmosphere/fusee-secondary.bin
stock=1
emummc_force_disable=1
icon=bootloader/res/stock_boot.bmp

Can you please post the whole contents of your working hekate_ipl.ini file ? I am trying to solve the same issue for two hours now but can't figure it out. Please help

 

[Geridious4]

Can you please post the whole contents of your working hekate_ipl.ini file ? I am trying to solve the same issue for two hours now but can't figure it out. Please help

this was my solution on a thread I created that someone suggested and worked for me.
I just deleted
hekate_ipl.ini
patches_template

and kept the
hekate_ipl

hope this helps

 

[Maupiti]

As Geridious4 wrote, you need a « proper » hekate_ipl.ini . Not one with .txt extension. Choose « show known files extension « on your PC, and you will see which one you have to keep on your sd card

 

[infinitepigeons]

it says hekate_ipl.ini is missing in bootloader but in bootloader hekate_ipl.ini is there and in it is just
[config]
autoboot=0
autoboot_list=0
bootwait=3
backlight=100
autohosoff=0
autonogc=1
updater2p=0
bootprotect=0




im really dumb can someone not dumb help me

 

[Draxzelex]

it says hekate_ipl.ini is missing in bootloader but in bootloader hekate_ipl.ini is there and in it is just
[config]
autoboot=0
autoboot_list=0
bootwait=3
backlight=100
autohosoff=0
autonogc=1
updater2p=0
bootprotect=0




im really dumb can someone not dumb help me

That's just your config file. Your hekate_ipl.ini file needs to contain launch profiles such as emuMMC or sysMMC.

 

[tsujirii]

Hi all, I just made an account to say that this solution worked for me:

I had the hekate file named incorrectly. This was back when I'd say homebrew on the Switch was starting to get practical and before RetroArch even got it's official port to Horizon (the community-dubbed name for the Nintendo Switch's OS), and I was nervous I'd destroy my dirty Switch that I bought specifically for hacking. Just make sure that "hekate_ipl.ini" ends there and doesn't have a .txt or any other extension at the end of it. I don't remember the deets as it was a year ago, but I'm thinking I may have been using Notepad because I'm not gonna bust out Notepad++ for something I'm just gonna use once. If you have to, check the box in File Manager on Windows 10 to show file extensions.

Otherwise, I don't know if there was anything else that went wrong or that contributed to this issue. What OFW do ya' got? While I think CFW works on every FW right now, I also haven't updated the FW on my dirty Switch because of the potential for it to introduce compatibility problems with homebrew for the Switch.

I had followed the same guide (nh-server.github.io/switch-guide/) that others mentioned, several times, and repeated the process at least 3 times to no avail. There are all kinds of solution suggestions on the internet, from updating patch files to connectivity issues, but the fix turned out to be very simple: the hekate_ipl.ini file was saved incorrectly. The original source, by default, saved it as a text file.

There is an extra step that should be mentioned (and what solved my problem). Even though the .ini gets saved as a text file, you may have to save it again as a .ini file to get it to work:

Step 1

Step 2

File > Save as > All files (not text).
There will be a pop up from Windows complaining about file types, just disregard it and save anyway. Your same text file will immediately convert to the .ini format it is supposed to be in.

And then go back to your folder and paste it where it's supposed to be... To be on the safe side, I actually pasted 2 copies of my .ini file:

And then the process to launching finally worked.
So yeah. Just wanted to say a HUGE thank you to Silent_Gunner, Geridious4, and Maupiti for pointing me in the right direction. Hopefully my screenshots pay it forward and help someone else out there!