Hardware Crap... what are my options here? (Camera replacement issues)

[codezer0]

I'll try to keep this as short as I can.

The cameras that were on my 3DS XL facing out stopped working. As part of it, I was able to order a replacement module, and to prep, a shell replacement, off of Amazon. I'm not necessarily a stranger to doing this process... annoyingly, because no fucking text or video "walkthrough" will ever properly discuss how to fully take apart the console, especially ado about the hinge mechanism. But anyway... I finally get the thing in the new shell, and somehow in the process, I unfortunately rip the ribbon for the new camera module. All because I couldn't seem to get straight how to put the ribbons through their part of the hinge between top and bottom halves. And unfortunately now, I don't have a way to push open the mechanism that keeps the hinge locked together.

So, I need a couple of things.

1. How the hell can I safely open this hinge so I can fully take it apart again?
2. Even after I do get it open, what is the order i need to put the ribbon cables through sot hat they go to their proper place on the PCB when I start putting it back together? I can never find ANY images that detail this, ever.
3. If worse comes to worse and I then have to buy another 3ds... what are my chances of finding a vulnerable n3DS XL to run my Gateway with? Or DStwo+ for that matter?

I'm trying to preserve this thing either way, because it has my ambassador stuff, and to date team Gateway hasn't really gave me a good way to be able to launch any of my legit GBA or DSiWare stuff. And before you say "oh, just get CFW", no... I don't have a vulnerable game to 'sploit with on the sysnand, and I migrated my ambassador stuff directly to the emunand on this particular 3DS XL. So Linking the emunand and sysnand is pointless there. And none of that is going to matter if I can't get THIS 3DS XL to work again.

**UPDATE**

Well, finally got this 3DS XL open and finally apart, only to confirm my fears that the top screen, and speakers, are ruined on it. So, very likely going to need a donor system for a motherboard swap.

Though I guess the question still stands. If I somehow can manage to get myself an N3DS XL, what are my odds of finding a vulnerable one to be able to use the Gateway at least?

 

[izy]

https://www.ifixit.com/Guide/Nintendo+3DS+XL+Upper+LED+Display+Replacement/25070

I don't have a vulnerable game to 'sploit with on the sysnand

FYI you can just exploit with games you put on the gateway

 

[Deleted-236924]

And before you say "oh, just get CFW", no... I don't have a vulnerable game to 'sploit with on the sysnand

You don't even need any games though.
I presume you are on 4.x or so?
Install MSET exploit for rxTools the same way you installed GW MSET exploit, or use browser exploit to run rxTools.
Or if you are anything higher you can still use the browser exploit. 6.x also has MSET for rxTools.

Sometimes browser exploits just don't seem to work for no reason though, and if they weren't working then yeah you'd be out of luck.

FYI you can just exploit with games you put on the gateway

Can you?
With the Sky I know you can, but how does that work with GW?
Would you be booting into GW Mode on sysnand, running Cubic Ninja and then you'd be able to run Ninjhax?
I don't really know how that would work. GW is pretty much a CFW and you can't boot a CFW from within a CFW. You'd be able to access HBL but you wouldn't be able to actually run rxTools from it because you are running a native_firm that isn't exploitable.

 

[izy]

You don't even need any games though.
I presume you are on 4.x or so?
Install MSET exploit for rxTools the same way you installed GW MSET exploit, or use browser exploit to run rxTools.
Or if you are anything higher you can still use the browser exploit. 6.x also has MSET for rxTools.

Sometimes browser exploits just don't seem to work for no reason though, and if they weren't working then yeah you'd be out of luck.


Can you?
With the Sky I know you can, but how does that work with GW?
Would you be booting into GW Mode on sysnand, running Cubic Ninja and then you'd be able to run Ninjhax?
I don't really know how that would work. GW is pretty much a CFW and you can't boot a CFW from within a CFW. You'd be able to access HBL but you wouldn't be able to actually run rxTools from it because you are running a native_firm that isn't exploitable.

yeah you can run cubic ninja from your region from the gateway card(gatewaymode) to exploit onto custom firmware.
Saying that if you are on exploitable fw you can just get the Cubic Ninja Cia for your region, run pasta through HBL and install + run the Cia in Pasta CFW in sysnand

 

[Deleted-236924]

Well if you were to use a .cia then that is a different story, this isn't a game you put on the gateway (that would be .3ds roms on the microSD card.)
That leaves the issue that you can't do it through GW at all because of native_firm still.

The thing is though, that assumes OP is on 9.0-9.2, because otherwise the only way to access homebrew launcher is via Cubic Ninja, and without Sky or legit CN cartridge, you can't do it. You could run HBL from CN .3ds rom on the GW, but you wouldn't be able to load any other CFW from it so that would be useless.

That and if you are using a .cia you aren't running it from your GW card. Wouldn't even touch it. Only ways to run Pasta would be to have exploitable MSET which we have to hope OP has (I -think- Pasta MSET only supports 4.x), or have Cubic Ninja/Sky3DS with CN rom. Or if OP is already on 9.0/9.2 then they can just run browserhax, install menuhax, profit.

 

[codezer0]

https://www.ifixit.com/Guide/Nintendo+3DS+XL+Upper+LED+Display+Replacement/25070

FYI you can just exploit with games you put on the gateway

That link epitomizes exactly what has been pissing me off with trying to do these shell replacements.
That guide STILL does not show me how to separate the hinge!
it STILL doesn't show me how to order the ribbons so that I put them back in properly!

So, what good is it? Why does no guide ever address this?

--------------------- MERGED ---------------------------

You don't even need any games though.
I presume you are on 4.x or so?
Install MSET exploit for rxTools the same way you installed GW MSET exploit, or use browser exploit to run rxTools.
Or if you are anything higher you can still use the browser exploit. 6.x also has MSET for rxTools.

Sometimes browser exploits just don't seem to work for no reason though, and if they weren't working then yeah you'd be out of luck.


Can you?
With the Sky I know you can, but how does that work with GW?
Would you be booting into GW Mode on sysnand, running Cubic Ninja and then you'd be able to run Ninjhax?
I don't really know how that would work. GW is pretty much a CFW and you can't boot a CFW from within a CFW. You'd be able to access HBL but you wouldn't be able to actually run rxTools from it because you are running a native_firm that isn't exploitable.

Um, my existing 3DS XL (in pieces right now) was on 4.4 when I bought it. So I was just able to follow GW's install setup, made an emunand to boot from right away, and let the emunand update so that I was able to do the system transfer from my original 3DS (which I since sold off to someone else). There was no MSET when I had it. So, none of what you said made any sense for me.

--------------------- MERGED ---------------------------

I can't get the hinge open. What do i need to get the hinge OPEN without destroying this thing!?!

 

[Deleted-236924]

You're saying that you don't have any exploitable games to exploit with on the sysnand so you can't get CFW. I'm saying you don't need any exploitable games because you can just use browser exploit or install rxTools mset the same way you must have installed GW MSET.

That's once you would have fixed that 3DS though.

 

[codezer0]

You're saying that you don't have any exploitable games to exploit with on the sysnand so you can't get CFW. I'm saying you don't need any exploitable games because you can just use browser exploit or install rxTools mset the same way you must have installed GW MSET.

That's once you would have fixed that 3DS though.

If I get this 3DS XL fixed, then it's no problem. I had the two-card bundle, so I had installed the DS Profile thing to be able to launch the Gateway mode automatically.

My question regarding installing to run the Gateway would apply to a New 3DS XL system. Because if I'm going to have to spend nearly $200 anyway to replace it, I might as well get that version. Does that make sense now?

Where I still have a problem, is that I migrated my legit Ambassador GBA stuff, and my DSiWare games onto the emuNAND, and I still can't launch them (last I recall, I think my GW Launcher was on 3.4 before all this nonsense happened). Is there a way to finally launch those games from my emunand or what?

 

[izy]

That link epitomizes exactly what has been pissing me off with trying to do these shell replacements.
That guide STILL does not show me how to separate the hinge!
it STILL doesn't show me how to order the ribbons so that I put them back in properly!
--------------------- MERGED ---------------------------

I can't get the hinge open. What do i need to get the hinge OPEN without destroying this thing!?!

Step 1 Quit being a moany git
Step 2 The order you put the ribbons is the OPPOSITE of how you removed them
Step 3 You do not need to remove the hinge to remove the Cables.
Step 4 Let me do that whole 5minutes of work called Googleing how to replace a 3dsXL shell
Step 5 Go to 5min 50 in this video

Step 6 Profit

 

[codezer0]

You do need to remove that hinge to do a shell replacement, though. Stop assuming.

I looked at that same video too. He doesn't show what to use to get that stupid hinge lock out so that the hinge can be separated.

Whelp... this happened.

Top screen ribbon cable got some tearing. one of the speakers' cables tore. and the LED diffuser cracked into pieces. Finally got the shell open though!

Crap... crap, crap, crap!

Well, crap... at this point, I now find myself entertaining the idea of sacrificing a second-hand 3DS XL to do a motherboard swap; at least then I could still launch Gateway and still play what I got.

 

[izy]

like i said watch from 5min 50. he clearly pries away the hinglelock cover with a screwdriver, then he pries the lock off the name way

 

[codezer0]

like i said watch from 5min 50. he clearly pries away the hinglelock cover with a screwdriver, then he pries the lock off the name way

Yea, my problem was that I do not have a flat-head bit neither thin enough, nor wide enough, to be able to go deep enough for that job. And using the bit from an eyeglass repair kit to finally get the hinge open cracked the LED diffuser. But the worst part was seeing that unfortunately, the ribbon cable for my top screen was frayed as well, along with some of the speaker wire.

So annoyingly, it looks like in order to at least save this 3DS XL, I need to find a used one for a donor to do a motherboard swap. And the only gamestop I can get to within biking distance just gave me the most aggravating experience trying to get one there, since all online methods would only ship one several weeks after the fact.