Hardware Dead eMMC restore options

[ShadowTS]

Hi all,

I have an old unpatched switch I was less than once a week to play with friends. The switch was of course used with CFW since the day I bought it in March 2019, Kosmos earlier and vanilla AMS recently, and updated every few months, currently was running AMS 15.0 + OFW 10.2.0
Yesterday evening I noticed that while the switch was on the dock the screen was on and black, I checked and the switch crashed all alone, not using it in the last 6 days. The error was 2002-4373, some error related with save games corrupted. By restarting AMS, it always crashed after a few seconds with the same error. At some point after more or less 4 reboots it didn't start anymore with some errors from Hekate. Now, it seems the eMMC is dead: I cannot restore any NAND backup, and the eMMC info on Hekate also said it can't access the eMMC. The OFW does not boot even in recovery mode.
Unfortunately I was using CFW with sysNAND and I don't have any emuNAND simply because at the time I started in March 2019 there was no emuNAND option in AMS, and I didn't even consider the option as my SD was just 128GB and didn't want to waste 32 of them.
I have all the NAND backups (BOOT 0 & 1 + RAW GPP, even if the RAW GPP is splitted as I was always following community suggestions and using a FAT32 formatted SD, + prod & title keys from Lockpick_RCM) taken after every sysNAND firmware upgrade (I still have all the backups from 4.x, 6.2, 8.0, 8.1, 9.2, 10.0.2, 10.1.0 ,10.2.0 I zipped them to take a lot less space).

Now I imagine there are more or less 3 options:
1) Send the console to Nintendo... I don't like the idea and I'm not sure they can do anything or if it would be cheaper than buying a new one...
2) Replace the memory chip on the eMMC board: I don't have any experience soldering, this is excluded.
3) Replace the whole eMMC board: I can't find a guide but it seems it does not require soldering. Could anyone confirm the board can be just plugged in? I've found a few on eBay and Aliexpress, both original used and modded with more than 32G.
In both cases 2 and 3 I understand I need to restore my NAND backup because of hardware encryption. So, it is enough to just use Hekate to restore by BOOT 0 & 1 and splitted RAW GPP? After that restore I should just launch the CFW as always and everyting should be more or less in the status when I took the backup (so just a matter of deleting/reinstalling games because there were probably new installations in the Nintendo folder since the backup)?

4) This is just an idea. In theory if I was using emuNAND instead of sysNAND, with eMMC failure would I be able to continue using the console by booting the emuNAND with CFW? I don't know the answer, but supposing it is true, isn't there any way to build an emuNAND from my NAND backups and just forget about the eMMC forever?

Thanks in advance to everyone that will help especially with options 3 and 4.

 

[thesjaakspoiler]

Just try option 4, bad luck if it doesn't work.
https://gbatemp.net/threads/create-emunand-from-nand-backup.526827/
The post from the user Thaikhoa gives some details on how to use your backup NAND to create an emunand.
I haven't tried it myself but there must be users on GBAtemp here who know more about it.
Do note that due to the fuses, you need a backup of the firmware you were running on.
There are a bunch of articles around here what to to when you only have an older backup.

For option 2 you need to get your hands on a bare eMMC chip and have the right tools for it.

For option 3, you just need a creditcard and buy yourself a new emmc board on ebay or aliexpress.
With Hekate you can just put back your backup and then everything should be fixed (if only the eMMC was the problem).
On the old Switches,it's just a board that clicks into a connector on the motherboard so no soldering required here.

 

[ShadowTS]

Ok, I've started following the option 4 since it is the only one possible without buying anything at least to attempt having a working console.
I've found a nice tool called Nx Nand Manager (https://github.com/eliboa/NxNandManager) which, among other features, allows to "Create emuNAND (file or partition based) from any NAND image (RAWNAND or FULL NAND)". I've downloaded and started it. Opened file rawnand00.bin. As it could not decrypt system information, I've used the option to load keys and loaded prod.keys file. Now all information were shown correctly (FW version for example). I've opened the option to create the emuNAND from NAND image. Added the BOOT 0 and BOOT 1 files. Selected the option to create the SD partition. Waited 6 minutes until it said completed. Safely removed and re-insterted the SD on the PC, it indeed shows about 100GB instead of 128GB. I putted back all my SD files for AMS etc (excluding the Nintendo folder) that I backupped before formatting the SD to create the emuNAND.

Started Hekate, went to the emuMMC options. It shows no emuMMC found. Used the bottom left "Migrate emuMMC" option which mentioned "repairing" capabilities in the description. Selected the "emunand" option. It indeed found my emuMMC SD partition (sector 0x00000002) and saved an emummc.ini config file.
However, when going to Launch > CFW emuMMC, my system still won't start and Hekate still said "Failed to init eMMC", like when starting it from sysMMC.

Hekate hekate_ipl.ini (pasting here only general config and emuMMC option, without stock and CFW(sysMMC)):
[config]
autoboot=0
autoboot_list=0
autohosoff=1
autonogc=1
backlight=100
bootwait=3
updater2p=0

[CFW (emuMMC)]
emummcforce=1
fss0=atmosphere/fusee-secondary.bin
kip1patch=nosigchk
atmosphere=1
icon=bootloader/res/icon_payload.bmp

emummc.ini:
[emummc]
enabled=1
sector=0x2
path=emuMMC/ER00
id=0x0000
nintendo_path=emuMMC/ER00/Nintendo

@eliboa maybe you could help me?

 

[ShadowTS]

Ok, it seems I've found the answer all alone and it was given here:
https://github.com/CTCaer/hekate/issues/446

Basically, emuMMC can't be launched without a working eMMC. So basically option 4 is not possible.
I'll try to source another plug and play full eMMC.

 

[tabzer]

Hi all,

I have an old unpatched switch I was less than once a week to play with friends. The switch was of course used with CFW since the day I bought it in March 2019, Kosmos earlier and vanilla AMS recently, and updated every few months, currently was running AMS 15.0 + OFW 10.2.0
Yesterday evening I noticed that while the switch was on the dock the screen was on and black, I checked and the switch crashed all alone, not using it in the last 6 days. The error was 2002-4373, some error related with save games corrupted. By restarting AMS, it always crashed after a few seconds with the same error. At some point after more or less 4 reboots it didn't start anymore with some errors from Hekate. Now, it seems the eMMC is dead: I cannot restore any NAND backup, and the eMMC info on Hekate also said it can't access the eMMC. The OFW does not boot even in recovery mode.
Unfortunately I was using CFW with sysNAND and I don't have any emuNAND simply because at the time I started in March 2019 there was no emuNAND option in AMS, and I didn't even consider the option as my SD was just 128GB and didn't want to waste 32 of them.
I have all the NAND backups (BOOT 0 & 1 + RAW GPP, even if the RAW GPP is splitted as I was always following community suggestions and using a FAT32 formatted SD, + prod & title keys from Lockpick_RCM) taken after every sysNAND firmware upgrade (I still have all the backups from 4.x, 6.2, 8.0, 8.1, 9.2, 10.0.2, 10.1.0 ,10.2.0 I zipped them to take a lot less space).

Now I imagine there are more or less 3 options:
1) Send the console to Nintendo... I don't like the idea and I'm not sure they can do anything or if it would be cheaper than buying a new one...
2) Replace the memory chip on the eMMC board: I don't have any experience soldering, this is excluded.
3) Replace the whole eMMC board: I can't find a guide but it seems it does not require soldering. Could anyone confirm the board can be just plugged in? I've found a few on eBay and Aliexpress, both original used and modded with more than 32G.
In both cases 2 and 3 I understand I need to restore my NAND backup because of hardware encryption. So, it is enough to just use Hekate to restore by BOOT 0 & 1 and splitted RAW GPP? After that restore I should just launch the CFW as always and everyting should be more or less in the status when I took the backup (so just a matter of deleting/reinstalling games because there were probably new installations in the Nintendo folder since the backup)?

4) This is just an idea. In theory if I was using emuNAND instead of sysNAND, with eMMC failure would I be able to continue using the console by booting the emuNAND with CFW? I don't know the answer, but supposing it is true, isn't there any way to build an emuNAND from my NAND backups and just forget about the eMMC forever?

Thanks in advance to everyone that will help especially with options 3 and 4.

If your eMMC is the only thing faulty, you can partition your sd card and create a emuMMC from a backup using hekate.

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

Ok, it seems I've found the answer all alone and it was given here:
https://github.com/CTCaer/hekate/issues/446

Basically, emuMMC can't be launched without a working eMMC. So basically option 4 is not possible.
I'll try to source another plug and play full eMMC.

Wow, I didn't know that it would actively stop you from using emuMMC. I am still trying to understand why.

 

[eliboa]

Wow, I didn't know that it would actively stop you from using emuMMC. I am still trying to understand why.

CTCaer explained it: the emuMMC "driver" doesn't fully emulate all MMC operations. It can't work if the original driver isn't already loaded

 

[tabzer]

CTCaer explained it: the emuMMC "driver" doesn't fully emulate all MMC operations. It can't work if the original driver isn't already loaded

Yeah, I know what he said. I'm just trying to imagine.

 

[ShadowTS]

Updates.

I've followed option 3 and bough a complete eMMC board from eBay. Opened the console and changed the eMMC board, took some time to find a Y00 screwdriver, but nothing really hard.
Now I've started Hekate and attempted to restore my NAND backups. I've prepared the SD card as explained in the guides and I have a folder like backup/[8 Character NAND id]/restore with the rawnand.bin parts, BOOT0 and BOOT1.

Now there is a problem i didn't consider... the "8 character NAND id" is different.
My old NAND id is "8eedc035", so the folder is backup/8eedc035/restore/

However the new eMMC chip has a different NAND serial: c2154868

When I start the restore process in Hekate, it say it attempts to restore from filepath backup/c2154868/restore/ and fails.

A) Should I rename the folder with the new serial and proceed with the restore?
B) Or should I attempt to boot Horizon or Atmosphere (sysNAND) straight forward without restoring anything?
C) Or should I ignore both these options and now, with an at least working eMMC, should I go with the original option 4 and create an emuNAND from my original backup and boot from there?

 

[The Real Jdbye]

Hi all,

I have an old unpatched switch I was less than once a week to play with friends. The switch was of course used with CFW since the day I bought it in March 2019, Kosmos earlier and vanilla AMS recently, and updated every few months, currently was running AMS 15.0 + OFW 10.2.0
Yesterday evening I noticed that while the switch was on the dock the screen was on and black, I checked and the switch crashed all alone, not using it in the last 6 days. The error was 2002-4373, some error related with save games corrupted. By restarting AMS, it always crashed after a few seconds with the same error. At some point after more or less 4 reboots it didn't start anymore with some errors from Hekate. Now, it seems the eMMC is dead: I cannot restore any NAND backup, and the eMMC info on Hekate also said it can't access the eMMC. The OFW does not boot even in recovery mode.
Unfortunately I was using CFW with sysNAND and I don't have any emuNAND simply because at the time I started in March 2019 there was no emuNAND option in AMS, and I didn't even consider the option as my SD was just 128GB and didn't want to waste 32 of them.
I have all the NAND backups (BOOT 0 & 1 + RAW GPP, even if the RAW GPP is splitted as I was always following community suggestions and using a FAT32 formatted SD, + prod & title keys from Lockpick_RCM) taken after every sysNAND firmware upgrade (I still have all the backups from 4.x, 6.2, 8.0, 8.1, 9.2, 10.0.2, 10.1.0 ,10.2.0 I zipped them to take a lot less space).

Now I imagine there are more or less 3 options:
1) Send the console to Nintendo... I don't like the idea and I'm not sure they can do anything or if it would be cheaper than buying a new one...
2) Replace the memory chip on the eMMC board: I don't have any experience soldering, this is excluded.
3) Replace the whole eMMC board: I can't find a guide but it seems it does not require soldering. Could anyone confirm the board can be just plugged in? I've found a few on eBay and Aliexpress, both original used and modded with more than 32G.
In both cases 2 and 3 I understand I need to restore my NAND backup because of hardware encryption. So, it is enough to just use Hekate to restore by BOOT 0 & 1 and splitted RAW GPP? After that restore I should just launch the CFW as always and everyting should be more or less in the status when I took the backup (so just a matter of deleting/reinstalling games because there were probably new installations in the Nintendo folder since the backup)?

4) This is just an idea. In theory if I was using emuNAND instead of sysNAND, with eMMC failure would I be able to continue using the console by booting the emuNAND with CFW? I don't know the answer, but supposing it is true, isn't there any way to build an emuNAND from my NAND backups and just forget about the eMMC forever?

Thanks in advance to everyone that will help especially with options 3 and 4.

FYI you don't waste 32 GB of space. The OS only takes up 3-4 GB space and the rest of the emuNAND space is usable by installing games to NAND.

Updates.

I've followed option 3 and bough a complete eMMC board from eBay. Opened the console and changed the eMMC board, took some time to find a Y00 screwdriver, but nothing really hard.
Now I've started Hekate and attempted to restore my NAND backups. I've prepared the SD card as explained in the guides and I have a folder like backup/[8 Character NAND id]/restore with the rawnand.bin parts, BOOT0 and BOOT1.

Now there is a problem i didn't consider... the "8 character NAND id" is different.
My old NAND id is "8eedc035", so the folder is backup/8eedc035/restore/

However the new eMMC chip has a different NAND serial: c2154868

When I start the restore process in Hekate, it say it attempts to restore from filepath backup/c2154868/restore/ and fails.

A) Should I rename the folder with the new serial and proceed with the restore?
B) Or should I attempt to boot Horizon or Atmosphere (sysNAND) straight forward without restoring anything?
C) Or should I ignore both these options and now, with an at least working eMMC, should I go with the original option 4 and create an emuNAND from my original backup and boot from there?

A) I think so. You can't make things any worse.

 

[ShadowTS]

Update.

Followed method "A" proposed: I moved the backups in the restore folder inside the new eMMC ID. It was also suggested in this old post:
https://gbatemp.net/threads/failed-to-init-emmc.546290/#post-8767851

Restored BOOT0 BOOT1 and RAW GPP via Hekate, finalized the SD content with all the folders I had before (including my full Nintendo folder), and wow, it booted at the first attempt with no issues!

No I have some minor issues with the games and updates installed after the backup I restored... there is for sure some new game installed which is wasting space in the Nintendo folder, and also the games updated since the backup are broken I have to reinstall their update. I'll attempt to fix these in the next days, but probably the best solution is to completely wipe all the Nintendo folder and reinstall from zero all the games.

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

Now I have some minor issues with the games and updates installed after the backup I restored... there is for sure some new game installed which is wasting space in the Nintendo folder, and also the games updated since the backup are broken I have to reinstall their update. I'll attempt to fix these in the next days, but probably the best solution is to completely wipe all the Nintendo folder and reinstall from zero all the games.

Or maybe not? I had about 25 GB free and now, after a couple of rounds inside Goldleaf and the "Software" section inside system settings they are about 48 GB free... Is the OS so intelligent it removed "orphan" files of games?

 

[The Real Jdbye]

Update.

Followed method "A" proposed: I moved the backups in the restore folder inside the new eMMC ID. It was also suggested in this old post:
https://gbatemp.net/threads/failed-to-init-emmc.546290/#post-8767851

Restored BOOT0 BOOT1 and RAW GPP via Hekate, finalized the SD content with all the folders I had before (including my full Nintendo folder), and wow, it booted at the first attempt with no issues!

No I have some minor issues with the games and updates installed after the backup I restored... there is for sure some new game installed which is wasting space in the Nintendo folder, and also the games updated since the backup are broken I have to reinstall their update. I'll attempt to fix these in the next days, but probably the best solution is to completely wipe all the Nintendo folder and reinstall from zero all the games.

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



Or maybe not? I had about 25 GB free and now, after a couple of rounds inside Goldleaf and the "Software" section inside system settings they are about 48 GB free... Is the OS so intelligent it removed "orphan" files of games?

Not sure. But if you have a list of all the games you had (if you saved their nsps/xcis or if you get the title IDs from the folders in the Nintendo folder) you can just reinstall whatever is missing. Save data will be lost though as that is all stored in NAND. Reinstalling will overwrite whatever orphaned files are on the SD card.