Hardware Different firmware dumps.

[Spork Schivago]

Hello,

I have a question. Does anyone know if the NAND.bin file that the Gateway creates is the same NAND that would be extracted with a hardware modded 3DS? The reason I ask is because we dumped 4.5.0-9u on my brothers 3DS with a USB hard mod. We took it apart though and shortened some of the wires. We tried some games before we did so though, to make sure they stilled played. Then, after we put it all back together, the md5 checksum is different from the first time we dumped 4.5.0-9u.

I know the 3DS can store Extdata in the NAND (or at least, that's what I read) and I can't remember what games I actually tried, but I'm wondering if the NAND changed a bit and perhaps that explains the different md5 checksums. Every time I dump now, I get the same md5 checksum. I thought I could use the Gateway to create a dump of the NAND and compare it to the checksums of the first dump (done with the hard mod) and all the other dumps I've made since (with the hard mod). And the Gateway's NAND dump has a different checksum of both the hard modded dumps I got.

Originally, before I messed with the hard mod that I installed, I was successfully able to flash the backed up NAND that the Gateway made back to the 3DS and then downgrade to 4.2....does anyone have any suggestions?

I was thinking maybe a wire isn't soldered properly but to get the same dump over and over again, I find that a bit a strange. If it was a bad connection, would the checksum change each time? Thanks!

 

[pokemoner2500]

Hello,

I have a question. Does anyone know if the NAND.bin file that the Gateway creates is the same NAND that would be extracted with a hardware modded 3DS? The reason I ask is because we dumped 4.5.0-9u on my brothers 3DS with a USB hard mod. We took it apart though and shortened some of the wires. We tried some games before we did so though, to make sure they stilled played. Then, after we put it all back together, the md5 checksum is different from the first time we dumped 4.5.0-9u.

I know the 3DS can store Extdata in the NAND (or at least, that's what I read) and I can't remember what games I actually tried, but I'm wondering if the NAND changed a bit and perhaps that explains the different md5 checksums. Every time I dump now, I get the same md5 checksum. I thought I could use the Gateway to create a dump of the NAND and compare it to the checksums of the first dump (done with the hard mod) and all the other dumps I've made since (with the hard mod). And the Gateway's NAND dump has a different checksum of both the hard modded dumps I got.

Originally, before I messed with the hard mod that I installed, I was successfully able to flash the backed up NAND that the Gateway made back to the 3DS and then downgrade to 4.2....does anyone have any suggestions?

I was thinking maybe a wire isn't soldered properly but to get the same dump over and over again, I find that a bit a strange. If it was a bad connection, would the checksum change each time? Thanks!

Try dumping one with Gateway and dumping one via hard mod and check the md5, if they're different more than likely it's a connection error, although gateway could dump it differently.

 

[Spork Schivago]

Try dumping one with Gateway and dumping one via hard mod and check the md5, if they're different more than likely it's a connection error, although gateway could dump it differently.

I've already tried that and they where different but I'll try it again. I just realized that certain things might make the NAND dump change, like foot steps or play coins or whatever those things are. I'll dump via Gateway and then without moving the 3DS, I'll do a hardware dump. Thanks!

 

[zoogie]

I've already tried that and they where different but I'll try it again. I just realized that certain things might make the NAND dump change, like foot steps or play coins or whatever those things are. I'll dump via Gateway and then without moving the 3DS, I'll do a hardware dump. Thanks!

It's for all purposes the same but the size and checksum will be different.

The reason is gateway only dumps the first 943 MBs which is all the 3ds will access. A hard mod dump will dump the full size of the NAND (I think 11 extra MBs) which isn't used anyway. Also, every time you boot the system, data is written to the nand so even comparing gateway dumps to themselves will always be different. (hardware dumps in the same session should be the same though since the system is off).

 

[Spork Schivago]

It's for all purposes the same but the size and checksum will be different.

The reason is gateway only dumps the first 943 MBs which is all the 3ds will access. A hard mod dump will dump the full size of the NAND (I think 11 extra MBs) which isn't used anyway. Also, every time you boot the system, data is written to the nand so even comparing gateway dumps to themselves will always be different. (hardware dumps in the same session should be the same though since the system is off).

You sound very confident about this. What you've said makes perfect sense! Even when I cycled the power the 3DS, a hard dump had the same checksum. Thank you so much! I was so worried I was going to have to rip that thing apart again!

I just couldn't see it being a bad connection. The file isn't filled with all 00's or FF's and for the two dumps I made, the chances of the checksums being the same with the hard mod, if there was a bad connection, I think are nearly impossible! I've read NANDs from other systems before and had a bad connection, the checksum would change every time I dumped it. What you said makes perfect sense. I can rest easy now and give the system back to my brother. I guess I should try flashing the dump back to the 3DS first just to make absolutely sure it's good.

 

[The Real Jdbye]

AFAIK the 3DS will write some things to NAND on boot, so a NAND dump before and after a boot will always be slightly different which will affect the checksum.

 

[hundshamer]

I found that there are other differences. In the process of setting up my N3DS, I made a boo-boo and erased the MSET. The backup was made with a GW and was made after the MSET install. For whatever reason, it didn't write MSET back when restoring it. I have since made a hardware dump, and it does rewrite the DS profile when using the hardware backup, but does not with the Gateway backup.

 

[Spork Schivago]

I found that there are other differences. In the process of setting up my N3DS, I made a boo-boo and erased the MSET. The backup was made with a GW and was made after the MSET install. For whatever reason, it didn't write MSET back when restoring it. I have since made a hardware dump, and it does rewrite the DS profile when using the hardware backup, but does not with the Gateway backup.

What's MSET? Is that just the Profiles? Man, this is very important information you're sharing Hundshamer. To me, it seems like the Gateway dumps aren't very usable, unless I'm missing something here?

 

[hundshamer]

The MSET exploit is the one that uses the DS profile to load. It seems as if the software dump of NANDs do not copy this information. The Gateway dump is valid. It works to revert firmware, just not the DS profile apparently. For my purposes, I'm strictly using hardware dumps as they seem to be complete.

 

[Spork Schivago]

The MSET exploit is the one that uses the DS profile to load. It seems as if the software dump of NANDs do not copy this information. The Gateway dump is valid. It works to revert firmware, just not the DS profile apparently. For my purposes, I'm strictly using hardware dumps as they seem to be complete.

I believe I understand now. So, with the Gateway dumps, you'd just need to reinstall the exploit. I had googled MSET and ran across the MSET exploit. I learned it was just what you said. I've seen some stuff with the GW downloads or something on their sites that talks about MSETs. I always wondered what it was for.