EDIT: This tutorial maybe outdated, technically it still work but please use Plailect's Guide, it covers even more things:



https://plailect.github.io/Guide/



EDIT: MANY USERS ALREADY BRICKED THEIR DEVICE, SO BE ABSOLUTELY SURE WHAT TO DO, THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS. WITHOUT A HARDMOD AND A NAND BACKUP A BRICK IS PERMANENT!!!

I'm doing this tutorial quickly only because we don't want to answer all "How to downgrade" question-threads seperately.

All credits belongs to TuxSH, Jason Dellaluce, Steveice10 (and some other, don't know who else right know)

KEEP IN MIND: BRICKS CAN HAPPEN AND HAPPENED TO SOME USERS!!! NO WARRANTY FOR A SUCCESSFUL DOWNGRADE!

1. You need a 3DS with any hax installed, if you have non, use Browserhax (http://yls8.mtheall.com/3dsbrowserhax.php) by yellows8 or menuhax. And of course, at least boot.3dsx in SD card root.

2. Download sysupdater and, unzip it and copy it to sd card:/3ds/ (if it does not exist, just create it...)
Mirror: https://mega.nz/#!JE1R3RhQ!MqY_OTyYrVM_DMOltiDfaZvTGZ8gCoUcATmOYEimM-U

3. You will need a complete firmware package of your desired Firmware. I recommend 9.2.0-20E/U/J.
Where do you get this package you ask? Well, Nintendo deleted all titles from their server older than 9.9.0-X, so you have to google it. I will help you to google it: http://bfy.tw/3Xqo

Cha0s Em3rald made MD5 checksum's for 9.2.0-20E/U/J N3ds/O3DS, check archive's checksum before using it! https://gbatemp.net/threads/md5-checksums-crc-for-all-9-2-update-packs.408114/

PLEASE NOTE: JP N3DS Users, you'll need to remove the 000400102002CA00 title from the download package in order to not get bricked! Do NOT install it!

4. Copy all firmware title .cia on SD Card:/update/

5. Remove smea's DNS, in case of unsuccessfull downgrade, you need in that case to start 3DS in Recovery mode to update and repair your system.

6. Start 3DS and go into Homebrewlauncher.

7. Start sysupdater

8. Wait for application to be ready. (ca. 1-5min)

9. Press Y to downgrade

10. Wait and pray until "Succeed. Reboot in 10 sec"

11. Done - Downgrade is (hopefully) complete!

I recommend to create an EmuNAND after downgrading and using a cfw Loader, like cakesFW or rxTools.


Q: Help! I have a blackscreen after the reboot!!!
A: Unplug SD Card, reboot. I think some SD data can't aren't compatible with downgraded titles, so delete your current "Nintendo 3DS" folder on SD card, if needed.

If it still doesn't boot, try to get into recovery mode, by pressing Power-Button to boot while holding L+R+Up+A, update and try again.

Q: sysupdater crashes/won't start/freeze.
A: (Hold L+R+DpadDown+B to return to Homebrew Launcher, then) start/reboot again. Some users needed over 30 attempts.
Try another hax; I used menuhax to start ctr boot manager.
TuxSH wrote that it can raise succeed boot of sysupdater if you started 3DS-FTP before and return with L+R+Down+B, then start sysUpdater

Alternative Way:
1. Backup/delete your boot.3dsx in sd root
2. Copy "sysUpdater.3dsx" to root and rename it into "boot.3dsx"
3. Plug SD card in and start hax (recommended: Menuhax)
4. *hax will load directly sysUpdater.

Q: What firmwares can be downgraded?
A: All firmwares up to newesest (10.3) can be downgraded. New 3DS is not confirmed because of no testing by TuxSH, but many users already tried and successfully downgraded their N3DS.

Q: I have an 2DS, which Firmware do I need?
A: Firmware for Old 3DS. MSET for 3DS can wants to move 3d slider after formating - you need to install only Firmware/MSET that was supported by 2DS, so NO 4.5! O3DS 9.2.0-20E should be fine, but not confirmed.

Q: It won't reboot after the finished downgrade.
A: What I did: Waited 10 minutes, then I powered it off. Downgrade suceed. You don't have another choice anyway.

 

[leonmagnus99]

black screen after what finished? booting rxtools or downgrading?

edit: Nevermind wrong thread. See if you can install CFW!

i think i am , my GW already works on it i will see about installing CFW very soon!

 

[MatiAravena]

D: I had a blackscreen after reboot .... i thought update to 10.3 and repeat everything but I had the DNS still enable so I cant access to updates by Nintendo D: (HELP!!!) How can i avoid it!!!
---------
What will happen if i delete the Nintendo 3DS folder?? (Anyway I'm bricked :/)

**** I put off the SD and tuen the 3ds on and It WORKS!!!
-----

 

[nhocconngonghich]

It keeps giving me "Failed to get CIA file info!"

i got too, what i have to do now

 

[leonmagnus99]

@FuzzyBabyDucks i have installed CFW Rx on it successfully , will try installing a cia game on it now o_o

Edit: installed cia games work .

 

[Deleted User]

can anyone tell me the total size of all the 9.2 eur cia files should be after unzipping?

 

[pastwo]

Guys, I managed to downgrade Pro 9.2 and was wondering if is to run rxtools without flashcard (My console is 2Ds)

 

[artur3004]

Guys, I managed to downgrade Pro 9.2 and was wondering if is to run rxtools without flashcard (My console is 2Ds)

Rxtools doesn't need a flashcard? Start rctools via homebrew launcher

can anyone tell me the total size of all the 9.2 eur cia files should be after unzipping?

Don't know size but it should be 130 cia files

 

[GoldenHamburger]

I'm stuck at the downgrade screen. I press Y, but nothing's happening.

 

[Nanakase]

having an issue here, O3ds EUR, all seemed to go well, pressed Y and got the message of the 10 sec reboot. the 3ds had blackscreen i left it alone for some minute then i rebooted manually. Still stuck at Black Screen, I tryed L+R+Dpad up+A+ power up but no recovery seems to appear, anyone has ideas?

 

[artur3004]

having an issue here, O3ds EUR, all seemed to go well, pressed Y and got the message of the 10 sec reboot. the 3ds had blackscreen i left it alone for some minute then i rebooted manually. Still stuck at Black Screen, I tryed L+R+Dpad up+A+ power up but no recovery seems to appear, anyone has ideas?

don't forget to unplugg sd card

I'm stuck at the downgrade screen. I press Y, but nothing's happening.

retry, retry, retry. 30 attempts or even more are not uncommon. try different hax's like menuhax

 

[Nanakase]

even without sd card it turns on fast and shut down slowly, the only led lighten up is the blu one. Even the screen has no backlight on, and no wifi led even.... donno what to do =\

 

[artur3004]

when Recovery mode doesn't start - sounds like a brick, sry

 

[Nanakase]

.... my bad....

 

[Apache Thunder]

Usually if safemode fails to boot, this means it didn't downgrade NATIVE_FIRM correctly. Someone should look up if the "safe mode" titles seen any updates. If not, they should be excluded from the downgrade pack as they don't need to be downgraded. Then you'd have a better chance of not bricking if something goes wrong as sometimes if someone runs into a problem and the problem also occurred while "downgrading" safemode titles, the end result is a brick.

 

[Nanakase]

so that is the native firm, i remember during the process it was one of the files that were going to be installed... that was really a bad luck... hope the nintendo support can recover my consolle back (since I've no idea of how to unbrick it)

 

[gnmmarechal]

so that is the native firm, i remember during the process it was one of the files that were going to be installed... that was really a bad luck... hope the nintendo support can recover my consolle back (since I've no idea of how to unbrick it)

I suppose they are capable of reflashing the NAND themselves.

 

[artur3004]

Usually if safemode fails to boot, this means it didn't downgrade NATIVE_FIRM correctly. Someone should look up if the "safe mode" titles seen any updates. If not, they should be excluded from the downgrade pack as they don't need to be downgraded. Then you'd have a better chance of not bricking if something goes wrong as sometimes if someone runs into a problem and the problem also occurred while "downgrading" safemode titles, the end result is a brick.

if I'm reading it correctly from 3dbrew, 00000003 SAFE_MODE_FIRM v5623, newest version, was released at firmware 3.0.0-5 and nearly all safe_mode titles were never been updated for o3ds

 

[gnmmarechal]

if I'm reading it correctly from 3dbrew, 00000003 SAFE_MODE_FIRM v5623, newest version, was released at firmware 3.0.0-5 and nearly all safe_mode titles were never been updated for o3ds

Well, it would be great to make sure we can go back safely if anything goes wrong.

 

[Apache Thunder]

Yeah and n3DS probably hasn't seen updates to it's safe mode titles since the launch version. (safe mode titles for n3DS will be newer then o3DS. Probably 8.x/9.x) All safe mode titles can be excluded from the downgrade process. It ensures you can avoid a brick.

Although broken NATIVE_FIRM might still brick. In that case the 3DS won't boot far enough for you to have a chance to trigger safe mode.

 

[Ar7ific1al]

does it matter if the folder that we have the downgrade cia's in titled "update" or "updates" ? i have it titled updates< and right now it is installing the cia's in the sysupdater.

i have tried this since yesterday and no luck, always got black screen after it finished and rebooted. (hopefully maybe this time it will work, i formatted my SD and started fresh)

EDIT : YES YES YES IT WORKED !!!

to all of you i recommend using the normal Windows Computer to format your SD and format it as FAT32 and start fresh, push the 3ds folder alongside the sysupdater in the 3ds folder and the boot.3dsx and try again !

(those without oot etc. update to the latest fw asap which is 10.3 , i did this for my friend too, formatted their SD with windows and set up the files etc. went into InternetBrowser cleared history/cookies and the save data thing, after you reset savedata it should kick you to the home screen, from there hold L+R buttons and wait till it opens your camera then tap the bar code icon and scan the code that is on the smealum website >this will be your entry to HB obviously, and make sure you use the full package of 9.2)

Unfortunately, this did not work for me. Formatted SD card after launching homebrew, slapped on ONLY the sysupdater and full 9.2.0-20U update pack, and still forced to use recovery. :/

EDT: Using steveice's latest release.