Hardware "Error: 19: The media is write protected." when trying to restore NAND backup on New3DS

[Deleted member 333767]

EDIT: 05/01/17 I successfully restored my N3DS using a StarTech FCREADMICRO3 card reader and a sysNANDmin.bin file created by HourGlass9. Thanks to all who replied to this thread Now, my mission is to rectify my FrakenFirm situation without a clean/working 9.2 sysNAND dump

So today i bricked my new3DS NAND trying to undo my franken-firm situation.

'No problem' i thought, since I have a NAND access mod.

I borrowed my next door neighbours card reader that appears to have a compatible chipset for reading New3DS NAND eMMC chips (when the unit powers on with NAND connected, i get bootrom: 8046 blue screen and Windows shows: "You need to format the disk in drive X: before you can use it.") so everything seemed to be going just fine.

That was until i opened win32diskmanager and tried to write my raw NAND backup to the 3DS, I am greeted with "An error occurred when attempting to write data to handle. Error 19: the media is write protected." and it fails.

The write protection switch on the SD-to-microUSB adapter has been snapped off and glued in the unlocked position.

I've tried all 5 USB ports on my computer.

Please help me, i don't know what else i can do. I've been bricked completely and can't access hourglass9 with A9LH anymore to undo the brick.

I've read somewhere about bridging two points on somewhere (in the card reader, or on the 3DS NAND, i don't know ) It's not my card reader, so i can't disassemble it to bridge contacts.

Thanks for reading.

 

[Posghetti]

It's the card reader for sure, either get one for yourself or just ask if you can open it and fix it.

 

[Deleted member 333767]

So thats a confirmation that this card reader is incompatible with the new3DS eMMC chip, is that correct?

 

[Posghetti]

So thats a confirmation that this card reader is incompatible with the new3DS eMMC chip, is that correct?

I wouldn't say it's "incompatible" since I haven't done a harmod myself, but I know much about SD Cards/Micro SD Cards/Adapters.
That error is the card being stuck on lock even though you quoted that it was snapped off and glued in unlock position.
The card is done for unless you find one of those ghetto fixes to work lol.

 

[Deleted member 333767]

I wouldn't say it's "incompatible" since I haven't done a harmod myself, but I know much about SD Cards/Micro SD Cards/Adapters.
That error is the card being stuck on lock even though you quoted that it was snapped off and glued in unlock position.
The card is done for unless you find one of those ghetto fixes to work lol.

Very strange though, the card reader is essentially brand new..... And my SD-to-micro USB adapter is proven to work with my other O3DS XL's.....

 

[Posghetti]

Very strange though, the card reader is essentially brand new..... And my SD-to-micro USB adapter is proven to work with my other O3DS XL's.....

Weird, this subject is outta my area but vb_encryption_vb (not gonna tag him because I feel like he gets tagged for all the time lol) knows more about this subject than me. He has a "official" hardmod service going on for people in the US so he knows what he's talking about.

 

[Deleted member 333767]

Weird, this subject is outta my area but vb_encryption_vb (not gonna tag him because I feel like he gets tagged for all the time lol) knows more about this subject than me. He has a "official" hardmod service going on for people in the US so he knows what he's talking about.

The person who who performed the mod on my N3DS XL is a very known and respected dev from Australia in the 3DS scene, the mods they conducted on my O3DS XLs work like a charm BUT could it be a botched hard mod causing this?

 

[Posghetti]

The person who who performed the mod on my N3DS XL is a very known and respected dev from Australia in the 3DS scene, the mods they conducted on my O3DS XLs work like a charm BUT could it be a botched hard mod causing this?

Did you perform the hardmod? Or did the same person from Australia do it?
I'm not sure how sending your 3DS to get a hardmod is, but it makes sense for it to come back with a SD Adapter right?

I don't think it's because of a botched hard mod, I'm still 100% for the card reader at fault since you said your 3DS goes into the blue sceen (which is the code green that the hardmod is working)

 

[Deleted member 333767]

ShadowTrance did them for me sometime ago when he was offering the service, so i definitely don't doubt his skills.

When the device is powered on while connected to the card reader, windows asks me if i want to format the drive which is basically confirmed the hardmod/connector are functioning appropriately.

(By the way: ShadowTrance doesn't do hardmods anymore as of this date, in case google sent you here looking for hardmod servide in Australia)

 

[Posghetti]

ShadowTrance did them for me sometime ago when he was offering the service, so i definitely don't doubt his skills.

When the device is powered on while connected to the card reader, windows asks me if i want to format the drive which is basically confirmed the hardmod/connector are functioning appropriately.

(By the way: ShadowTrance doesn't do hardmods anymore as of this date, in case google sent you here looking for hardmod servide in Australia)

You have a weird issue going on here man, I'ma still say it's the Card Reader tho
That's all my brain can think of, totally out of any speculations.
Hope someone else will slide by and save the day, good luck!

 

[Deleted member 333767]

Thanks for your suggestions anyway! I've returned the card reader to my next door neighbour for the time being and he advised me that I can borrow it anytime If i find a solution for this. So please anybody, if you have some ideas or input, please help!

In the meantime I have an O3DS XL as a backup, but compared to a N3DS they pale in comparison, id much rather have my New one back

EDIT: Does anybody know if the solution in this post works? I could probably undo a couple of screws sneakily and give it a try (if it really works)

If the reader is telling you that write protection is enabled , bridge the two leftmost pins using some tin

 

[gamesquest1]

just put some tape around where the locking pin is supposed to be, I usually gluse the lock tab in place as I know some sd reader's have a tendency to knock the tab into the lock position when inserting it

and yeah that method does work I have done it on my reader too to avoid the previously mentioned issue of it locking the sd as I insert it

 

[Deleted member 333767]

just put some tape around where the locking pin is supposed to be, I usually gluse the lock tab in place as I know some sd reader's have a tendency to knock the tab into the lock position when inserting it

and yeah that method does work I have done it on my reader too to avoid the previously mentioned issue of it locking the sd as I insert it

The tab has been glued into the lock position already

 

[gamesquest1]

have you tried "reading" the nand too just to confirm it's a write protection issue?

 

[Deleted member 333767]

have you tried "reading" the nand too just to confirm it's a write protection issue?

Yes, it reads just fine, and i tested it with my O3DS XL which reads/writes

I'm devastated, none of the New3DS compatible card readers are sold locally in Australia. It's going to take weeks and weeks and weeks to get one from amazon

 

[gamesquest1]

try all your friends/families sd readers even ones built into laptops, and I actually meant check if the n3ds nand reads to confirm it was compatible with the n3ds emmc

ps how come your on a frankenfirm but can't boot into any recovery payloads.....or did you remove a9lh and then end up on a frankenfirm firm?

 

[Deleted member 333767]

So, i managed to find a card reader that is compatible with my New3DS today, i get a 100% and "write successful" in win32diskimager, much to my delight, as you can imagine......

So, i powered on my unit and i'm greeted with a bootrom 8046 message still

I only have one New3DS and the NAND dump using gateway was 1.6 gigs, so I didn't get the NAND images mixed up.

How could this happen? Is my device perma bricked forever? I don't understand, waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah :'(

 

[gamesquest1]

did you take a dump of the bricked nand backup before writing the backup, you could cross check them and see what the deal is with the dump, but a n3ds band dump should only be 1.2gb or 1.8gb

 

[Deleted member 333767]

So everyone, i'm again trying to repair my new3DS.

I've got a bunch of sysNAND and emuNAND dumps of this unit. But they are all varying size and it doesn't make much sense to me.

OK, so i've got a dump of the emuNAND (when it was used with gateway) that was made with emuNAND tool, it's size is 1,933,312 KB or 1.84 GB.

I've got a gateway sysNAND dump (from the menu holding L on boot) and it's size is 1,682,496 KB or 1.60 GB.

In addition to those two, I've also got a sysNAND dump called "sysNANDmin.bin" which was made with hourglass9 and it's size is 1,269,760 KB or 1.21 GB.

I sort-of understand the emuNAND one being larger, but why is the gateway dump much larger than the one made by hourglass9?

These are the only NAND backups i have of this unit. I only have one new3DS and the dumps aren't mixed up with my other 3DS.

I've already tried flashing the 1.6 GB dump and i am still met with bootrom 8046 screen.

I'm about to try flashing the 1.21 GB dump. Wish me luck.

 

[Deleted member 333767]

As mentioned days ago, the card reader i miraculously found that "works" with the new3DS eMMC, i seem to be having dramas with it.

I have probably tried to flash the NAND about 20 times now, only 1 time has been successful (with a non-working NAND dump, unfortunately)

Win32 Disk Imager appears to just freeze at random completion percentages (Not Resposonding) I've tried on 3 different PC's, same result for all.

Does this mean that the chipset in my card reader isn't compatible with new3DS NAND?

How many times should i keep retrying before I am at risk of damaging the chip due to constant writing?

God, I am frustrated. All of this started as trying to just rectify my frakenfirm situation.

Every step I take, I just break something even more. Why didn't i just leave it alone!

What are my options? Should i bite the bullet and buy a card reader thats **PROVEN** to work with new3DS, or just keep trying with this one until i get a 100% completion? HELP PLEASE