Homebrew Format System Memory did more than we thought (console information maybe uploaded to the server)

[droople]

Hi there,
I posted the thread here because think it may be related to how Nintendo get the information about your consoles.

I had a 2DS, which is B9S, and installed a custom theme and some cia homebrews.

I restored it with my clean 11.2 NAND backup (no custom theme), download Youtube etc from the eshop and than updated to 11.4 again, and never used custom theme again.

In the Data Management Nintendo 3DS software section, I only can see youtube etc which I downloaded from the eshop.

Today, I used Format System Memory in the settings, after that surprisingly, my theme become the custom theme I used before, and in the Data Management Nintendo 3DS software section, I can see all the homebrews I installed before just with a cross on the titles.

I guess the console must store information about the machine on the server, and when we do a system memory format, it download the information from the server and tell the console to recover to certain status. So Format System Memory is not a real format but more like a system restore, and not restore to the initial status but some "restore point" of your console.

Please let me know if I'm wrong.

Cheers,

 

[Trojaner]

done few Sys Formats the last time on my test machine ... never had any problem ... @ll is gone from the sys except B9S

 

[gamesquest1]

Theme data is stored on the sd card in console specific directories,afaik the directory is incremented each system format, so if you restore to the old nand backup (thus stepping back one increment) then format the system again, it brings it forwards one increment again which brings the system back inline with the last sd directory used before you restored your nand, and as such it reads your old home menu settings from the sd card including your custom theme if you never deleted the left over files from your sd card

 

[droople]

done few Sys Formats the last time on my test machine ... never had any problem ... @ll is gone from the sys except B9S

Huh, mine is like being restored to certain point without internet setting.

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Theme data is stored on the sd card in console specific directories,afaik the directory is incremented each system format, so if you restore to the old nand backup (thus stepping back one increment) then format the system again, it brings it forwards one increment again which brings the system back inline with the last sd directory used before you restored your nand, and as such it reads your old home menu settings from the sd card including your custom theme if you never deleted the left over files from your sd card

Seems that the console also did the same thing for the apps installed.

 

[Trojaner]

try format - shutdown sys - SD into computer (delete all files except boot.firm, boot.3dsx and the Luma folder) ... should be all clean after that ... if you delete luma from sd the ds don´t boot

 

[retrofan_k]

Snip..

 

[hurrz]

Sounds definitely interesting. I also thought about the themes to be the reason for the recent ban wave. I never installed a theme on none of my 2 devices and did not get a ban but not playing online plus neither having a NNID linked to these systems might as well be the reason for this.

Please let me also know if I am wrong / telling obsolete things!

 

[gamesquest1]

Huh, mine is like being restored to certain point without internet setting.

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Seems that the console also did the same thing for the apps installed.

Yeah the system will also recognise the games you previously had installed as they too still present on the sd card, but if you restored the nand to before you installed them they will only show up in system settings with a grey Cross on them showing that the system acknowledges their existence on the sd card but as your system no longer has a valid ticket they will not show up on the home screen

Just format your sd card and all the residual data from your previous use of the system will be removed

Ps do remember you can format the system with no internet connection, and the only time you need a internet connection is if you have a NNID linked, and afaik the only thing that is done that needs the internet connection is to unlink the NNID before the system is formatted

 

[droople]

Yeah the system will also recognise the games you previously had installed as they too still present on the sd card, but if you restored the nand to before you installed them they will only show up in system settings with a grey Cross on them showing that the system acknowledges their existence on the sd card but as your system no longer has a valid ticket they will not show up on the home screen

Just format your sd card and all the residual data from your previous use of the system will be removed

Ps do remember you can format the system with no internet connection, and the only time you need a internet connection is if you have a NNID linked, and afaik the only thing that is done that needs the internet connection is to unlink the NNID before the system is formatted

Thank you. I never knew that I can format the system without internet, since we also can remove NNID without internet, so the whole process can be done totally off-line now.

 

[gamesquest1]

Thank you. I never knew that I can format the system without internet, since we also can remove NNID without internet, so the whole process can be done totally off-line now.

You can also use tinyformat to perform a system format and skip the nnid check

 

[JerryShaw]

Theme data is stored on the sd card in console specific directories,afaik the directory is incremented each system format, so if you restore to the old nand backup (thus stepping back one increment) then format the system again, it brings it forwards one increment again which brings the system back inline with the last sd directory used before you restored your nand, and as such it reads your old home menu settings from the sd card including your custom theme if you never deleted the left over files from your sd card

Yep, I can confirm it too, since I did format a lot and found that the directory name did go in a circle and get back again.

 

[droople]

You can also use tinyformat to perform a system format and skip the nnid check

Thanks a lot.