Frequently Asked Questions - Wii Hacking
Frequently Asked Questions of Wii Hacking, Homebrew, and More
By: CarbonX13
Introduction
Hacking a Wii, or any console for that matter, can be a nerve-wracking experience for the average user. What happens if x happens and results in y? What does x term mean? What are the risks of running x? GBAtemp is the largest site in relation to hacks for Nintendo's DS and GameBoy handhelds, but we also have a large userbase that comes here for information about hacking the Wii console. Throughout my personal life as a Temper, spending much of my time in the Wii forums, I've noticed that the questions from newbies are often repeated time and time again. The main effort of this FAQ is the compile some of the most asked questions regarding hacking a Wii.
The FAQs
And the main section begins here. Scroll down to see if your question has been answered below.
Q: Can my Wii play (DVD) backups?
Q: How can I run GameCube backups on a Wii?
Q: What cIOS should I use? What base?
Q: Why won't Black Ops load?
Q: Can I play DVD backups directly from the Disc Channel?
Much more content to be added soon!
By: CarbonX13
Introduction
Hacking a Wii, or any console for that matter, can be a nerve-wracking experience for the average user. What happens if x happens and results in y? What does x term mean? What are the risks of running x? GBAtemp is the largest site in relation to hacks for Nintendo's DS and GameBoy handhelds, but we also have a large userbase that comes here for information about hacking the Wii console. Throughout my personal life as a Temper, spending much of my time in the Wii forums, I've noticed that the questions from newbies are often repeated time and time again. The main effort of this FAQ is the compile some of the most asked questions regarding hacking a Wii.
The FAQs
And the main section begins here. Scroll down to see if your question has been answered below.
Q: Can my Wii play (DVD) backups?
A: All Wii consoles are capable of playing backups from at least one method: USB HDD. Every modded Wii has the ability to run backups from an external hard drive and load them using a USB loader. With the appropriate setup, 99% of the Wii games will work when ran from a hard drive, which is why this method is now the most recommended way to load backups.
The issue here is that not all Wii consoles can run backups burned onto a DVD. Starting in late 2009, Nintendo began to push out Wii consoles with a new, model D3-2 DVD drive, which had technology built in to prevent users from playing DVDs that are not official Wii discs. All black and red Wii consoles have a D3-2 drive, meaning you cannot play DVD backups if you happen to own one. Newer white Wii consoles also have the D3-2 drive, so if you bought yours in the last two years, you're probably out of luck. There are alternative methods to disc backups on these Wii consoles, such as replacing the DVD drive with an old version, or using Hermes' uLoader to load from an external DVD drive. If you bought your Wii earlier than this time period, your Wii should be able to play DVD backups as well.
The issue here is that not all Wii consoles can run backups burned onto a DVD. Starting in late 2009, Nintendo began to push out Wii consoles with a new, model D3-2 DVD drive, which had technology built in to prevent users from playing DVDs that are not official Wii discs. All black and red Wii consoles have a D3-2 drive, meaning you cannot play DVD backups if you happen to own one. Newer white Wii consoles also have the D3-2 drive, so if you bought yours in the last two years, you're probably out of luck. There are alternative methods to disc backups on these Wii consoles, such as replacing the DVD drive with an old version, or using Hermes' uLoader to load from an external DVD drive. If you bought your Wii earlier than this time period, your Wii should be able to play DVD backups as well.
Q: How can I run GameCube backups on a Wii?
A: So far, the only method of playing GameCube backups is using NeoGamma R9 Beta. This method requires to have the GCN game burnt onto a DVD, therefore Wii consoles with the D3-2 drive cannot play GCN backups. There is no other (stable) way to load GCN backups at this time.
Q: What cIOS should I use? What base?
A: There are many different cIOS combinations available for you to choose from. The most common recommendation right now is cIOSXrev21 d2x. This is a modified version of Waninkoko's cIOSXrev21, which installs by default into IOS slots 249 and 250. The d2x version was developed here at GBAtemp, and included a bug fix for a controller lag issue caused by recent cIOS revisions from Waninkoko. Currently, the most stable base to use is IOS56, as it runs most games without any issue.
There is an alternative set of cIOS that many users prefer from Hermes, which by default install into IOS slots 222, 223, and 224. Many users will have both Waninkoko's and Hermes' cIOS installed on their Wii.
There is an alternative set of cIOS that many users prefer from Hermes, which by default install into IOS slots 222, 223, and 224. Many users will have both Waninkoko's and Hermes' cIOS installed on their Wii.
Q: Why won't Black Ops load?
A: Call of Duty: Black Ops is one of the few Wii games that do not work on Waninkoko's cIOSX running with base IOS56. Wii hackers have discovered through testing that Black Ops will run perfectly if using Waninkoko's cIOSX installed with a base of IOS57. If you are still having issues despite running using the above setup, try a different backup loader and see if you get better results.
Q: Can I play DVD backups directly from the Disc Channel?
A:DVD backups, by default, are not able to be run from the Disc Channel. However, if you wish to do so, you may install DARKCORP, which basically patches the system's IOS and allows for loading backups from the Disc Channel. Note that some users have issues with other homebrew after installing DARKCORP, and the program is not widely recommended by the community. However, DARKCORP is stable on its own, and can be very useful if you simply wish to run your DVDs from Nintendo's own Disc Channel.
Much more content to be added soon!
