Hacking Gateway Downgrading

[escherbach]

I don't even.

Do you know what the phrase "grasping at straws" means? Why is it so unbelievable for you that this is a feature of Gateway when there are so many other, more impressive features included already?

Once you've downgraded, the hard/risky part is over. Upgrading firmware is easy.

yeah, well just do it and report it - that would be useful.

Lots of people want as much info on the stability and reliability of this AMAZING downgrade feature - it's a pretty big deal. (I applaud Gateway for achieving it)

An upgrade from a downgraded 4.5 sysnand to (for example) 6.0 sysnand with a genuine cartridge is one more test that some people might appreciate

 

[Xzi]

Though, he does have a point. Gateway is known for the dangerous launcher.dat bricking, which may or may not have been removed by now, and Gateway hosting the raw 4.2 downgrade files is likely illegal anyway, so there must have been a series of file modifications to make it happen, or they're actually hosting the official updates on their site.

No bricks have been reported since way the hell back when (I forget even which Gateway release version it was). Other than, you know, people being stupid and turning off their console during a firmware update or something. That's a pretty clear indication that there is no more brick code, especially given how many Gateway users there are now.

Of course there were modifications made to achieve this. That means nothing. As soon as you've downgraded, you're good to go. You can simply overwrite that with newer firmware off a retail cart or ROM.

 

[Cyan]

I guess not a lot of users can answer this :
Can you "upgrade"?

I'm on 4.5.0-5 (ninjhax doesn't install)
Gateway can install 4.5.0-8, so I guess it's not downgrading but upgrading


I'll not do it as I don't want to mess my NAND without having a hardmod. but I'm just curious to understand how the downgrade is working.
It probably use the NAND dump as base (to get keys ?), extract unsigned titles from .dg and use dump's key to sign them?
Is it fast to downgrade, or does it take as long as restoring NAND? (I guess nobody tried restoring NAND yet).

Maybe it doesn't replace titles with higher TitleVersion, it's mixing both official TitleVersion from 4.x into your own NandDump and restoring the result.

 

[poisonousj]

After doing this can you go into eshop on emunand?

i'm running into problems getting into the eshop with emunand! so might want to hold off... although my biggest concern was losing my saves...will update once I figure out what's going on.

 

[Joe88]

Others in this thread have stated no, using a DSTWO will not work for installing the blue card exploit. Not sure if that's only when using this downgrade, or what.

The installer will work on any ds flashcart that works ln 4.x
The one included with gateway is just a ace3ds clone running a hacked version of r4 wood

 

[jmmc]

Can I install CFW without Gateway carts using the Web Exploit?

 

[CrispyYoshi]

No bricks have been reported since way the hell back when (I forget even which Gateway release version it was). Other than, you know, people being stupid and turning off their console during a firmware update or something. That's a pretty clear indication that there is no more brick code, especially given how many Gateway users there are now.

Of course there were modifications made to achieve this. That means nothing. As soon as you've downgraded, you're good to go. You can simply overwrite that with newer firmware off a retail cart or ROM.

In the end, there's no real way to tell. Saying it's safe is just as silly as it is to say it isn't safe, and the only way we'll know is if either someone cracks/leaks the code or if something bad actually happens to someone.

I guess not a lot of users can answer this :
Can you "upgrade"?

I'm on 4.5.0-5 (ninjhax doesn't install)
Gateway can install 4.5.0-8, so I guess it's not downgrading but upgrading


I'll not do it as I don't want to mess my NAND without having a hardmod. but I'm just curious to understand how the downgrade is working.
It probably use the NAND dump as base (to get keys ?), extract unsigned titles from .dg and use dump's key to sign them?
Is it fast to downgrade, or does it take as long as restoring NAND? (I guess nobody tried restoring NAND yet).

Maybe it doesn't replace titles with higher TitleVersion, it's mixing both official TitleVersion from 4.x into your own NandDump and restoring the result.

I'm willing to test this out. Give me 30 minutes to back up my NAND, update, then restore.

EDIT: Wait wait, this is a hardmod. I don't have a soldering kit on-hand, so I won't be able to give an immediate answer, sorry.

 

[Xzi]

yeah, well just do it and report it - that would be useful.

Lots of people want as much info on the stability and reliability of this AMAZING downgrade feature - it's a pretty big deal. (I applaud Gateway for achieving it)

An upgrade from a downgraded 4.5 sysnand to (for example) 6.0 sysnand with a genuine cartridge is one more test that some people might appreciate

I would if I had an extra 3DS to test things on. As-is, I have a 4.5 3DS XL with Gateway and have everything set up just as I like it. There's no reason for me to install a higher sysNAND version just to then go back and downgrade then upgrade again.

People will play with this and all the info will come in time. Gateway recommends not even using the downgrade feature unless you have a NAND mod, so the more cautious among us may want to wait until they've done all the testing themselves.

 

[Xzi]

In the end, there's no real way to tell. Saying it's safe is just as silly as it is to say it isn't safe, and the only way we'll know is if either someone cracks/leaks the code or if something bad actually happens to someone.

That's not true at all. I'm willing to give a 99.99% guarantee that upgrading firmware is safe. It's the initial downgrade you have to worry about unless you have a NAND mod. I'm sure there will be a time when Gateway declares that the downgrade is safe for everybody, once they've done more testing and tweaking.

 

[reprep]

Others in this thread have stated no, using a DSTWO will not work for installing the blue card exploit. Not sure if that's only when using this downgrade, or what.

that is simply wrong. if you are below 4.5, you can use DSTWO as your blue card exploit. Source = Me, my downgraded 4.5 3DS XL and my DSTWO card.

 

[blinkzane]

If I unlink my emunand and sysnand, will i be able to play eshop games on my emunand?

I'm asking because then i can unlink then downgrade, and my eshop games and saves should still be present (in emunand)?

I'm gonna try this later tonight with steel diver sub wars. first i download (on emunand), then i downgrade, and see if it's still there....

emunand isn't touched at all.

 

[Cyan]

I'm willing to test this out. Give me 30 minutes to back up my NAND, update, then restore.
EDIT: Wait wait, this is a hardmod. I don't have a soldering kit on-hand, so I won't be able to give an immediate answer, sorry.

You don't need the hardmod.
I just want a hardmod before messing with upgrade/downgrades.

But a lot of users here used Gateway NAND writer/downgrader without having a hardmod.
There's even 1 user with a bricked console now (Boblox).

 

[DjoeN]

[EDIT]

So if i understand correct:

- Place needed files on root of 3DS SD
- Boot into Gateway mode and backup NAND
- After backup hit downgrade
- wait till it's done
- reboot and you are in sysnand 4.5.x
- Emunand schould still be 9.4.0.21x
- You need to enter your Nintendo login details again to be able to enter eshop in emunand ?

Something i forgot?

 

[blinkzane]

That's not true at all. I'm willing to give a 99.99% guarantee that upgrading firmware is safe. It's the initial downgrade you have to worry about unless you have a NAND mod. I'm sure there will be a time when Gateway declares that the downgrade is safe for everybody, once they've done more testing and tweaking.

upgrading has been testing and confirmed working

 

[Shadowtrance]

I guess not a lot of users can answer this :
Can you "upgrade"?

I'm on 4.5.0-5 (ninjhax doesn't install)
Gateway can install 4.5.0-8, so I guess it's not downgrading but upgrading


I'll not do it as I don't want to mess my NAND without having a hardmod. but I'm just curious to understand how the downgrade is working.
It probably use the NAND dump as base (to get keys ?), extract unsigned titles from .dg and use dump's key to sign them?
Is it fast to downgrade, or does it take as long as restoring NAND? (I guess nobody tried restoring NAND yet).

Maybe it doesn't replace titles with higher TitleVersion, it's mixing both official TitleVersion from 4.x into your own NandDump and restoring the result.

Yes you can indeed "upgrade" with the downgrade tool. That's the first thing i did with it was upgrade my 4.5 sysnand to 9.2 with an emunand backup. Then downgraded again with gateway's dg file.

 

[Xzi]

that is simply wrong. if you are below 4.5, you can use DSTWO as your blue card exploit. Source = Me, my downgraded 4.5 3DS XL and my DSTWO card.

Well there you go. Different people reporting different things on different setups. Always going to be the case with new, not fully tested software releases.

 

[Xzi]

upgrading has been testing and confirmed working

Thank you. Put a fork in that silly speculation, it's done.

 

[Jysix]

So if i understand correct:

- Place needed files on root of 3DS SD
- Boot into Gateway mode and backup NAND
- After backup hit downgrade
- wait till it's done
- reboot and you are in 4.5.x
- Sysnand schould still be 9.4.0.21x
- You need to enter your Nintendo login details again to be able to enter eshop in sysnand ?

Something i forgot?

You can't access eshop on a 4.5 firmware, sysnand or emunand. You must be on the last firmware, so 9.4 emunand.

 

[blinkzane]

So if i understand correct:

- Place needed files on root of 3DS SD
- Boot into Gateway mode and backup NAND
- After backup hit downgrade
- wait till it's done
- reboot and you are in 4.5.x
- Sysnand schould still be 9.4.0.21x
- You need to enter your Nintendo login details again to be able to enter eshop in sysnand ?

Something i forgot?

no, sysNAND goes to 4.5 and emunand stays in 9.4.
you cannot do this if you do not have system firmware 9.2 or below

 

[blinkzane]

Thank you. Put a fork in that silly speculation, it's done.

it was already posted in one of the first few pages