Hacking Hekate booted, but after reboot all payloads give black screen

[AeonDream]

Just as it says in the title. This is a confirmed unpatched Switch, as Hekate (6.0.5) has booted on it via fusee-launcher multiple times (most in text mode because the SD card reader inside the Switch was loose, this has been repaired).

Today, I managed to launch Hekate in GUI mode (Nyx, presumably?) after having the SD card reader reseated. However, I rebooted the system from within Hekate, and now no payloads seem to run.

The device is confirmed to be in RCM ("NVIDIA Corp. APX" from lsusb), and fusee-launcher gives:
"The USB device stopped responding-- sure smells like we've smashed its stack.
Launch complete!"
at the end of the process.

I've tried Hekate 6.0.5, 6.0.4, and 5.9.0, as well as Lockpick_RCM and fusee-test - all give the same results. OFW still boots.

Again, confirmed unpatched Switch is unable to launch any payloads after having rebooted the system from within Hekate 6.0.5. OFW works. The serial number in System Information matched the serial on the label (XAW70011xxxxxx series). Cannot use Rekado, it doesn't "see" the Switch.

Any help would be appreciated.

 

[linuxares]

tried holding down the power button for 15-20 sec and then starting it again? So it isn't in some semi-mode?

 

[AeonDream]

Yep. Full reboot (holding power button for ~16 seconds) every time the payload upload fails.

Also, this is the case whether there's an SD card in the Switch or not.

Another note, I've tried Hekate 6.0.5 about 4-5 times, 6.0.4 twice, 5.9.0 once, fusee-test twice, and Lockpick_RCM once. So this is consistent...

 

[linuxares]

Hell, open the Switch up and disconnect the eMMC. It should auto-boot to RCM (even without AutoRCM) then and see if it works then.

 

[AeonDream]

Unfortunately, I don't have a tri-wing screwdriver to open it. It'll be a few weeks before I can even order one...

Still, the fact that lsusb shows the unit to be in RCM and fusee-launcher "successfully" pushes the payload... is there some sort of alternate RCM status, then?

(Also, AutoRCM is sadly not on. I actually rebooted from graphical mode then so I could boot into text mode and turn it on... but that reboot is when the blackscreening started to happen, so I can't turn AutoRCM on.)

Edit: HOS is 15.0.1. I doubt it'll make a difference when the OS isn't even involved, but I could try updating it?

 

[linuxares]

Ah you use a jig?

Remove the jig and turn it fully off. Can you enter Recovery mode? Vol + and Vol + when powering it on?

 

[AeonDream]

I have a makeshift jig (Department of Redundancy Department lol), yeah. I wanted to use AutoRCM because it's not very reliable.

I assume you mean Vol - and Vol+? Yep, it went to the HOS Recovery Mode.
It can update or wipe the system; I don't mind a data wipe, barely did anything with it yet.

 

[linuxares]

I have a makeshift jig (Department of Redundancy Department lol), yeah. I wanted to use AutoRCM because it's not very reliable.

I assume you mean Vol - and Vol+? Yep, it went to the HOS Recovery Mode.
It can update or wipe the system; I don't mind a data wipe, barely did anything with it yet.

Okey, so atleast that works. Try a wipe but I don't think it will do anything.
Else you can try to update as well. It should restore everything if something is damaged (notice, SHOULD, but you never know)

 

[AeonDream]

HOS update finished, but still getting a black screen.

As before, jig to RCM from power-off, lsusb shows RCM, fusee-launcher gives the success message... *crickets*

 

[impeeza]

try another port and cable and if possible another pc.

 

[linuxares]

And if you try to boot it without RCM, anything at all?
If it works, try without an SD Card in the Switch and push a payload.

EDIT: Also try TegraGUI to push the payloads

 

[AeonDream]

I doubt my laptop's a problem, given how many times it successfully loaded Hekate before this. I'll try another port, on the second "line". (Edit: Tried, same result) Failing that, I might have to buy a new cable with my next pay... It's the same cable and port as when it was loading. Maybe the cable's going bad prematurely. Nothing's changed with my setup, at all.

And yes, HOS boots just fine, both with and without an SD card.

The black screen on all payloads also occurs regardless of whether there's an SD card in.

I'll see if I can get TegraGUI to run. I'm assuming that's TegraRcmGUI? I can't run it, but I'm going to try JTegraNX.

Further edit: I can say that ns-usbloader doesn't succeed at pushing payloads, ever, in my personal experience.

 

[impeeza]

the cables get torn, the ports worn out, the drivers mess up, etc.

 

[linuxares]

I'm utterbaffeled. All I can think is to try another PC so it isn't like a Windows Firewall issue or the driver suddenly fucked up.

 

[Kazesama]

check your sd card files. good way to test is grab another SD card and fill it with only the essentials (no overlays/mods/themes etc), see if that boots.

 

[AeonDream]

the cables get torn, the ports worn out, the drivers mess up, etc.

Aye, that's why I was thinking to maybe buy a new cable and tried the other USB "line"(internal hub). No luck on the port, have to wait a few weeks to get a new cable.

Post automatically merged: Jul 15, 2023

I'm utterbaffeled. All I can think is to try another PC so it isn't like a Windows Firewall issue or the driver suddenly fucked up.

I can say with certainty it isn't that, after rebooting a couple times to the same result and not having a windows system at all. >.>

Post automatically merged: Jul 15, 2023

check your sd card files. good way to test is grab another SD card and fill it with only the essentials (no overlays/mods/themes etc), see if that boots.

Yep, tried that too - and I get the same result with or without an SD card.

 

[linuxares]

hmm... does your USB port look alright? No bent pins or such in it? (doubt it but at this moment I have no more clues)

 

[AeonDream]

Aye, both ports look alright, but I'll try doing a data operation with something else to make sure. Data works fine in both directions with a USB ethernet adapter.
sigh

I'll see about getting my desktop out of mothballs (so to speak) and check on that tomorrow, if this still isn't working.

Is there any chance that a Hekate misconfiguration in GUI could break RCM?

Edit: About to try JTegraNX. Fingers crossed.

 

[linuxares]

Aye, both ports look alright, but I'll try doing a data operation with something else to make sure. Data works fine in both directions with a USB ethernet adapter.
sigh

I'll see about getting my desktop out of mothballs (so to speak) and check on that tomorrow, if it's still working.

Is there any chance that a Hekate misconfiguration in GUI could break RCM?

Edit: About to try JTegraNX. Fingers crossed.

But you shouldn't have issue with Hekate if you push a payload with no SD Card in. Or push any other payload. So it doesn't make sense.

 

[AeonDream]

That's what confuses me, and why I was thinking that a misconfiguration from the one time Hekate went to GUI mode may have disturbed something on the Switch itself... even though that doesn't really make sense.

Sadly, JTegraNX also gives the same result; the log window in it shows:
Creating RCM payload Device ID: [Edited for obfuscation] Sending payload to device Sent 31 out of 31 target blocks Payload sent to device Smashing the stack

Edit: Running TegraRcmGUI via Wine doesn't even see the Switch (despite lsusb showing it's there and in RCM), as expected...
siiigh

Edit 2: If it's relevant at all, I never launched Atmosphere or anything else the one time I got Hekate+Nyx launched. Just poked around in it, and then rebooted to RCM.

Post automatically merged: Jul 15, 2023

UPDATE: Finally got my old desktop's EHCI driver patched (only USB 2 on it) and tried through that. Worked first time. Not sure why the laptop's being wonky suddenly with it after so many successful payload pushes, but I got Hekate 6.0.5 running again!
False success. It worked exactly once, just like with the laptop. Now I get the same black screen launching with the desktop, too. I was stupid enough to not suspect that this would happen and enabled AutoRCM, too... so my Switch is completely unusable unless I can somehow get back into Hekate.

So yep, for whatever reason, the Switch and my laptop no longer get along.

Thanks to all who gave advice!

Unfortunately, it seems Hekate+Nyx only launches once per PC, for whatever reason, then blocks all payloads from that PC. Is this intended behaviour, or have I gotten a severely unlucky bug?

Doesn't really make sense either way, but it's all I could come up with...