Hacking Help with a possibly bricked Wii

[Darkmatter5]

I have the Homebrew channel installed on my Wii. I don't remember the version or which version system update the Wii had on it. I bought Rock Band: The Beatles and it told me I needed a system update to run it from the disk. So I figured okay I'll install it and it'll probably break my usage of the Homebrew channel, but oh well I'm sure by now there's a tutorial out there to fix the homebrew channel so it'll work on the newer system updates. So I let the Wii update itself, but now it's not booting all the way. The Power lights is on and green and the DVD is spinning, so from the symptoms I described this sounds like a semi-bricked Wii. Any suggestions on what I can do, besides calling Nintendo? :-)

I've read up on using a GC controller and pressing all 4 directions on the D-Pad while the Wii boots, but I haven't tried it yet. Then I also read about a Universal Unbrick Disc. I've got a copy burned of the UUD and waiting for my GC controller to come in the mail. Should this and the UUD fix my problem?

Thanks in advance!

 

[Guild McCommunist]

First off, do you have BootMii or Preloader installed? And a NAND backup? And what cIOS/other junk do you have installed?

Also, thought I'd point this out:

1) So you KNEW it could do something funky to your Wii, disregarded that, and did it anyway? And you thought that there was just some magic tool you've never heard of to fix it?
2) You updated your Wii without consulting somebody?
3) You really think that pressing all directions on your GC remote will make your Wii fix like magic?

Sheesh...

 

[techboy]

If it's a black screen (or no signal) when you turn it on, then it's fully bricked. You need bootmii if this is the case. If it wasn't installed before you bricked, then you need to call Big N.

UUD is useless if you don't see anything at boot. Also, UUD needs a modchip to work. In order for it to work, the system menu must at least run. Based on your description, it doesn't.

 

[Darkmatter5]

I realize this was a dumb mistake, but what's been done has been done. My main reason for installing the homebrew channel was to install the usbloader to load all my games through, instead of always having to swap discs and to keep my kids from swapping out discs. Now I don't know if I ever installed BootMii. I know I looked into it at one time, but don't remember if I ever did it. As for the cISO I think I have cIOS36_rev10 installed.

I tried to do the Y button trick and the D-Pad trick today with a Wavebird, but it didn't work. I have a GC controller in the mail as we speak, so when it comes in I'll try it with the GC controller.

Thanks again for whatever help you can offer.

 

[WiiPower]

Is the game from the same region as your Wii? Did you ever mess with the region on your Wii? Do AnyRegion Changer and CIOS downgrader ring any bells?

I don't know what output you get when your Wii is in a state you can recover from with the GC controller and a disc with a HIGHER update than the one you did, so it may be possible that it works.

But i guess the game has 3.4 on it, and there are no known games with 4.0 or higher on them, so a disc with a higher update is not an option now. The unbrick disc could work, IF you had the trucha bug in the IOS used by the system menu, you have now, after the update. And you would need any kind of hardmod for the unbrick disc to work.

If you have the twilight hack savegame on your Wii, you might be lucky and be able to autoboot zelda with the GC controller, but i'm not sure about that.

 

[Darkmatter5]

I never did any region changes and the disc is a USA disc. Does a DriveKey have a preloader built in? I was wondering if I buy a DriveKey if that will give me the ability to unbrick my Wii? What types of data exactly does a DriveKey intercept? Does it just intercept DVD drive data being sent to the motherboard and insert it with valid Wii Game Disc signatures? Or does it actually run before the Wii OS runs which would potentially give me the ability to load a correct cIOS or whatever before the screwed up one does?

What exactly might be happening? I mean what exactly was the update that the disc prompted me to install? Was it a cIOS file? Are cIOS files like drivers for devices and games that need specific function to work that aren't included with the standard cIOS the Wii system menu uses?

Sorry for all the questions, I'm just wanting to understand more.

 

[Fudge]

I never did any region changes and the disc is a USA disc. Does a DriveKey have a preloader built in? I was wondering if I buy a DriveKey if that will give me the ability to unbrick my Wii? What types of data exactly does a DriveKey intercept? Does it just intercept DVD drive data being sent to the motherboard and insert it with valid Wii Game Disc signatures? Or does it actually run before the Wii OS runs which would potentially give me the ability to load a correct cIOS or whatever before the screwed up one does?

What exactly might be happening? I mean what exactly was the update that the disc prompted me to install? Was it a cIOS file? Are cIOS files like drivers for devices and games that need specific function to work that aren't included with the standard cIOS the Wii system menu uses?

Sorry for all the questions, I'm just wanting to understand more.

It's a full brick. The game installed System Menu 3.4, which runs off of IOS50. You more than likely had a stub IOS50 installed, and since the update detected you had it, it skipped installing the full IOS50. System Menu 3.4 requires IOS50.
EDIT: And no, autoboot discs won't work, as your System Menu is broken. Neither will SaveMii.

 

[Darkmatter5]

Is my only option at this point Nintendo or buy a new Wii?

 

[techboy]

Pretty much, unfortunately.

 

[xzxero]

just send it in to nintendo


1-800-255-3700



wait a week.




follow my guide.



and dont do anything ridiculous this time but just in case you'll have a warranty to fall back on in case you do decide to be a failure again.

 

[WiiPower]

Oh yes i forgot, but luckily somebody already told:
If you had 4.0 once by updating via nintendo, downgraded to 3.2 and then updated to 3.4 with a game disc, you have a full, not recoverable brick. Only things that help here are: BootMii installed to boot2, a hardware nand programmer(to install BootMii to boot2, which only works on the same Wiis where the installer works, or to restore a nand backup, which requires you to have your Wii's keys) and sending to nintendo.

The reason why it is a full brick is that you had a stub IOS50 installed, it is not really an IOS, it just takes the place of an IOS, but has a higher version than the IOS50 you get with the 3.4 update. When you update from 3.2 to 3.4, your system menu is updated and then uses IOS50 instead of IOS30. At the same time it checks if it needs to update your IOS50, but you have a higher version and it leaves the IOS as it is, unusable.

 

[Darkmatter5]

Okay if I'm going to send my Wii in to Nintendo, will they be able to tell it's hacked? I guess they technically can't do anything as I bought the Wii and it's my possession and I can do whatever I want to it anyway. What are you're recommendations on what I should tell them so not to raise suspicions and increase the likelihood they'll go ahead and fix it for me?

Should I just say I bought a game, it said I needed to update the Wii to play the game, I let the game update the Wii and after it restarted it's stuck on a black screen?

Thanks for the advice!

 

[xzxero]

Okay if I'm going to send my Wii in to Nintendo, will they be able to tell it's hacked? I guess they technically can't do anything as I bought the Wii and it's my possession and I can do whatever I want to it anyway. What are you're recommendations on what I should tell them so not to raise suspicions and increase the likelihood they'll go ahead and fix it for me?

Should I just say I bought a game, it said I needed to update the Wii to play the game, I let the game update the Wii and after it restarted it's stuck on a black screen?

Thanks for the advice!

just say you updated via the settings and the power went out.
no questions asked

 

[Darkmatter5]

I did some more research and discovered the SaveMii dongle. If I buy a SaveMii dongle and wait for a new game with an update to come out, can I definitely fix my Wii with the dongle and the new game update or will this give me the same result that bricked my Wii in the first place?

 

[mattjd]

No point dude savemiifree is exactly the same.

You are going to wait at least 1-2 years until a new game has 4.2+ on it.

 

[bazamuffin]

Just send it to N as xzxero said TWICE and say the power went out. They will either fix it gratis or they will try and charge you. Buying a Savemii ISN'T a guarantee and could be a waste of cash and you might have to end up paying N anyhow. ALWAYS explore you're cheapest option FIRST!!!

Btw, I have a Savemii dongle and it hasn't worked on 3-4 Wii's I've had with same problem as yours

SORRY ABOUT MY CAPS LOCK DISORDER GUYS