Hacking How do I know if my vWii WAD is safe?

[MegAmi24]

I'd like to install a couple of WADs on my vWii but I can't tell if they're safe. Can someone tell me how to check without looking online?

 

[Deleted User]

I'd like to install a couple of WADs on my vWii but I can't tell if they're safe. Can someone tell me how to check without looking online?

Hmm... FIX94 made an app to convert all Wads to vWii wads, I'll look for it

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Here! Make sure you read carefully! https://gbatemp.net/threads/forwarders-are-back.340226/

 

[CJB100]

Are they channels or VC / Wii Ware games?

 

[MegAmi24]

Are they channels or VC / Wii Ware games?

Oh, didn't clarify that. They're Homebrew forwarders.

 

[CJB100]

Oh, didn't clarify that. They're Homebrew forwarders.

The yes, what @SirBeethoven said. Also, I have a few forwarders in my vWii guide if you want some nice ones for your emulators, and the link he provided is there as well. Under the last section in the Channel Forwarders part.

 

[TeconMoon]

If you're worried about whether or not the wad will banner brick your Wii U, a fast way to tell is to install the Wii Menu in Dolphin (grab that using NUSD) and then install the wad in dolphin and launch the system menu. If dolphin crashes, then your wad will banner brick a real system. If it doesn't crash dolphin, it won't crash your real system. Doesn't mean the wad will actually load properly, but no harm installing it to see.

 

[CJB100]

If you're worried about whether or not the wad will banner brick your Wii U, a fast way to tell is to install the Wii Menu in Dolphin (grab that using NUSD) and then install the wad in dolphin and launch the system menu. If dolphin crashes, then your wad will banner brick a real system. If it doesn't crash dolphin, it won't crash your real system. Doesn't mean the wad will actually load properly, but no harm installing it to see.

Hmm. I would say this is generally good advice for a Wii, but I'm not sure about vWii, because Dolphin emulates the regular Wii, and that is not a one to one translation to the vWii.

If the banner won't brick a Wii, is it safe to assume that it won't brick a vWii as well? I'm not sure. But I was under the impression that was why Fix94's tool existed.

 

[Cyan]

the system menu works the same way on wii and vwii, banner animation are identical. It they crash on wii, they will crash on vWii.
You can try the wad on wii if you have bootmii or priiloader set to load something else than system menu at boot, but why take the risk on a real wii?
You can also use Neek to test the animated banner on the real hardware. no risk of bricking as it's redirecting NAND calls to SD or USB dump


Fix94 tool is not really a tool, it's a vWii NAND loader.
it doesn't verify if the banner is good, it only replace the wii NAND loader to the vWii counterpart.

Now that we can check Wii and vWii properly, thanks to Crediar, I wonder if we couldn't update all forwarders to use a single NAND Loader for both Wii and vWii.
if it detects a Wii, use the old NAND loader, if vWii used the new one?
the vWii version is on Fix94 sources, but I don't know what he changed to make it vWii compatible or how to revert it to Wii mode. (I haven't compared with the old homebrew)

 

[CJB100]

the system menu works the same way on wii and vwii, banner animation are identical. It they crash on wii, they will crash on vWii.
You can try the wad on wii if you have bootmii or priiloader set to load something else than system menu at boot, but why take the risk on a real wii?
You can also use Neek to test the animated banner on the real hardware. no risk of bricking as it's redirecting NAND calls to SD or USB dump


Fix94 tool is not really a tool, it's a vWii NAND loader.
it doesn't verify if the banner is good, it only replace the wii NAND loader to the vWii counterpart.

Now that we can check Wii and vWii properly, thanks to Crediar, I wonder if we couldn't update all forwarders to use a single NAND Loader for both Wii and vWii.
if it detects a Wii, use the old NAND loader, if vWii used the new one?
the vWii version is on Fix94 sources, but I don't know what he changed to make it vWii compatible or how to revert it to Wii mode. (I haven't compared with the old homebrew)

The longer I'm here the more work I find that I could probably help with. But I just don't have much time. Maybe here within the next month I can dissect that tool and figure out a solution like what you are saying, do the appropriate actions based on NAND properties. It doesn't seem like it would be hard but neither did attempting to initialize USB controllers from within homebrew until I actually attempted it lol.

 

[MegAmi24]

For everyone's solutions about Fix94's tool and such:
I DO NOT HAVE A COMPUTER.
I use an Android 4.4.2, fixed external SD, non rooted. I still appreciate you're trying to help though, so I'm not as mad at you as the size the last paragraph is.
Also, for everyone saying to test it on a Wii, I don't have one, just vWii. (I used to have a Wii before I sold it at a yard sale. For $20. With Wii Fit.) Again, appreciate the help though.
Maybe if there was a way to check through YAWM? The recommended IOS for the vWii Gecko WAD has the same as another WAD I have, but obviously I don't wanna brick my precious vWii.

 

[CJB100]

For everyone's solutions about Fix94's tool and such:
I DO NOT HAVE A COMPUTER.
I use an Android 4.4.2, fixed external SD, non rooted. I still appreciate you're trying to help though, so I'm not as mad at you as the size the last paragraph is.
Also, for everyone saying to test it on a Wii, I don't have one, just vWii. (I used to have a Wii before I sold it at a yard sale. For $20. With Wii Fit.) Again, appreciate the help though.
Maybe if there was a way to check through YAWM? The recommended IOS for the vWii Gecko WAD has the same as another WAD I have, but obviously I don't wanna brick my precious vWii.

Ya unfortunately I don't think there's another good way without a computer. But you might wait and see if someone else has a solution. I'm still a little new here.

 

[Cyan]

without a computer, you can still do Neek method.
1. dump your NAND (wii, done with homebrew)
2. get neek files (PC, but someone else can give them if you can't compile them yourself)
3. install WAD to neek (wii, wad manager or USBLoaderGX)
4. launch neek and see if banner works

the only step you could have issue is the second one, but like I said it's only a set of files to put on SD card, you don't really need a computer to get all you need.

 

[naddel81]

without a computer, you can still do Neek method.
1. dump your NAND (wii, done with homebrew)
2. get neek files (PC, but someone else can give them if you can't compile them yourself)
3. install WAD to neek (wii, wad manager or USBLoaderGX)
4. launch neek and see if banner works

the only step you could have issue is the second one, but like I said it's only a set of files to put on SD card, you don't really need a computer to get all you need.

is this here the better way?
http://nintendont.gxarena.com/MasterPiece/Neek2o.html

Wanted to install this to my SD card by copying the shared2 to SD and having the tutorial's USB files on SD instead. will this work?

 

[Cyan]

I guess that pre made setup is fine.
It has lot of pictures for tutorial, so it should be easy to follow.

I didn't read it all, but you can try.
I wrote a guide myself, but no pictures, to do it from scratch (no pre made nand), you can find links in my wiki page.