Hi guys this is my first post but I've been behind the scene for a while hopefully this helps a lot of you that had the same issue with the exFat format.

I've been researching for a while on how to get my Switch on firmware 5.1.0 to support exFat format without updating. I tried many solutions posted across every forum that is currently active on the Switch scene and non of them worked for me. Today as I was researching I came across on how to update the Switch without burning the fuses using ChoiDujourNX. As many of you know when you this program it gives you the choice on update the console with or without exFat support. I use this program with my current firmware 5.1.0 and selected the exFat support option and what is going to do is only write on your nand the exFat support files. After rebooting the console it worked flawlessly.

**** THIS GUIDE ALSO WILL HELP YOU TO UPDATE YOUR CONSOLE OFFLINE TO THE LATEST FIRMWARE WITHOUT BURNING FUSES TO HAVE THE ABILITY TO RESTORE YOUR CONSOLE TO AN EARLIER FIRMWARE OR BACKUP ****

**** NOW THERE IS SUPPORT FOR 6.2.0 AND IS SAVE TO UPDATE WITH CHOIDUJOURNX ****

**** DO NOT UPDATE TO 8.0.0, 7.0.0 OR 7.0.1 UNTIL A HOMEBREW UPDATE IS AVAILABLE ****

**** This guide works with 6.2.0 and below as long as you use ChoiDujourNX to update your system and not burn fuses in case you want to downgrade back. ****


What do you need?

1. Injection payload tool like TegraRCMGui or WebCFWLoader.
2. MicroSD formatted on fat32 ... Windows user can use Fat32Format tool ... http://www.ridgecrop.demon.co.uk/index.htm?guiformat.htm ... Mac users can use the Disk Utility Tool
3. Hekate payload get the latest ... https://github.com/CTCaer/hekate/releases ... currently v4.10.1
4. hbmenu ... https://github.com/switchbrew/nx-hbmenu/releases ... currently v3.0.1
5. ChoiDujourNX ... https://switchtools.sshnuke.net/ ... currently v101
6. Your current firmware version if you don't want to update ... for obvious reasons I can't post a link but google is your friend
7. And if you want to check your fuses and confirmed that you didn't burn any you can use briccmii before updating and after ... https://switchtools.sshnuke.net/ ... currently v2

/// -- PS: If you want all the latest sd card files you go to this link ... AtlasNX/Kosmos formerly known as tumGER/SDFiles -- ///

First Step .. On the PC

1. Format your microsd card to fat32 format using your prefer method.
2. Create a folder named switch and one named firmware on the root of the sdcard.
3. Put the hbmenu.nro on the root of the sdcard.
4. Put the ChoiDujourNX.nro inside the switch folder.
5. Put the downloaded firmware according to your console inside the firmware folder. For example is your is 5.1.0 make sure that your sdcard looks like this ... MicroSD:/firmware/5.1.0/and the files in here

Second Step .. On the Switch

1. This first step is very IMPORTANT! ... If you haven't done it DO A BACKUP OF YOUR NAND ... is imperative that you have one in case something goes wrong. Follow this guide ... https://gbatemp.net/threads/backup-...-your-biskeys-tseckeys-keys-txt-guide.513386/
2. Boot your console on RCM mode and inject the Hekate payload using your prefer method to boot into custom firmware.
3. Once loaded go the Album icon and click on it. It should bring the hombrew menu and you be able to see the ChoiDujourNX app. Click on it to loaded.

Spoiler: Pics for step 3

4. Once in ChoiDujourNX you be able to see all the folders on the root of your microsd. Click on the firmware folder you should see the 5.1.0 folder with update files inside of it. Click on the bottom where it says Choose.

Spoiler: Pics for step 4

**** QUICK NOTE --- AUTORCM IS ENABLED BY DEFAULT --- IF DON'T WANT AUTORCM ENABLE UNTICK BEFORE START INSTALLATION ON STEP 5 ****

5. On the next screen is going to load the files and ask you which firmware with or without exFat. Click 5.1.0exFat. Then click Select Firmware and on the last screen Start Installation.

Spoiler: Pics for step 5

6. Once it finishes turn off your console, remove the microsd and backup your files. Format your microsd into exFat format using your prefer method and put your backup files back into the new formatted microsd.
7. Put your microsd back into your switch and boot it into your custom firmware using your prefer payload and should be able to boot with no error message about the exFat format.

I have tested it with SXOS, ReiNX and Hekate and has worked.

Follow the guide and you should be able to successfully get your switch to support exFat.

If by any chance you run into that hbmenu can't see the files inside the switch folder, probably is a problem with folder permissions. Make sure that your microsd and all of its content has Read and Write permissions.

 

[bomigoton]

So I updated my 3.0.2 switch to 4.1.0 with a card update (MHGU).
My plan is to dump that card and extract the update, then install the exFat driver with ChoiDujourNX. Will that work?

 

[Adran_Marit]

So I updated my 3.0.2 switch to 4.1.0 with a card update (MHGU).
My plan is to dump that card and extract the update, then install the exFat driver with ChoiDujourNX. Will that work?

Just get the firmware from cough*xbins*cough* then choinx and choose exfat

 

[bomigoton]

Just get the firmware from cough*xbins*cough* then choinx and choose exfat

works like a charm. thanks for this golden hint.
wow, didnt use mirc for like 15 years now. damn i'm old.

Edit:
On the other hand: getting a 128 or 200GB SD card and format it fat32 (with the right tool) and no issues with this driver. hmm.
That 64GB sd card i have taken from my WiiU is also fat32 formated. That 4GB filesize limit is anoying, but avoidable.

 

[Lehas]

I am on FW 6.2 and I want expat support. Do I need to download and install the whole FW 6.2 or is there a file only for the exfat update? As I am already on FW 6.2 it doesn't matter to use Autorcm or not in this case as all fuses are already burned or?

 

[DarthItachiX]

I am on FW 6.2 and I want expat support. Do I need to download and install the whole FW 6.2 or is there a file only for the exfat update? As I am already on FW 6.2 it doesn't matter to use Autorcm or not in this case as all fuses are already burned or?

Yes .. you need the complete 6.2 FW because it needs to rebuild it in your nand with exfat files added into it. If you wish to disable AutoRCM you can do it just before the Installation step, just untick the AutoRCM option on the left.

Sent from my SM-T810 using Tapatalk

 

[RetRon]

hallo, i have updated my switch with sx os 2.5.2 from firmware 6.1 to 6.2 with choidujourNX. My problem is, that i dont have checked the install 6.2 firmware with exfat.
When i boot into sx os it asks me update the exfat drivers. i cant start choidujourNX again, when i select the album icon it comes back to the home screen.

Do i need to reformat my sd card and try the method with your tutorial? Can i clone my sd card to have my installed games and saves back?

Thanks

 

[DarthItachiX]

hallo, i have updated my switch with sx os 2.5.2 from firmware 6.1 to 6.2 with choidujourNX. My problem is, that i dont have checked the install 6.2 firmware with exfat.
When i boot into sx os it asks me update the exfat drivers. i cant start choidujourNX again, when i select the album icon it comes back to the home screen.

Do i need to reformat my sd card and try the method with your tutorial? Can i clone my sd card to have my installed games and saves back?

Thanks

If you didn't select exfat when using ChoidujourNX then your switch doesn't have support for exfat and if you micro sd card is formatted on exfat that is why you are getting the exfat drivers message. You have 2 options either you use ChoidujourNX again and install exfat support drivers or you backup all the data on your micro sd to a folder on your pc and format the micro sd to Fat32 then restore all the files back from the pc. Remember that if you have files bigger than 4GB you won't be able to restore them because Fat32 only supports up to 4GB.

 

[Mafia]

What is the purpose of exfat vs fat32?

 

[DarthItachiX]

What is the purpose of exfat vs fat32?

Fat32 has a limitation on the sizes of the files that you can put in it. The maximum allowed is 4GB per file. On the other hand exFat doesn't have that limitation. For example if you have a 16GB game backup the only way to get it in a Fat32 is splitting it 4 files of 4GB while on exFat you put the 16GB as one single file.

 

[Adran_Marit]

Fat32 has a limitation on the sizes of the files that you can put in it. The maximum allowed is 4GB per file. On the other hand exFat doesn't have that limitation. For example if you have a 16GB game backup the only way to get it in a Fat32 is splitting it 4 files of 4GB while on exFat you put the 16GB as one single file.

exfat isnt recommended tho due to corruption not to mention we can bypass the 4gb limit with usb install for all the games over 4gb the only other thing over 4gb should be the nand

 

[Mafia]

exfat isnt recommended tho due to corruption not to mention we can bypass the 4gb limit with usb install for all the games over 4gb the only other thing over 4gb should be the nand

So if a game backup is say 16gig, I can install it on my sd card fat32? I’m a little confused still learning this switch scene. Thx for patience

 

[Adran_Marit]

So if a game backup is say 16gig, I can install it on my sd card fat32? I’m a little confused still learning this switch scene. Thx for patience

Correct, it needs to be a nsp (there are converters) but you can install it from your pc to your switch via usb

 

[Mafia]

Correct, it needs to be a nsp (there are converters) but you can install it from your pc to your switch via usb

When u say pc to switch via usb u mean loading backups to sd card while card is inside the switch? Wouldn’t it be faster to take out sd card, put in pc and load from there and then putting card back into switch?

 

[DarthItachiX]

When u say pc to switch via usb u mean loading backups to sd card while card is inside the switch? Wouldn’t it be faster to take out sd card, put in pc and load from there and then putting card back into switch?

Follow this 2 tutorial videos on how to convert xci to nsp ..



.. and How to transfer and install nsp via usb ..

 

[Adran_Marit]

When u say pc to switch via usb u mean loading backups to sd card while card is inside the switch? Wouldn’t it be faster to take out sd card, put in pc and load from there and then putting card back into switch?

not all the games will copy because of the fat32 file size limit. USB install is just as fast as copying to the SD card then installing, if not faster cause you skip the copy step

 

[huma_dawii]

Can I boot to normal OFW if im using the exact same firmware? (without burning fuses and being stuck to AutoRCM)

 

[DarthItachiX]

Can I boot to normal OFW if im using the exact same firmware? (without burning fuses and being stuck to AutoRCM)

Still going to be the same method even if you want to run OFW except you wont load any homebrew but if you go online your console is going to get flag and also banned from the Online Servers. If your plan is to update just to have the latest firmware and play offline it will be fine but if you plan to play online then I advice you to get another switch and use it for that purpose.

 

[huma_dawii]

Still going to be the same method even if you want to run OFW except you wont load any homebrew but if you go online your console is going to get flag and also banned from the Online Servers. If your plan is to update just to have the latest firmware and play offline it will be fine but if you plan to play online then I advice you to get another switch and use it for that purpose.

What I need is exFAT without updating.

EDIT:

Why would be flagged to be banned? Is this basically like NSP installs? Or why would they flag it?

 

[DarthItachiX]

What I need is exFAT without updating.

EDIT:

Why would be flagged to be banned? Is this basically like NSP installs? Or why would they flag it?

Because when you update without burning fuses the validation that involves the firmware when the online servers do a checksum is going to be different. For example if you are 5.1.0 and update to 6.0.0 without burning fuses the system will check the prior firmware to validate the update so if the result is suppose to be 6537 now it might be 8209 so you will get flagged. The whole idea of not burning fuses is to be capable to recover your software to an earlier state. Like I told you earlier if you need only the exfat and staying on the same firmware you will be fine.

Sent from my SM-T810 using Tapatalk

 

[huma_dawii]

Because when you update without burning fuses the validation that involves the firmware when the online servers do a checksum is going to be different. For example if you are 5.1.0 and update to 6.0.0 without burning fuses the system will check the prior firmware to validate the update so if the result is suppose to be 6537 now it might be 8209 so you will get flagged. The whole idea of not burning fuses is to be capable to recover your software to an earlier state. Like I told you earlier if you need only the exfat and staying on the same firmware you will be fine.

Sent from my SM-T810 using Tapatalk

But if im not updating, but staying in the same firmware just to get exFAT support... im guessing it shouldn't affect.... @rajkosto ?