Init eMMC Failed, no NAND backups

[StringIsNullOrEmpty]

So I recently discovered that my switch (Icosa - Erista) doesn't boot anymore (completely black screen), which I initially thought was a dead battery but turns out it was entering RCM mode automatically.
Pushing the Hekate payload revealed that the eMMC had failed (title error message), and unfortunately I never planned to mod my switch so no backups whatsoever. Bummer.
Reading around it seems to me I have a few options:

1. Buying a switch eMMC reader and try to dump in linux (mmcblkNX)
Should this even be tried? I had the thought that maybe this can read stuff off of the eMMC module and I can salvage some of my data (saves...), but is it realistic to expect this to work at all?

2. Follow ewabc886's NAND rebuilding guide to swap in a new eMMC to use as offline-only
This is the best looking-option to me right now; plan to get all the hardware required and then do it with PikaFix Pack.

3. Build an emuMMC, possibly ignoring the dead sysMMC and just run off of the emulated storage
I think I read somewhere that this is not actually possible? This would be a better option since I don't have to deal with the hardware side of things.

Is that it? Is there any other avenue I haven't explored yet that I should look into?

Thanks!

Update:
Success! Follow link: https://gbatemp.net/threads/init-emmc-failed-no-nand-backups.607779/post-9794192

Update2:
If you get an error (2105-0584) when updating to system versions 14.0.0+, see https://gbatemp.net/threads/init-emmc-failed-no-nand-backups.607779/post-9875271

 

[Hayato213]

Pretty sure rebuild won't work if you have a dead emmc without NAND backup.

 

[impeeza]

Hi, you can't go to 3 because you need a working MMC to use as starting emuMMC.

the 2nd option is the more likely way to go, you need a working MMC.

the first option could work, yo don't need but a reader, there are guides about to wire the MMC chip to a SD card adapter and read on a computer, you should try this option first.

 

[StringIsNullOrEmpty]

Pretty sure rebuild won't work if you have a dead emmc without NAND backup.

ewabc886's guide is specifically for people like me with no NAND backups
I can't link to it tho cause I'm a noob lol.

Edit:
for those wondering it's:

[GUIDE] NAND Rebuilding (for no backup / broken eMMC)​

 

[StringIsNullOrEmpty]

Hi, you can't go to 3 because you need a working MMC to use as starting emuMMC.

the 2nd option is the more likely way to go, you need a working MMC.

the first option could work, yo don't need but a reader, there are guides about to wire the MMC chip to a SD card adapter and read on a computer, you should try this option first.

Will look into your suggestion about the SD card adapter, thanks!

 

[Donnie-Burger]

So I recently discovered that my switch (Icosa - Erista) doesn't boot anymore (completely black screen), which I initially thought was a dead battery but turns out it was entering RCM mode automatically.
Pushing the Hekate payload revealed that the eMMC had failed (title error message), and unfortunately I never planned to mod my switch so no backups whatsoever. Bummer.
Reading around it seems to me I have a few options:

1. Buying a switch eMMC reader and try to dump in linux (mmcblkNX)
Should this even be tried? I had the thought that maybe this can read stuff off of the eMMC module and I can salvage some of my data (saves...), but is it realistic to expect this to work at all?

2. Follow ewabc886's NAND rebuilding guide to swap in a new eMMC to use as offline-only
This is the best looking-option to me right now; plan to get all the hardware required and then do it with PikaFix Pack.

3. Build an emuMMC, possibly ignoring the dead sysMMC and just run off of the emulated storage
I think I read somewhere that this is not actually possible? This would be a better option since I don't have to deal with the hardware side of things.

Is that it? Is there any other avenue I haven't explored yet that I should look into?

Thanks!

Try this:

Boot hekate with a good module if yours doesnt load it. Swap back to your module in hekate. Attempt to dump 32gb. If successful your module might be good.

 

[Hayato213]

ewabc886's guide is specifically for people like me with no NAND backups
I can't link to it tho cause I'm a noob lol.

You said no NAND what about your prod keys you got them?

 

[StringIsNullOrEmpty]

Try this:

Boot hekate with a good module if yours doesnt load it. Swap back to your module in hekate. Attempt to dump 32gb. If successful your module might be good.

Huh? Hot swap the eMMC? Didn't occur to me to try that. I'll try it when I get the hardware.

 

[StringIsNullOrEmpty]

You said no NAND what about your prod keys you got them?

Yes, Lockpick worked and I have my prod keys.

 

[Hayato213]

Yes, Lockpick worked and I have my prod keys.

You can try not sure if it would work.

 

[StringIsNullOrEmpty]

Just wanted to report that I have successfully fixed my expensive brick back into a working switch!

Thanks to @ewabc886 for [GUIDE] NAND Rebuilding (for no backup / broken eMMC)
Thanks to @Adran_Marit for Switch Unbricking Guide - ProdInfo Fix (PikaFix)
Thanks to @Escape1975 for providing a blank User.bin

For anyone interested I'm including what I done below. This might be helpful for people who:

1. Have a broken eMMC
2. Do not have any NAND backups
3. Ordered a replacement eMMC module from the internet (ali, ebay ..etc)
4. Do not have a donor switch

Spoiler: Steps

1. Follow [GUIDE] NAND Rebuilding (for no backup / broken eMMC) starting from step 5 and stop just before step 11
2. Do steps 4a to 4c, but use the prod.keys you got from your broken switch (this gives us key.dat)
3. Get gptrestore and run it. This is necessary because the eMMC bought online is completely blank and won't be recognized correctly by HacDiskMount
4. Follow Switch Unbricking Guide - ProdInfo Fix (PikaFix) for method 2 and start from "select "eMMC RAW GPP" (sysNand) - Set read only to off" and stop just before step "Close NXNandManager". This forces writes to the blank eMMC, which HacDiskMount doesn't like because the encryption test doesn't pass.
5. Get User.bin from link above and use NXNandManager again to force write into your eMMC.
6. Go back to [GUIDE] NAND Rebuilding (for no backup / broken eMMC) and start from step 11 and continue to the end. Use the User.bin from step 5 because pikafix pack does not include this.

If all goes well you should be booting Atmosphere on sysNAND. If any of the steps didn't work correctly then you would get the Atmosphere splash screen for a split second and then hang at a black screen. If that happens try to do step 6 again and re-write the files with the correct encryption.
As noted in the tutorials the fixed switch cannot go online; hopefully this may be worked around in the future. I would also recommend doing a full NAND backup immediately after success.

PS. mmcblknx is not really necessary and the shipping can take a while (I waited a month). For me this wasn't helpful as it still couldn't read my broken eMMC, but the module worked just fine as it could read the replacement eMMC. I also discovered that you could also run Ubuntu in a VM on Windows and don't have to make a live bootable USB.
PS2. The steps have not been optimized to remove redundant steps. I just documented what I did in the order I did them.

 

[Adran_Marit]

Just wanted to report that I have successfully fixed my expensive brick back into a working switch!

Thanks to @ewabc886 for [GUIDE] NAND Rebuilding (for no backup / broken eMMC)
Thanks to @Adran_Marit for Switch Unbricking Guide - ProdInfo Fix (PikaFix)
Thanks to @Escape1975 for providing a blank User.bin

For anyone interested I'm including what I done below. This might be helpful for people who:

1. Have a broken eMMC
2. Do not have any NAND backups
3. Ordered a replacement eMMC module from the internet (ali, ebay ..etc)
4. Do not have a donor switch

Spoiler: Steps

1. Follow [GUIDE] NAND Rebuilding (for no backup / broken eMMC) starting from step 5 and stop just before step 11
2. Do steps 4a to 4c, but use the prod.keys you got from your broken switch (this gives us key.dat)
3. Get gptrestore and run it. This is necessary because the eMMC bought online is completely blank and won't be recognized correctly by HacDiskMount
4. Follow Switch Unbricking Guide - ProdInfo Fix (PikaFix) for method 2 and start from "select "eMMC RAW GPP" (sysNand) - Set read only to off" and stop just before step "Close NXNandManager". This forces writes to the blank eMMC, which HacDiskMount doesn't like because the encryption test doesn't pass.
5. Get User.bin from link above and use NXNandManager again to force write into your eMMC.
6. Go back to [GUIDE] NAND Rebuilding (for no backup / broken eMMC) and start from step 11 and continue to the end. Use the User.bin from step 5 because pikafix pack does not include this.

If all goes well you should be booting Atmosphere on sysNAND. If any of the steps didn't work correctly then you would get the Atmosphere splash screen for a split second and then hang at a black screen. If that happens try to do step 6 again and re-write the files with the correct encryption.
As noted in the tutorials the fixed switch cannot go online; hopefully this may be worked around in the future. I would also recommend doing a full NAND backup immediately after success.

PS. mmcblknx is not really necessary and the shipping can take a while (I waited a month). For me this wasn't helpful as it still couldn't read my broken eMMC, but the module worked just fine as it could read the replacement eMMC. I also discovered that you could also run Ubuntu in a VM on Windows and don't have to make a live bootable USB.
PS2. The steps have not been optimized to remove redundant steps. I just documented what I did in the order I did them.

I cannot stress this enough. Once your switch is booting, Make a backup.

 

[zxr750j]

Glad to see it worked out!!

 

[TMOA]

I’ve been trying to get my failed emmc to work again and it worked with the help of your guide! Thanks a lot @StringIsNullOrEmpty
I did get my biskey from my old emmc, the thing is that with the new emmc (purchased from eBay, from original switch) after this whole process the serial number aren’t the same as the old one, just xaw000.
I’m might have misunderstood the whole process that you can get your old biskey and serialnumber to a new emmc.
If there’s a way I would like to fix that. I haven’t used my switch that much and suddenly the emmc failed.

 

[TMOA]

Yeah and I became a member to say that to you all for creating. All these great guides, @StringIsNullOrEmpty, @Adran_Marit

 

[StringIsNullOrEmpty]

I’ve been trying to get my failed emmc to work again and it worked with the help of your guide! Thanks a lot @StringIsNullOrEmpty
I did get my biskey from my old emmc, the thing is that with the new emmc (purchased from eBay, from original switch) after this whole process the serial number aren’t the same as the old one, just xaw000.
I’m might have misunderstood the whole process that you can get your old biskey and serialnumber to a new emmc.
If there’s a way I would like to fix that. I haven’t used my switch that much and suddenly the emmc failed.

Glad it worked out for you.
The serial is blanked by exosphere if I'm not mistaken, or it could be blank because of the dummy prodinfo.
My fixed switch also shows the all-zero dummy serial.
I'm not sure if it is even possible to recover the serial; if it is in the prodinfo then it is lost with the original eMMC

 

[TMOA]

double post

 

[TMOA]

Thanks again for the guide, I really appreciate it!
Ok, I thought that one could copy the serial from the original EMMC in prodinfo. Im not running atmosphere and shouldn't exosphere not be running? and it's showing the zeros, is it the same for you?

Thanks again for the guide, I really appreciate it!
Ok, I thought that one could copy the serial from the original EMMC in prodinfo. Im not running atmosphere and shouldn't exosphere not be running? and it's showing the zeros, is it the same for you?

 

[StringIsNullOrEmpty]

Thanks again for the guide, I really appreciate it!
Ok, I thought that one could copy the serial from the original EMMC in prodinfo. Im not running atmosphere and shouldn't exosphere not be running? and it's showing the zeros, is it the same for you?

If you're running stock firmware without Atmosphere and still get the zeros, that means the zeros come from the blanked prodinfo.
Your original prodinfo is stored inside the old eMMC, which I presume you cannot read from anymore since you used this guide. That means it is lost. You're not getting it back. Sorry bro.

When you dumped the keys with lockpick_rcm you dumped the CPU keys; it doesn't touch eMMC.

 

[TMOA]

If you're running stock firmware without Atmosphere and still get the zeros, that means the zeros come from the blanked prodinfo.
Your original prodinfo is stored inside the old eMMC, which I presume you cannot read from anymore since you used this guide. That means it is lost. You're not getting it back. Sorry bro.

When you dumped the keys with lockpick_rcm you dumped the CPU keys; it doesn't touch eMMC.

Oh really I thought lockpick_rcm got everything you needed to restore the old emmc to new emmc.
Yeah my emmc got the same error “init emmc failed”, so I think I won’t get the prodinfo
I’ve seen guides when ppl moved to bigger emmc and thought this was possible even with “broken” emmc.