Hacking Invalid CIA

[Uncle_Iroh]

So I've recently started using CIAs for the lower space they take (among other things), and I've faced this problem sporadically. Some CIAs refuse to import, either immediately, or after going to 99%, giving the error "Invalid CIA". Sometimes this problem is fixed by deleting all other CIA files on the SD card (just the CIAs, not the games themselves), sometimes it doesn't. One particular CIA refuses to import even if its the only one on the card. What can I do?

Also, The SD card contains .cia files (for example, if the CIA is 3D Land.cia, theres also a .3D Land.cia). What are these, and can I delete them?

 

[Assasin1990]

maybe it is a virus , scan your card with a good antivirus (worm virus double your file or something like that). it's just my point of view.

 

[dontay0100]

Need to make a new CIA, which games are you having trouble with?

 

[apoptygma]

maybe it is a virus , scan your card with a good antivirus (worm virus double your file or something like that). it's just my point of view.

That's utter nonsense.

 

[apoptygma]

So I've recently started using CIAs for the lower space they take (among other things), and I've faced this problem sporadically. Some CIAs refuse to import, either immediately, or after going to 99%, giving the error "Invalid CIA". Sometimes this problem is fixed by deleting all other CIA files on the SD card (just the CIAs, not the games themselves), sometimes it doesn't. One particular CIA refuses to import even if its the only one on the card. What can I do?

Also, The SD card contains .cia files (for example, if the CIA is 3D Land.cia, theres also a .3D Land.cia). What are these, and can I delete them?

What do you mean less space? They should be the same size as a trimmed rom. Anyway it sounds like your SD card has some trouble reading or writing. Look at that as the source for the issues.

 

[liomajor]

cia failing at 99% of install:

- contain garbage because the titlekey doesn't match for the content
- is broken
- are bad cia

 

[MrJason005]

Sounds like a bad SD to me

 

[54321]

I've also had this problem, and I found out that my sd card was a fake. I could only use a certain amount of space on it properly, but when i exceeded that amount, cia's didn't import anymore and games didn't save either.

 

[jackotrades]

Make sure you're using a new version of your installer. I had this issue today and traced it back to having an older version of an installer on a second PC I was using.

 

[Uncle_Iroh]

maybe it is a virus , scan your card with a good antivirus (worm virus double your file or something like that). it's just my point of view.

I'm on a Mac, and while viruses aren't unheard of, they're unlikely.

Need to make a new CIA, which games are you having trouble with?

having trouble with 3D Land.

Sounds like a bad SD to me

While it IS possible, my SD is brand new.

I've also had this problem, and I found out that my sd card was a fake. I could only use a certain amount of space on it properly, but when i exceeded that amount, cia's didn't import anymore and games didn't save either.

its not quite a space issue, I've installed many more CIA after that.

Make sure you're using a new version of your installer. I had this issue today and traced it back to having an older version of an installer on a second PC I was using.

thanks, I'll try that.

 

[MrJason005]

While it IS possible, my SD is brand new.

That means jack all.
Where did you buy your SD from? What brand is it? What is the capacity of it? What have you formatted it as? Have you run h2testw?
Finally, is the CIA you are trying to install from the same region as your 3DS? Is it region spoofed?

 

[Uncle_Iroh]

That means jack all.
Where did you buy your SD from? What brand is it? What is the capacity of it? What have you formatted it as? Have you run h2testw?
Finally, is the CIA you are trying to install from the same region as your 3DS? Is it region spoofed?

Bought it off eBay (possible red flag).
Capacity: 64Gig.
It's actually a micro SD running off an adapter.
h2testw: No idea what that is, though I'm guessing it's some sort of error checking utility or similar. Is it available for Mac?
About the CIA: Yep, it's definitely in my region.

 

[MrJason005]

Bought it off eBay (possible red flag).
Capacity: 64Gig.
It's actually a micro SD running off an adapter.
h2testw: No idea what that is, though I'm guessing it's some sort of error checking utility or similar. Is it available for Mac?
About the CIA: Yep, it's definitely in my region.

What brand is it?

 

[Uncle_Iroh]

What brand is it?

Samsung. Claims to be Class 10, but seems pretty slow during file transfers.

 

[MrJason005]

Samsung. Claims to be Class 10, but seems pretty slow during file transfers.

Hmm, yes ebay does raise red flags... (By the way, does the guy you bought it from have a picture of an SD card that has the same paint job as a Samsung SD, except the SAMSUNG logo?)
h2testw simply fills up the SD card to capacity, and sees if it can read back all the files sucesfully and acurrately. If it can't, then you know you have a fake card, pretending to be 64GB while in reality being 8/4GB (They are specially spoofed to show in file explorer that way).
I ask because this:

Also, The SD card contains .cia files (for example, if the CIA is 3D Land.cia, theres also a .3D Land.cia). What are these, and can I delete them?

Is not normal behaviour for devmenu/Bigbluemenu and Gateway mode. It seems to me the SD card has issues.
Have you tried BigREDmenu? (Basically, an alternative for Bigbluemenu but it is not copyrighted by Nintendo)

 

[Uncle_Iroh]

Hmm, yes ebay does raise red flags... (By the way, does the guy you bought it from have a picture of an SD card that has the same paint job as a Samsung SD, except the SAMSUNG logo?)
h2testw simply fills up the SD card to capacity, and sees if it can read back all the files sucesfully and acurrately. If it can't, then you know you have a fake card, pretending to be 64GB while in reality being 8/4GB (They are specially spoofed to show in file explorer that way).
I ask because this:



Is not normal behaviour for devmenu/Bigbluemenu and Gateway mode. It seems to me the SD card has issues.
Have you tried BigREDmenu? (Basically, an alternative for Bigbluemenu but it is not copyrighted by Nintendo)

I'll try both of those. Thanks.

If BigRedMenu isn't copyright, is it possible to post a link?

 

[MrJason005]

I'll try both of those. Thanks.

If BigRedMenu isn't copyright, is it possible to post a link?

It's on GBAtemp:
https://gbatemp.net/threads/big-red-menu-legal-cia-installer-uninstaller.379061/

 

[jiBYoNZ]

I second it being a faulty sd card... I was having the same issue until I read this thread. Changed my sd card and now I am having no issues at all... was just about to throw in the towl and go back to using Sky3ds +

 

[pixelmasher]

F3X is the Mac equivalent of SD checker. The duplicate files with dots are made by MacOS.