Hacking N3DS error: Unable to mount CTRNAND or load CTRNAND firm

[NoSnake221]

Hi, the other day I was playing on Twilightmenu++, and I exited to the home menu. When I did that an error appeared: "An exception ocurred. Data abort. Processor: ARM9". I decided to reflash a SysNAND backup I had using gm9. And now every time I try to boot the 3ds up I get the error: "Unable to mount CTRNAND or load CTRNAND firm. Please use external one. Press any button to shutdown". And when I try to boot up the console without the SD card the blue led light turns on, then dissapears. I can still access Luma configuration and GM9. I am using a New 3ds firmware 11.9 U, with Luma CFW and ntrboot9strap. What can I do?

 

[TurdPooCharger]

1. Battery trick (except for n2DSXL model).

2. Copy everything off your SD card.
3. Quadruple reformat (for thoroughness).
4. Full Write + Verify the empty card in H2testw.

• If hardware error was reported, you must replaced the failed card and go back to step 2.

5. Copy everything back to your SD card.

• You can supplement your card setup with the CFW starter kit.

6. Updating B9S + CTRNAND Luma3DS (for no SD card HOME Menu boot).

• Custom firmware setup should consist: [ boot9strap v1.3 | Luma3DS v9.1 (or v10.0.1) | GodMode9 v1.8.0 ]

7. Backup your current SysNAND *.bin image even if it's currently bricked.

• Creating a NAND Backup

8. Attempt repairing the 3DS firmware with CTRTransfer followed by System Update (System Settings or Recovery Mode).

• If HOME Menu successfully boots, go to step 11.

9. If step 8 did not work, restore your NAND setup with the image made in step 7.

• Restoring a NAND Backup

10. Attempt repairing the 3DS firmware with CTRTransfer (Type D9) followed by System Update.

• If HOME Menu successfully boots, go to step 12.

***

11. Backup the DSiWare games + saves with CTRTransfer (Type D9) - DSiWare Games & Saves.

12. Reinstall the DSiWare games with FBI. Restore the DSiWare saves with the script.

13. Repair the DS(i) mode if it is still broken.

• [3ds.hacks.guide] DSi / DS functionality is broken after completing the guide
• [quantumcat1.github.io] DSi / DS functionality is broken after completing the guide
  • After reinstalling the TWL system title CIAs, this requires System Update to download newest TWL_FIRM.

14. Check for missing tickets. Use faketik.
15. Backup the 3DS games saves + extdata with Checkpoint or JKSM.
16. Mass unwrap the HOME Menu icons with Cthulhu.

17. Reset (all at once) the anti-cheat save protection known as Secure Value by deleting this specific NAND file.

• GodMode9 → [1:] SYSNAND CTRNAND/data/<ID0>/sysdata/00010011/00000000 → Press (X) → etc.
  Be careful. Don't delete the wrong 00000000 file.

 

[NoSnake221]

Whoa. So I should try all those steps in order?

 

[BaamAlex]

Whoa. So I should try all those steps in order?

Would be wise...

 

[NoSnake221]

All right. I am currently doing that and when I finish I will report back.

 

[NoSnake221]

Um, what do you mean in step 5? What is the CFW starter kit? do I need to use it?

 

[NoSnake221]

No problem, I figured it out. But, right now I'm on step 6 and when I try to Setup Luma3DS to CTRNAND on GM9 it says "Permissions denied. Aborting."

 

[TurdPooCharger]

No problem, I figured it out. But, right now I'm on step 6 and when I try to Setup Luma3DS to CTRNAND on GM9 it says "Permissions denied. Aborting."

Late reply due to hurricane.

***

You can manually install Luma3DS onto the 3DS internal storage (CTRNAND) by doing this.

1. GodMode9 → [0:] SD CARD ()/boot.firm → press (Y) to [CLIPBOARD] the file (see top right corner of the bottom LCD screen).
   • Luma3DS v9.1 (Size: 182.0 kB - SHA256: 21A50466C73AA2BF255A167424586AED456E970E3AC69EBB0A930ABD9075B31B)
   • Luma3DS v10.0.1 (Size: 227.0 kB - SHA256: 9C5D6C9C299F344B166B3333C94078F900FBE290BC1FCA2992BCC7A16E7E0569)
   • To get the hash, press (A) on a file → Calculate SHA-256.
   • Press (SELECT) to reset if selection mistake occurred.
2. Go into [1:] SYSNAND CTRNAND and press (Y) → Copy path(s) → (A) yes → button combo → etc.

 

[NoSnake221]

Um, there is no [1:] SYSNAND CTRNAND showing up on GM9

--------------------- MERGED ---------------------------

So, what can I do about that?

 

[TurdPooCharger]

Um, there is no [1:] SYSNAND CTRNAND showing up on GM9

WELL.
That explains the mishap of not being able to boot HOME Menu nor install Luma3DS to the CTRNAND.

You don't usually softbrick the 3DS firmware this badly unless you restored it with a SysNAND *.bin image that's been data corrupted, or the image came from another 3DS system.

***

I need you to verify if you see these four (4) five (5) items.

Go in the [S:] SYSNAND VIRTUAL,

• ctrnand_full.bin
• twlmbr.bin
• twln.bin
• twlp.bin
• essential.exefs

 

[NoSnake221]

Yep. They are there. It's weird.. I restored using a SysNAND *.bin image that I created not long after I hacked my New3DS..

 

[TurdPooCharger]

Yep. They are there. It's weird.. I restored using a SysNAND *.bin image that I created not long after I hacked my New3DS..

Did you keep an intact copy of that n3DS SysNAND *.bin image on a computer, eternal hard/flash drive, or cloud storage?
If you do, find it and try restoring with that once more.

If you do not, our conversation would have to carry over to PM (private message).

 

[NoSnake221]

I do have one. Intact. Never modified. But when I tried booting for first time (as you can see in the first commentary of this thread) and got the ARM9 Data abort error I restored the SysNAND using that *.bin image. Should I try restoring it with that copy one more time?

 

[TurdPooCharger]

I do have one. Intact. Never modified. But when I tried booting for first time (as you can see in the first commentary of this thread) and got the ARM9 Data abort error I restored the SysNAND using that *.bin image. Should I try restoring it with that copy one more time?

You might not have not modified the image, but it could have been damaged between the time you made it, copied it over to your computer, and then copied it back to your SD card.

If you kept a backup image safely tucked away and it's not the same copy that failed on you earlier, try restoring the SysNAND once more with that (other) image.

***

There is a fallback option we can rely on if the above is not available to you or doesn't work.

 

[NoSnake221]

No, I'm afraid I only have that backup image that failed, saved on my computer. Although I believe I do have one on an external hard drive, but it's the same one as the one that failed me. I haven't tried to use it but it's just a copy of the one I have in my computer.

--------------------- MERGED ---------------------------

Should I try with that one?

 

[TurdPooCharger]

No, I'm afraid I only have that backup image that failed, saved on my computer. Although I believe I do have one on an external hard drive, but it's the same one as the one that failed me. I haven't tried to use it but it's just a copy of the one I have in my computer.

:/

Try using the SysNAND *.bin image from your external hard drive. If restoring that one also fails, we move onto CTRTransfer (Type D9). [†]

Note
[†] There is a new (yet to be publicly released) version 1.4 of the CTRTransfer (Type D9) script I've been working on that should be able to fix this brick. I would have to share it with you privately as its official debut is supposed to coincide with GodMode9 v1.9.0.

Normal CTRTransfer definitely won't resolve this brick, and I don't believe the current (Type D9) v1.3 will be sufficient.

 

[NoSnake221]

Ok, now that my New3DS can boot to the Home Menu (with and without the SD card), I am on step 14, but when I try to open "Programs" or "Downloadable Content" on settings Data management, it says "The information on data management of microSD card programs is damaged, do you want to delete it?" (See image "Error1"). And when I try to open "Additional data" there is a program that isn't showing (See image "Error2") . What should I do?

 

[TurdPooCharger]

Ok, now that my New3DS can boot to the Home Menu (with and without the SD card), I am on step 14, but when I try to open "Programs" or "Downloadable Content" on settings Data management, it says "The information on data management of microSD card programs is damaged, do you want to delete it?" (See image "Error1"). And when I try to open "Additional data" there is a program that isn't showing (See image "Error2") . What should I do?

I believe your 3DS database is damaged. Cancel whatever it asks you to do; don't delete.

Copy your Nintendo 3DS folder from your SD card to computer if you did not already done so.

You will need to switch over to the guide found at this thread:

• N2DS SD card data management corruption?
• Post #6, start at step 7. Read carefully the other posts about using Option (B) - Full.

 

[TurdPooCharger]

I'm sorta confused here. I don't quite understand step 7. Is "CTRTransfer (Type D9)" the same as regular CTRTransfer? Or is it another script? And what does "Fix movable.sed KeyY" mean?

CTRTransfer (Type D9) is not the same as [ standard / normal / GodMode9 built-in ] CTRTransfer.

The (Type D9) moniker is to distinguish this from the latter.

Its name and development is derived from the older Decrypt9(WIP) CTRTransfer...

Yes, this is all confusing as hell. You can read more about that in the release page.

***

The script file itself is named, CTRTransfer (Type D9).gm9.

It has other features outside of CTRTransfer / 3DS firmware repair.

***

Edit - Fix movable.sed KeyY is one of the menu options within the CTRTransfer (Type D9) script.

You run it to double check if the encryption matches between your NAND movable.sed KeyY and the sdmc:/Nintendo 3DS/<ID0> subfolder.

 

[NoSnake221]

For people with the same problem as the one I had:

Later on, this thread moved on to: https://gbatemp.net/threads/n2ds-sd-card-data-management-corruption.546698/ where I had to replace my 32Gb Kingston MicroSD card for a new 32Gb ADATA MicroSD card and proceed with fixing KeyY, then rebuild the 3ds database with option "B" (Full) on CTRTransfer (Type D9), then run Faketik for getting new tickets for the CIAs and finally delete the "00000000" file found on [1:] SYSNAND
CTRNAND/data/<ID0>/sysdata/00010011/00000000. You can check the "N2DS Sd card data management corruption" thread for more details on what I did.

It finally got solved and now my New3DS is working just as it should.