Hardmodding 3DS Family Systems​

This is a tutorial for those who want to perform a NAND dump (or a "hardmod") of their 3DS/2DS/N3DS console(s).

This tutorial is mainly directed towards those who are new to the 3DS scene and want to dump their NAND to be able to easily restore later. This is for all of the 3DS models currently available: 3DS, 3DS XL, New 3DS, New 3DS XL, and 2DS. This hardmod is useful for a myriad of reasons, not limited to just having a backup of your system in case you brick it. For the purpose of brevity, I will refer to these systems as simply "3DS" from here on when I am actually referring to any of these consoles in general.

If you have been on the 3DS scene for a while, you have may heard the terms 'hardmod' or 'NAND Dump'. A NAND is a type of flash memory that is used, in the case of the 3DS, to store important information such as firmware. The firmware is retrieved from the NAND by the bootloader when the console is powered on. One question I get asked commonly is if a NAND dump from one system can be flashed onto another system. However, the NAND is encrypted with a key that is specific to each console. Therefore, this is not possible. Hardmodding your 3DS will add a level of protection: knowing that you can simply flash the NAND dump back onto your system if it ever gets bricked. I would advise keeping your NAND file someplace safe after dumping, such as a cloud service. You never know if/when you are going to need it, and if you ever get bricked and you do not have a NAND dump available, there is no going back. You have been warned.

Before we begin the tutorial, it is CRUCIAL that you know/have experience soldering. There are many videos on YouTube on how to solder, and I will link a few at the end of this guide. Soldering takes practice to learn and get the hang of, so don't just blindly jump into modding without a solid understanding of soldering, because most likely YOU WILL BREAK YOUR DEVICE

This is a compilation of information about hardmodding each 3DS system. The majority of the information below is a detailed explanation of how to install a hardmod based on the NAND pinout images that are on 3DBrew. I am by no means an expert on this topic and I am still learning the inner workings of it all. If you have any questions, please feel free to comment below and I will try answer them. To begin, here are some of the advantages and some of the disadvantages of a hardmod:

Advantages:

• You will have a full backup of your 3DS firmware, so that you will be able to restore your NAND if you accidentally brick your 3DS during the downgrading process.
• The tools are relatively inexpensive to perform the hardmod.

Disadvantages:

• The hardmod may cause problems if you are not careful: It may even lead to bricking your device!
• Solder splashes can be harmful as well: they may short circuit other things.
• Soldering experience is required, even though this is very simple, make sure you are fully acquainted with soldering before even attempting to come anywhere near your 3DS with your soldering iron. A solid grasp of soldering techniques will greatly help you and make sure your 3DS does not become an expensive piece of trash.

Disclaimer: I am not to be held responsible if you end up breaking your device due to incorrect soldering or irresponsibility.

Now, for the tools:

1. A soldering iron: One with a fine tip
2. Solder: I use rosin core 60/40 solder. Do NOT use acid core, as this is corrosive to the motherboard and can screw things up.
3. Tinning Flux
4. Phillips #000 screwdriver or JIS #000: Phillips #000 or JIS #000 screwdrivers are recommended. You can also use Phillips #00 or JIS #00, but you may strip the screws if you are not careful.
5. win32diskimager program on your computer
6. Wires: I personally recommend you use these wires, but if you dont want them, you can just use wires ripped out from earbuds and then buy seperate butt connectors for them. All you need to do is to solder four wires onto the male end of the connector.
7. microSD Card Adapter
8. **microSD Card Reader: NOTE: ONLY CERTAIN TYPES OF READERS WILL WORK. MORE INFORMATION ON THIS BELOW.
9. Hot Glue Gun/ Super glue: This is necessary if you plan on making this a permanent mod on your 3DS. This is used to glue on the butt connector of the wire.
10. Tweezers
11. A brain

Note: I do not own the following images of the 3DS consoles in the tutorials below, they belong to their respective owners.

Contents
Old 3DS XL Tutorial
Old 3DS Tutorial
2DS Tutorial
NEW 3DS
NEW 3DS XL
*NEW 2DS XL
Important Links/Videos​

STEPS FOR OLD 3DS XL CONSOLE:
IMPORTANT NOTE: There are only certain SD card readers confirmed working with this mod for 3DS XL:

​

Anker® USB 3.0 (68UNMCRD-B2U) : Realtek RTS5306
TekRepublic TUC-300 : Realtek RTS5307
SanDisk SDDR-121-A11M : GL827
Transcend P8 TS-RDP8K : ALCOR AU6476 (Thank you Gamerquest1 and zchtoy)
Anker® USB 3.0 4-Slot Card Reader (A7612) : RT5301 (Ava)

(The "Anker" readers have been highly tested by me and others who have performed a hardmod. They are confirmed to work with the Old 3DS. Therefore, the "Anker" readers are best recommended to work with this hardmod)

1. Remove all peripherals from the console and store them someplace safe
2. Flip the console over and unscrew the two screws on top securing the back plate. Note: These screws do not come off completely; they remain attached to the back plate. Remove the back plate by hinging it outward
   Spoiler: 3DS Back cover

   
3. Once the back plate is removed, you need to remove the 3DS XL battery
   Spoiler: Rubber Pegs

   
4. Now remove the six screws that hold the back cover in place. Keep these somewhere safe.
   Spoiler: Remove screws

   
5. Once all the screws are removed, the 3DS XL PCB will be exposed. DO NOT FORCEFULLY FLIP THE COVER OPEN. There are still two ribbon cables attached to the motherboard. Gently flip the back cover over and detach the ribbon cables using your fingernail. Place the back cover aside.
6. Once you have done that, get your wires and all the other materials you need to begin soldering. You will be working near the NAND: There are 4 main contacts that you will be soldering to. The top one is the DAT0 (Data Zero), the next one is CMD, and the next one is CLK (Clock). Over to the left, you will see some solder: This can serve as GND (Ground). The NAND chip in the following picture has been removed to see the points easier. You can find these points near the chip to the right of the game card slot. The other DAT contacts (DAT1, DAT2, and DAT3) are not required, but you can solder to them if you are looking for faster transfer speeds. This is beyond the scope of this tutorial, but the basic principle is the same except you now need 7 wires with a connector and you need to solder the extra DAT points on the microSD adapter.
   Spoiler: PCB Images

   
   Spoiler: PCB Images 2

   
7. Apply some tinning flux to the end of your wire and use the wire as a brush to apply it onto the contacts that you will be soldering on. You could also use a q-tip to apply the flux to the contacts. This will make your soldering job easier.
8. Begin soldering the four wires to each of the contacts: DAT0, CMD and CLK, and also GND (the solder blob). Make sure your soldering is clean, neat, and make sure you soldered the right points.
9. Once you have triple checked that your solder work is perfect, cut a hole onto the back cover (not the back plate) of your 3DS console to place the butt connecter to the wires. If you are using the wires that I recommended, the connectors are already provided. You can make a hole by drilling it in or using your soldering iron to melt a hole. Then, you can finish it off using a hand file. Once you have made a hole for the butt connector, use a hot glue gun (or superglue) to glue the butt connecter to the back cover. Only apply the hot glue to the INSIDE of the back cover.
10. Turn on your 3DS system to make sure that it still works properly and you didn’t kill it.
11. Grab your microSD card adapter. It is time we solder the wires to it. If you are using my recommended wires, grab the second set of wires that came with the package. I highly, highly recommend that you color code the wires (one color for GND, another for CMD, CLK, and DAT0). Open your microSD adapter by using your fingernail to pry open the casing. Pull out the chip inside.
12. You will see 8 pins inside the adapter. Solder the wires to the respective pins according to the diagram below. The diagram here shows a different point for Ground. You can also use that point or the solder blob. I use the solder blob because it is closer.
    Spoiler: SD Images

    
13. Now, once you have done that, it is time for the software portion. Plug your SD adapter into the recommended reader, but DO NOT plug the reader into the computer...yet.
14. Power on your 3DS. If you did everything right, there should be a bootrom error message on a blue screen. In this state, you are now able to read/write the NAND. Do not power off your 3DS, and plug the reader into the USB port of your computer.
15. On your computer, right click win32diskimager and select "Run as Administrator". Type in your administrator password and the program will open.
16. Name the file whatever you want, but make sure you end it in (.img), so the program recognizes it as a Disk Image File. For example, you can name it NAND.img. Click on "Read". This process will take a few minutes. If you want to ever restore your NAND dump back to your device, then choose the disk image file and click on "Write" instead of "Read".
17. Your NAND should now be successfully dumped! Make sure to check the file sizes of the NAND to see if the dump was completed successfully.

STEPS FOR 2DS​

IMPORTANT NOTE: There are only certain SD card readers confirmed working with this mod for 2DS. Note that they are the same as the New 3DS:
​

Anker® USB 3.0 (68UNMCRD-B2U) : Realtek RTS5306
TekRepublic TUC-300 : Realtek RTS5307

Some other card readers that use the same chipset /controller but have not been tested although should work:

Plugable USB3-FLASH3 -
SIIG JU-MR0E12-S1-
Startech FCREADMICRO3 -

Other card readers that work
SanDisk SDDR-121-A11M : GL827
Anker® USB 3.0 4-Slot Card Reader (A7612) : RT5301 (Ava)

(The "Anker" readers have been highly tested by me and others who have performed a hardmod. They are confirmed to work with the Old 3DS. Therefore, the "Anker" readers are best recommended to work with this hardmod)
​

​

1. Remove all peripherals from the console and store them someplace safe
2. Flip the console over and unscrew the two screws on top securing the back plate. Note: These screws do not come off completely; they remain attached to the back plate. Remove the back plate:
   Spoiler: 2DS Back cover

   
3. Once the back plate is removed, you need to remove the 2DS battery
   Spoiler: Battery

   
4. Now remove the ten 1.587mm screws that hold the back cover in place. Keep these somewhere safe.
   Spoiler: Remove screws

   
5. Once all 10 screws are removed, the 2DS PCB will be exposed. DO NOT FORCEFULLY FLIP THE COVER OPEN. There is still a ribbon cable attached to the back cover. Gently flip the back cover over and unscrew the two .793mm screws attaching the ribbon cable to the back panel. Place the back cover aside.
   Spoiler

   
6. Once you have done that, get your wires and all the other materials you need to begin soldering. You will be working near the NAND: There are 4 main contacts that you will be soldering to. They are DAT0 (Data Zero), CMD, CLK (Clock), and we will use the metal SD card shielding for GND (Ground). The other DAT contacts (DAT1, DAT2, and DAT3) are not required, but you can solder to them if you are looking for faster transfer speeds. This is beyond the scope of this tutorial, but the basic principle is the same except you now need 7 wires with a connector and you need to solder the extra DAT points on the microSD adapter. All of these contacts are located on the opposite side of the motherboard. Flipping the motherboard may be a bit tedious and difficult to do, so here is a link that goes into detail on how to do it rather than me typing it here: https://www.ifixit.com/Guide/Nintendo+2DS+Motherboard+Replacement/35842
   Spoiler: PCB Images

   
7. Apply some tinning flux to the end of your wire and use the wire as a brush to apply it onto the contacts that you will be soldering on. You could also use a q-tip to apply the flux to the contacts. This will make your soldering job easier and prevent oxidation.
8. Begin soldering the four wires to each of the contacts: DAT0, CMD and CLK, and also GND (the SD shielding). Make sure your soldering is clean, neat, and make sure you soldered the right points.
9. Once you have triple checked that your solder work is perfect, cut a hole onto the back cover (not the back plate) of your 2DS console to place the butt connecter to the wires. If you are using the wires that I recommended, the connectors are already provided. You can make a hole by drilling it in or using your soldering iron to melt a hole. Then, you can finish it off using a hand file. Once you have made a hole for the butt connector, use a hot glue gun (or superglue) to glue the butt connecter to the back cover. Only apply the hot glue to the INSIDE of the back cover.
10. Turn on your 2DS system to make sure that it still works properly and you didn’t kill it.
11. Grab your microSD card adapter. It is time we solder the wires to it. If you are using my recommended wires, grab the second set of wires that came with the package. I highly recommend that you color code the wires (one color for GND, another for CMD, CLK, and DAT0). Open your microSD adapter by using your fingernail to pry open the casing. Pull out the chip inside.
12. You will see 8 pins inside the adapter. Solder the wires to the respective pins according to the diagram below. The diagram here shows a picture of the 3DS XL PCB. Disregard that, as this is for 2DS, and focus on the SD card diagram and where each wire should be soldered.
    Spoiler: SD Images

    
13. Now, once you have done that, it is time for the software portion. Plug your SD adapter into the recommended reader, but DO NOT plug the reader into the computer...yet.
14. Power on your 2DS. If you did everything right, there should be a bootrom error message on a blue screen. In this state, you are now able to read/write the NAND. Do not power off your 2DS, and plug the reader into the USB port of your computer.
15. On your computer, right click win32diskimager and select "Run as Administrator". Type in your administrator password and the program will open.
16. Name the file whatever you want, but make sure you end it in (.img), so the program recognizes it as a Disk Image File. For example, you can name it NAND.img. Click on "Read". This process will take a few minutes. If you want to ever restore your NAND dump back to your device, then choose the disk image file and click on "Write" instead of "Read".
17. Your NAND should now be successfully dumped! Make sure to check the file sizes of the NAND to see if the dump was completed successfully.

STEPS FOR OLD 3DS

IMPORTANT NOTE: There are only certain SD card readers confirmed working with this mod for 3DS (Same as XL) :
​

Anker® USB 3.0 (68UNMCRD-B2U) : Realtek RTS5306
TekRepublic TUC-300 : Realtek RTS5307
SanDisk SDDR-121-A11M : GL827
Transcend P8 TS-RDP8K : ALCOR AU6476 (Thank you Gamerquest1 and zchtoy)
Anker® USB 3.0 4-Slot Card Reader (A7612) : RT5301 (Ava)

(The "Anker" readers have been highly tested by me and others who have performed a hardmod. They are confirmed to work with the Old 3DS. Therefore, the "Anker" readers are best recommended to work with this hardmod)

1. Remove all peripherals from the console and store them someplace safe where the homeless won't find them
2. Flip the console over and unscrew the four screws on top securing the back plate. Note: These screws do not come off completely; they remain attached to the back plate. Remove the back plate by gently prying it apart.
   Spoiler: 3DS Back cover

   
3. Once the back plate is removed, you need to remove the 3DS battery
   Spoiler: Rubber Pegs

   
4. Now remove the nine 6.3mm screws that hold the back cover in place. Keep these somewhere safe. Don't forget the screw on the gamecard slot.
   Spoiler: Remove screws

   
5. Once all 9 screws are removed, the 3DS PCB will be exposed. DO NOT FORCEFULLY FLIP THE COVER OPEN. There are still two ribbon cables attached to the motherboard. Gently flip the back cover over and detach the ribbon cables using your fingernail. Place the back cover aside.
6. This next step involves flipping the motherboard, as the NAND chip is located on the back side of the motherboard. For the purpose of brevity, I have omitted the details on how to disassemble the motherboard properly to flip it, as this is beyond the scope of this tutorial. You can Google this, or look at video teardowns of the old 3DS on YouTube.
7. Once you have done that, get your wires and all the other materials you need to begin soldering. You will be working near the NAND: There are 4 main contacts that you will be soldering to. They are DAT0 (Data Zero), CMD, and CLK (Clock). The other DAT contacts (DAT1, DAT2, and DAT3) are not required, but you can solder to them if you are looking for faster transfer speeds. This is beyond the scope of this tutorial, but the basic principle is the same except you now need 7 wires with a connector and you need to solder the extra DAT points on the microSD adapter. There are two points that can serve as GND (Ground). The first is a contact near the game card slot, and the other is a solder blob. Pick whichever one you want. As you can see, CLK is underneath the card reader. To access it, you must desolder the 3 legs of the card reader and slightly bend up. This may be a bit tough, so there is also another CLK point you can use that is on the opposite side of the motherboard .
   Spoiler: PCB Images

   
   Spoiler: Alternate CLK point

   
8. Apply some tinning flux to the end of your wire and use the wire as a brush to apply it onto the contacts that you will be soldering on. You could also use a q-tip to apply the flux to the contacts. This will make your soldering job easier.
9. Begin soldering the four wires to each of the contacts: DAT0, CMD and CLK, and also GND (the solder blob or the contact). Make sure your soldering is clean, neat, and make sure you soldered the right points.
10. Once you have triple checked that your solder work is perfect, cut a hole onto the back cover (not the back plate) of your 3DS console to place the butt connecter to the wires. If you are using the wires that I recommended, the connectors are already provided. You can make a hole by drilling it in or using your soldering iron to melt a hole. Then, you can finish it off using a hand file. Once you have made a hole for the butt connector, use a hot glue gun (or superglue) to glue the butt connecter to the back cover. Only apply the hot glue to the INSIDE of the back cover.
11. Turn on your 3DS system to make sure that it still works properly and you didn’t kill it.
12. Grab your microSD card adapter. It is time we solder the wires to it. If you are using my recommended wires, grab the second set of wires that came with the package. I highly, highly recommend that you color code the wires (one color for GND, another for CMD, CLK, and DAT0). Open your microSD adapter by using your fingernail to pry open the casing. Pull out the chip inside.
13. You will see a few pins inside the adapter. Solder the wires to the respective pins according to the diagram below.
    Spoiler: SD Images

    
14. Now, once you have done that, it is time for the software portion. Plug your SD adapter into the recommended reader, but DO NOT plug the reader into the computer...yet.
15. Power on your 3DS. If you did everything right, there should be a bootrom error message on a blue screen. In this state, you are now able to read/write the NAND. Do not power off your 3DS, and plug the reader into the USB port of your computer.
16. On your computer, right click win32diskimager and select "Run as Administrator". Type in your administrator password and the program will open.
17. Name the file whatever you want, but make sure you end it in (.img), so the program recognizes it as a Disk Image File. For example, you can name it NAND.img. Click on "Read". This process will take a few minutes. If you want to ever restore your NAND dump back to your device, then choose the disk image file and click on "Write" instead of "Read".
18. Your NAND should now be successfully dumped! Make sure to check the file sizes of the NAND to see if the dump was completed successfully.

STEPS FOR NEW 3DS​

NOTE: Only the following SD card readers work with the New 3DS! (Not the same as the Old 3DS models):​

Anker® USB 3.0 (68UNMCRD-B2U) : Realtek RTS5306
TekRepublic TUC-300 : Realtek RTS5307

Some other card readers that use the same chipset /controller but have not been tested although should work:
Plugable USB3-FLASH3 -
SIIG JU-MR0E12-S1-
Startech FCREADMICRO3 -

Other card readers that work
SanDisk SDDR-121-A11M : GL827
Transcend P8 TS-RDP8K : ALCOR AU6476 (Thank you Gamerquest1 and zchtoy)
(Due to complaints about the Transcend reader not being compatible, it has been removed from this list. It is recommended that you use one of the other readers)

Anker® USB 3.0 4-Slot Card Reader (A7612) : RT5301 (Ava)

(The "Anker" readers have been highly tested by me and others who have performed a hardmod. They are confirmed to work with the New 3DS. Therefore, the "Anker" readers are best recommended to work with this hardmod)

Card reader chipsets known not to work on N3DS with the Samsung eMMC, but may still work on one with the Toshiba and the 3DS/XL eMMC:
GL3220
GL3233
GL834

1. Remove all peripherals from the console and store them someplace where the homeless won't find them.
   
2. Remove the back plate of the console by unscrewing the top two screw that secure it. Note: These do not remove completely, they still remain attached to the motherboard.
   Spoiler: Back cover removed

   
3. Remove the battery. Now, unscrew the three screws that secure the microSD card reader. The New 3DS motherboard will now be exposed. BE CAREFUL!! There is still a ribbon cable underneath the microSD card reader. Carefully detach them with your fingernail.
   Spoiler: New 3ds

   
4. Remove the 5 screws that are on the border of the console and carefully open the back case of the New 3DS. Additionally, there should be two rubber pegs at the top of your console. Remove them with tweezers, and unscrew the two screws that are underneath. Carefully flip the back casing open. There are still two ribbon cables underneath, so detach them with your fingernail. You should have now exposed the whole motherboard.
   Spoiler: Unscrewing the screws

   
5. The next step involves flipping the motherboard to access the NAND on the other side. This is beyond the scope of this tutorial. For a detailed guide on disassembling the motherboard, look here: https://www.ifixit.com/Guide/Nintendo+3DS+XL+2015+Motherboard+Replacement/41361. Warning! The NEW 3DS and the NEW 3DS XL have certain clips that do NOT open. These clips are shown in this picture (taken by pbanj). The cables simply pull out. Do not attempt to bend these clips to open them. Click here for a fix if you accidentally bend these clips.
   Spoiler

   
6. The following image shows the NAND pinout for the New 3DS. We will only be soldering to DAT0, CMD, CLK and also ground (GND) You can simply use the metal game card shielding for GND. Just solder to a corner of the game card shielding. The other DAT contacts (DAT1, DAT2, and DAT3) are not required, but you can solder to them if you are looking for faster transfer speeds. This is beyond the scope of this tutorial, but the basic principle is the same except you now need 7 wires with a connector and you need to solder the extra DAT points on the microSD adapter. NOTE: Here is a link to a thread with details about an alternative CLK point for the New 3DS.
   Spoiler: N3DS NAND Pinout

   
7. Now, it is time to mount the butt connector. You can pick any place to mount it. You can use your soldering iron to melt a hole, and then use a hand file to finish it off. Once that is done, hot glue the butt connector to the hole. If you are using my recommended wires, then the butt connectors are already attached. If not, you will have to manually solder wires to a separate butt connector.
   
8. Grab your SD card adapter and pry it open using your fingernail. Place the casing aside and pull out the actual adapter itself. If you are using my recommended wires, then grab the second set of wires that came in the package and solder each wire according to the diagram below. If not, then you must solder a butt connector to one end and solder the other ends of the wire to the SD adapter shown in the diagram below.
   Spoiler: SD Adapter

   
9. Once you have created your Franken-SD Adapter, connect the butt connectors together, and then put the makeshift microSD adapter into the SD reader (Make sure you have one of the readers from the list above!). DO NOT plug the SD reader into your computer yet…
   
10. Turn on the N3DS console. If everything went well, you should be on a blue bootrom error screen. In this state, the NAND can be read/written to. Now, without powering off your device, plug the SD reader into the USB port of your computer.
    
11. Your computer may ask you if you want to format your NAND. DO NOT DO THIS. EVER. IT WILL DESTROY YOUR DEVICE. CLICK CANCEL. Now, right click on win32diskimager and select “Open as Administrator”. Once it is open, type whatever you want to name your file and make sure you add (.img) at the end. For example, you can name it nand.img. Click on "Read".
    
12. Your NAND should now be successfully dumped! Make sure to check the file sizes of the NAND to see if the dump was completed successfully.

STEPS FOR NEW 3DS XL​

NOTE: Only the following SD card readers work with the New 3DS XL! (Not the same as the Old 3DS models):

Anker® USB 3.0 (68UNMCRD-B2U) : Realtek RTS5306
TekRepublic TUC-300 : Realtek RTS5307

Some other card readers that use the same chipset /controller but have not been tested although should work:
Plugable USB3-FLASH3 -
SIIG JU-MR0E12-S1-
Startech FCREADMICRO3 -

Other card readers that work
SanDisk SDDR-121-A11M : GL827
Transcend P8 TS-RDP8K : ALCOR AU6476 (Thank you Gamerquest1 and zchtoy)
(Due to complaints about the Transcend reader not being compatible, it has been removed from this list. It is recommended that you use one of the other readers)

Anker® USB 3.0 4-Slot Card Reader (A7612) : RT5301 (Ava)

(The "Anker" readers have been highly tested by me and others who have performed a hardmod. They are confirmed to work with the New 3DS XL. Therefore, the "Anker" readers are best recommended to work with this hardmod)

Card reader chipsets known not to work on N3DS with the Samsung eMMC, but may still work on one with the Toshiba and the 3DS/XL eMMC:
GL3220
GL3233
GL834

​

1. Remove all peripherals from the console and store them someplace where the homeless won't find them.
   
2. Remove the back plate of the console by unscrewing the top two screw that secure it. Note: These do not remove completely, they still remain attached to the motherboard.
   Spoiler: Back cover removed

   
   
   
3. Remove the 6 screws that are on the border of the console. Additionally, there should be two rubber pegs at the top of your console. Remove them with tweezers, and unscrew the two screws that are underneath. Carefully flip the back casing open. There are still two ribbon cables underneath, so detach them with your fingernail. You should have now exposed the whole motherboard.
   Spoiler: Unscrewing the screws

   
4. The following image shows the NAND pinout for the New 3DS XL. These pinouts are located on the other side of the board. You will need to flip the motherboard to access them. Warning! The NEW 3DS and the NEW 3DS XL have certain clips that do NOT open. These clips are shown in this picture (taken by pbanj). The cables simply pull out. Do not attempt to bend these clips to open them. Click here for a fix if you accidentally bend these clips.
   Spoiler

   
5. We will only be soldering to DAT0, CMD, CLK and also ground (GND) You can simply use the metal game card shielding for GND. Just solder to a corner of the game card shielding. The other DAT contacts (DAT1, DAT2, and DAT3) are not required, but you can solder to them if you are looking for faster transfer speeds. This is beyond the scope of this tutorial, but the basic principle is the same except you now need 7 wires with a connector and you need to solder the extra DAT points on the microSD adapter. An alternate CLK point is also provided
   Spoiler: N3DS XL NAND Pinout

   
   Spoiler: Alternative CLK point

   
6. DO NOT use this area for GND because of the power connector in blue near it:
   Spoiler: Don't Use this for GND!

   
7. Now, it is time to mount the butt connector. You can pick any place to mount it. You can use your soldering iron to melt a hole, and then use a hand file to finish it off. Once that is done, hot glue the butt connector to the hole. If you are using my recommended wires, then the butt connectors are already attached. If not, you will have to manually solder wires to a separate butt connector.
   
8. Grab your SD card adapter and pry it open using your fingernail. Place the casing aside and pull out the actual adapter itself. If you are using my recommended wires, then grab the second set of wires that came in the package and solder each wire according to the diagram below. If not, then you must solder a butt connector to one end and solder the other ends of the wire to the SD adapter shown in the diagram below.
   Spoiler: SD Adapter

   
9. Once you have created your Franken-SD Adapter, connect the butt connectors together, and then put the makeshift microSD adapter into the SD reader (Make sure you have one of the readers from the list above!). DO NOT plug the SD reader into your computer yet…
   
10. Turn on the N3DS XL console. If everything went well, you should be on a blue bootrom error screen. In this state, the NAND can be read/written to. Now, without powering off your device, plug the SD reader into the USB port of your computer.
    
11. Your computer may ask you if you want to format your NAND. DO NOT DO THIS. EVER. IT WILL DESTROY YOUR DEVICE. CLICK CANCEL. Now, right click on win32diskimager and select “Open as Administrator”. Once it is open, type whatever you want to name your file and make sure you add (.img) at the end. For example, you can name it nand.img. Click on "Read".
    
12. Your NAND should now be successfully dumped! Make sure to check the file sizes of the NAND to see if the dump was completed successfully.

STEPS FOR THE NEW 2DS XL​

I currently do not have an in-depth tutorial for the New 2DS XL system. Little is documented about the NAND of this system, and I personally have not attempted to do a hardmod on this device. However, NAND pinouts for the New 2DS XL system have been found, and a full tutorial for this particular system can be found in this video. Once enough people have tested these pinouts, I will do an actual tutorial for the New 2DS XL:

​

Warning! Many people have not tested these pinouts for the New 2DS XL. 3DBrew has not documented the NAND pinouts for this system either. As such, follow this video at your own risk. I am not to be held responsible for any damage that you do to your system by following an unofficial video tutorial.

Important Links:
​

NAND Error Codes
3DBrew has documented details about the 3DS NAND, including other useful information. Here is a list of all the error codes that is shown by the ARM9 bootrom when the NAND isn't initialized during startup (including when you have a franken-SD attached):

NAND Sizes
This shows the different NAND sizes for 3DS consoles

Old 3DS XL NAND Dump Video Pt 1
A video tutorial on hardmodding the Old 3DS XL Part 1

Old 3DS XL NAND Dump Video Pt 2
A video tutorial on hardmodding the Old 3DS XL Part 2

How to Solder (for beginners)
A video that teaches soldering concepts to beginners. Make sure you become proficient in soldering and have attempted it before you solder your 3DS

Hardmod Installers
For those who want somebody to install a hardmod on your 3DS console, this link shows trusted hardmod installers by region (UK, France, Germany, USA, Italy, and Brazil).
​

 

[annson24]

Wait, so you turned it on and then plugged it into the card reader? If so, you fried the motherboard and cannot fix it unless you buy another motherboard.

Sorry for the misinfo. What I meant was I turned the 3ds on to check if it's still alive and it did. Then I turned it off, inserted to the card reader then turn it on. It displayed the 400 error. The rest is the same story.

Okay, so new problem; I decided to hardmod a 2DS now (and again, I am not new to this whole hardmodding) but once I restored the NAND backup, it refuses to power on, however it charges properly. Any ideas?

You might have a corrupted nand backup. Did you use the nand checker? Please excuse me, but may I know what card reader you used?

Sent from my SM-G935F using Tapatalk

 

[RetroBitMig]

You might have a corrupted nand backup. Did you use the nand checker? Please excuse me, but may I know what card reader you used?

Sent from my SM-G935F using Tapatalk

I didn't use the NAND Checker, I was using a dump from Decrypt9, so I assumed it would be fine. The card reader I'm using is TekRepublic TUC-300

 

[annson24]

Update on my 2ds. Turns out I alson need to use DAT1, 2, and 3 to make my reader read the stupid nand.

Sent from my SM-G935F using Tapatalk

 

[j82k]

I've already done the mod on a 2DS with a cheap iron but now I've got myself a temperature adjustable soldering station and have no clue what temp to set for modding a N3DSXL.

So what's the recommended temperature for tinning the pads and soldering the wires to it?


Also is it ok to use really thin wires like 0.04mm² or could that cause problems?

 

[bOgGaRt]

So, I received my N3DS XL with 11.2.0-u35 pre-installed. I had no idea about Nintendo's ecosphere before but as I kept reading, it got more and more interesting. That $100 N3DS Mario Black was just the trigger (bdw, I sold that for $125). And believe me, the only reason I bought the N3DS XL is to hardmod it (ended up liking the few games I bought).

I finished most of the heavy work yesterday but I'm still waiting on my Anker Card reader (will be in my mailbox today). I read through several pages of this thread multiple times and learned so much that I'm inclined to share my experience with all of you.


So here's the soldering attempt (not the best I know):-

Spoiler: Primary motherboard side

And since I'm always paranoid with additional safeguards, I did put some transparent tapes around the joints (covering most of the open circuits) just in case the solder breaks:-

Spoiler: The paranoid version

I wasn't confident enough to actually solder onto that tiny CLK so I used the alternate CLK and GRND on the other side. However, I read in multiple places that CLK doesn't have to be on that particular one tiny point (out of 4), and could be any/all of them. The posts from experts on this thread suggested otherwise and hence the alternate approach.

Spoiler: Alternate CLK & GRND

Here's the whole setup after re-assembling the motherboard:-

Spoiler: Re-assembled motherboard

I did manage to create a franken SD too (later separated and taped the joints on butt connector), not really sure if it works though. I'll probably find out today.

Spoiler: Franken SD

Before attempting all this, I printed out the circuit details and kept it handy just in case. Although, I mostly followed the hardmod video on youtube [links below].

Spoiler: A handbook

Connecting everything seems to be working normally:-

Spoiler: It works!! (for now)

The important takeaways:-

1. The most underestimated tool is the pair of tweezers. Would have been a nightmare re-assembling this without one. Some joints are just impossible to do with hands. I didn't think it was important before but luckily I got one with the soldering kit I bought. Make sure you have it before you attempt this.

2. Any cheap soldering kit would do fine as long as it has a pointed tip and melt the solder that you're using. I used mine on 350 F and it did great! Also, don't keep the iron on the circuit for too long, you might damage the point / nearby points. I thought of using a conductive tape before but that would have been much more difficult and stupid.

3. Those soldering points are much more tinier than they look in all the pictures that we see floating around.

4. A continuity tester will come in handy just to verify all connections. I forgot to buy one so I ended up creating one using an LED and battery unit.

5. If you're not confident on your soldering skills, use the alternate CLK (although I'm still not sure if all 4 points count or just the one).

6. Flux might actually play an important role here. I didn't use one since I was using a rosin core solder but at times I found it hard to make the solder stick on the circuit. Avoid using solder directly on soldering iron, instead use it on hot circuit to make it stick. If you can, use a flux and clean it afterwards. Also, tin the wire before you attempt on making the joints.

7. Read and watch hardmod videos several times to make yourself aware of the what you'll be looking at post disassembly. Follow a video, use play/pause during the entire process and move ahead with that video to finish the installation.



Here are the items that I used during the process:-
Hardmod
- Butt connected cables (suggested by OP)
- 60W Soldering Iron Kit
- 60-40 Rosin Core Solder

Homebrew
- Powersaves Pro
- The Legend of Zelda Ocarina of Time 3D

Waiting for
- Anker USB 3.0 Card Reader

Video I followed:-

Spoiler: Video I followed

I hope this helps anybody who's attempting it for the first time. But remember, if you're not confident that you can finish it, you'll be better off paying someone because all the items required would cost you nearly the same and you wouldn't end up with nice finishing like they would.

I'll post the result once I receive the USB Card Reader.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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

I've already done the mod on a 2DS with a cheap iron but now I've got myself a temperature adjustable soldering station and have no clue what temp to set for modding a N3DSXL.

So what's the recommended temperature for tinning the pads and soldering the wires to it?


Also is it ok to use really thin wires like 0.04mm² or could that cause problems?

I used this one at 350 and it worked fine. Although I haven't completely tested yet (awaiting on Card Reader). Check my previous post right before this one.

 

[pre10c]

What are good spots on all the devices to put the connector?

 

[noX1609]

I'm about doing my first Hardmod. Soldering is no problem for me (learned it at school and done many mods on other systems like PS1, PS2, PS3, xbox360 RGH and Xbox One. I'm also going to use all DAT points for faster reading/writing

Only question i have: Is there a tool for Mac OSX which i can use instead of win32diskimager?
Because then i don't have to setup a VM only for the downgrade.

Thanks in advance for your help

 

[bOgGaRt]

Ok, everything worked fine till NAND dumping and modifying the dump using NFIRM and writing it back to N3DS XL.
However, every time I try to downgrade it to 9.2 using sysDowngrader, I get the following error:-

Spoiler: sysDowngrader ERROR!

Once this error comes, I can restart the system and see 9.2 firmware in settings but I cant go back to Homebrew anymore. Trying to access Homebrew redirects to this same error above! I'm guessing I'm partially downgraded but I can't finish the downgrade since I can't access Homebrew anymore. The only option I get is to re-write the modded NAND. I tried this atleast 10 times and everytime it gives me the same error. I even tried with SafeSysUpdater but the downgrade process throws the same error after installing half the apps.

What exactly am I doing wrong ?

 

[annson24]

Ok, everything worked fine till NAND dumping and modifying the dump using NFIRM and writing it back to N3DS XL.
However, every time I try to downgrade it to 9.2 using sysDowngrader, I get the following error:-

Spoiler: sysDowngrader ERROR!

Once this error comes, I can restart the system and see 9.2 firmware in settings but I cant go back to Homebrew anymore. Trying to access Homebrew redirects to this same error above! I'm guessing I'm partially downgraded but I can't finish the downgrade since I can't access Homebrew anymore. The only option I get is to re-write the modded NAND. I tried this atleast 10 times and everytime it gives me the same error. I even tried with SafeSysUpdater but the downgrade process throws the same error after installing half the apps.

What exactly am I doing wrong ?

You're on partial downgrade state. Redowngrade with sysdowngrader. To enter homebrew, use soundhax and the 9.2 otherapp payload.

Sent from my SM-G935F using Tapatalk

 

[bOgGaRt]

You're on partial downgrade state. Redowngrade with sysdowngrader. To enter homebrew, use soundhax and the 9.2 otherapp payload.

Sent from my SM-G935F using Tapatalk

Thanks for the quick response! Actually I tried that but anything I tried just gave me the same error! So I formatted the NAND and then dumped it again (without any initial setup). Modified that NAND and flashed back. This time sysDowngrader worked just fine. After that, I used the browserhax to install menuhax and I'm all good now! (or for now)... I'm currently in ctrtransfer stage!

 

[annson24]

Thanks for the quick response! Actually I tried that but anything I tried just gave me the same error! So I formatted the NAND and then dumped it again (without any initial setup). Modified that NAND and flashed back. This time sysDowngrader worked just fine. After that, I used the browserhax to install menuhax and I'm all good now! (or for now)... I'm currently in ctrtransfer stage!

Great. However, might I suggest using the soundhax instead of browserhax and menuhax. But meh, it's your 3ds so you decide.

Sent from my SM-G935F using Tapatalk

 

[bOgGaRt]

Great. However, might I suggest using the soundhax instead of browserhax and menuhax. But meh, it's your 3ds so you decide.

Sent from my SM-G935F using Tapatalk

Oh no, I'm always open to suggestions! Is there any particular reason for using soundhax? I'm kind of liking the menuhax, no trouble, just hold a button while booting and you're in!

 

[annson24]

Oh no, I'm always open to suggestions! Is there any particular reason for using soundhax? I'm kind of liking the menuhax, no trouble, just hold a button while booting and you're in!

Well the common problem with menuhax is changing themes. The themes wont stick, also if you were to install a game after having the menuhax, your game will stay giftwrapped every time you reboot. Soundhax on the other hand is a primary exploit, just place two files on your sd card, run the sound player on your 3ds and play the hax and viola! You're on hbl.

Sent from my SM-G935F using Tapatalk

 

[bOgGaRt]

Well the common problem with menuhax is changing themes. The themes wont stick, also if you were to install a game after having the menuhax, your game will stay giftwrapped every time you reboot. Soundhax on the other hand is a primary exploit, just place two files on your sd card, run the sound player on your 3ds and play the hax and viola! You're on hbl.

Sent from my SM-G935F using Tapatalk

Oh! That's actually pretty useful. Will do the soundhax setup right after I'm done following this whole guide. I still have very less info to carry on my own! Hopefully I'll know more with time and mistakes. All I want is not to lose any save games in case I play any while i do all this. Fortunately my XL is pretty new and I literally had no data in it.

 

[NoNAND]

I think this thread needs to be sticked.

 

[Thanksss]

"Transcend P8 TS-RDP8K : ALCOR AU6476 (Thank you Gamerquest1 and zchtoy)"

I bought this one since you said it was for sure compatible with the 3ds new XL.

Well guess what ? it isn't!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

thanks for wasting my time and money

 

[SeanStar555]

I'm about doing my first Hardmod. Soldering is no problem for me (learned it at school and done many mods on other systems like PS1, PS2, PS3, xbox360 RGH and Xbox One. I'm also going to use all DAT points for faster reading/writing

Only question i have: Is there a tool for Mac OSX which i can use instead of win32diskimager?
Because then i don't have to setup a VM only for the downgrade.

Thanks in advance for your help

The command dd will work (commonly joked as being called "disk destroyer", keep that in mind)

sudo dd if=/dev/diskX of=nand.bin bs=1m

to dump the nand and

sudo dd if=patched_nand.bin of=/dev/diskX bs=1m

to flash it back (making sure that you have the correct disk)
​

This won't help with the tool required to patch the nand, however.

 

[og style]

I am having trouble with a New 3ds. It's running the latest firmware and I hard modded it but it will not show up as a disc drive. I have check and recheck the connection and everything is hooked up right. I was able to softmod 2 original 3ds's without any problem and I soldered a 3ds xl and was able to downgrade it without any trouble. I can't figure out why the 3ds xl won't work. Any help would be apprediated.

Thanks

 

[noX1609]

I am having trouble with a New 3ds. It's running the latest firmware and I hard modded it but it will not show up as a disc drive. I have check and recheck the connection and everything is hooked up right. I was able to softmod 2 original 3ds's without any problem and I soldered a 3ds xl and was able to downgrade it without any trouble. I can't figure out why the 3ds xl won't work. Any help would be apprediated.

Thanks

Do you have one of the card readers that are supported? Because there are only a few that work so look at the op for the list of compatible readers. Also it could be that the one you have works for 2ds but not for the 3ds xl.
If you have one of these take a picture of your soldering, maybe there are any bridges.

 

[BAMvsGAME]

uhg, so I tried opening my case to prepare for a hardmod but I might have stripped the screw. Any options? I got a electronic opener kit that had a PH#000 screwdriver in it that I tried using.