I see from your post that on Nov 1st 2007 you state “I have never updated my Wiikey before. How do I do it? I read somewhere that with the Wii 3.0 firmware Wiikey can no longer be updated with a DVD, true?”
I quote from wiikey site “Nintendo has released firmware 3.0 via online updates. It will NOT brick or disable Wiikey; however, base and config discs will not load 'natively', neither will any other GC disc with El Torito standard header format.” This was a new install, had you ever done one (which you haven’t) you would know that to get the firmware on a wii console with firmware 3.0+ there’s 2 ways, use GCOS or Hex edit the 1.2 config disk burn a copy and then burn a copy non edited and disk swap.
My point is that we have no way of saying with any degree of certainty weather or not Zeroid had installed the chip correctly, and since the wiikey will not read disks until the firmware is on his first assumptions that it didn't work could have been wrong. Now he’s taken the chip out and the wires off he could have done the damage to the drive then.
right so A) i never made that post, and if i did.. i was drunk or fucking smokin rock at the time. (mainly because i updated my wiikey when my wii was only firmware 2.2U anyway)
B) i've installed a number of wiikeys on a number of different firmware'd wiis and never once had ap roblem reading the update disc, maybe its just pure dumb luck but even on the 3.0 ones i haven't had trouble.
C) you said it yourself, he may have caused damage to the drive and it currently ISN'T reading the discs, why in the high hell would he want to risk doing any more damage to it than it currently has? you're suggesting he buys a magnifying lens for nothing more than to look at it and inevitably take it to a professional installer like he intends to anyway.
my point is this, you can give him suggestions but dont tell him to open it back up and play with solder when it got him to where he's at now, which is looking for an installer. chances are he's either messed it up beyond his ability to repair (obviously) or he's just incapable of soldering. now i'm not knocking him but these soldering joints aren't exactly a walk in the park for a new person to soldering, and anyone experienced would have known if they could or could not handle it and they would have the proper tools already to know if he's got any solder splatter and caused a short anywhere. theres a point when every person needs to draw the line and realize when they've passed their abilities and wii modding seems to have gotten the best of most everyone. i'm only trying to save this guy the possible trouble of having to buy a whole new wii drive or wii itself if he opens it up and takes a look and thinks "hey, i got solder all over this joint let me try my skill at removing it even though i wasn't careful enough the first time i soldered my wiikey in there and probably can't do this without damaging more stuff".
YES i am suggesting someone stops doing what i consider a hobby for HIS sake, if he's got money to blow and wants to buy a new drive or wii and then get it modded professionally in the end then so be it have at the thing with a torch for all i care but if he's like 90% of the people that mod consoles they're pretty well limited on their cash supply as it is and its best left to the people who install chips for a living
EDIT: lawl i'm an ass sometimes. sorry if'n i'm bothering you but i dont like the thought of someone suggesting another person who already is in a bad situation potentially make it worse. thats all
another edit: just to rub things in even further, the wii WILL read wii discs, original's especially, with the wiikey installed properly and functioning on a 3.0 wii it just will not read gamecube (backup)discs without a patch/hex edit on the iso.
i should have walked away from this post from the very get go...either way, zero, do what you want but i'm suggesting you find the nearest modchip installer and have them do it for you. you'll be 100% more satisfied (that is if they're able to fix whatever happened) than tearing it apart and doing it yourself only to possibly make things worse. i don't know if you guys have a craigslist type site for the UK over there or if you guys have modchips shops all around but definately look for a professional (the reason for the post, i understand but yeah do yourself a favor and don't ruin your wii any further they're too fun
) with a good reputation. best suggestion i can offer