Hacking New Switch - Firmware Update OK?

[thaminder]

Hey,

my work mate has bought a new switch (hackable). Now he wants to use a CFW. My Question: is it good to update first to 7.x and then install a CFW or should we use sx os - create emunand and update only the emunand to CFW?
I think its nice to have exfat support - but as i remember you have to update your system version when you want to receive exfat support - correct? its a mario odyssey bundle - so i think the firmware of the console will be around 3.x or 2.x

My plan would now be:
1. Make Backup of NAND
2. Install Update on OFW
3. Add Nintendo Account
4. Create Emunand
5. Stay Offline

or should we do this:
1. Make Backup of NAND
2. Create Emunand
3. Install 6.2/7.x with ChoiDujourNX
4. Never use OFW again and stay offline

does the OFW (2.x / 3.x) already includes exfat support? how will it be with game updates? if he uses a cartridge - will there be any update nag screens (think 7.x will include all current game update information?!? so for every game he would have to install a game update?!?)

thanks for your help

 

[lordelan]

Hey,

my work mate has bought a new switch (hackable). Now he wants to use a CFW. My Question: is it good to update first to 7.x and then install a CFW or should we use sx os - create emunand and update only the emunand to CFW?
I think its nice to have exfat support - but as i remember you have to update your system version when you want to receive exfat support - correct? its a mario odyssey bundle - so i think the firmware of the console will be around 3.x or 2.x

My plan would now be:
1. Make Backup of NAND
2. Install Update on OFW
3. Add Nintendo Account
4. Create Emunand
5. Stay Offline

or should we do this:
1. Make Backup of NAND
2. Create Emunand
3. Install 6.2/7.x with ChoiDujourNX
4. Never use OFW again and stay offline

does the OFW (2.x / 3.x) already includes exfat support? how will it be with game updates? if he uses a cartridge - will there be any update nag screens (think 7.x will include all current game update information?!? so for every game he would have to install a game update?!?)

thanks for your help

First of all, yes: Make a backup of the NAND before anything else.
Then it depends whether you really need the Nintendo ACC linked in emuNAND or not. It has a very few benefits like having your country flag in MK8D or being able to install and use Nintendo Online NES.
And since all custom firmwares support the newest Horizon FW (7.x) you should be fine.

So the steps would be:

1. Create NAND backup
2. Update to newest firmware (either the official way if you don't care about fuses or via ChoiDujourNX)
3. Link Nintendo ACC
4. Create emuNAND
5. Use CFW stuff, homebrews and hacks on emuNAND and keep sysNAND clean (and online optionally)

However if you don't need the Nintendo ACC linked in emuNAND, just create it directly after the NAND dump.

Oh and one additional thing: Don't use exFAT at all! Just don't!
FAT32 does every job just fine on the Switch.

 

[thaminder]

thanks for your answer

why do you think i shouldnt use exfat? at my own switch im using it since day one (homebrew available) - never had any problem

 

[lordelan]

thanks for your answer

why do you think i shouldnt use exfat? at my own switch im using it since day one (homebrew available) - never had any problem

Sry don't wanna sound p*ssed but I had to explain this so many times already (and others have explained it way more often and better than me as well).
exFAT corrupts your SD card without you even noticing it. It's a death over time. It's a ticking time bomb because of Nintendo's shitty driver.
If you use a USB drive with SX OS, that can be formatted to exFAT without a problem but when it comes to SD cards, it corrupts your files.
Just because you never had any issues (I read this so often) doesn't mean you won't be doomed. The day might come sooner than you think that your complete SD card with anything on it is dead.
Just stick to FAT32. There's no downside to it. Installed games are separated into chunks smaller than 4 GB and NSPs and XCIs can be splitted on a PC or installed via USB.

 

[makazula]

I use exFat for overall convenience and no need to split archives etc. Through this day haven't had a problem. However, I backup my sdcard regularly, at least twice a month, just in case corruption of any kind happens. I think in case someone wants to go the exfat route, they should do the same. I mean, I would do it even if I was using fat32, just because why not, lol.

 

[FanboyKilla]

lordelan is right, exFAT on the Switch is SHIT! It has nothing to do with exFAT as a filesystem itself, it's the driver implementation that Nintendo uses that sucks. If you want to use it then go right ahead. Sure it will work fine for awhile and maybe you'll never have an issue. But it's a KNOW FACT that it has caused issues for countless amounts of people. So if you absolutely must have exFAT then by all means, use it. It's your stuff and you're free to do whatever you want with it. Just remember that you were warned about it.

 

[The Real Jdbye]

Hey,

my work mate has bought a new switch (hackable). Now he wants to use a CFW. My Question: is it good to update first to 7.x and then install a CFW or should we use sx os - create emunand and update only the emunand to CFW?
I think its nice to have exfat support - but as i remember you have to update your system version when you want to receive exfat support - correct? its a mario odyssey bundle - so i think the firmware of the console will be around 3.x or 2.x

My plan would now be:
1. Make Backup of NAND
2. Install Update on OFW
3. Add Nintendo Account
4. Create Emunand
5. Stay Offline

or should we do this:
1. Make Backup of NAND
2. Create Emunand
3. Install 6.2/7.x with ChoiDujourNX
4. Never use OFW again and stay offline

does the OFW (2.x / 3.x) already includes exfat support? how will it be with game updates? if he uses a cartridge - will there be any update nag screens (think 7.x will include all current game update information?!? so for every game he would have to install a game update?!?)

thanks for your help

I would do it this way:
1. Make Backup of NAND
2. Install Update on OFW
3. Make another backup because why not. This backup is more important as you'll restore it if something goes wrong with either your sysNAND or your emUNAND. The first backup is only good for CFW (due to burned fuses) but it's nice to have an easy way to downgrade.
4. Delete wifi settings (just to be safe)
5. Create Emunand
6. Add Nintendo Account on sysNAND OFW, play online, keep it updated etc. just make sure you never boot CFW on it.
7. Keep emuNAND offline and enjoy your yarrrrr.

Deleting wifi settings before emuNAND and adding account to sysNAND after making emuNAND only because then you'll have a clean slate on emuNAND without your online data, since you'll be keeping that offline anyways. I suggest adding a user called "Emu" or something similar on emuNAND just to make it easy to tell you're in emuNAND.

 

[BadNewsBeards]

Getting some mixed answers in here. I'm in the same situation with a clean 4.1 switch. Trying to decide if I should update the official way before I add any CFW or use ChoiDujourNX with emuNand

 

[pLaYeR^^]

Getting some mixed answers in here. I'm in the same situation with a clean 4.1 switch. Trying to decide if I should update the official way before I add any CFW or use ChoiDujourNX with emuNand

If you update with ChoiDujourNX, you can downgrade later on if you have a 4.1.0 backup. If you update with official update, fuses of your switch will be burned at next boot of Nintendo bootloader and you can’t boot a lower firmware without a custom payload anymore. That’s why you should always update with ChoiDujourNX except you don’t care about downgrade.

 

[DaveLister]

3 x 128gb exfat formatted cards in 2 years I have had corruption twice had to reformat and start again .

Still using exfat for the cards but have 1tb ssd to push installs quickly . I like the larger than 4gb support .