Hacking Question New to Switch hacking and don't want to mess it up

[MariusMoga]

Hi all,

I just got my hands on a brand new unpatched Switch with OFW 3.0.1 and being a total noob at hacking it I just have a few questions not to mess it up ... thanks a lot for putting up with me and your future suggestions!

My step by step plan is first to do a backup, then install emmuNAND, update the emmuNAND with ChoiDujourNX and then use only the emmuNAND for CFW and keep the sysNAND for online related activities.

My questions would be:

1. I will use a Jig to boot in RCM and inject Hekate, then backup BOOT0 and BOOT1. Do I also need to do also an EMMC RAW GPP backup?
2. If I update the sysNAND to 8.0.1 afterwards, would I be able to downgrade back to 3.0.1 with these updates and would this be really safe to do? Can I brick the console in doing this?
3. Do I need to enable AutoRCM with Hekate before doing this? Is AutoRCM grounds for banning the console by Nintendo?
4. When I install emmuNAND, I saw I need to partition my SD card. I have 200 Gb one, what do you recommend using ... 64 for sysNAND and the rest for emmuNAND? I also understood I need to format it FAT32, right?
5. I saw a youtube tutorial to do the emmuNAND with Hekate, do you recommend using something else?
6. If I wanna use Atmosphere on emmuNAND, I understood I need to extract my "prod keys" and also make sure to have the latest sig and kip patches. What are those and why do I need them? I kept looking around for a simple explanation but couldnt find one ...

Thanks a lot for your responses,

Marius

 

[JBMario]

1. Of course! It’s the main backup with a size of 32GB. You have to backup everything: boot0, boot1 and eMMC.
2. If you enable AutoRCM, yes.
3. You can enable it in Hekate or with ChoiDujourNX just before update.
4. Emunand takes 32GB, so it’s up to you. A 200GB card is enough for a lot of people. FAT32 is not needed, but it's recommended indeed.
5. Not sure.
6. Sigpatches allow you to play games that you don’t own (aka games downloaded online). Prod.keys is necessary to use some homebrew apps or PC apps (NSC_Builder, 4NXCI, etc).

 

[QueenMawina]

I only know one answer
4.You dont use part of your SDcard for sysnand, your sysnand is kept in your system memory, anything above 30 is good enough for emunand, you have tons of free space with a 200gb card

 

[Deleted User]

5. Not sure.

Its recommended to use it. its the easiest way doing it. (personal meaning)

 

[MariusMoga]

Thanks a lot for your replies.

4. I've been doing some more research and I understand that it is possible to store the emmuNAND either as a hidden partition or as a file. I understood that hidden partition should be preferable as it is faster than file based. Is this correct?

7. One more question on emmuNAND: So basically, the emmuNAND will be on the SD card and only accessible if I boot up in RCM mode and choose it to start. If I just turn off and back on the console, it will boot up to normal sysNAND where everything is clean for online? If the SD card will be corrupted, I just have to start from scratch and it would work, correct?

8. Regarding ChoiDujourNX - if I use it on emmuNAND to update it from 3.0.1 to whatever is now the latest, 8.something, I understood it will automatically install AutoRCM. But it is on the emmuNAND so will the AutoRCM be really turned on?

Thanks

 

[QueenMawina]

7. One more question on emmuNAND: So basically, the emmuNAND will be on the SD card and only accessible if I boot up in RCM mode and choose it to start. If I just turn off and back on the console, it will boot up to normal sysNAND where everything is clean for online? If the SD card will be corrupted, I just have to start from scratch and it would work, correct?

Yea, if you boot normally, without RCM, you boot into sysnand with OFW. And if the SDcard gets corrupted, youll just have to start doing everything again, your sysnand should be intact

 

[MariusMoga]

Question 9 (sorry, forgot about this) - How big should the emmuNAND hidden partion be? I saw everybody did it for 30 GB ... If I install an NSP file, will this be installed on the 30 GB partition or on the remaining normal 170 GB partition (from a card of 200 GB).

 

[QueenMawina]

Question 9 (sorry, forgot about this) - How big should the emmuNAND hidden partion be? I saw everybody did it for 30 GB ... If I install an NSP file, will this be installed on the 30 GB partition or on the remaining normal 170 GB partition (from a card of 200 GB).

you can choose the location, the 30gb partition or the remaining 170, it will be fine

 

[MariusMoga]

I found a Youtube video showing how to install the NSP and indeed it asks about Console Memory or SD card.

However it is not clear for me, the Console Memory in case of the emmuNAND will be the 30 GB partition and the SD card is the remaining 170 GB, right?

 

[QueenMawina]

I found a Youtube video showing how to install the NSP and indeed it asks about Console Memory or SD card.

However it is not clear for me, the Console Memory in case of the emmuNAND will be the 30 GB partition and the SD card is the remaining 170 GB, right?

yep, it detects the SDcard partition as internal memory, and the rest of the SDcard as external memory

 

[Badgerx]

do it and post results