Tutorial NOOB friendly guide to Downgrading your 3DS (From FW <10.7!!)

[Jarrad]

Okay, I successfully downgraded fro 9.4 to 9.2, however whenever my SD card is inserted into my 3DS it doesn't show the home menu at all.

The only way I can actually get my 3DS to work is if there isn't an sd card in the slot.

I'm debating whether to completely delete everything off the SD card, since the 9.2 update was a success, and just reinstall menuhax and other stuff.

Opinions?

 

[astrangeone]

Okay, I successfully downgraded fro 9.4 to 9.2, however whenever my SD card is inserted into my 3DS it doesn't show the home menu at all.

The only way I can actually get my 3DS to work is if there isn't an sd card in the slot.

I'm debating whether to completely delete everything off the SD card, since the 9.2 update was a success, and just reinstall menuhax and other stuff.

Opinions?

Sounds like a partial downgrade. I had that happen before with a finicky blue o3DS and had to retry the recovery mode five times before it worked. (It didn't want to run my 9.2 or 10.7 OoTHax exploit.) Either run the downgrade again, or use recovery mode to update to 10.7 and then downgrade from there again.

I swear that 3DS was fighting me all the way to AL9H installation.

 

[Jarrad]

ok nvm,

Sounds like a partial downgrade. I had that happen before with a finicky blue o3DS and had to retry the recovery mode five times before it worked. (It didn't want to run my 9.2 or 10.7 OoTHax exploit.) Either run the downgrade again, or use recovery mode to update to 10.7 and then downgrade from there again.

I swear that 3DS was fighting me all the way to AL9H installation.

I was wrong. I think it was because I had menuhax installed. I just changed my home screen after putting my SD card in once it had booted up and then reinstalled menuhax

 

[-Marco]

I wanted to thank you for putting this guide together.

The clear instructions made the downgrading process smooth as butter.

 

[Ultracoolguy]

NO HARDMOD IS REQUIRED. (But you can backup your NAND before downgrade as an extra precaution)
EDIT: SafeSysUpdater added only to check your downgrade files
EDIT2: A better proof video added.
EDIT3: This will also work on 10.7, but you will need OOT3Dhax or Ninjhax for that.
Aah, Nintendo patched memchunkhax again, but partially (again). So as expected, we can now again downgrade our consoles from 10.4/10.5/10.6/10.7 ( to 9.2. Yeah, No joke.
You can wait for yellows8 to release browserhax/menuhax if you're on 10.6/10.7, or you can proceed if you have 10.4/10.5 w/ Menuhax or 10.6/10.7 with Ninjhax/OOThax.

PLEASE NOTE: JP N3DS Users, you'll need to remove the 000400102002CA00 title in order to not get bricked!
Also, remove any DNS which blocks updates, so that you can update if you softbrick.

I will not be responsible for any bricks, so proceed with caution. And remember, OLD 3DS and New 3DS have different downgrade packs, so always double check what you're downloading. Old 3DS Packs will work fine with 2DS.

You can't just use OOTHax with a copy of OOT.You will have to install OOTHax on it, with another entrypoint/another 3DS with Homebrew access/Datel Powersaves. Click here if you have a copy of OOT without homebrew.

You can also use a Sky3DS+ with a ROM of Cubic Ninja to access Homebrew.

You must read this guide from TOP to BOTTOM if you wanna lower the chances of getting a brick. Don't just jump to a specific part of the guide and say 'Oh noes I bricked me console'

Requirements:
-You console with FW < 10.7

-Homebrew Entrypoint:
10.6/10.7: OOTHax or Ninjhax, cuz Menuhax and browserhax dont work (currently) on 10.6 or 10.7.
10.4/10.5: OOTHax, Ninjhax, or Menuhax. If you don't yet have menuhax, use the browserhax workaround to get browserhax for installing menuhax.
Below 10.3: OOTHax, Ninjhax, Menuhax, Ironhax.

-SafeSysUpdater, to check your downgrade pack.

-The new sysUpdater for memchunkhax2.1 from here

-Your console's 9.2 downgrade pack from 'that iso site' [or 'that chaosful site'. Google this:
MSET 4.X & 6.X backups, Browser backups, Update packs (All Regions) Cha0s Em3rald ]
If you think Google is failing you, we have DuckDuckGo, Yahoo, Bing (XD) , etc.
Dont use Old 3DS pack for a New 3DS, or a New 3DS pack for an Old 3DS/2DS.

-You are recommended to do a system format before downgrading, as it seems to prevent Soft Bricks (especially on New 3DSs). Also backup your SD Card, format it, then copy all files back. That would reduce brick chances too.

Instructions:
1. Put the sysUpdater.3dsx in /3ds/sysUpdater on your SD Card, and the SafeSysUpdater.3dsx in /3ds/SafeSysUpdater folder.
2. Put the downgrade pack cia files in /updates on your SD Card
3. Start homebrew using your entrypoint
4. Select SafeSysUpdater and press A to check the files. Don't press Y to downgrade, please don't.

5. Only if it says everything is good, exit back to The Homebrew Launcher, and start the sysUpdater.Also:


6. Press Y to downgrade.
7. Wait
8. Boom! You downgraded your console from 10.7/10.6/10.5/10.4 to 9.2!
Now install CFW, and probably arm9loaderhax, and enjoy!

You can check whether you downgrade was complete or not, here.

Don't do any of this, or get a brick:
- Put your 3DS on Sleep Mode during the downgrade process
-Switch Off you 3DS during the downgrade process
-Use Old 3DS downgrade files for a New 3DS or New 3DS downgrade files for an Old 3DS or 2DS
-Downgrade while your console's battery is low
-Or anything stupid which might interrupt the downgrade process

Proof that this works:

No sound in this one too, sorry.
I was using an EmuNAND 10.6. But no CIA manager, not even the earlier sysUpdater works on 10.6 Firmwares (through Homebrew Launcher, not CIA versions of them), cuz memchunkhax2 was patched. But now, this sysUpdater works, cuz memchunkhax2.1

FAQ

Spoiler

-I downgrade, the system settings shows 9.2, but I can't run kernalhax for 9.2. i.e. I'm on a broken firmware. What now?
Get into Homebrew using your favourite entrypoint, And Run SafeSysUpdater which you downloaded earlier. You must have the update pack on your SD Card for this to work. Press Y to downgrade. It would install very less CIAs, giving you a complete 9.2 firmware.

-Can I use this for 10.3 or below, or do I have to use another guide?
This guide will work fine for all firmwares between 9.3 - 10.7. Will check it out for 10.8 when it comes.

-Can I use smashhax for this?
I'll add it in the entrypoints list after I get reports of successful downgrades using smashhax. But not now, please, you might end up on a broken firmware. You can use it to install other entrypoints like menuhax or oot3dshax.

-I run sysUpdater, and I get a black screen. What now?
The successrate of memchunkhax2.1 is more than that of memchunkhax2, but still sometimes it does not succeed. When you get that error, hard reset your console (by pressing & holding the power button for 4 seconds and then turning it on again) and then try running sysUpdater again.

-I get a black screen on boot after downgrading successfully.What now?
Try taking out the SD Card and booting without it, then changing the theme and booting with the SD Card. Or, you could try booting into recovery mode.

-Can I downgrade to 6.x or 4.x instead of 9.2?
You are probably doing this for the DS Profile exploit. No need, just downgrade to 9.2, get a CFW, then install the MSET CIA for 4.x or 6.x on you 9.2 console.

Can I use 3DNUS?

 

[Salamencizer]

Can I use 3DNUS?

Probably Nintendo Removed v9.2 from thier servers, but you can try.

I wanted to thank you for putting this guide together.

The clear instructions made the downgrading process smooth as butter.

Thanks alot.

 

[Resset]

Guys... Problem here! Everything was good and suddenly this.

What could possible gone wrong?

 

[Just Passing By]

Guys... Problem here! Everything was good and suddenly this.

What could possible gone wrong?

User error or a fault of sysupdater. Doesn't matter atm. Does it still work? It should to some degree.

 

[Resset]

User error or a fault of sysupdater. Doesn't matter atm. Does it still work? It should to some degree.

Only Recovery mode. I guess I need to update it.

 

[Just Passing By]

Only Recovery mode. I guess I need to update it.

Can you boot w/o sd card?

 

[Resset]

Can you boot w/o sd card?

I can... :I And system Setings say 9.2.0-20E. I guess it's broken firmware.

 

[Just Passing By]

I can... :I

If you can get to the home menu from there, why not try re-downloading? No point in updating. Just get rid of menuhax.

 

[Resset]

If you can get to the home menu from there, why not try re-downloading? No point in updating. Just get rid of menuhax.

If it works then good but SysUpdater crashed in the middle of updating. system settings correctly say that It is 9.2.0-20E firmware but I guess it didn't downgrade properly. Should I use Sysupdater again?

 

[Just Passing By]

If it works then good but SysUpdater crashed in the middle of updating. system settings correctly say that It is 9.2.0-20E firmware but I guess it didn't downgrade properly. Should I use Sysupdater again?

Yes. You're ffw atm.

 

[Resset]

All good?

 

[Just Passing By]

All good?

From what I see. Only way to confirm is by restarting the system.

 

[Resset]

From what I see. Only way to confirm is by restarting the system.

Yep. It works. I hope it's not ffw this time

 

[Salamencizer]

Yep. It works. I hope it's not ffw this time

Use downgrade check IMO

 

[General Sun Tzu]

Hi all, this process seems really COOL, but its also kind of daunting, as I JUST lost my old DSi due to stupidity on my part (with my dsto plus T.T), and im really not trying to brick a new system.

If I buy a 'new' 3ds xl, on a scale of 1 to 10, how hard is it to downgrade it?

Is it risky like some people say? I have tried to read the comments to figure this out a bit, or grasp it better, but honestly it all looks like a foreign language to me XD.

Help me out guys! Has anyone who isnt super computer savvy pulled this off smoothly? Is there a large risk if I do it wrong I will brick my system? I heard the main thing to keep in mind is to downgrade using the right type of downgrade. New 3ds xl downgrade for new one, and old for old one..

 

[Salamencizer]

Hi all, this process seems really COOL, but its also kind of daunting, as I JUST lost my old DSi due to stupidity on my part (with my dsto plus T.T), and im really not trying to brick a new system.

If I buy a 'new' 3ds xl, on a scale of 1 to 10, how hard is it to downgrade it?

Is it risky like some people say? I have tried to read the comments to figure this out a bit, or grasp it better, but honestly it all looks like a foreign language to me XD.

Help me out guys! Has anyone who isnt super computer savvy pulled this off smoothly? Is there a large risk if I do it wrong I will brick my system? I heard the main thing to keep in mind is to downgrade using the right type of downgrade. New 3ds xl downgrade for new one, and old for old one..

Its not difficult at all. Many newbies have downgraded successfully.
The thing is.... You don't have to do anything stupid. Else you'll brick your console. Use New 3DS downgrade pack only, for a New 3DS.