Still trying to understand a few things... Wondering if you can fill in the missing pieces to my understanding...
( I have intentionally written this in more detail incase other *noobs* are trying to follow. I have a summary at the bottom for a quick read )
Wii Version: Version 4.2E (Virgin - up until about 12 hours ago)
Purpose: to backup my Wii games and play them from HDD
Tutorial: CompleteSoftmod Guide (http://sites.google.com/site/completesg/) and others to fill the gaps.
Okay, so this is what I have done so far (hopefully nothing special)
1. BANNER BOMB / HACKMII / BOOTMII
Using Bannerbomb and Hackmii I was able to successfully install the Homebrew Channel and Bootmii to IOS ( Boot2 was not an option )
NOTE: I was not able to install DVDX. This was not an option for me.
2. BOOTMII - NAND BACKUP
Created a NAND backup using Bootmii at this stage (just in case - even though have read it may be very difficult if not impossible to recover easily from a brick if I did brick my Wii)
ISSUE: During my NAND backup using Bootmii, I would get about 1/4 of the way through the processs and then would receive an error message saying 'ECC Failure (Uncorrectable) for Page ...'.
RESOLUTION: After a lot of forum searching, I found a helpful bloke (Jacques / Chunghop) who had the same problem, and was able to resolve it by copying the file 'ppcboot.elf' from Bootmii Beta 4 onto the SD Card under the /Bootmii folder (which was created by the Hackmii installer while performing the Bannerbomb / Bootmii installation process. For anyone else, more information on this issue can be found at:
http://bugs.hackmii.com/index.php?do=details&task_id=350
NOTE: I did try to install Bootmii again (with the modified 'ppcboot.elf' file in place, but it seemed as though the Hackmii installer just extracted the Bootmii folder again, over the top of the changes I made. When I ran Bootmii again, I had the same issue, so I copied the 'ppcboot.elf' file into the SD:/Bootmii folder and just inserted the SD card back into the Wii and navigated to Bootmii from the Homebreak channel - not sure how this worked? Thought I should have had to install Bootmii again or was it running directly from the SD Card ? Feedback welcomed.
After successfully creating my NAND backup, I copied it to my PC for safe keeping (I also kept it on the SD Card as well)
3. TRUCHA BUG / REMOVING STUB IOS'S / DOP-MII
I downloaded DOP-Mii v1.2 and created all the WAD files required for an offline installation (using NUS Downloader). Added them to my SD card, and started the DOP-Mii process.
"If the wii crashes (gives a code dump) for one of the following steps (2a - c), hold the Power button till the wii shuts down. Then reboot it, launch DOP-Mii and start again from 2a."
If I didnt see this message I would have thought I had bricked my Wii, because my Wii crashed twice (code dump error) during the first step 2a.
Third time through the process and everything went sweet. Feedback welcomed if this is abnormal. Did not take note of any of the code dump information.
I also used DOP-Mii to remove the stub IOS's as specified ( however, 202 was not an option to uninstall, so I just removed 222, 223, 249 and 250 ).
NOW - THE FUN STUFF
4. Waninkokos cIOS (249 and 250)
The process was pretty straight forward, but I would like to get a better understanding as to exactly what I did in this step.
Using 'cIOS38rev17 Installer' and downloding the WAD file for 'IOS38-64-v3867.wad' from NUS Downloader I put in the SD card and did this process.
This is the part that had me a bit concerned.
* If this is your first cIOS, choose 36. Else, choose 249. (If you have problems with this, go to the Trucha Bug section)*
From my reading, I was under the impression that I should not be touching anything under IOS200. However, this sort of suggested to install the cIOS onto CIOS36 (which I did).
Other tutorials suggested doing something similar onto cIOS236. So would love some more information on this one and get a better understanding of what I actually did.
This issue popped up when I was thinking about installing / running Configurable USB Loader because it talks about loading on IOS249 or alternatively IOS222 / IOS223 (Hermes cIOS - which I hadnt done as yet).
RECAP:
So at this point I was under the impression that:
- Homebrew and Bootmii (on IOS) were successfully in place (even though Bootmii was on IOS and not really offering me much protection)
- I had installed IOS36 with Trucha Bug (FakeSign Bug)
- I had removed all unnecessary IOS stubs.
- I had installed Waninkokos cIOS38rev17 into IOS36 (??????)
QUESTION: I wanted to install Priiloader for a bit more 'Brick Protection' but read conflicting tutorials and was deterred from installing it. Priiloader tutorials in the CompleteSoftmod tutorials seems pretty straight forward. Happy for your feedback on that one.
5. Hermes cIOS (202, 222 and 223)
I downloaded 'cIOS222 Installer v4' and the required WAD files(using NUS Downloader - not packed as per instructions) and copied onto my SD Card.
I followed the instructions and chose IOS249 (to use?????) and installed the following (rebooting and reselecting IOS249 each time)
* IOS222 with base IOS38 merged with 37
* IOS223 with base IOS38
* IOS202 with base IOS38 merged with 60
QUESTION: Am I installing all these different IOS's onto the same IOS249 on my Wii? Can someone please tell me what exactly this step is doing?
6. Configurable USB Loader
I copied all the files from InSDroot folder onto my SD card as instructed and modified the config.txt file to include 'ios = 222-mload' thinking that I had installed IOS222 (?????)
I can boot Configurable USB Loader, but only when my Portable HDD is not plugged in. It does the 30 sec countdown and because it doesn't find a HDD, it gives me an option to press any button to reset.
If I have my Portable HDD plugged in, when I launch Configurable USB Loader, it gets to the first screen (grey) and then the DVD Drive starts flashing and the Wii freezes.
I have also tried plugging in my Portable HDD into the USB 0 (the closest one to the edge of the Wii) during the 30 sec countdown, and it finds it and says OK, but then the DVD drive starts flashing again and it freezes.
I can confirm that I have formatted the HDD accordingly using WBFS Manager and have put an Wii ISO on to test but no such luck. My HDD is a WD My Book Essentials (I think) which I found in the supported HDD's list, however, I'm not 100% sure of the version, so that is still open to be an issue.
After writing this, I will remove the 'ios = 222-mload' line from the config.txt file in Configurable USB Loader and try that, but would love some more information on the questions / feedback requested above.
*EDIT* Has removed the config.txt change, and Configurable USB Loader just sits on the grey entry screen ( DVD Drive does not flash ) but nothing seems to be happening. Thoughts?
Thanks for a great *noob* Starter Guide though. Prior to reading it, I didn't know anything, so hopefully what I have written, I have 'some-what' understood what you were talking about.
QUICK SUMMARY FOR THE TECHNICALLY MINDED
---------------------------------------------------------
Problem: Configurable USB Loader crashes (DVD drive blue light starts flashing and freezes) when USB HDD is plugged in to USB 0.
15.08.2010 - Problem has since been resolved - Issue was caused by WD My Book Home Edition 640GB HDD. Purchased a WD My Passport Essentials 500GB and works fine!
Wii: Virgin Wii 4.2E
Homebrew Channel installed
Bootmii installed to IOS (Boot2 not avaiable)
NAND Backup Successful
IOS36 with Trucha Bug (FakeSign Bug) using DOP-Mii v1.2
Stub IOS222, 223, 249 and 250 removed - IOS202 Stub not availabe for removal (using DOP-Mii v1.2)
Waninkokos cIOS (249 and 250) using cIOS38rev17 installed to IOS36 (as instructed as this was my first cIOS)
Hermes cIOS (202, 222 and 223) using cIOS222 Installer v4 installed on IOS249 as follows:
* IOS222 with base IOS38 merged with 37
* IOS223 with base IOS38
* IOS202 with base IOS38 merged with 60
Configurable USB Loader running off SD Card with 'ios = 222-mload' config.txt adjustment.
Also, tried without the config.txt change 'ios = 222-mload'. (Configurable USB Loader just hangs on intro screen - no flashing DVD Drive)
Other Question: Should I install Priiloader for additional Brick Protection (because Bootmii could only be installed on IOS)
FEEDBACK WELCOMED! I am a *noob*, but I'm working on it.
Thanks guys!
*EDIT* - 15 August 2010
I determined the issue to be my Portable HDD (WD My Book Home Edition 640GB - WD6400N1CS). No matter how many different formatting options I tried, I just couldnt get it to work. I plugged in a little USB Stick that was formatted as FAT 32 - Some unknown brand with 2GB space - launched Configurable USB Loader from the Homebrew Channel (HBC) and simply told me that the drive was in an incompatible format, BUT, it meant that it read and accepted the USB Stick. This meant that everything else was correctly installed... just the HDD was not agreeing with the Wii.
So I went out and bought a new WD My Passport Essential 500GB USB 2.0 (Model: WDBAAA5000ABK). Formatted it to WBFS format (using Windows to delete the partition / create a primary partition / left it unformatted / used WBFS Manager to format it) plugged it in to the Wii and *VIOLA* - Everything is working fine.
Would still love some feedback on the above questions! Thanks!