Hacking O3DS: Screens randomly black out; errors, both randomly and with the cameras

[MissingNo._]

Hello,

I have a CFW old 3DS that has been giving a lot of errors in addition to black screens. There is one consistent error when using either the camera app or the outer 3DS cameras in settings. The error message is in the image with the camera on the top screen. This happens both with and without my SD card inserted. This does not happen with the Mii Maker app and allows you to take the picture with the inner camera to make your Mii.

There is another error where my 3DS crashes with an error, shown in the image of black top screen with the error message below. This has happened:
- 2x when updating Animal Crossing: New Leaf
- at least 3x when playing Mario Kart 7
However, I have also randomly gotten black screens, either on the bottom or on both screens. This has happened:
- 1x during Mario Kart 7 (both screens)
- 2x when on the home menu (pictured when selecting Tekken; separate instance when coming out of the settings app)
I want to say movement causes the issue as it occurred often when sharing the 3DS between me and my girlfriend (handing off the system to take turns, moving the system while turning [a casual gamer move, I know]). However, I have repeatedly tapped on the 3DS during gameplay to no avail. To confuse further, the crashes during Animal Crossing: New Leaf both happened when the system was stationary on a table. I was watching from a social distance away and it still crashed with what I believe to be the same error.
Neither of these issues have happened with the SD card removed, but it is hard to test extensively as I don't have a 3DS game on-hand. When the bottom screen is blacked, it is still responsive to touch.

Similarly, I notice that the 3DS screens now take a while longer to turn on than usual. Sometimes, the 3D light comes on with the sound but both screens are black, and then suddenly after about 1 second it turns on; it is evident that the 3DS was working properly otherwise as the title card info on the top screen already appears when the screens suddenly turn on from black. In a few rare occasions, the green 3D light doesn't come on and the system doesn't seem to start. There have also been times where the screens turn on as normal.

I recently took this 3DS out of storage and it seemed to not have CFW on it (has been CFW'd in the past). I followed Plailect's guide. During installation, there was an issue during the step where you SysNAND backup. It was stuck at 99%; I hard shut down the 3DS and turned it on, but it did not boot. It did not boot without the SD card in either. It took multiple attempts of plugging the SD card in and out until it finally let me back into GM9, but there were some occasions where it again crashed. I did manage to perform the backup successfully and proceeded on as normal. Plugging this SD card into the computer, there were also occasions where it was read-only despite the switch being in the correct position (perhaps I should have seen this as a bigger red flag).
I also took out the shoulder buttons to clean them manually, and have fresh triggers on the way. The right one works, but for the left trigger I sadly lost the tiny little plastic piece that clicks down on the metal disc.
This 3DS has also had a history of the top screen having a very distorted image, but I haven't seen it recently. Either there was repeated and distorted imagery of the top screen or the screen brightness dimmed ever so slightly for about a second. I have also blown into the triggers a lot to get them to work This was when I was younger... He didn't know any better lol

What I have tried:
- reseating the two ribbons underneath the R trigger, as well as that little chip to the left of it (when I first opened up the system, it was at an angle about 15 to the board? now it is flat and flush)
- H2testw with the SD card ("Test finished without errors.")
- reinserting the SD card after having to shut down from an issue
- renaming "data" in [1:] SYSNAND CTRNAND and attempting the fresh 3DS setup

Things to try:
- new SD card (will try tomorrow for sure)
- CTRTransfer (Type D9): https://gbatemp.net/threads/release-godmode9-scripts-megathread.482150/page-9#post-8550543
- be upset for a while and then go buy a new 3DS

I appreciate any and all input! Thanks in the future! Cool to be back on GBAtemp for this, been a while.

EDIT:
0xf9605002
0xf9602fef

 

[MissingNo._]

I have replaced the old triggers with brand new ones but it still crashes in the camera app without an SD card plugged in. I now notice a new error message when I use the L + R combo in the home menu to load the camera. Attached is a picture describing such.

The camera ribbon cable looks like it has two scratch marks on it, and I read somewhere that the ribbon is "as thin as bonito flakes". Probably a hardware thing... but I would like to test software first, especially since at least the inner camera loads for Mii Maker, so something is working right at least.

I did order two replacement cameras off of eBay, so unfortunately they will take time...

EDIT: I asked to cancel the camera orders to buy one off of Amazon. Should be cheaper.

EDIT 2: Now Mii Maker's camera doesn't load. Going to try the Decrypt9 CTRTransfer now...

 

[MissingNo._]

CTRTransfer D9 Type did not fix my issue so I will be going with replacing the cameras... a little nervous but should be fun.

EDIT: If anyone has anymore software things I can try, let me know!

 

[jeffyTheHomebrewer]

You might need to replace the cameras.
Open FBI, select remote install, and then select Scan QR code. If the cameras don't work there or if FBI crashes, replace the cameras. If the cams somehow work there, then idk what's wrong

--------------------- MERGED ---------------------------

Also! try playing Face Raiders or with the AR Cards app.

 

[WG481]

My homie, the crashes are from Luma. There are two exception occurred screens. The one you have, and the base one. The base one contains an instant stack dump on the bottom screen, while yours seems to be the base crash. Disable all cheats first.

My recommendation is to factory reset your 3DS. Uninstall all CFW. Your NAND failing to backup and your old CFW have definitely corrupted the system. Reset it to BITS. Follow all guides to uninstall boot.firm in your NAND.

 

[jeffyTheHomebrewer]

https://3ds.hacks.guide/uninstall-cfw

 

[WG481]

https://3ds.hacks.guide/uninstall-cfw

Thank you sir.

 

[lone_wolf323]

My homie, the crashes are from Luma. There are two exception occurred screens. The one you have, and the base one. The base one contains an instant stack dump on the bottom screen, while yours seems to be the base crash. Disable all cheats first.

My recommendation is to factory reset your 3DS. Uninstall all CFW. Your NAND failing to backup and your old CFW have definitely corrupted the system. Reset it to BITS. Follow all guides to uninstall boot.firm in your NAND.

The first thing to advise if even trying something to this effect. Is backing up all savedata and game files, as they are going to be useless to OP if they factory reset the console.

 

[WG481]

The first thing to advise if even trying something to this effect. Is backing up all savedata and game files, as they are going to be useless to OP if they factory reset the console.

That is also something I should've mentioned. Thank you.

 

[MissingNo._]

You might need to replace the cameras.
Open FBI, select remote install, and then select Scan QR code. If the cameras don't work there or if FBI crashes, replace the cameras. If the cams somehow work there, then idk what's wrong

--------------------- MERGED ---------------------------

Also! try playing Face Raiders or with the AR Cards app.

FBI gave an internal error and Face Raiders did not pick up anything on the camera. I assume the AR Cards app is the same.

My recommendation is to factory reset your 3DS. Uninstall all CFW. Your NAND failing to backup and your old CFW have definitely corrupted the system. Reset it to BITS. Follow all guides to uninstall boot.firm in your NAND.

Good call and good thinking, but unfortunately the cameras still aren't working.

The first thing to advise if even trying something to this effect. Is backing up all savedata and game files, as they are going to be useless to OP if they factory reset the console.

Thank you for this!

--

Thanks for the help everyone!!! So this looks to be a hardware issue. When I follow this guide (https://www.ifixit.com/Guide/Nintendo+3DS+Cameras+Replacement/6175) and buy cameras off of Amazon, what kind of adhesive am I supposed to apply to the front face plate and SD card slot?

 

[wormdood]

what kind of adhesive am I supposed to apply to the front face plate and SD card slot?

I would use double sided 3M tape

 

[MissingNo._]

Fixed it by replacing the camera! Thanks everyone! Was my biggest electronic work yet... only managed to damage the 3D slider. Hopefully this thread comes in handy to people with similar error codes, so I will paste them below so they may show up in a Google search result:

0xf9605002
0xf9602fef

 

[KleinesSinchen]

Fixed it by replacing the camera! Thanks everyone! Was my biggest electronic work yet... only managed to damage the 3D slider. Hopefully this thread comes in handy to people with similar error codes, so I will paste them below so they may show up in a Google search result:

0xf9605002
0xf9602fef

Nice. This will certainly be helpful for anybody having the same problem.
==============



But I have to add that this idea:

My homie, the crashes are from Luma. There are two exception occurred screens. The one you have, and the base one. The base one contains an instant stack dump on the bottom screen, while yours seems to be the base crash. Disable all cheats first.

My recommendation is to factory reset your 3DS. Uninstall all CFW. Your NAND failing to backup and your old CFW have definitely corrupted the system. Reset it to BITS. Follow all guides to uninstall boot.firm in your NAND.

is not a good one. The custom firmware does not corrupt anything and uninstalling it will not fix software problems¹ (and certainly not hardware problems like this one). Uninstalling B9S will close the door that needs to be open for troubleshooting software problems. Factory reset does not repair firmware (and according to the initial post already had been done, so a problem with the profile data could be ruled out)
The "Delete everything, start from scratch!" idea is dangerous.




_____________________
¹I can create artificial problems that are solved with uninstall CFW (but more easily and safer solved otherwise).

 

[MissingNo._]

Hello again,

This old 3DS seems to be having another problem. I was having an online battle in Ultra Sun when both screens turned pitch black for a couple of seconds. They then turned back on, and everything was normal aside from the fact that I was disconnected from the battle. Any thoughts on this?

I checked the L + R camera function on the home screen and it was working fine. I will look into the wifi stuff as well. I was already having this problem before replacing the cameras, so perhaps it is unrelated.

EDIT:
I could do this: https://www.ifixit.com/Guide/Nintendo+3DS+Wi-Fi+Board+Replacement/5851
That would explain being disconnected around the same time the screens turned black. I know hardware issues on the 3DS systems can lead to unexpected software behavior.

EDIT 2: Important distinction: the screens turned off and did not display black images, if that makes sense.

EDIT 3: I can't seem to find anything on this. Much different from the 3DS shutting off entirely. So part of me thinks it's the wifi board. I will try more online play with it to see.

EDIT 4: Magnets do not seem to be the cause of this issue. My girlfriend was holding the 3DS in her hands with minimal movement and the same thing occurred again. I wish I was getting error codes. Perhaps the system is entering sleep mode for no reason?

 

[MissingNo._]

Hello again everybody! I still have one error. During Internet play, the 3DS' screens randomly turn black before disconnecting and then turning back on. I have noticed this during both Pokémon and Animal Crossing. I have also noticed that upon booting, the 3DS screens stay black a little longer than usual; this is to say I can move around on the menu screen for about a second or two before the screens come on.

I have ordered a replacement wifi board and am hoping it is not the antenna. I see absolutely nothing similar to this issue, so let's see what happens when it comes in tomorrow.

 

[jeffyTheHomebrewer]

That sounds weird. I mean, I've never really cracked open a 3DS further than what you need to to get the battery out but that sounds to me like a screen issue instead of a WiFi board issue? I still think you should try replacing the WiFi board before the screens, since that might actually be the problem.

 

[CoolMe]

But why both screens blackout? If it was just one maybe but not 2.

 

[wormdood]

But why both screens blackout? If it was just one maybe but not 2.

if it was just one then it would be obvious that the problem was between the wiring to the screen and the console itself the fact that it's happening on both shows that it's not the integrity of the screen or the wire which means that is either a problem with the main board or software

Also the fact that his system can even connect to the internet at all and doesn't instantly crash when he flips the internet on says that it's likely not the Wi-Fi board which suggests the problem is the main board or motherboard if you will. but with this story it could be the component that he reattached

reseating the two ribbons underneath the R trigger, as well as that little chip to the left of it (when I first opened up the system, it was at an angle about 15 to the board? now it is flat and flush)

 

[MissingNo._]

but with this story it could be the component that he reattached

I think so too; it has been quite easy to move to an angle, I've noticed. Like it can easily become dislodged. I have attached a picture of the component in question. Maybe I can secure it with tape or something else?

I will hopefully be able to replace the wifi board tomorrow.