Oled switch starting OFW instead of CFW

[Chrisssj2]

My switch always booted hekate directly when starting my chipped oled switch. Sometimes NOSD error, but eventually it boots no problem.
I booted like this perhaps 50x times or more who knows. Alot of times.

My switch is on FW 14 btw.

Anyways i haven't rebooted since updating to FW14 basically. cuz i wasn't using my switch last months. It was just on CFW.
I had to reboot this though to update a plugin on my microsd so i turned off my oled switch through the normal poweroff menu.

When about 4 times it booted straight into OFW when i power it on. And one time had NO SD. Which is very weird. Im completely okay with getting occasional no sd error since the switch has always worked shortly after getting the error once or twice when rebooting, and I don't think it should be related to what im experiencing now since the behaviour with booting was always different.
I kept trying and I got the hekate boot menu eventually. I am so scared to turn off my switch right now. Thinking I should never update my FW.

So what changed? only thing i can think of is FW 14... Any suggestion?

 

[HalfScoper]

Took me 5 seconds to google this thread with highly likely solutions: https://gbatemp.net/threads/oled-hwfly-fail-to-reboot-to-cfw.609342/

 

[randy_w]

Need more info here. Is that a V3 or V4 chip? Sounds like v3 because of all those no sd errors you got. If it's a v3 chip you can try to reset it by booting into RCM mode with a dongle. Someone on this forum said resetting the chip solved their issue. Can't guarantee it will work for you because it didn't work on my v3 chip. Tbh they aren't stable to begin with, from my experience it will fail to glitch the system once in about 5-10 cold boots. Switch will boot straight to OFW, usually a reboot fixes the issue. No SD error screen is not common but can still happen every 10-15 cold boots.
If it's a v4 chip then try upgrading the firmware. You can find latest one here:
https://github.com/hwfly-nx/firmware/releases
No SD error on v4 chip is very rare, only seen it like once or twice. Maybe also check your micro sd card, think someone said certain micro sd card brands have compatibility issue with hwfly, although the firmware should have been updated and resolved this a long time ago.

 

[Chrisssj2]

Took me 5 seconds to google this thread with highly likely solutions: https://gbatemp.net/threads/oled-hwfly-fail-to-reboot-to-cfw.609342/

Thread doesn't help. Also I have this wether i choose reboot or wether i am from "cold boot".

Need more info here. Is that a V3 or V4 chip? Sounds like v3 because of all those no sd errors you got. If it's a v3 chip you can try to reset it by booting into RCM mode with a dongle. Someone on this forum said resetting the chip solved their issue. Can't guarantee it will work for you because it didn't work on my v3 chip. Tbh they aren't stable to begin with, from my experience it will fail to glitch the system once in about 5-10 cold boots. Switch will boot straight to OFW, usually a reboot fixes the issue. No SD error screen is not common but can still happen every 10-15 cold boots.
If it's a v4 chip then try upgrading the firmware. You can find latest one here:
https://github.com/hwfly-nx/firmware/releases
No SD error on v4 chip is very rare, only seen it like once or twice. Maybe also check your micro sd card, think someone said certain micro sd card brands have compatibility issue with hwfly, although the firmware should have been updated and resolved this a long time ago.

I am on V3 I think. I read it out months ago with pc software and it wasn't the V2 that damage screens. Didnt even know there was a V4.
It didn't work on your chip? you had similiar problem? What did you end up doing? Did you just keep it like that with the higher failure rate of booting? Could it be that eventually it won't be able to boot hekate at all?

Since in the beginning when i used this switch it was a 100% time no sd or straight hekate boot. never ofw... so smthing changed.

 

[randy_w]

Didnt even know there was a V4.

Can you contact your modder or just open the back cover to verify?
Here's a photo of V3:

And this is V4:

You can easily tell them apart by the ribbon connector at the bottom.

It didn't work on your chip? you had similiar problem? What did you end up doing? Did you just keep it like that with the higher failure rate of booting? Could it be that eventually it won't be able to boot hekate at all?

Yes, pretty high failure rate when cold booting or rebooting, about 10-20% I'd say.
Symptom: Press power button and I can see the pulsing purple LED immediately. After several seconds the pulsing effect gets stuck and switch boots straight to OFW (with nintendo logo). Purple LED then goes out like the chip shutdown. Usually this is fixed by rebooting in OFW and next boot takes a really long time (like 30s). Purple LED keeps pulsing like you reset it or power it on for the first time. Subsequent boots are much faster (nearly instant), till the chip stops working again. SD error screen is less frequent than failed boots, about 10% and it can be easily fixed by a reboot.
Don't think there's anything you can do, other than getting rid of the chip and install a V4. If you decide to go that route, be very careful when removing the ribbon cable on SoC. You can easily damage those 2 capacitors when desoldering.

Since in the beginning when i used this switch it was a 100% time no sd or straight hekate boot. never ofw... so smthing changed.

My v3 chip is a bit different, 10-20% OFW boot and about 10% SD error screen, pretty consistent regardless of system version (from 13.0 to 14.1). Either way, v3 is crap unless someone figures out a way to put custom firmware on it.

 

[Chrisssj2]

Can you contact your modder or just open the back cover to verify?
Here's a photo of V3:

And this is V4:

You can easily tell them apart by the ribbon connector at the bottom.


Yes, pretty high failure rate when cold booting or rebooting, about 10-20% I'd say.
Symptom: Press power button and I can see the pulsing purple LED immediately. After several seconds the pulsing effect gets stuck and switch boots straight to OFW (with nintendo logo). Purple LED then goes out like the chip shutdown. Usually this is fixed by rebooting in OFW and next boot takes a really long time (like 30s). Purple LED keeps pulsing like you reset it or power it on for the first time. Subsequent boots are much faster (nearly instant), till the chip stops working again. SD error screen is less frequent than failed boots, about 10% and it can be easily fixed by a reboot.
Don't think there's anything you can do, other than getting rid of the chip and install a V4. If you decide to go that route, be very careful when removing the ribbon cable on SoC. You can easily damage those 2 capacitors when desoldering.


My v3 chip is a bit different, 10-20% OFW boot and about 10% SD error screen, pretty consistent regardless of system version (from 13.0 to 14.1). Either way, v3 is crap unless someone figures out a way to put custom firmware on it.

This is the picture of my switch my seller sent me.

I didnt solder it etc. so you can imagine telling me to go put a V4 in it is a big no no. Anyway what is the alternative, you said i could try reset the chip. how do you do this? also lets say i just keep it like it is, because Im too scared too do anything. What is the worst that can happen? can it be i can never boot hekate?

 

[randy_w]

Nvm that's a V4. Forget about everything I said related to V3.
Can you see the LED through the bottom vents of the switch? What's the LED color when it boots to OFW? Probably it's still running stock firmware, try updating its firmware to latest hwfly-nx.

 

[Chrisssj2]

Nvm that's a V4. Forget about everything I said related to V3.
Can you see the LED through the bottom vents of the switch? What's the LED color when it boots to OFW? Probably it's still running stock firmware, try updating its firmware to latest hwfly-nx.

He sent the picture on 15 january. i dont htink there was a V4 then.
I didnt take super care notice of leds. just that it's purple then green when it works i think.
For original firmware. maybe white?

 

[randy_w]

White means bad connection of the SoC QSB. If you are comfortable with soldering, you can try to reflow those 4 soldering points and check connection with multimeter, or return it to your modder.

 

[Chrisssj2]

White means bad connection of the SoC QSB. If you are comfortable with soldering, you can try to reflow those 4 soldering points and check connection with multimeter, or return it to your modder.

I have 2 left hands and im a total morron at handy stuff. so yeah im not soldering anything. But thnx for the explanation. And returning to the modder will be very costly and annoying he lives at the opposite of the country.

To return to my question what is the worst that can happen if i keep using like this? experience gets worse or?

 

[randy_w]

Well nothing too bad could happen, worst case the soldering points on the SoC flex cable could completely broke off and mod chip won't work at all. If you want you can try to measure those points with a multimeter and verify the connection and try cleaning the ribbon connector. Or you can try your luck at local repair shop.

 

[Chrisssj2]

Well nothing too bad could happen, worst case the soldering points on the SoC flex cable could completely broke off and mod chip won't work at all. If you want you can try to measure those points with a multimeter and verify the connection and try cleaning the ribbon connector. Or you can try your luck at local repair shop.

Yikes. yeah so ill retry and see to verify what lights i see when booting fails into OFW. On the V4 thing, in mid january didn't exist yet though or?

EDIT: I checked and the light seems white indeed, though with a small hint of blue/purple in it??! it's hard to tell since it flashes in an instant. and its gone like that.
I noticed that IF it boots into hekate, and I click power off via hekate then it will ALWAYS seemingly boot correctly again to hekate. Strange

 

[Chrisssj2]

Need more info here. Is that a V3 or V4 chip? Sounds like v3 because of all those no sd errors you got. If it's a v3 chip you can try to reset it by booting into RCM mode with a dongle. Someone on this forum said resetting the chip solved their issue. Can't guarantee it will work for you because it didn't work on my v3 chip. Tbh they aren't stable to begin with, from my experience it will fail to glitch the system once in about 5-10 cold boots. Switch will boot straight to OFW, usually a reboot fixes the issue. No SD error screen is not common but can still happen every 10-15 cold boots.
If it's a v4 chip then try upgrading the firmware. You can find latest one here:
https://github.com/hwfly-nx/firmware/releases
No SD error on v4 chip is very rare, only seen it like once or twice. Maybe also check your micro sd card, think someone said certain micro sd card brands have compatibility issue with hwfly, although the firmware should have been updated and resolved this a long time ago.

I tried to update Using Method B. not knowing if i have the right chip to do this but. at step 3 I got "It said no sdloader.enc though. error" Not sure if that matters but i continued. Put the files in root after that step and booted with volume up.
Got the white screen, red bar. Said update done after some minutes and screen went black Then i rebooted. I saw lots of orange leds. and green. eventually hekate loads.
So I try this part now, where you have to go to hwflytoolbox and press update firmware. I did and it said: "ANd it says Getting "Hwfly FW version" Couldn't commincate with HWfly"

Then I did the "update sdloader" again and now it said it succeed. idk what is up but anyways thought I should try that eventhough guide says not to.
Still hwfly toolbox couldn't communicate with hwfly.
It seems I forgot this last thing where I reboot with volume up again. So I did. now it says 0.7.1 hwfly in hwfly toolbox. and i can access training data and so on.

I also noticed the booting time /glitching time is WAY faster. it boots hekate almost instantly now. And i haven't had one fail so far. Also after going into OFW and CFW it seems that it still boots hekate. Also I am no longer getting "no sd" error....

So i guess i fixed it...? will have to test more to be sure.

 

[kidkat210]

White means bad connection of the SoC QSB. If you are comfortable with soldering, you can try to reflow those 4 soldering points and check connection with multimeter, or return it to your modder.

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