Hacking Possible Brick

[felixm477]

so i was following the thread on how to add exfat support on lower fw and I was in my sleepyness at 4am not aware that my xci file used was firmware 2.1.0 while i was on 2.3.0 and uploaded my bcpk2-1-normal-main.bin with the wrong info so my switch would give me the nintendo logo then a blank screen with the backlight on. I tried to use the information on this thread "run any switch firmware unoficially without burning any fuses" with the correct firmware dump to start clean but i get a blank screen still and my switch boots automatically into RCM so i must have corrupted something. I only have a rawnand dump of when i was on 1.0. Any suggestions on how to fix it?

 

[Lacius]

and my switch boots automatically into RCM so i must have corrupted something.

That's by design. The guide has you install AutoRCM to keep efuses from being burnt.

I only have a rawnand dump of when i was on 1.0. Any suggestions on how to fix it?

Restore that rawnand dump. Assuming you have more than one burnt efuse, you will then only be able to boot with hekate until you update to the proper version or higher.

I'm going to assume you were too sleepy to make the proper backups during the exFAT process. Perhaps you should do these things when you're awake.

 

[felixm477]

That's by design. The guide has you install AutoRCM to keep efuses from being burnt.


Restore that rawnand dump. Assuming you have more than one burnt efuse, you will then only be able to boot with hekate until you update to the proper version or higher.

I'm going to assume you were too sleepy to make the proper backups during the exFAT process. Perhaps you should do these things when you're awake.

Yea a lesson learned haha. luckily it was on my spare switch. The backup folder for a restore should be under the sd root correct?

 

[Lacius]

Yea a lesson learned haha. luckily it was on my spare switch. The update folder for a restore should be under the sd root correct?

Your rawnand.bin should be here: /Backup/Restore/rawnand.bin
Make sure you're using this tool: https://gbatemp.net/threads/rcm-payload-hekate-ctcaer-mod.502604/

When you're done, your Switch will probably refuse to boot unless you use Hekate - CTCaer mod. From there, you should check how many efuses you have burnt and assess your options.

 

[felixm477]

Your rawnand.bin should be here: /Backup/Restore/rawnand.bin
Make sure you're using this tool:

When you're done, your Switch will probably refuse to boot unless you use Hekate - CTCaer mod. From there, you should check how many efuses you have burnt and assess your options.

Oh ok makes sense, it backed it up to the sd/backup folder so i just move it to the restore one. How to I remove the autorcm or will this restore that aswell?

 

[Lacius]

Oh ok makes sense, it backed it up to the sd/backup folder so i just move it to the restore one. How to I remove the autorcm or will this restore that aswell?

When you restore rawnand.bin, you should also restore your BOOT0/1 files. That will remove AutoRCM.

You should also make a NAND backup before you do any of this.

 

[felixm477]

When you restore rawnand.bin, you should also restore your BOOT0/1 files. That will remove AutoRCM.

You should also make a NAND backup before you do any of this.

I checked my fuse info, I have 2 burnt fuses

 

[Lacius]

I checked my fuse info, I have 2 burnt fuses

If you have two burnt efuses, then after you have restored your 1.0.0 rawnand.bin, BOOT0, and BOOT1, your Switch will refuse to boot without Hekate - CTCaer mod (or something like it). You will need to update to 2.0.0-2.3.0 in order to be able to boot the Switch normally again. You can update to 2.0.0-2.3.0 with a cartridge (easier way) or rajkosto's guide.

If you're okay with installing AutoRCM and having to load a CFW payload each time you coldboot your system, you could instead follow rajkosto's guide to install any system version you want without burning efuses. This would allow you to, for example, install 5.1.0 while preserving a downgrade path to 2.0.0-2.3.0.

Edit: You could also use a cartridge to update to 3.0.0 or higher, and your Switch will boot properly, but that will burn efuses and prevent you from downgrading to anything lower in the future.

 

[felixm477]

If you have two burnt efuses, then after you have restored your 1.0.0 rawnand.bin, BOOT0, and BOOT1, your Switch will refuse to boot without Hekate - CTCaer mod (or something like it). You will need to update to 2.0.0-2.3.0 in order to be able to boot the Switch normally again. You can do that with a cartridge (easier way) or rajkosto's guide.

If you're okay with installing AutoRCM and having to load a CFW payload each time you coldboot your system, you could instead follow rajkosto's guide to install any system version you want without burning efuses. This would allow you to, for example, install 5.1.0 while preserving a downgrade path to 2.0.0-2.3.0.

I like option 2 lol. So what prevents my fuses from going off the payload itself? So anything i do after i load the payload and launch horizon will bypass my fuses?

 

[Lacius]

I like option 2 lol. So what prevents my fuses from going off the payload itself? So anything i do after i load the payload and launch horizon will bypass my fuses?

Fuses get burnt when your Switch boots normally on a higher system version than expected. By installing AutoRCM, the Switch cannot boot normally because it will boot into RCM each time you turn it on or reboot it. By launching Hekate - CTCaer mod as an RCM payload, it will bypass the process of burning efuses.

In short, as long as you have AutoRCM installed, additional efuses won't be burnt no matter which system version you're on.

In your case, you will have two burnt efuses, and that will forever leave you with the option of downgrading to 2.0.0-2.3.0 later on if you ever want to do that (e.g. if/when a coldboot or web exploit comes out for 2.0.0-2.3.0 that allows one to launch CFW without RCM).

 

[felixm477]

Fuses get burnt when your Switch boots normally on a higher system version than expected. By installing AutoRCM, the Switch cannot boot normally because it will boot into RCM each time you turn it on or reboot it. By launching Hekate - CTCaer mod as an RCM payload, it will bypass the process of burning efuses.

In short, as long as you have AutoRCM installed, additional efuses won't be burnt no matter which system version you're on.

In your case, you will have two burnt efuses, and that will forever leave you with the option of downgrading to 2.0.0-2.3.0 later on if you ever want to do that (e.g. if/when a coldboot or web exploit comes out for 2.0.0-2.3.0 that allows one to launch CFW without RCM).

Thanks for the info! I am restoring now so fingers crossed!

 

[Lacius]

Thanks for the info! I am restoring now so fingers crossed!

If you're okay with installing AutoRCM and keeping it indefinitely, here's your checklist:

1. Finish restoring the 1.0.0 rawnand.bin, BOOT0, and BOOT1 backups.
2. Boot into RCM and load Hekate - CTCaer mod.
3. Launch OFW and make sure your system can boot.
4. If you're able to boot successfully with Hekate, follow rajkosto's guide to install 5.1.0 without burning efuses.