Hacking Misc Request for help - DeFused dead Wii and installed Isfshax. Unsure of next steps!

[zetek]

Hello everyone!

I have scoured the forums and spent more hours than I ever thought I would trying to track down the steps I needed to take to repair a broken WiiU I just purchased. The listing stated that there was no image on the screen. After getting it, and spending a significant amount of time trying to recover with Udpih, I came to the realization that it wouldn't even boot to the point of accessing the SD card.

So I troubleshooted some more, and came across the De-fuse process using the same Pi Pico W that I was trying to use with Udpih. I successfully defused it, and got into the minute menu. I want to use the front SD card slot to run the emulated NAND from using RedNAND. I used minute to extract the otp.bin file, and then used NUS Downloader to pull down all 52 titles. I dumped them onto a larger 64GB SD card that I formatted for RedNAND using minute as well, and added the minute/rednand.ini file as well.

Now, here's where I'm a bit stuck, and want to make sure I understand the next steps I should take.

I can't install with RedNand, because I have to boot into the minute menu using the De-Fuse process with the small 2GB SD card that was formatted with the files necessary to make that work. If I switch SD cards to the larger SD Card that has the wiiu titles on it, it doesn't see them or the rednand.ini file if I try to run the Patch and boot RedNAND command. So I did some more digging, and found steps to install Isfshax to the system. That's supposed to boot back into the minute menu on reboot.

However, that still leaves me in the same predicament. I have to have the small SD card in (that I used initially with De-Fuse) so that it boots into minute. If I put the other larger SD card in there, even if it has the fw.img file on it, the De-Fuse process will not load minute from the SD card. I'm not sure, am I supposed to completely remove the De-Fuse Pico off the motherboard entirely, now that I've installed Isfshax? Or does it stay on? And if so, how do I finish configuring the larger SD card to function as the emulated NAND from the front SD port?

I hope that makes sense, and I hope I laid out the steps I've taken clear enough to make sense. Basically, the tl,dr is that I'm at the point right now where I just need to set up the new SD card to work properly, but I can't, since I still have to have the old, small SD card in for De-Fuse to work.

Thanks for any help you have!

Post automatically merged: Nov 2, 2024

SOLVED!!!

I just had to make a post about it before I took the plunge and managed to figure out what I needed to do! In case anyone else comes across this thread in the future, this is all that you need to do:

Remove your De-fuse mod! That's it.

The De-fuse mod was interfering with Isfshax trying to boot up. If I inserted the second (larger) SD card, De-fuse was trying to glitch and boot to it, but it doesn't work with those larger cards with a different partition configuration. I partially removed my De-fuse mod, by simply unsoldering the power and ground leads off of the Pico itself. Then I powered the system on with the larger card (that had the fw.img on it as well, and it booted straight away into the minute menu!

From there, I could rebuild the MLC emulated NAND with RedNAND, boot into the OS, and have a working system again!

Thanks to all who's put in all the effort to build the tools and write the documentation to revive these systems with partially (and even completely!) dead NAND chips. It's awesome!

 

[SDIO]

Hot swapping the SD in minute is broken and there is no plan to fix it.

It is possible to use a larger SD with defuse, you just have to flash the boot1 to slccmpt to it gets loaded from there instead of the SD.

defuse attacks even before the stock boot1 runs and with that before ISFShax runs.
So you need to disable defuse as you already figured out.
The recommendation for defuse just to unbrick is to not connect 3V3, that gives the option to just power the pico through USB when you want to defuse and disconnect when you don't. Also it prevents potential problems from two power supplies trying to feed the same rail. But GND should always stay connected or something might get damaged.

It's also possible to just flash another firmware on the pico, which doesn't do the defuse. I have one which only gives the serial output, but doesn't defuse for debugging.

 

[zetek]

Interesting! Thanks for the additional details.

This is a fun project to mess around with and learn on. I feel like I've learned a lot already, and I'm just scratching the surface. Time to go dig in some more!

 

[GAMERTAGZ]

Interesting! Thanks for the additional details.

This is a fun project to mess around with and learn on. I feel like I've learned a lot already, and I'm just scratching the surface. Time to go dig in some more!

I have the same situation
And i need help please
After you insert the large sd card and get the sd dedicated in minute

Hello everyone!

I have scoured the forums and spent more hours than I ever thought I would trying to track down the steps I needed to take to repair a broken WiiU I just purchased. The listing stated that there was no image on the screen. After getting it, and spending a significant amount of time trying to recover with Udpih, I came to the realization that it wouldn't even boot to the point of accessing the SD card.

So I troubleshooted some more, and came across the De-fuse process using the same Pi Pico W that I was trying to use with Udpih. I successfully defused it, and got into the minute menu. I want to use the front SD card slot to run the emulated NAND from using RedNAND. I used minute to extract the otp.bin file, and then used NUS Downloader to pull down all 52 titles. I dumped them onto a larger 64GB SD card that I formatted for RedNAND using minute as well, and added the minute/rednand.ini file as well.

Now, here's where I'm a bit stuck, and want to make sure I understand the next steps I should take.

I can't install with RedNand, because I have to boot into the minute menu using the De-Fuse process with the small 2GB SD card that was formatted with the files necessary to make that work. If I switch SD cards to the larger SD Card that has the wiiu titles on it, it doesn't see them or the rednand.ini file if I try to run the Patch and boot RedNAND command. So I did some more digging, and found steps to install Isfshax to the system. That's supposed to boot back into the minute menu on reboot.

However, that still leaves me in the same predicament. I have to have the small SD card in (that I used initially with De-Fuse) so that it boots into minute. If I put the other larger SD card in there, even if it has the fw.img file on it, the De-Fuse process will not load minute from the SD card. I'm not sure, am I supposed to completely remove the De-Fuse Pico off the motherboard entirely, now that I've installed Isfshax? Or does it stay on? And if so, how do I finish configuring the larger SD card to function as the emulated NAND from the front SD port?

I hope that makes sense, and I hope I laid out the steps I've taken clear enough to make sense. Basically, the tl,dr is that I'm at the point right now where I just need to set up the new SD card to work properly, but I can't, since I still have to have the old, small SD card in for De-Fuse to work.

Thanks for any help you have!

Post automatically merged: Nov 2, 2024

SOLVED!!!

I just had to make a post about it before I took the plunge and managed to figure out what I needed to do! In case anyone else comes across this thread in the future, this is all that you need to do:

Remove your De-fuse mod! That's it.

The De-fuse mod was interfering with Isfshax trying to boot up. If I inserted the second (larger) SD card, De-fuse was trying to glitch and boot to it, but it doesn't work with those larger cards with a different partition configuration. I partially removed my De-fuse mod, by simply unsoldering the power and ground leads off of the Pico itself. Then I powered the system on with the larger card (that had the fw.img on it as well, and it booted straight away into the minute menu!

From there, I could rebuild the MLC emulated NAND with RedNAND, boot into the OS, and have a working system again!

Thanks to all who's put in all the effort to build the tools and write the documentation to revive these systems with partially (and even completely!) dead NAND chips. It's awesome!

I was very happy with this participation and the solution that you were able to reach for this problem because I am going through it now and I want some clarification for some points

1 - After successfully inserting and reading the large memory card, did you do that via Isfshax through De-fuse itself after disassembling the connection links between it and the Wii U and how was that done

2 - What happened after formatting the memory card within a minute and returning the Wii U to work again, did you then reconnect the De-fuse links to the Wii U console again or did you not need it after that?

I apologize for the bad writing because I am not good at EnglishI hope to clarify all the steps that you did to make the large memory card read and recognized in a minute

 

[GAMERTAGZ]

Hot swapping the SD in minute is broken and there is no plan to fix it.

It is possible to use a larger SD with defuse, you just have to flash the boot1 to slccmpt to it gets loaded from there instead of the SD.

defuse attacks even before the stock boot1 runs and with that before ISFShax runs.
So you need to disable defuse as you already figured out.
The recommendation for defuse just to unbrick is to not connect 3V3, that gives the option to just power the pico through USB when you want to defuse and disconnect when you don't. Also it prevents potential problems from two power supplies trying to feed the same rail. But GND should always stay connected or something might get damaged.

It's also possible to just flash another firmware on the pico, which doesn't do the defuse. I have one which only gives the serial output, but doesn't defuse for debugging.

I have the same situation
And i need help please
@SDIO

 

[SDIO]

what are you trying to do?

 

[GAMERTAGZ]

what are you trying to do?

i have WiiU there was no image on the screen. and i trying to recover with Udpih, I came to the realization that it wouldn't even boot to the point of accessing the SD card.
and i applied de_Fuse to the console using Pi Pico . I successfully defused it, and got into the minute menu. I want to use the front SD card slot to run the emulated NAND from using RedNAND. I used minute to extract the otp.bin file, and then used NUS Downloader to pull down all 52 titles. I dumped them onto a larger 128GB SD card that I formatted for RedNAND using minute as well, and added the minute/rednand.ini file as well. now I can't install with RedNand i get stuck on this (see picture). I hear the disc drive twice but after that nothing is happening. I don’t see any flashing lights

 

[SDIO]

It looks like you are booting the option without redNAND. You need to boot the redNAND option, to use redNAND.

 

[GAMERTAGZ]

It looks like you are booting the option without redNAND. You need to boot the redNAND option, to use redNAND.

actually i Select Patch (sd) and Boot ios redNAND

Post automatically merged: Dec 8, 2024

actually i Select Patch (sd) and Boot ios redNAND

And after selecting rednand i got this

 

[SDIO]

Since you decided to not follow the guide to setup a fresh redNAND and instead choose to clone the nand to the SD, you would need to configure the rednand.ini differently.
You need to also redirect the SLC and leave the SCFM enabled.
Also you might want to try to boot without the setup first and see how far it boots and then selectively fix the corruption

 

[GAMERTAGZ]

Can you help me on how to do that?
You need to also redirect the SLC and leave the SCFM enabled
I am not good at understanding some terms. I want you to guide me, please.

Since you decided to not follow the guide to setup a fresh redNAND and instead choose to clone the nand to the SD, you would need to configure the rednand.ini differently.
You need to also redirect the SLC and leave the SCFM enabled.
Also you might want to try to boot without the setup first and see how far it boots and then selectively fix the corruption

Post automatically merged: Dec 8, 2024

Can you help me on how to do that?
You need to also redirect the SLC and leave the SCFM enabled
I am not good at understanding some terms. I want you to guide me, please.

and i dont follow the guide to setup a fresh redNAND because my wii u de_fused

 

[SDIO]

It doesn't matter if you use defuse or isfshax. But what you are doing with the redNAND is just something different than the guide, so the guide won't work for that. If you want to use the cloned NAND instead of setting up a fresh MLC on the rednand, then you need to configure the rednand.ini accordingly, with the above mentioned settings. Also keep in mind that that will reduce performance and increase wear on the SD, because SCFM can't be disabled.

You would need to use this rednand.ini with the cloned redNAND:

[partitions]
slccmpt=false
slc=true
mlc=true

[scfm]
disable=false
allow_sys=false

And you wouldn't run the setup.

Also you can install ISFShax from defuse, ao you don't need to keep the pico connected.