Hacking Reverting to OFW

[Punkonjunk]

Hey folks!

I've had my second switch on CFW for a while but it's out of date, and I never use it so I would like to borrow it to a friend. I restored my NAND backup but it looks like the firmware version is a little different. I turned off AutoRCM but still cannot boot OFW, I'm guessing the number of fuses burnt is unexpected through however I updated at some point. but I should be able to just update to OFW by booting choidujournx somehow, right?

I'm having trouble finding a guide that I can work with, or a solution poking around here via search. I can still get to Hekate and such, but can't seem to boot CFW, either - again, I'm assuming wrong version for the state it restored to from my 2018 NAND backup.

Here is an image of my current fuse state:
https://i.imgur.com/X4ildFk.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/X4ildFk.jpg
EDIT: SOLUTION
OK,so what ended up working for me was: Try another SD card. if your initial NAND dump was split to 2GB chunks, you likely made it on a fat32 card. Use fat32 as well to restore.
After you've done this, the MOST recent version of ReiNX should boot with no issue via chainloading from Hekate - just put it in the payloads folder in addition to all the other locations it should go.

From there, I updated normally and had a fully legit switch. I'm hoping having booted reinx once after the NAND restore doesn't risk the console, but either way. Legit!

 

[BaamAlex]

On which firmware is your console now? With this fuse count it should be on 8.1.0

 

[Punkonjunk]

On which firmware is your console now? With this fuse count it should be on 8.1.0

Is there a way for me to check this via booting a payload? I can get into Hekate, but attempting to boot OFW or CFW results in either ablue screen for OFW or boot loop for CFW. I did do a full nand restore so I'm wondering if it's in kind of a weird state, but I should be able to boot... probably some version of reinx, right?

 

[Punkonjunk]

So I've been trying with this on and off for more than a week.

I've tried old downloaded Reinx firmware I started with, assuming one of them would boot. in each case I replaced the files on the SD card, and the payload I was booting with. I have tried:

Reinx for 620
1.7.1
2.2.1
2.4
3.0 hotfix

But none of these work. I get a magic package error, or a weird black screen.

I am able to boot hekate. I can probably boot other payloads, but I don't know where to find these. My ultimate goal is to just get this machine back to a legitimate/OFW state, or back into valid CFW state and sort it out from there.

Can anybody help? If I can figure out how to boot something other than hekate to just get things updated, I can just go from there.

I'm unclear how the NAND backup totally hosed things here, but considering how often everyone insists you must make a nand backup 100% of the time, it appears to be VERY hard to use it to restore the switch to a previous or clean state and I'm unable to find a guide or instructions, especially if it was a different firmware version.

 

[Basketto]

Most clear scenario is youve restored a nand from before an update was performed, the fuse count is incorrect & therefore the switch wont boot.
Try powering off holding power for 15seconds,
then reboot holding power & volume + & volume -
Then if that works(nintendo recovery mode screen will load) choose update firmware from the nintendo recovery mode screen.
In future if you do get this working perform a 2nd nand backup right before restoring the 1st, restoring your nand isnt something you do lightly, or unless you know 100% what your doing .

 

[Punkonjunk]

In future if you do get this working perform a 2nd nand backup right before restoring the 1st, restoring your nand isnt something you do lightly, or unless you know 100% what your doing .

THIS should probably be along with every single guide that mentions taking a nand backup, as I'm in a much worse state than if I'd restored.

Unfortunately, when I attempt to boot into recovery mode, I get a blue screen and nothing else.

I tried your instructions, but I only get a blue screen. I tried about 2 dozen more times and only got a blue screen, so googling it further, I found this:
https://switchbrew.org/wiki/Boot_Modes
And tried all varied methods of booting recovery mode.
And I still only get a blue screen.

There has to be a way to either manually install the correct firmware, or get firmware to boot that will use my current horizon state, regardless of burnt fuse count, since it's CFW and shouldn't care.

 

[Basketto]

THIS should probably be along with every single guide that mentions taking a nand backup, as I'm in a much worse state than if I'd restored.

Unfortunately, when I attempt to boot into recovery mode, I get a blue screen and nothing else.

I tried your instructions, but I only get a blue screen. I tried about 2 dozen more times and only got a blue screen, so googling it further, I found this:
https://switchbrew.org/wiki/Boot_Modes
And tried all varied methods of booting recovery mode.
And I still only get a blue screen.

There has to be a way to either manually install the correct firmware, or get firmware to boot that will use my current horizon state, regardless of burnt fuse count, since it's CFW and shouldn't care.

If your fuse mismatch is true, do you know what CFW version(approximately) your Nand backup was from?? Like if you were on 6.2 for example you will need an older version of SX OS boot.dat to launch original firmware. You will need to have the corresponding one. Launching from rcm though, and choosing Original Firmware and using the correct boot.dat though, you SHOULD be able to boot up, as it bypasses the fuse count from rcm(this is provided your backup was restored correctly and not corrupted).

 

[Punkonjunk]

If your fuse mismatch is true, do you know what CFW version(approximately) your Nand backup was from?? Like if you were on 6.2 for example you will need an older version of SX OS boot.dat to launch original firmware. You will need to have the corresponding one. Launching from rcm though, and choosing Original Firmware and using the correct boot.dat though, you SHOULD be able to boot up, as it bypasses the fuse count from rcm(this is provided your backup was restored correctly and not corrupted).

I was very likely on Reinx 2.4. That was the last one I'd downloaded as far as I know. Does reinx support updates from the switch itself? Maybe I had done more updates on my switch and just need to dig up the correct, bootable version.

 

[Basketto]

I was very likely on Reinx 2.4. That was the last one I'd downloaded as far as I know. Does reinx support updates from the switch itself? Maybe I had done more updates on my switch and just need to dig up the correct, bootable version.

sorry to confuse meant ofw version as in nintendo is at update 10.0.1(i think)
If you find the corresponding boot.dat from the sx os website you should be able to load stock from rcm mode.

 

[Draxzelex]

I was very likely on Reinx 2.4. That was the last one I'd downloaded as far as I know. Does reinx support updates from the switch itself? Maybe I had done more updates on my switch and just need to dig up the correct, bootable version.

All CFW support updates from the Switch itself. But you have to use a corresponding version of the CFW that supports that firmware. As an example, ReiNX V2.4 only supports up firmware 8.1 whereas ReiNX V3.0 supports all current firmware versions.

 

[Punkonjunk]

All CFW support updates from the Switch itself. But you have to use a corresponding version of the CFW that supports that firmware. As an example, ReiNX V2.4 only supports up firmware 8.1 whereas ReiNX V3.0 supports all current firmware versions.

Thank you. So how is the fuse mismatch a problem after I did the NAND backup? I am unable to boot ReiNX 3.0. I tried also wiping the SD card and building it up from the ground up. I'm gonna grab a new MicroSD and take it from the top just in the off chance somehow my SD card is being a dong, but I really appreciate the advice! I'd sure like to just. get this switch going. and the fact that I can boot Hekate makes it clear it's NOT bricked, but it sure is frustrating to not know how to proceed.

 

[Draxzelex]

Thank you. So how is the fuse mismatch a problem after I did the NAND backup? I am unable to boot ReiNX 3.0. I tried also wiping the SD card and building it up from the ground up. I'm gonna grab a new MicroSD and take it from the top just in the off chance somehow my SD card is being a dong, but I really appreciate the advice! I'd sure like to just. get this switch going. and the fact that I can boot Hekate makes it clear it's NOT bricked, but it sure is frustrating to not know how to proceed.

Unfortunately, ReiNX V3.0 has some prerequisites in order to work. You need to either have AutoRCM enabled or to chainload it via Hekate. ReiNX V3.0 will not work by itself.

 

[Punkonjunk]

Unfortunately, ReiNX V3.0 has some prerequisites in order to work. You need to either have AutoRCM enabled or to chainload it via Hekate. ReiNX V3.0 will not work by itself.

Oh, interesting! If I can get it to boot, I can get the right fuses burnt and get updated and uh. Hopefully have a legit-ish switch following the nand restore!

So. Can you point me in the right direction to chainload via Hekate? That should get me going. I have reenabled autoRCM but that doesn't seem to allow me to kick it off.

 

[Draxzelex]

Oh, interesting! If I can get it to boot, I can get the right fuses burnt and get updated and uh. Hopefully have a legit-ish switch following the nand restore!

So. Can you point me in the right direction to chainload via Hekate? That should get me going. I have reenabled autoRCM but that doesn't seem to allow me to kick it off.

You put the reinx.bin file in the /payloads folder and simply launch it via the Payloads option within Hekate.

 

[Punkonjunk]

You put the reinx.bin file in the /payloads folder and simply launch it via the Payloads option within Hekate.

Thank you so much! Just incase someone stumbles onto this via google, the payloads folder on the SD card is \bootloader\payloads

SO. This is something I just thought of - I had to update at some point to support EXfat. that was probably not supported after restoring my NAND and I never thought of this. This does not appear to be relevant, unless I'm dumb.

I freshly formatted an SD card, ran through https://www.sdsetup.com/console?switch and unfortunately got an error message booting atmosphere, as well. "inappropriate kernel embedded ini content"

So I tried again using the same fat32 formatted card to boot reinx 2.2.1, 2.4, and 3.0 hotfix1 both directly and via chainloading from hekate.

In no case was I able to boot successfully beyond hekate.

I don't know how to proceed from here.


EDIT:

I did another SD card, a new one. Formatted fat32, NAND restored worked. Somehow, that card I was using was failed, but still mostly functional - copies appeared to work, NAND backups copied with no issue, but it just. wouldn't work.

Wish I'd tried another SD card earlier.