RVL-001 JPN semi-bricked and yes, I read other threads

[viruscell]

hello all, my 1st post here, among thousands on other boards... lol

Well, I've got an specific situation, and spent quite some time searching, and got myself even more doubts. I was given a Wii console which my friend, former owner, knew nothing about. No PS, no cables, one wii remote. Bought a cheap hdmi adapter and connected to my variable power source, and could see some life on it. At that point, I wasn't aware that crap was all jap, but ok, another matter. Thing is, it didn't have valid settings menu, so I figured it out as a semi-brick after google struggled to teach me that.

I have sd card full size, 2gb, not sdhc, but letterbomb required mac address. No homebrew on it, so basically nothing I can run to check menu version, mac or anything like that. Tried bluebomb, but my notebook doesn't have bluetooth, and could not connect through my bt dongle. As some ppl were saying that on the wifi card itself mac would be written on it, decided to disassemble in order to get it, but one more dead end, it only showed part of it.

When I was already pi$$ed off, reassembling that piece of $h1t, noticed something weird on dvd drive which seemed a modchip or something like it, and as I had already lost too much time, burning a dvd disc to try to update wouldn't be so bad, but got stucked with rvz files which I could not burn (and stupid dolphin didn't run on my lousy windows 7). So, decided to ask for help to the ones who understand this world better than me. My doubts are:

1) If I get to run burned disk on it, would it really help? I mean, I just want to unbrick that garbage before I loose all my (short) patience!

2) If it may help, how can I burn with rvz image, or convert to iso without dolphin?

3) that modchip would really allow me do it with non-original dvd?

4) or, does some good soul knows how to complete that partial mac address on wifi card?

Added pictures to show what I said, console info (that I know), below:

RVL-001 (JPN)
S/N: LJM101xxxxxx
Menu/System ver: dunno
Anything else: probably dunno either

Thanks to anyone who can help, or point me in the right direction. All I wanted was to give a working toy to my 8yo daughter who I'm disapointing, she thinks dad can fix anything..

 

[master801]

Are you still able to load games? And ONLY the Settings menu is fucked?

That's a D2Ckey modchip.

https://wiibrew.org/wiki/Brick/Semibrick

If you are able to still play games, use Smash Stack (Super Smash Bros. Brawl) to install HBC, then post a system check log.
https://wiibrew.org/wiki/Smash_Stack
https://wii.guide/syscheck.html

SaveMiiFrii may be also of interest, but I haven't heard of anyone actually using it. https://wiibrew.org/wiki/SaveMii_Dongle

 

[CoolMe]

But what about str2hax or FlashHax?

 

[viruscell]

cannot answer, anything I type is considered spam

Post automatically merged: Apr 14, 2023

CoolME

it's not connected to internet, no settings menu.

Post automatically merged: Apr 14, 2023

hi there, thnx for replying!

i don't have any games, there was a dvd inside it (bully something), which doesn't seem to run, but it's in really bad shape, completely scratched. Until this wednesday I've never saw a wii in my front before... kkk As said, I was given the console with no info whatsoever..

wiibrew org/wiki/Brick/Semibrick -> Already been here, as described cannot use any of the methods here.

wiibrew org/wiki/Smash_Stack -> How can I run this? Burning the files to a DVD? Or copying to SD?

wiibrew org/wiki/SaveMii_Dongle -> Apreciate your effort, but not interested in buying anything overseas (I live in Brazil), not really an option. As a matter of fact, don't want to spend a single dime on it unless I'm sure it will work...

wii guide /syscheck.html -> Been there as well, but without HBC, no use for it. First I need to unbrick, thus the questions made

From what I saw, my best option would be burning a game that has update on it, little bit harder as it's japanese version. I read that Pokemon Battle Revolution (Japan) (Rev 2) and Wii de Yawaraka Atama Juku would be best options for it, downloaded them, but they are rvz format.

Post automatically merged: Apr 14, 2023

tried right about now...

- sd with smash stack on it - no good, sd is seen, but as nothing was in it.
- dvd bully educational something - the one that was inside. used google translate to get error msg, says it's unable to read the disc. tried music cds and movie dvds as well, but just saw that they were not supposed to work.

one thing that's strange: date is now correct, don't know how... yesterday it wasn't, curious about how it happened.

 

[master801]

cannot answer, anything I type is considered spam

Post automatically merged: Apr 14, 2023

CoolME

it's not connected to internet, no settings menu.

Post automatically merged: Apr 14, 2023

hi there, thnx for replying!

i don't have any games, there was a dvd inside it (bully something), which doesn't seem to run, but it's in really bad shape, completely scratched. Until this wednesday I've never saw a wii in my front before... kkk As said, I was given the console with no info whatsoever..

wiibrew org/wiki/Brick/Semibrick -> Already been here, as described cannot use any of the methods here.

wiibrew org/wiki/Smash_Stack -> How can I run this? Burning the files to a DVD? Or copying to SD?

wiibrew org/wiki/SaveMii_Dongle -> Apreciate your effort, but not interested in buying anything overseas (I live in Brazil), not really an option. As a matter of fact, don't want to spend a single dime on it unless I'm sure it will work...

wii guide /syscheck.html -> Been there as well, but without HBC, no use for it. First I need to unbrick, thus the questions made

From what I saw, my best option would be burning a game that has update on it, little bit harder as it's japanese version. I read that Pokemon Battle Revolution (Japan) (Rev 2) and Wii de Yawaraka Atama Juku would be best options for it, downloaded them, but they are rvz format.

Smash Stack requires a copy of the game (Super Smash Bros. Brawl) and the exploit (Smash Stack) files on an SD card.

You have a modchip, so that should allow you to boot a backup copy. I say should, because we don't know if the disc drive and/or modchip is dead.

If you decide to make a backup copy, you'll need to convert (or "obtain" a pre-made version somehow) it from DVD9 (DVD+R DL) to DVD5 (without stripping out the files the exploit uses) if you use blank DVD-R discs. This is because the game uses a DVD9 disc, and DVD9 is 8.5GB while DVD5 (other regular game discs) is 4.7GB. Otherwise, you'll need to use a DVD-R (or DVD+R) DL disc to burn a backup copy.

Smash Stack is used specifically because it works for all regions (even Korean Wiis) and also works for every system menu version (we don't know what system menu you have).

I only linked a guide for SysCheck so you'd know where and how to make one after you got HBC installed.

SaveMiiFrii does not require the dongle - just a Nintendo GameCube controller. Not sure if off-brands would work, but I personally wouldn't even bother trying it. Some homebrew apps are picky about controllers.

Use this build of Dolphin - It should be the last supporting build for Windows 7/8: https://dolphin-emu.org/download/dev/997754bf3b8cd345ad5a5b1dfca09f108960f6c3/

The goal of this long tedious process is to make a syscheck log so we know the current status of the Wii, and to NOT brick it by hoping a reinstall of the system update will fix it.

Otherwise you can just go for it and risk potentially bricking it by installing a system update from a disc.

 

[KleinesSinchen]

tried music cds and movie dvds as well, but just saw that they were not supposed to work.

Forget about anything on CDs. No chance with a Wii. Missing the infrared laser, only visible red laser is present.
Movie DVDs are physically readable by a Wii drive, and the oldest can be convinced to do so with and without drive chip. Inserting movies won't do anything without homebrew software.

You could resurface the original disc.

Problem with Wii drives:

• They aren't exactly good at reading damaged discs (I mean such damages, which are theoretically within the error correction capabilities).
• Wii drives aren't exactly new.
• Some are bad at reading dual layer discs
• Burned media tend to have more errors (inner parity) than pressed discs
  • Burned media have slightly lower reflectivity (forget about rewriteable media in consoles)
  • Burned dual layer tend to be tough for many drives
  • Number of inner parity errors on burned dual layer never convinced me (just too many on a freshly written DVD+R-DL)

Take all this and you will see there are a lot of potential pitfalls stopping a burned Smash Bros from working. The drive chip should take care of the book type problem, but I'd recommend using a burner that allows setting the book type to DVD-ROM for DVD+R-DL. This generally improves compatibility with many devices.

If possible you should prefer this:

If you decide to make a backup copy, you'll need to convert (or "obtain" a pre-made version somehow) it from DVD9 (DVD+R DL) to DVD5 (without stripping out the files the exploit uses) if you use blank DVD-R discs

A single layer DVD-R removes some of the potential causes of failure (Other than DVD+R, DVD-R needs no bitsetting and single layer is better readable and the media are cheaper).

cannot answer, anything I type is considered spam

The forum constantly gets attacked by spambots, so new users aren't allowed to post links (even when quoting). After five regular posts this limitation should be gone.

 

[viruscell]

Smash Stack requires a copy of the game (Super Smash Bros. Brawl) and the exploit (Smash Stack) files on an SD card.

You have a modchip, so that should allow you to boot a backup copy. I say should, because we don't know if the disc drive and/or modchip is dead.

If you decide to make a backup copy, you'll need to convert (or "obtain" a pre-made version somehow) it from DVD9 (DVD+R DL) to DVD5 (without stripping out the files the exploit uses) if you use blank DVD-R discs. This is because the game uses a DVD9 disc, and DVD9 is 8.5GB while DVD5 (other regular game discs) is 4.7GB. Otherwise, you'll need to use a DVD-R (or DVD+R) DL disc to burn a backup copy.

Smash Stack is used specifically because it works for all regions (even Korean Wiis) and also works for every system menu version (we don't know what system menu you have).

I only linked a guide for SysCheck so you'd know where and how to make one after you got HBC installed.

SaveMiiFrii does not require the dongle - just a Nintendo GameCube controller. Not sure if off-brands would work, but I personally wouldn't even bother trying it. Some homebrew apps are picky about controllers.

Use this build of Dolphin - It should be the last supporting build for Windows 7/8:

The goal of this long tedious process is to make a syscheck log so we know the current status of the Wii, and to NOT brick it by hoping a reinstall of the system update will fix it.

Otherwise you can just go for it and risk potentially bricking it by installing a system update from a disc.

Roger that! I'll give a try with with Smash Stack, it really seems to be safer. And that Dolphin version indeed worked, thank you!!

Post automatically merged: Apr 15, 2023

Forget about anything on CDs. No chance with a Wii. Missing the infrared laser, only visible red laser is present.
Movie DVDs are physically readable by a Wii drive, and the oldest can be convinced to do so with and without drive chip. Inserting movies won't do anything without homebrew software.

You could resurface the original disc.

Problem with Wii drives:

• They aren't exactly good at reading damaged discs (I mean such damages, which are theoretically within the error correction capabilities).
• Wii drives aren't exactly new.
• Some are bad at reading dual layer discs
• Burned media tend to have more errors (inner parity) than pressed discs
  • Burned media have slightly lower reflectivity (forget about rewriteable media in consoles)
  • Burned dual layer tend to be tough for many drives
  • Number of inner parity errors on burned dual layer never convinced me (just too many on a freshly written DVD+R-DL)

Take all this and you will see there are a lot of potential pitfalls stopping a burned Smash Bros from working. The drive chip should take care of the book type problem, but I'd recommend using a burner that allows setting the book type to DVD-ROM for DVD+R-DL. This generally improves compatibility with many devices.

If possible you should prefer this:

A single layer DVD-R removes some of the potential causes of failure (Other than DVD+R, DVD-R needs no bitsetting and single layer is better readable and the media are cheaper).



The forum constantly gets attacked by spambots, so new users aren't allowed to post links (even when quoting). After five regular posts this limitation should be gone.

Yeah, I didn't know about cds, just thought it would be a way to test the drive, but saw that they don't work, not really an issue, not using optical media has been years... But nice to know more info on wii laser reading. Sorry for my stupidity, only to be clear: Burning a regular dvd-r 4.7gb would be enough/preferable, right?

I got that spam problem, just took me some minutes to understand that problem was links on reply. It was friday, was already drinking... hahahaha

Thank you all for helping me out! I'll try tomorrow and post results! May everyone have a nice weekend!