Hardware Sending 3DS to a repair shop, should I backup?

[EpikJimmer]

Many of you know me for uploading 20 posts a day about my R button. So I'm going to send it for repair but...
I'm scared. What if the technician is like "No problemo ill just format the thing and the heavily damaged R button will be okie dokie!"

Should I backup my NAND and SD card content? (Or atleast send the 3ds without the sd card/stylus/game card etc.)

 

[KleinesSinchen]

If I would send a device to an independent repair shop¹ and the technician decides trying to solve a minor² 3DS hardware problem by deleting all user data…

Spoiler: I would…

stay absolutely calm and would politely ask them if they need some help.

You may believe this or not… Hihi.

However, I recommend backing up your stuff regularly (please have a look at my signature). This has nothing to do with sending something in for repair. Any device, any storage media (like the SD in the 3DS) can fail/corrupt for no reason from one second to the other.

Most important to backup is data that can’t be replaced by any means – in the case of a 3DS this are savegames (personal data) and the NAND image (console unique data). Do yourself a favor and backup the NAND and all saves with Checkpoint and/or JKSM from time to time and copy everything to your computer.

Spoiler: off topic comment

About this (R)-button thing: I have a DSi with that problem – and have been pushing the repair for some months now.
New buttons are in my spare parts box – but I can’t do the micro soldering with my shaking hands… and replacing the complete assembly with (L), (R) and the SD-slot feels like a huge waste.

So… I know how that feels.

__________________
¹ Do not send a 3DS with CFW to Nintendo!
² More serious hardware damage which requires replacing the motherboard makes the NAND image and the SD:/Nintendo 3DS folder mostly useless – although data recovery with ninfs should be possible. But: backing up the decrypted saves before makes everything easier!

 

[EpikJimmer]

ok thanks backup guy/girl/idk

 

[EpikJimmer]

Wait, can I just send it without an sd card but only backup my sysNAND?

 

[KleinesSinchen]

Technically you can recover everything from the SD with a GodMode9 NAND backup containing essentials.exefs – even if your 3DS is shot to the moon. But you’d better believe me that backups are good – for the NAND and your saves. It takes like five minutes to do a "backup all" with a savemanager – followed by copying the folder to a computer.

A technician behaving like an idiot is not the only threat for your data. I know it's kind of shameless self advertising my own blog entry but I really do not want to repeat everything here – so I hope this is acceptable:

https://gbatemp.net/entry/concept-for-backups.15595/

 

[EpikJimmer]

OK, Yesterday I backed up my nand (still dint send it for repair)
Here's the thing: I'm gonna keep my nand on my pc and im NOT gonna send my sd card with the 3ds together.
BUT: If the techincian formats/bans my system, will I able to recover the nand and use my sd card as usual without losing any saves?

 

[EpikJimmer]

OKOK I backed up everything now!
SAVES AND NAND ARE ON MY PC
AND MY SD CARD... I will actually send my 3ds without it.
I mean, why would he/she need it? To fix the R button? Heh

 

[The Real Jdbye]

OK, Yesterday I backed up my nand (still dint send it for repair)
Here's the thing: I'm gonna keep my nand on my pc and im NOT gonna send my sd card with the 3ds together.
BUT: If the techincian formats/bans my system, will I able to recover the nand and use my sd card as usual without losing any saves?

Yes, but you'll have some NNID issues where the server thinks the NNID is unlinked and refuses login. Easiest way to solve that is to sign in with your NNID before you restore your NAND, so the NNID status matches on the server and console.

 

[KleinesSinchen]

OKOK I backed up everything now!
SAVES AND NAND ARE ON MY PC
AND MY SD CARD... I will actually send my 3ds without it.
I mean, why would he/she need it? To fix the R button? Heh

That is what I wanted to hear/read! Now you have everything backed up like it should have been even before considering sending the 3DS in. I hope everything goes well and you finally get a new (R)-button.

 

[EpikJimmer]

OK guys, thanks for the help and support.
Especially you, Klelnes Slnchen!
Thanks for all these reminders, keep it up!

 

[EpikJimmer]

WELL SHUCKS
The repair shop JUST announced that instead of re-opening in 18aug, they're now opening again in 26aug!
WELL I JUST REALIZED I BACKED UP ALL MY STUFF FOR NOTHING
I SPENT ONE WHOLE DAY, FOR NOTHING !
THOSE LAZY PUNKS!

 

[Quantumcat]

WELL SHUCKS
The repair shop JUST announced that instead of re-opening in 18aug, they're now opening again in 26aug!
WELL I JUST REALIZED I BACKED UP ALL MY STUFF FOR NOTHING
I SPENT ONE WHOLE DAY, FOR NOTHING !
THOSE LAZY PUNKS!

Well you would have done it anyway. Now you don't have to do it later.

 

[hakd88]

Backing up the NAND and SD card every once in a while is a good idea, because I made a backup of both about a week before I accidentally messed up B9S and my N3DS XL had downloaded an update without me knowing, which kind of made my 3DS useless. (This happened two days after firmware 11.10.0-43 came out, and Luma3DS anti-brick protection didn't work because I didn't have it running.) Luckily I had a compatible flashcart to install B9S again and this NAND backup to be able to fix everything, so making backups you may not need isn't really much of a waste of time.

Note: If you want to make sure that you backup everything properly, follow these instructions:
https://3ds.hacks.guide/godmode9-usage.html#creating-a-nand-backup

Also, keep the SD card when you send it for repairs, and maybe back it up, just to be safe.

 

[Jayro]

You can literally get a new R button switch on ebay for cheap and swap it yourself. It's hella easy. The hardest part is keeping track of what screws go back in which holes... Dead serious.

 

[EpikJimmer]

Look, I may become a technician in the faraway future, but now I have NO IDEA how to fix things, seriously.
I can only mod things.

 

[Tac 21]

did they end up fixing it....

oh wait... this isn't nintendo?

 

[Jayro]

Look, I may become a technician in the faraway future, but now I have NO IDEA how to fix things, seriously.
I can only mod things.

It pulls off, and you put the new one on, and close up the 3DS. It's as easy as connecting two Lego bricks together.