Setting up Gateway + Luma3DS on 11.17 (Guide)

SylverReZ · Oct 2, 2023

Hwilliams8548 said:
how does this shit still work???

I know right, I can't believe it still does to this day.

SylverReZ · Oct 3, 2023

UPDATE: You don't need to add "v2gw.bin" and "gateway.bin" anymore. I have updated the package to include a converted (.firm) file that does practically the same thing. If you're updating your SD card, drag-and-drop the "GW.firm" file to "luma/payloads" then make the following changes in your "boot_config.ini" settings file.

Code:

[BOOTCTR9]
key_delay = 1000

[DEFAULT]
path = /luma/payloads/GW.firm

petspeed · Oct 3, 2023

The guide says that the downgrade step is optional. Does that mean it is possible to boot GW from SysNAND 11.17 (provided I have setup emuNAND first)?

SylverReZ · Oct 3, 2023

petspeed said:
The guide says that the downgrade step is optional. Does that mean it is possible to boot GW from SysNAND 11.17 (provided I have setup emuNAND first)?

@petspeed For EmuNAND, you just need to update it to 11.17 then install the patches and you should be good to go. SysNAND should work too but you'll lose B9S.

petspeed · Oct 3, 2023

SylverReZ said:
@petspeed For EmuNAND, you just need to update it to 11.17 then install the patches and you should be good to go. SysNAND should work too but you'll lose B9S.

So SysNAND 11.17, boot GW.firm into EmuNAND 11.17 will remove B9S? Or only if I boot GW.firm into SysNAND?

I am thinking about a setup where I have 11.17 SysNAND with LUMA CFW with the option of booting into GW EmuNAND. Is that possible?

SylverReZ · Oct 3, 2023

petspeed said:
So SysNAND 11.17, boot GW.firm into EmuNAND 11.17 will remove B9S? Or only if I boot GW.firm into SysNAND?

I am thinking about a setup where I have 11.17 SysNAND with LUMA CFW with the option of booting into GW EmuNAND. Is that possible?

No. What I was referring to, is that if you boot GW into SysNAND, it will wipe your mods which is B9S/A9LH and revert it back to stock. If you have 11.17 SysNAND with Luma3DS with the ability to boot into GW EmuNAND, then you're doing this correctly.

Rasa39 · Oct 5, 2023

Damn, reviving the relics over here. Insane how you got this to work. I remember doing the super-risky downgrade to 2.01 with my new3ds just to get this to work, I even bought an Aussie one just to get it on 9.0 (which was still EUR region btw).

I know gw3ds is obsolete now but still, loved using the little menu to select games after it was added to the cart. That one rom per sd card shit... I remember that.

Also never forget that BS they pulled after the clones started coming out, motherfuckers bricked so many console that used the legit cards as well as the clones, so I can't feel too bad for the big guy being in prison now. It's legit the main reason I refused to buy an SX or even the Stargate cart (even though that was cool af), and why I was so scared to use my gateway for months.

Are they worth anything now btw? Probably gonna keep mine forever but pretty sure I still have the packaging with that weird furry plastic insert, and the 2 carts ofc.

SylverReZ · Oct 6, 2023

Rasa39 said:
Are they worth anything now btw? Probably gonna keep mine forever but pretty sure I still have the packaging with that weird furry plastic insert, and the 2 carts ofc.

They are increasingly hard to find nowadays, so best to keep it. But still, they are pretty useful if you want to have another alternative for playing your games.

Rasa39 said:
Also never forget that BS they pulled after the clones started coming out, motherfuckers bricked so many console that used the legit cards as well as the clones, so I can't feel too bad for the big guy being in prison now. It's legit the main reason I refused to buy an SX or even the Stargate cart (even though that was cool af), and why I was so scared to use my gateway for months.

Gateway is safe to use now thankfully after new methods have came out for modding your 3DS such as ntrboot and bannerbomb3 amongst others. So even if you do brick your 3DS, you can easily recover it using ntrboot and a cheap flashcard. The current version that I used, being 4.2b, has no issues upon me so far like bricking.

In regards to Gary Bowser, he is now out of prison, but has moved away from modding to other works that he's done in the past such as with the TI computers. He has a website archiving his software dating back even to the 80s. https://garyopa.com/

Rasa39 said:
Damn, reviving the relics over here. Insane how you got this to work. I remember doing the super-risky downgrade to 2.01 with my new3ds just to get this to work, I even bought an Aussie one just to get it on 9.0 (which was still EUR region btw).

Back then, it was a nightmare if you're going to find an old 3DS with 4.x to work with GW since Nintendo tried to pull everything from their books to block Gateway, but so far none of their tricks worked.

ak1nok · Oct 8, 2023

Hi everyone. Do you have any idea how to make screenshots of the gateway menu (this is the menu that is in the launcher.dat file)?

SylverReZ · Oct 8, 2023

ak1nok said:
Hi everyone. Do you have any idea how to make screenshots of the gateway menu (this is the menu that is in the launcher.dat file)?

Cannot seem to do it without a internal capture card kit. Rosalina just instantly freezes when I take a snapshot.

Smoker1 · Oct 10, 2023

I miss using Gateway. Luma has so many Issues. Always getting Crashes.

The Real Jdbye · Oct 10, 2023

SylverReZ said:
ALWAYS MAKE BACKUPS OF YOUR NAND BEFORE PROCEEDING!

NOTE TO SYSNAND USERS: DO NOT BOOT INTO GW MODE ON FIRMWARE 11.3+; YOU WILL LOSE B9S AND BE REVERTED BACK TO STOCK FIRMWARE. IF THIS EVER HAPPENS, IT CAN EASILY BE FIXED BY RE-INSTALLING B9S WITH THE NTRBOOT METHOD.

Never use old Gateway launcher files. They do not support the latest firmware, and could potentially brick your console if something goes wrong. Use the latest version. As of writing, the latest is version 4.2 private beta.

I strongly discourage the use of GW on SysNAND setups, this increases the risk of bricks.

DO NOT do this guide if you have a region changed system.

View attachment 395045
I am not held responsible for any damages to your console. You are responsible for whatever you do to your console. If you screw up your 3DS, don't come complaining about not backing up your NAND or missing one or more steps in the guide.

Prerequisites
- Any modded new/old 3DS/2DS with the latest CFW. (follow this guide if you haven't).
- SD card (8GB or above, formatted to FAT32 32kb cluster).
- Method of reading SD cards on a PC (e.g., an external SD card reader).

(1) Downgrade Guide (11.17 -> 4.5/9.2)

This step is totally optional, but is used to sanitize the NAND so to speak if you have any issues with installing the patches.

Getting the firmware
I will not be providing links to download the system firmware since that breaks the GBAtemp TOS.

If you are using an Old 3DS (3DS, 3DS XL/LL, 2DS), you will need to download "4.5.0-10x(Full).zip" for the downgrade.
If you are using a New 3DS (N3DS, N3DS XL/LL, N2DS XL/LL), you will need to download "9.2.0-20x(Full).zip" for the downgrade.

Alternatively, use 3DNUS to download the firmware for your corresponding console.

('X' corresponds to your system's region.)

Preparing the SD card

- Make a new folder on the root of your SD card called "updates".
- Extract the downgrade (.CIA) files from the ZIP archive into the "updates" folder. It should look something like this:

View attachment 395015

Downgrading the 3DS
You will need to download "sysUpdater" in order to downgrade your 3DS. Either boot the application from HBL or install the CIA file using FBI or GodMode9.

Softmod Method
- Boot into your SysNAND through Luma3DS. Your system will need to be updated through the "System Settings" if your console is not on firmware 11.17.0-50.
- Launch "sysUpdater". Once the application has started, press (Y) to downgrade your system.
- Once it has finished, within your luck, it should reboot you into the downgraded firmware.

Note for O2DS users: If you are using a 2DS, you will notice that the top screen is stretched. This is not a console fault; rather, the older firmware is forced to render the top-screen in 3D mode instead of 2D; later system versions starting from 6.2 support the 2DS in 2D mode.

(2) Creating a GW EmuNAND

Preparing the SD card

- Download the latest release of GodMode9: https://github.com/d0k3/GodMode9/releases/latest
- Copy the "GodMode9.firm" file from the ZIP archive to the "luma/payloads" folder on the root of your SD card.
- Copy the "gm9" folder from the ZIP archive to the root of your SD card.
- Download the "gw_b9s_package.zip" archive below this post.
- Extract the contents of the ZIP archive to the root of your console's SD card.
- Download the latest Gateway "Launcher.dat", you can find this in "the usual places".
- Copy the latest "Launcher.dat" file onto the root of your SD card.
- Make a new folder on your computer and call it "3DS backup" or something else. Then, copy all of the files and folders from the root of your SD card to the folder that you have just created.
- Insert the SD card back into your 3DS.

Formatting the EmuNAND

- Hold down (Start) whilst powering on the console. From the chainloader menu, select "GodMode9" and press (A).
- When GodMode9 has loaded, press the (HOME) button to bring up the action context menu.
- Select "More..." > "SD format menu" > "GW EmuNAND size (full)".
- Select the cluster size as "Auto".
- Using the touch-screen, enter the name of your EmuNAND (i.e., "GATEWAYNAND"). This, however, is totally optional.
- Press (A), and enter the button prompt you see on-screen to proceed.
- When the format has finished, hold down (R) and (B) at the same time, then safely eject the SD card from your console.
- Insert the SD card back into your computer.
- Copy all of your backup files back onto your SD card, re-insert it back into your 3DS and press (A) to re-mount the card.

Preparing the SD card

- Download the "gw_b9s_package.zip" archive below this post.
- Extract the contents of the ZIP archive to the root of your console's SD card.
- Download the latest Gateway "Launcher.dat", you can find this in "the usual places".
- Copy the latest "Launcher.dat" file onto the root of your SD card.
- Make a new folder on your computer and call it "3DS backup" or something else. Then, copy all of the files and folders from the root of your SD card to the folder that you have just created.
- Insert the SD card back into your 3DS.
- Re-insert your SD card back into your 3DS.

Formatting the EmuNAND

View attachment 395032 View attachment 395033 View attachment 395035

- Hold down the (Down) button whilst powering on the console.
- When you see a grey screen, release both buttons and quickly hold down (L) and (Select).
- In the Gateway menu, navigate to "Format EmuNAND" and press (A).
- When asked if you want to format the card, press (Start) to proceed.

If the progress bar is not idle after 5 or 10 minutes, power off the console and try again.

- Press (A) to return to the menu, then hold (Down) and (B) to power off.

If the format was successful, but you cannot press (A) to return to the menu, hold down the (Power) button until the console turns off.

- Safely remove your SD card and insert it back into your computer.
- Copy all of your backup files onto your SD card, and re-insert the card back into your 3DS.

(3) Updating your GW EmuNAND

Getting the Firmware
I will not be providing links to download the system firmware since that breaks the GBAtemp TOS.
Alternatively, use 3DNUS to download the 11.17 firmware for your corresponding console.

Preparing the SD card
- Download the correct "11.17.0-50x(Full).zip" firmware package for the correct model that you have ('X' corresponds to your console region).

If you install a firmware for the wrong model (i.e., O3DS firmware on a N3DS), it can brick your console.

- Download 123ab's GW patch files for your corresponding region and model. They can be found with a quick Google search.
- Copy only the "updates" folder from the GW patch ZIP archive to the root of your SD card, rename the folder to "patches".

If the "updates" folder already exists on your SD card, remove it before transferring the folder containing the patches.

- Make a new folder on the root of your SD card called "updates".
- Extract the update (.cia) files into the "updates" folder. The end result should look something like this:

View attachment 395015 View attachment 395036

Updating your EmuNAND
You will need to download "sysUpdater" in order to downgrade your 3DS. Either boot the application from HBL or install the CIA file using FBI or GodMode9.

- Boot into your EmuNAND through Luma3DS. Your EmuNAND should be on a downgraded firmware, this can be checked via the "System Settings" or noticing differences on the "HOME Menu".
- Launch "sysUpdater". Once the application has started, press (A) to update your system to 11.17.
- Once it has finished, you will boot into your updated 11.17 EmuNAND. This can be confirmed by opening the "System Settings".

Patching your EmuNAND

- Power off your 3DS and insert the SD card into your computer.
- Delete the "updates" folder from the root of your SD card.
- Rename the "patches" folder to "updates".
- Re-insert your SD card back into your 3DS, and boot into your EmuNAND through Luma3DS.
- Launch "sysUpdater". Once the application has started, press (Y) to apply the GW patches.
- Once the patches have successfully installed, hold down the (Power) button until the system turns off.

Getting the Firmware
I will not be providing links to download the system firmware since that breaks the GBAtemp TOS.
Alternatively, use 3DNUS to download the 11.17 firmware for your corresponding console.

Preparing the SD card
- Download the latest release of GodMode9: https://github.com/d0k3/GodMode9/releases/latest
- Copy the "GodMode9.firm" file from the ZIP archive to the "luma/payloads" folder on the root of your SD card.
- Copy the "gm9" folder from the ZIP archive to the root of your SD card.
- Download the correct "11.17.0-50x(Full).zip" firmware package for the correct model that you have ('X' corresponds to your console region).

If you install a firmware for the wrong model (i.e., O3DS firmware on a N3DS), it can brick your console.

- Download 123ab's GW patch files for your corresponding region and model. They can be found with a quick Google search.
- Copy only the "updates" folder from the GW patch ZIP archive to the root of your SD card, rename the folder to "patches".

If the "updates" folder already exists on your SD card, remove it before transferring the folder containing the patches.

- Make a new folder on the root of your SD card called "updates".
- Extract the update (.cia) files into the "updates" folder. The end result should look something like this:

View attachment 395015 View attachment 395036

Updating your EmuNAND

- Hold down (Start) whilst powering on the console. From the chainloader menu, select "GodMode9" and press (A).
- Navigate to "[0:] SDCARD" > "updates".
- Highlight the first file then hold (L) and (Right) to select all of the (.cia) files.
- Press (A) to select the first file.
- In the context menu, select "CIA image options" > "Install game image" > "Install to EmuNAND".
- Enter the button combination provided to proceed with the update.
- When asked to relock the write permissions, press (B).
- Press (B) to go back.
- Navigate to the "patches" folder.
- Highlight the first file then hold (L) and (Right) to select all of the (.cia) files.
- Press (A) to select the first file.
- In the context menu, select "CIA image options" > "Install game image" > "Install to EmuNAND".
- Enter the button combination provided to install the patches.
- Press (B) twice then hold down (R) and (Start) to power off the system.

(4) Booting into Gateway (with or w/o card)

View attachment 395038 View attachment 395039

- Power on the console whilst holding (Down).
- If you see a grey screen, release all buttons and hold (L) and (Select).
- Navigate to "Classic Mode" then press (A).
- Press (X).

- Insert the Gateway red card into your 3DS.
- Power on the console whilst holding (Down).
- Your 3DS will auto-boot into GW mode.

FAQ

Q: How do I boot into the GW menu?
A: Hold down (L)+(Select) when the Gateway logo appears.

Q: I get a boot rom BSOD (blue screen of death).
A: Your NAND most likely got corrupted or that you're using a older version of the GW launcher (aka Brickway). Restore a working NAND backup using GM9, and download the latest "Launcher.dat".

Q: Does my GW blue card work on 11.17?
A: Yes. The blue card can still be used to play games in DS-mode, even on the latest firmware.

Q: How do I download the latest "Launcher.dat"?
A: Google is your friend.

Q: When I boot into GW/Classic mode, I get a black screen.
A: There are multiple reasons as to why this might be happening:

Modified SecureInfo_A - The GW launcher does not patch this. You will need to restore this from your donor NAND backup.

HOME Menu cache/management info - Delete the "Nintendo 3DS" folder from your SD card.

SysNAND setup - You may have not properly setup a GW EmuNAND or that you're using a RedNAND. Format your SD card using GodMode9.

Modified HOME Menu or fonts - Restore a clean NAND backup that does not contain modifications to the firmware.

Other issue that isn't disclosed here - Feel free to mention it.

Credits

@Temptress Cerise for the help with patching EmuNAND.
@RednaxelaNnamtra for BootCTR9.
@Hayleia for creating the "v2gw.bin" payload.
@nedron92 for discovering the GW B9S method.
123ab for his GW firmware compatibility patches.

"Delete the "Nintendo 3DS" folder from your SD card." I feel like this is bad advice, especially without giving proper warnings, since this will delete ALL your installed games, saves and extdata, and is overkill if clearing home menu data is all that's needed.

mikefor20 · Oct 10, 2023

Smoker1 said:
I miss using Gateway. Luma has so many Issues. Always getting Crashes.

That ain't right. Luma is STABLE.. you should probably start fresh. Maybe get a new SD. Did you check it for failure?

Smoker1 · Oct 10, 2023

mikefor20 said:
That ain't right. Luma is STABLE.. you should probably start fresh. Maybe get a new SD. Did you check it for failure?

Depending on the Game, I get ARM Errors. But already have N3DS XLs for when I get Paid next.

mikefor20 · Oct 10, 2023

Smoker1 said:
Depending on the Game, I get ARM Errors. But already have N3DS XLs for when I get Paid next.

You're not understanding. That's not Luma. That's either a corrupted rom, a failing SD or out of date file. You may want to start over.

Backup your saves.

Test the SD with h2w. (Will erase data!) If it passes it's probably not the SD.

Format the SD with Panasonic Sd formatter to FAT32 with 32k cluster size.

Setup Luma fresh. All freshly downloaded and up to date.

Create a new emunand

Restore your save files.

Find another source for your games.

That will take care of all the variables.

You shouldn't be crashing. At all. I can't remember last time my 3DS crashed. It's usually a bad rom, bad SD or out of date. Luma is super stable. WAYYY MORE STABLE THAN GATEWAY. You could try a new SD. Leave your existing setup. If you have a SysNAND install maybe try rehacking or reinstall the ios files. Fresh. Verify the checksums!

Smoker1 · Oct 10, 2023

mikefor20 said:
You're not understanding. That's not Luma. That's either a corrupted rom, a failing SD or out of date file. You may want to start over.

Backup your saves.

Test the SD with h2w. (Will erase data!) If it passes it's probably not the SD.

Format the SD with Panasonic Sd formatter to FAT32 with 32k cluster size.

Setup Luma fresh. All freshly downloaded and up to date.

Create a new emunand

Restore your save files.

Find another source for your games.

That will take care of all the variables.

You shouldn't be crashing. At all. I can't remember last time my 3DS crashed. It's usually a bad rom, bad SD or out of date. Luma is super stable. WAYYY MORE STABLE THAN GATEWAY. You could try a new SD. Leave your existing setup. If you have a SysNAND install maybe try rehacking or reinstall the ios files. Fresh. Verify the checksums!

Might be the SD. Had no problems with GW. Then I had to do Luma, and it started having Issues. Cant even get the Action Replay Plugin that allows for Searching for Codes to work.
If anything, GW will be the main thing I use for Searching for Codes

Ondrashek06 · Oct 10, 2023

You can still flash an older firmware version in 2023? That's actually a very nice thing for experimentation.

SylverReZ · Oct 10, 2023

Ondrashek06 said:
You can still flash an older firmware version in 2023? That's actually a very nice thing for experimentation.

That's why I said that this step is optional. You would only do this if you want to experiment with older exploits such as MSET or to sanitise the NAND prior to applying the patch.

Ondrashek06 · Oct 10, 2023

SylverReZ said:
That's why I said that this step is optional. You would only do this if you want to experiment with older exploits such as MSET or to sanitise the NAND prior to applying the patch.

Yep, but I love experimenting with homebrew software (that's why I sometimes uninstall and reinstall B9S just for the sake of going through the process again, lol)

Now I'm curious if it's possible to follow the insanely long old homebrew guide as I want a challenge for myself, or if some of the necessary files for that are no longer available.

SylverReZ · Oct 10, 2023

Ondrashek06 said:
Now I'm curious if it's possible to follow the insanely long old homebrew guide as I want a challenge for myself, or if some of the necessary files for that are no longer available.

I would first setup custom firmware using ntrboot, this supports nearly all firmwares and hardware revisions, since you don't have to rely on older game exploits. Then, you can follow the rest of this guide to add the appropriate files and setup Gateway.

Ondrashek06 said:
Yep, but I love experimenting with homebrew software (that's why I sometimes uninstall and reinstall B9S just for the sake of going through the process again, lol).

Honestly, me too. I like to play with my DS dangerously. Even if I brick, then I'm good at soldering so I can do a hardmod to recover a bricked NAND or the ntrboot method.

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