Hacking Question Starting fresh with a "new" used Switch

[easyonme]

Hi Guys

I was hoping one of you Templars could help me navigate the myriad of information out there to get me started on my first "new" used Switch. I've already read a fair amount and feel I got the gist of most of what's involved and how to get there, but I still have doubts on a number of things I can't find a definitive answer for.

My Switch is running FW 8.1.0, comes with an already configured account from the previous owner, seems to be pretty empty (all I see in the home menu is an icon for "Fire Emblem Three Houses" that looks for a cartridge when clicked and an icon for "Moonlighter" that asks to redownload when clicked - so I assume the previous user owned the game card of the former and bought a digital copy of the latter) and finally it appears to be an unpatched unit given that its serial number is XAW100711XXXXX (I just received my RCMloader kit while typing this, so I'll know for sure soon after I click Send here).

I intend to use it primarily for homebrew on the Horizon side, as well as with Linux/Android/Lakka payloads. I have NO interest or use in ever logging onto the Nintendo Network, and would like to keep it that way unless doing so cripples it in any way (other than obviously not having access to the eShop, the lack of native-games multiplayer and automatic games/system updates). I read somewhere (but not everywhere) that you should have an app or demo or game installed before going the CFW route, otherwise there would be troubles/limits when running homebrew (or the web browser?), and that some games (not all??) require an account to be present.

So here are a few questions (I'm sure I got some more, but these are the more pressing at hand right now):

1) Do you need a NNID at all to setup the Switch or can it run without it?
2) To run homebrew AND use the web browser (from emuEMMC) do I need to have installed a game/demo/app (hence have a NNID to download them - mooting question #1)? And if so, can that game/demo/app be a .nro that I install outside of the eShop, thus saving me from the need to have a NNID?
3) Even though, like I said, I can't care less, for these native games that appear to require a NNID, I read there are ways to patch them to remove the limitation, or a homebrew (keiser updater?) to create a fake account to satisfy that requirement. Which one of these approaches is recommended in a NNID-less scenario (if that is at all possible, that is)?

Another thing I'm not completely sure about is regarding efuses and updating OFW/CFW. I get what efuses are, and what they are used for, but I'm not really sure about the exact reason why the struggle to try to keep the burnt count as low as possible.
Since you can upgrade/downgrade FW at will on the emuMMC (at least that's what I gathered):

4) Is trying to keep the OFW version/# of burnt efuses as low as possible EXCLUSIVELY useful to keep your seat on the hypetrain that one day a coldboot method crops up for the FW version you are on (on the OFW side)? Or are there any other benefits in trying to keep the FW low? is it even worth the struggle if already at v8.1.0 (so only one less efuse burnt than the most current FW version)?

Regarding actually starting fresh:

5) Is a factory reset enough to obliterate the previous owner's references out of existence? I came across some comments stating that some logs are not removed with a factory reset, is that true? If so, how do I really, really reset it?
6) Do I need to "unlink" (or any other "administrative" operation) the previous owner account before performing a factory reset?
7) Do I need to reboot to OFW at least once after factory reset before setting up CFW, or can I just kiss goodbye OFW the moment I factory reset?
8) Depending on the answer for question #4, do I keep OFW/CFW versions in sync, or use AutoRCM to never risk/boot into OFW ever again?

BONUS QUESTION: Is there any way for me to check/verify after the reset (or before) if the previous user has used CFW before?

I hope this is not too much or too convoluted for any of the takers out there!

Thanks in GB-Advance

 

[BaamAlex]

1. No
2. No
3. Whatever you mean with keiser updater....you don't need a nnid on the console to use it.
4. Enable autorcm to avoid burning fuses. But it doesn't matter. CFW always boots. No matter how many fuses you have already used. Btw cfw works on unpatched units on EVERY firmware. You can keep it low if you want
5. Factory reset should be good enough to "obliterate" the previous owner
6. Nope
7. Yes you can start directly a cfw after a factory reset
8. You don't need to keep both sync'd
BONUS. Nope. You can't see that. Ask him to make sure if he did.

 

[easyonme]

1. No
2. No
3. Whatever you mean with keiser updater....you don't need a nnid on the console to use it.
4. Enable autorcm to avoid burning fuses. But it doesn't matter. CFW always boots. No matter how many fuses you have already used. Btw cfw works on unpatched units on EVERY firmware. You can keep it low if you want
5. Factory reset should be good enough to "obliterate" the previous owner
6. Nope
7. Yes you can start directly a cfw after a factory reset
8. You don't need to keep both sync'd
BONUS. Nope. You can't see that. Ask him to make sure if he did.

Thank you so much for taking a stab at my questionnaire!
I realized some (all? lol) of my question were worded a bit ambiguously as I ask in them about opposite scenarios, so a YES or NO answer in equally ambiguous (but TOTALLY my fault).

For question #1, you are saying I DON'T need a NNID?

For question #2, you are saying I DON'T need to install a game/demo/app from eShop first? What about the "note about using the album for the Homebrew Menu" found in this "official" hack guide? Using "a full-featured web browser" is definitely something I'd like to be able to do

For question #3, I made a typo, I meant "kefir updater" rather than "keiser updater". Specifically, I was referring to issues like the one pointed out here. If I go with the NO-NNID route, will "kefir" or patching a game using NSC_Builder overcome those issues?

Lastly, for question #4, I get that CFWs ignore the burnt efuses count, but do you want to keep that down on OFW solely to increase your chances to be on a OFW that will later allow CFW coldboot (if ever), or is there any other reason?

On a side note, while waiting for an answer here, I went ahead and installed SwitchRoot on a 64GB sdcard, just to test the waters. I was able to activate CIFS support (FYI SELinuxModeChanger is not needed since SELinux is already disabled to begin with) and immediately stream media from my PCs as well as backups of my isos to various emulators. Awesome! Since I can use network sharing for all the content, I think I will downgrade to a 32GB card instead, since 64GB is already overkill when not storing ROMs/ISOs on the device (just ranting, but I thought I should mention this awesome avenue since I'm not seeing it discussed pretty much anywhere around here)

Once again, thanks for your initial reply!

Tschüss

 

[BaamAlex]

For question #1, you are saying I DON'T need a NNID?

That is correct.

For question #2, you are saying I DON'T need to install a game/demo/app from eShop first? What about the "note about using the album for the Homebrew Menu" found in this "official" hack guide? Using "a full-featured web browser" is definitely something I'd like to be able to do

Via Title-Redirection. Hold R when booting a game until you see the hbmenu. Titleredirection gives you full ram access.

For question #3, I made a typo, I meant "kefir updater" rather than "keiser updater". Specifically, I was referring to issues like the one pointed out here. If I go with the NO-NNID route, will "kefir" or patching a game using NSC_Builder overcome those issues?

Hmm. Good question. I can't help you exactly with this. I don't use that.

Lastly, for question #4, I get that CFWs ignore the burnt efuses count, but do you want to keep that down on OFW solely to increase your chances to be on a OFW that will later allow CFW coldboot (if ever), or is there any other reason?

If you have an unpatched unit the fuse counter doesn't matter. CFW will always work iirc. And this should answer your questions.

 

[coffinbirth]

If the Switch isn't banned, just go ahead and make a NNID...it's much more practical. I personally used keifer for awhile, but when I updated to 8.1.0 it broke it...that's purely anecdotal, and could've been an error with choidujourNX, but now all is well with a proper NNID.