Homebrew [Testers needed] Injecting apps to H&S on a GW downgraded NAND

[zoogie]

If you got CakeHax working it would be bootable from MSET and o3ds browser and it doesn't look like it's too hard to put into a project that already uses Brahma2... just a suggestion

I would love to see that actually, but I'm done with minipasta and am working on other things now. It is open source if someone else wants to make that improvement.

 

[ghost789]

Well，I have upgraded my SysNAND to 9.2 via sysupdater last night.Everything was fine.
Thank you,everyone!

 

[muskieratboi]

@dark_samus3 led me here, and the experimental version did the injection perfectly. Running FBI now. Thanks, @d0k3!

 

[Karakuro]

Another happy CTRNAND injecting!
Downgraded my 3ds with GW. EU region

 

[AerGolem55]

Everyone else researching that GW problem, see the post I quoted above. In the first screenshot, old Decrypt9 (wrongly) chose the old (pre-downgrade) app. There is no error message there, because there is no fragmentation unless GW or rxTools introduce it. In the second screenshot, new Decrypt9 correctly chose the new (after-downgrade) app, but it couldn't process it due to fragmentation.

For me, I guess I can safely say my fix does what it should. I could code routines to write to fragmented files now, but I have my doubts that this is a good idea (will help only in a very small number of cases, and will complicate things for all others / introduce error potential). So, better not. I guess I'll just change the error message to something more fitting.

@ghost789, there is one more thing that you could do (if you are interested in getting this to work): Upgrade your FW to 9.2. You could do so, for example, using a gamecart that has the upgrade on it. There is now next to no reason to stay on 4.x (that I know of, at least). After the upgrade, injection should work again.

Hey d0k3,

I've been stuck in a rut for a little while now, but once I found this thread you solved a lot of my questions.

I have an old 3dsxl on 4.2. I downgraded before using the Gateway thing on my ds flashcart and using the sd card. That was before the best option was to be on 9.2 and I had stopped halfway through before. Basically where I'm at is getting the fragmentation error on the Health&Safety Dump. I saw the comment about dumping the CTRNAND.bin that sounds like it would solve my issue.

Right now I'm stuck at the defrag and chkdsk part on my CTRNAND.bin. I mount the drive with these settings:

Then I analyzed and defragged it with Defraggler with 0% fragmentation after:

You also said to run a chkdsk on the drive to be safe. I ran chkdsk in administrator mode and got this:

I'm confused if its dangerous to run the chkdsk f: /F to fix the issues and then "convert the lost chains to files".(I'm not sure what the lost chain thing means)

If the defrag worked correctly shouldn't chkdsk say no errors? Have you run into this before?

Hopefully you have any info that could help me here. I'm wondering if fixing the issues with chkdsk and converting the lost chains to files would be a fine CTRNAND.bin that I could inject without bricking.

Thanks for taking your time to read all this, it would mean a ton to get this project finished!

 

[d0k3]

Hey d0k3,

I've been stuck in a rut for a little while now, but once I found this thread you solved a lot of my questions.

I have an old 3dsxl on 4.2. I downgraded before using the Gateway thing on my ds flashcart and using the sd card. That was before the best option was to be on 9.2 and I had stopped halfway through before. Basically where I'm at is getting the fragmentation error on the Health&Safety Dump. I saw the comment about dumping the CTRNAND.bin that sounds like it would solve my issue.

Right now I'm stuck at the defrag and chkdsk part on my CTRNAND.bin. I mount the drive with these settings:
View attachment 44501
Then I analyzed and defragged it with Defraggler with 0% fragmentation after:
View attachment 44502
You also said to run a chkdsk on the drive to be safe. I ran chkdsk in administrator mode and got this:
View attachment 44503

I'm confused if its dangerous to run the chkdsk f: /F to fix the issues and then "convert the lost chains to files".(I'm not sure what the lost chain thing means)

If the defrag worked correctly shouldn't chkdsk say no errors? Have you run into this before?

Hopefully you have any info that could help me here. I'm wondering if fixing the issues with chkdsk and converting the lost chains to files would be a fine CTRNAND.bin that I could inject without bricking.

Thanks for taking your time to read all this, it would mean a ton to get this project finished!

I wouldn't inject that back, that smells fishy... Try chkdsk on the untouched CTRNAND (before defragmentation), then let me know th results. A 'lost chain' means some part of a file is no more linked to a file, in essence meaning some of your files may be corrupted.

 

[AerGolem55]

Crap, that's not good. Ok I'll run the chkdsk on a fresh dumped CTRNAND from my 3ds when I get back to my pc and post the results.

If the untouched one comes back with issues what could that mean? It's ok to inject? Or something worse, haha.

Thanks again for taking the time to help, means a lot.

 

[AerGolem55]

I ran the chkdsk on the untouched CTRNAND without fragmenting it and it came back with the same exact cmd screen as in my last post. It still says convert the lost chains to files (Y/N)

Should I delete my last post, or combine them? I would have just edited it but I don't know if it would alert you.

 

[d0k3]

I ran the chkdsk on the untouched CTRNAND without fragmenting it and it came back with the same exact cmd screen as in my last post. It still says convert the lost chains to files (Y/N).

Okay... I'll tell you your options then. [1] assume it is nothing bad, inject defragmented image back (in theory, Defraggler can't make the current state worse, so everything will be as before). [2] Give FBI injection up. Take note that the rxTools method of injecting FBI is even more dangerous in your current state. And thank GW for this messup, too.

In any case, it might be better to resume from a pre-GW-downgrade backup.

 

[AerGolem55]

I have so many files all over the place I'm not even sure where to begin with the pre GW backups.

Is there any form of a backup I can do before I inject the defragged image back in just to be safe? Or if it fails is just bricked for good?

I'm nervous about rolling the dice on bricking it but in the end, like you said, the defragged CTRNAND shouldn't be any more dangerous than it was before the defrag.

 

[d0k3]

I have so many files all over the place I'm not even sure where to begin with the pre GW backups.

Is there any form of a backup I can do before I inject the defragged image back in just to be safe? Or if it fails is just bricked for good?

I'm nervous about rolling the dice on bricking it but in the end, like you said, the defragged CTRNAND shouldn't be any more dangerous than it was before the defrag.

I have one thing that you can try... You can try that defragged CTRNAND out on EmuNAND. That means cloning your current SysNAND to EmuNAND, do the defrag and inject there, see if it runs. If it does, it is pretty safe to have this on SysNAND. Other than this, a standard SysNAND backup at least allows you to go back with a hardmod. In the worst case, that is.

EDIT: With stuff like this, I also always have to add that one way or the other, you proceed at your own risk. That risk should be pretty low of you do as I told you, though.

 

[AerGolem55]

Running it in EmuNAND sounds like an amazing idea! Do you mind writing me a quick guide on cloning the sysNAND to the EmuNAND?

Or directing me to a tutorial that fits my situation. I just don't want to do the wrong thing.

And I understand what you mean about the risk. I'm really confident in your knowledge, and if I should screw something up I wouldn't blame you! Haha!

 

[d0k3]

Running it in EmuNAND sounds like an amazing idea! Do you mind writing me a quick guide on cloning the sysNAND to the EmuNAND?

Or directing me to a tutorial that fits my situation. I just don't want to do the wrong thing.

And I understand what you mean about the risk. I'm really confident in your knowledge, and if I should screw something up I wouldn't blame you! Haha!

EmuNAND9 does that. Just use a secondery SD card to run the complete setup, and that will also clone your SysNAND to EmuNAND. Then, setup CFW anew and continue from there.

 

[AerGolem55]

Ok I ran the EmuNAND9 complete setup onto another sd card. After it rebooted it created that "Nintendo 3DS" folder on the sd card and it has an EmuNAND9 folder with nothing in it. I'm sure you're sick of me bothering you, but I'm not sure where to go from here. Thanks again!

 

[d0k3]

Ok I ran the EmuNAND9 complete setup onto another sd card. After it rebooted it created that "Nintendo 3DS" folder on the sd card and it has an EmuNAND9 folder with nothing in it. I'm sure you're sick of me bothering you, but I'm not sure where to go from here. Thanks again!

Well, there is a copy of your SysNAND in that EmuNAND now. You can now inject the defragged CTRNAND into this and try if it still runs. If it does, you can make the leap of faith, meaning: inject the defragged CTRNAND into SysNAND, then continue with what you wanted to do initially.

 

[AerGolem55]

In that EmuNAND folder? Or it's just on the system and I would use another launcher.dat to switch back?

 

[d0k3]

In that EmuNAND folder? Or it's just on the system and I would use another launcher.dat to switch back?

No. Your EmuNAND (on that SD) = your SysNAND now. Set up a CFW and try it.

 

[AerGolem55]

Ok so leave those folders the way they where and continue with the updater?

 

[d0k3]

Ok so leave those folders the way they where and continue with the updater?

With the updater? No, do this, using Decrypt9WIP. For testing purposes, if it runs on EmuNAND there are good chances it will on SysNAND, too. For setting up a CFW you are on your own.

You can now inject the defragged CTRNAND into this and try if it still runs. If it does, you can make the leap of faith, meaning: inject the defragged CTRNAND into SysNAND, then continue with what you wanted to do initially.

 

[AerGolem55]

Oh I see, sorry! As you can tell most of the time I'm doing this is at 2-4 in the morning in my area. Thanks to my newborn who is having health issues and needs to be watched at night I have a lot of sleepless free time. Tired + a lot of thinking = brain farts.

One other question: should I dump the CTRNAND again onto this new sd card and defrag it? Or should I transfer the one from before?