Hey guys,

I was looking for a tutorial to transfer a working emuNAND to a new SD card, and only found fragmented tutorials which required following other tutorials to work, or one which used a partition transfer tool rather than EmuNAND tools. So I decided to write up a quick tutorial to detail how I transferred my N3DS 10.4 emuNAND to a new SD card.

There are two methods for doing this: using EmuNAND tool on a PC to backup/restore the EmuNAND, or using EmuNAND9 on the 3DS to do it. The EmuNAND9 method is more convenient but requires you to have enough space on your SD card for the EmuNAND dump. I have therefore included both methods in this guide. You need to follow part 1 to prepare the new SD card, then either part 2a or part 2b depending on how much space you have on your SD card.

Precautions

• Make sysnand and emunand backups before starting
• Make sure you know how to check whether you are on sysnand or emunand
• Make sure you think about what you're doing instead of blindly following this guide. If things go wrong, you need to know what you're doing so you don't cause problems

You will need:

• 3DS with access to Homebrew and emuNAND already set up
• Minipasta installed to your old SD card
• EmuNAND9 installed to your old SD card
• If your original SD card has less than 2GB of available space, you will also need EmuNAND Tool on your PC

Part 1: Prepare the new SD card for emuNAND

Spoiler: Part 1: Prepare the new SD card for emuNAND

1. Back up the contents of both SD cards to your computer
2. Boot your 3DS to sysnand from the old SD card (if you have menuhax autobooting to CFW remember to bypass it to get to sysnand)
3. Boot into the Homebrew Launcher
4. Boot minipasta (again remember to bypass menuhax if it's set to autoboot to CFW)
5. Boot back into the Homebrew Launcher
6. Run EMUNAND9
7. Choose "SD Format Options..."
8. Choose "Format SD..."
9. Choose "... for EmuNAND (default)"
10. When prompted, switch to the new SD card
11. Follow the instructions to proceed with the format and wait for it to finish

Part 2a: If your old SD card has at least 2GB of available space

Spoiler: Part 2a: If your old SD card has at least 2GB of available space

1. Wait for the new emuNAND to finish formatting
2. Take out the new SD card and replace the old SD card
3. Press B three times to return to the main EmuNAND9 menu
4. Choose "EmuNAND Manager Options"
5. Press SELECT to unmount the SD card and B to remount it. This will ensure EmuNAND9 can see your EmuNAND after swapping SD cards
6. Choose "Dump EmuNAND to EmuNAND.bin"
7. While the EmuNAND is being dumped, you can put the new SD card into your computer and restore the backup of all your SD card files. Eject it when it's done
8. When the EmuNAND dump is finished, press B to return to the EmuNAND manager options
9. Press SELECT to unmount the SD card
10. Put the old SD card in your computer, open the EmuNAND9 folder on the SD card, and copy the EmuNAND.bin file somewhere safe on your computer. Eject the old SD card
11. Put the new SD card in your computer and copy EmuNAND.bin from your computer to the EmuNAND9 folder on the new SD card, then eject the new SD card
12. Put the new SD card back in your 3DS and press B to return to the EmuNAND Manager Options
13. Choose "Clone EmuNAND.bin to EmuNAND"
14. Wait for the clone to finish
15. Power off your 3DS
16. Power back on your 3DS

Part 2b: If your old SD card has less than 2GB of available space

Spoiler: Part 2b: If your old SD card has less than 2GB of available space

1. Wait for the format to complete and power off your 3DS
2. Put the OLD SD card into your computer and wait for it to be detected
3. Run EmuNAND tool and click the option to "Extract emuNAND"
4. Choose a safe location on your computer to save the emuNAND backup and wait for it to complete
5. Eject your old SD card, put in the new SD card, and wait for it to be detected
6. Re-run EmuNAND tool and this time choose "Inject NAND to emuNAND"
7. If you see a message saying that NAND.bin does not exist and asking if you want to create it, press No
8. Browse to the emuNAND backup you created in step 15 and select it
9. If you get an error saying invalid or unknown NAND size, use emuNAND tool 1.01. The error will still appear but you can ignore it in this version
10. Wait for the NAND file to be written
11. Copy the backup of your old SD card to the new SD card
12. Eject the SD card from your computer and put it back in your 3DS
13. Power on your 3DS

Whichever method you used, after powering your 3DS back on you should be able to boot back into your EmuNAND on the new SD card.

Comments, questions and corrections are welcome

 

[LoggerMan]

How do I get into the homebrew launcher and EMUNAND9 on my 9.0sys/10.5emunand Reinand console, I used to use Ninjhax for it on my Sky but I sold my Sky recently.

 

[mashers]

How do I get into the homebrew launcher and EMUNAND9 on my 9.0sys/10.5emunand Reinand console, I used to use Ninjhax for it on my Sky but I sold my Sky recently.

You can use the homebrew launcher loader CIA. Or change whatever method you are using to launch hax to get into Reinand to load boot.3dsx instead of Reinand.

 

[LoggerMan]

You can use the homebrew launcher loader CIA. Or change whatever method you are using to launch hax to get into Reinand to load boot.3dsx instead of Reinand.

Would installing the homebew launcher CIA to sysnand cause any issues? I'm kind of scared of installing stuff to sysnand. That sounds like the easiest way to do it though.

 

[mashers]

Would installing the homebew launcher CIA to sysnand cause any issues? I'm kind of scared of installing stuff to sysnand. That sounds like the easiest way to do it though.

It wouldn't work in sysnand unless you boot pasta first. I would just install it in emunand and run emunand9 from there.

 

[LoggerMan]

It wouldn't work in sysnand unless you boot pasta first. I would just install it in emunand and run emunand9 from there.

Oh yes that makes sense, I thought I wouldn't be able to switch the sd card while in emunand. Do I still need the minipasta step if I'm on Reinand? And is it okay to have all those emunand9 files mixed in with the reinand files that are already there?

There's so many steps, I was hoping I could just drag the files from my smaller sd to the new larger sd, wishful thinking haha.

 

[mashers]

Oh yes that makes sense, I thought I wouldn't be able to switch the sd card while in emunand.

Actually I don't know if you can. I think I made the same assumption which is why I wrote the tutorial the way I did (I.e. running emunand9 from sysnand). Have you done it? I'd be interested to know if it worked!

Do I still need the minipasta step if I'm on Reinand?

No, as long as you are able to swa the SD cards while in emunand you can run emunand9 from within Reinand.

And is it okay to have all those emunand9 files mixed in with the reinand files that are already there?

Yes that's fine. They won't conflict if that's what you meant.

There's so many steps, I was hoping I could just drag the files from my smaller sd to the new larger sd, wishful thinking haha.

It would be handy if emunand was a file instead of a partition so you could just drag and drop, but I suspect the performance would be worse if it was like that if it would even be possible.

 

[LoggerMan]

Have you done it? I'd be interested to know if it worked!


It would be handy if emunand was a file instead of a partition so you could just drag and drop, but I suspect the performance would be worse if it was like that if it would even be possible.

I'll try it in a minute. I just want to try something this banned user suggested https://gbatemp.net/threads/transfer-sd-with-emunand-to-a-new-bigger-sd.378463/#post-5275835 If it clones the entire card then it should work right? Or do I risk something going wrong?

 

[mashers]

I'll try it in a minute. I just want to try something this banned user suggested https://gbatemp.net/threads/transfer-sd-with-emunand-to-a-new-bigger-sd.378463/#post-5275835 If it clones the entire card then it should work right? Or do I risk something going wrong?

There's no risk at all as long as you swap the SD cards at the correct points. You're just reading from you current card and writing to the new one.

 

[LoggerMan]

Oh, Banned's advice seemed to have worked!

- Backup your SD Card with Win32DiskImager
- Restore your Backup with Win32DiskImager to the new SD Card
- Use EaseUS Partition Master to resize the FAT32 Partition (if the new SD Card is bigger then the old one)
- You have a exact copy of the old SD Card with more space
- Profit

It took a long time to backup the original, but in the end it looks like it worked perfectly!

 

[richardparker]

That is exactly what this tutorial explains how to do.

ohhh sorry man it slipped.

--------------------- MERGED ---------------------------

*cringe*

Scroll up to post #1, bro

oh sorry ot it yahnks

 

[izy]

There's no risk at all as long as you swap the SD cards at the correct points. You're just reading from you current card and writing to the new one.

Just here to say im pretty sure MiniPasta isnt even required for EMUnand9 to worm its generic homebrew and doesnt need any patches to work.

only because i have ran it without pasta before and it worked fine

from sysnand

 

[mashers]

Just here to say im pretty sure MiniPasta isnt even required for EMUnand9 to worm its generic homebrew and doesnt need any patches to work.

only because i have ran it without pasta before and it worked fine

from sysnand

Actually someone mentioned that to me earlier on and I had intended to amend the tutorial. Thanks for the reminder! I'm in the gym right now so I'll do it later

 

[Nixio]

Dude, Best Tutorial ever, thank you for the detailed instructions bro

 

[EmanueleBGN]

Question: if I have a 4.1.0-0 3DS with ONLY rxTools (no OOTHax, no Ninjhax, no, BrowserHax) how can I set up an emuNAND in a new, bigger SD?

Edit: I've installed the Browser using FBI in sysNAND

 

[Ace Koopa]

I'm not sure what did it, but in the process of formatting it to be readable by my phone, the computer, and my 3DS, my 64gb micro SD card downgraded into a 32gb micro SD card (in terms of storage)... How do I change it back?

 

[EmanueleBGN]

I'm not sure what did it, but in the process of formatting it to be readable by my phone, the computer, and my 3DS, my 64gb micro SD card downgraded into a 32gb micro SD card (in terms of storage)... How do I change it back?

Connect your SD to your PC then go to: Computer > right clic on SD > Format > Restore device default > Start

 

[Ace Koopa]

Connect your SD to your PC then go to: Computer > right clic on SD > Format > Restore device default > Start

OK, I think I got it back to normal by formatting it in my phone (at least, I HOPE the SD card is back to nirmal and still usable after that), so thank you!

Next question: I'm currently running CakesFW. So is there anything I have to change when following this guide? Do I still do the step with MiniPasta? And are there different steps I have to follow when doing Part 2a or Part2b?

 

[Ace Koopa]

When I try to extract my emuNAND using the emuNAND Tool, it says: "No emuNAND SD detected. Please make sure that the SD is inserted correctly and is already formatted by the. Gateway/R4i or other clone card."

What's going on?

 

[mashers]

What version of emunand tool are you using?

 

[Ace Koopa]

the latest: 1.0.3

Edit: Never mind. I managed to successfully transfer my emuNAND using the emuNAND9 homebrew app. had to delete a few files to do so, but at least it worked...